ã€ŠFrom Today, I&#x27;m a Playerã€‹


 Chapter 1: Prologue Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: Prologue Pt. 1</h4>

    <i>¡®2020, the year everything changed.¡¯</i>

    Gates.

    They were doors, connected to another dimension. In response to the sudden appearances, governments around the world moved quickly. They sent their troops into the Gates, racing to be the ones to explore the unknown world.

    <i>¡®However, there were no living survivors.¡¯</i>

    Not a single person returned from the Gates alive. A long time had passed before the first survivor returned. The survivor returned as apletely different being from what we had once called the human race.

    A superhuman-like being, a ¡®Hunter.¡¯

    Blessed by transcendent beings, they had gained special abilities and the power to manipte magic power.

    Upon his return, the first survivor told the world of the situation within the Gates.

    There were monsters. They were never before seen creatures that could have only existed in fairy tales, clearly an enemy of humanity.

    However, alongside the first survivor¡¯s return came the ¡®Gate Breaks.¡¯

    After a long period of neglect, the Gates began to crumble. Hordes of monsters with unimaginable power poured out and ughtered innumerable people, bringing the world to its knees. While the first survivor tirelessly worked to defeat the monsters, his efforts were like a grain of sand against the endless tide. Eventually, he too lost his life against the monsters.

    <i>¡®Subsequently, countless Hunters were born.¡¯</i>

    With the world under threat, humanity on the brink, and countries overrun with monsters, came the rise of more and more Hunters. After their first appearance, these Hunters wereter called the ¡®First Hunters¡¯. As their birth rate elerated, a counterattack began. While these newly born Hunters were weak, they gradually grew stronger through battles against the monsters.

    .

    Then came the ¡®Sponsors.¡¯ The same transcendent beings who had granted Hunters incredible power. These Hunters grew stronger through the support of the Sponsors, who gave blessings to those whomitted great feats. The world, on the verge of destruction, finally began to return to normal again. The Hunters defeated monsters, reimed territories, and saved people. Eventually, the number of Hunters increased exponentially, quickly reducing the number of world-destroying monsters.

    <i>¡®Nevertheless, the Gates continued to appear.¡¯</i>

    So much so that even the soaring number of Hunters were unable to handle it.

    The breaks urred again, and the threat of destruction loomed in the distance. A vicious cycle of hope and despair continued, repeating without end.

    Nevertheless, humanity, no, the Hunters, grew. The birth of powerful Hunters, the birth of heroes. Just as humanity finally thought that they would no longer experience despair, ¡®the worst gate¡¯ appeared.

    A transcendental-grade gate appeared,pletely different from any other. They called it, ¡®Gehenna.¡¯

    Countless hunters challenged it, but the Gate could not be closed. Eventually, it broke open. Demons erupted from Gehenna and began to ravage the world.

    Humanity found itself upon the precipice again.

    ¡°Twelve shining heroes have emerged,¡± I read this verse aloud, like always, with strength and conviction.

    The heroes who left their mark on the world.

    Although <i>he</i> was so powerful that he was like night and day to them, the Twelve Heroes, stronger than anyone else, defeated seemingly unassable monsters and saved the world. After the dust settled, they dered themselves ¡°Gods¡±.

    The world had changed. There was no need to live in fear of the Gates or the monsters. Rather, it was Gates and the monsters that were overwhelmed.

    Then, the Twelve Heroes created Eden. With it, they united all associations and stood above all governments. All the Hunters belonged to them, and they began to rule the world.

    <i>¡®Although most have forgotten this history, I still remember it all.¡¯</i>

    It had been nearly a hundred years since the creation of Eden¡¯s rule. Within that time, Eden and the Twelve Heroes, no, the Twelve Gods, had erased the existence of that one man. The ¡®Hunter¡¯ that most people had no idea even existed.

    Another hero.

    No.

    <i>¡®The Demon King.¡¯</i>

    But I knew the forgotten truth.

    ***

    <i>Thwack!</i>

    I quickly turned around at the dull pain in the back of my head.

    ¡°This bastard iszing about again.¡±

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°Did you finally realize I¡¯m here?¡±

    I looked at him as I rubbed my head. He was the owner of the convenience store I worked at, and a close hyung who had helped me since childhood.

    Even though his shiny bald head was a little ring, he was still handsome.

    <i>¡®They say if you¡¯re still handsome with a bald head, then you¡¯re really handsome..¡¯</i>

    While I was somewhat lost in my thoughts, he asked, ¡°Were you reading that book again?¡± He scanned over the book I was reading.

    I quickly closed the book when he mentioned it and hid it under the counter.

    ¡°Others might wonder what¡¯s so special about this book¡­¡± the bossmented.

    The book I liked to read looked just like a history book, so much so that it could have been used as a textbook. It was about the story of the Twelve Heroes that have be myths.

    ¡°Be careful. It could be dangerous if you get caught.¡±

    My boss had been smirking previously, but his smile suddenly transformed into a serious expression.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    While I pretended that it wasn¡¯t a big deal, my heart was pounding on the inside. The boss was right. While the book looked like an ordinary history book on the surface, it was actually a dangerous item to have as it wrote about a different version of our history.

    <i>¡®If anyone noticed the secrets of the book, they would be fated to die unconditionally.¡¯</i>

    That it wrote of a different version of our history.

    This book was the only memento of my deceased parents.

    <i>¡®A book with the story of the forgotten Demon King.¡¯</i>

    The book only revealed the hidden truth to those it permitted. To others, it was simply an old history book.

    I called it, ¡®The Book of the Demon King.¡¯

    While I didn¡¯t understand why my deceased parents had given me an item of this magnitude, it was still precious to me. It had apanied me my whole life, and I had read it repeatedly.

    ¡°You can clock out early today.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I looked at the boss with a confused face. Looking at the clock, it was only 6. I normally got off at 12.

    ¡°Someone will being from Eden.¡±

    ¡°This far out?¡± I asked curiously.

    ¡°Yeah. They said something about looking for something¡­ I don¡¯t know the details,¡± said the boss.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re looking for something? What sort of item is it that Eden is sending someone themselves¡­ No, it may not be an item.¡¯</i>

    Whatever it was, it was not something someone of my status had to care about.

    ¡°Understood. Then we¡¯re not opening the store today, are we?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why would we open just to have an empty store? I''m going to lock up to go home and rest," he said while waving his hand as if he was shooing me away.

    ¡°Go home quickly and get some sleep. Don¡¯te out, there are rumors that a fairly high-ranking official ising.¡±

    ¡°A high-ranking official?¡± I asked.

    This was the countryside. Barring a gate, this was so far out of the way even Hunters didn¡¯t normally stop by. But a high-ranking official from Eden would being?

    ¡°Curiosity can kill a cat, you know. Go home.¡±

    I nodded and left the convenience store.

    <i>Diriririri.</i>

    As the convenience store closed with a jarring song, the boss sighed as he looked at the empty convenience store.

    ¡°Ha¡­.¡±

    The look in his eyes instantly changed. It was neither serious nor rxed.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally time¡­¡±

    Cold and dark. That was the sort of gaze it was.

    ***

    "Damn it! Damn it!"

    I spat out curses.

    <i>Tadadak!</i>

    I was going home after work as my boss had said, but it wasn¡¯t long before I realized I had left something at the convenience store.

    <i>¡®Damn it, damn it. How could I have left the book behind!¡¯</i>

    Until now, I had never made a mistake like this before. I always had carefully carried the book in my arms.

    ¡°Figures that I leave my book behind on the day the official from Edenes,¡± I muttered to myself as I ran quickly. There was a sinking feeling in my chest I couldn¡¯t ce. I could have just gone to get the book in the morning, but for some reason, I couldn¡¯t get the Eden official¡¯s arrival out of my head.

    <i>¡®Hyung would be implicated too.¡¯</i>

    If they ever found out the true contents of the book, my hyung who helped me, an orphaned ordinary human, could also be harmed by the fallout.

    By the Eden made by the Twelve Heroes, no, Twelve Gods.

    A world ruled by them.

    While there was no more danger from the monsters, there was still yet a more insidious menace. A threat from the very rulers of humanity themselves, Eden. Those from Eden ignored and ostracized regr humans. They defined the Hunters as part of a new human race, looking upon the ordinary people with no powers with disdain.

    They were tyrants.

    If they were around¡­.

    Death, had bemonce to kill regr humans on a whim. Therefore, the general public, including me, lived separately from the Hunters. Of course, there were still Hunters around to manage and supervise the ordinary humans in these areas, but they were a minority.

    My vige was one of those areas.

    Hunters and ordinary humans couldn¡¯t live together. Such was life for ordinary humans in this reality.

    ¡°Huff¡­. Huff¡­..¡± I gasped for air.

    <i>Diriririri.</i>

    Finally, I arrived at the convenience store and was able to open the door quickly. I immediately ran to the counter and saw the book.

    "Thank god!"

    Fortunately, it was still there. I quickly grabbed the book and left the convenience store.

    "¡­"

    The surroundings were dark and quiet. Everyone must have all returned home early after hearing the news that an Eden official wasing.

    I looked up at the sky, and the sun was setting.

    <i>''Let''s hurry.''</i>

    I resolved myself and hurried. It would take about fifteen minutes to get home from the convenience store if I ran quickly. If I could just endure for fifteen minutes, I could get home safely.

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    The sound of my footsteps echoed through the quiet and deste street. The streetlights illuminating the road all over the ce seemed to indicate where I had to go.

    I ran and ran even as my breath caught in my throat. It was better to end up breathless than to end up dead.

    <i>Stop!</i>

    As I was running desperately toward home, I halted on the spot and slowly took a step back.

    Further ahead, a man in white robes stood there illuminated by a single streetmp in the distance.

    I turned around and tried to run again, but before I knew it, there were people in white standing behind me as well. It was impossible not to know who they were.

    They had a brooch with an image of a bountiful tree on their right chest.

    ¡°Eden.¡±

    It was the symbol of Eden.

    The people I was trying to avoid suddenly surrounded me. They walked slowly as if they were constricting me. I didn''t know what to do, and I looked for a way to escape.

    "Stop."

    But with one word, I was robbed of all choices. I didn¡¯t want to stop, but something forced me to.

    "Kneel."

    <i>Thud!</i>

    As soon as they finished speaking, I dropped to my knees and bowed my head. It wasn''t by choice. There really was something forcing me to.

    <i>''Hunters!''</i>

    Magic power.

    The biggest thing that separated ordinary people from hunters.

    The most powerful force within this changed world.

    Magic power.

    It was clear that magic power was forcing me.

    "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

    All of a sudden, they closed in on me. Since I couldn¡¯t move, it was impossible to guess how many of them and what their genders were. I was only able to count the number of shadows shining through the lights of the streetmps.

    "I asked you where you¡¯re going in such a hurry.¡±

    I struggled to open my mouth under the heavy pressure.

    "H- home¡­."

    My voice did note out properly, as if I was submerged in water.

    "Is there any reason to go in such a hurry?"

    Her voice was elegant and solemn. It was a beautiful woman''s voice. But all I could feel at this moment was the weight of her oppression and my fear.

    <i>Shudder.</i>

    My whole body trembled as my sweat dripped to the ground.

    "I asked you why you were heading home in such a hurry," she repeated again, seemingly patient.

    But I couldn''t answer easily. I thought frantically for an answer that wouldn¡¯t offend them.

    "Hmm¡­"

    It sounded like they were whispering something. I remained silent while still being forced to kneel, waiting for their decision.

    "Be on your way."

    Her permissionnded heavily in the silence. As soon as she finished speaking, my body began to move. I began to run without even attempting to look at their faces or their clothes.

    Liberation and salvation.

    The cold voice traveled to my ears just as the realization that my life had been spared spread throughout my body.

    "Wait. What is that in your arms?"

    My death sentence was set.

    1. Gehenna (Gehinnom) is the valley of the damned in Judeo-Christian eschatology. Originally a valley in Jerusalem where pagans would burn child sacrifices to their gods. It eventually became the origins of the ¡°fires of hell¡±. The word for hell in Im, Jahannam, stems from this word.

    2. This ¡°man¡± is an important one, as it specifically mentions a man, not a Superbeing (aka Hunter). The distinction will be rified in further chapters.

    3. Hyung is an informal title of address for an older brother (from a male perspective) but is often used between close friends too.

 Chapter 2: Prologue Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Prologue Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°And to think I almost missed it.¡±

    It was a beautiful voice. But to me, it was no different than the grim reaper reading my death sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s faint, but I can feel the magic power emanating from your arms. To think this was enough to escape my senses¡­¡±

    Hearing her voice, lilting and enchanting, I couldn¡¯t catch my breath as my heart pounded away in my chest.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    My hands shook, and my legs trembled to the sound of my racing heart.

    ¡°Your reaction is also unusual. Your heart is racing, and your breathing is heavy.¡±

    I froze, not even daring to turn my head to the sound of the voice. I waited, willing my heart to calm down. Enough so she wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it anymore. Enough so that I wouldn¡¯t have to face whatever happened next.

    "Turn around," shemanded in an authoritative tone, and I had no choice but to turn around. There were about five of them, and the streetmps illuminated them. They wore white, were adorned with hats that had fluttering white threads dangling from them, and had the symbol of Eden on their chests.

    "Look at me and answer.¡±

    The girl standing in the center looked different from the rest¡ªthe threads in her hat wereced with gold. She was the leader, and it was obvious that she was the official from Eden that hyung had spoken of. She said softly, as if in a whisper, "What is that in your arms?"

    "¡­"

    I desperately resisted her orders and kept my mouth shut. So much so that my veins strained against my body.

    ¡°Oh, ho. Are you rejecting themands of a god?

    She stood there amused, seemingly as if my attempts to defy her just raised her curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m only going to repeat it once. Take out whatever that is in your arms and state what it is.¡±

    My hands, trembling with effort, slowly moved. No matter how hard I strained against her orders, all I could do was sumb. My lips bled from the strain, and my hand eventually reached for the book in my arms.

    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t take it out. She¡¯s not an average official</i>.¡¯

    Somehow, she had noticed the book that no one had ever cast a second nce at and forced me to act with a singlemand. I was convinced that she would uncover the book¡¯s secrets, even though I knew I had to hide it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a book, ma¡¯am,¡± I answered her question and offered the book against my will.

    ¡°A book, you say¡­¡±

    Her eyes twinkled in the light of a streetmp, and she beckoned to me as she smiled as if she had discovered something.

    ¡°Come,¡± shemanded.

    I tried to refuse, all while knowing it was impossible to. I walked forward jerkily as I was no longer in control. I thought to myself, ¡®<i>I¡¯m going to die¡¯</i> as I felt death looming over me. If this book fell into her hands, I was doomed. And also everyone I knew. Even the entire vige might be burned down.

    This was the power of Eden and the Hunters, the way of Eden.

    And they would never let the story of the Demon King spread in the world again.

    To them, ordinary humans were livestock, mere chattel that was destined forbor.

    .

    We were livestock, with our life and death in their hands, killed for whatever needs, wants, or whims they had. That was the difference between them and normal human beings.

    I took one step, another step closer to her. And in just a few more, I would be standing right before her. But, ironically, now that I was about to die, my heart started racing at her beauty. She was beautiful, with her face shining gently through the white threads.

    ¡°Hand it over.¡±

    Suddenly, I was standing before her, blindly following her orders.

    Just as I was about to hand the book over to her¡ª

    ¡°I thought I told you to go home.¡±

    Out of nowhere, someone stood between us. He was a handsome man, worthy of being called good-looking.

    <i>Sparkle.</i>

    His bald head shone under the streetlight.

    ¡°Boss?¡±

    It was my boss. The man who had taken care of me since childhood and was one of the few people who were precious to me in this world. He stood in front of me and blocked the officials of Eden. I couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked.

    He simply replied, ¡°Because I knew this would happen.¡±

    Looking at her, he stated, ¡°Long time no see, Athena.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the ground began to rise around us.

    ***

    My boss and I stood in a round dome made of earth, stone, and asphalt. As the entire ce continued to shake with a great ringing sound, the dust fell around us in waves. Completely dumbfounded, I was still shocked from hearing the name my boss had just said.

    <i>¡®Athena.¡¯</i>

    The boss had definitely called the official from Eden, the one wearing the white threadsced with gold, Athena.

    Athena.

    It was impossible not to recognize that name. Athena was the name of one of the Twelve Gods, the founders and rulers of Eden. Even more importantly¡­

    ¡°Boss¡­?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around the current situation. In my mind, my boss had been an ordinary human all this time; however, he not only knew Athena, but could also create this kind of structure. Obviously, there was only one thing that could make this dome.

    ¡°Are you a Hunter?¡±

    It was definitely the powers of a Hunter.

    I was seeing my boss in an entirely different light. He simply responded, ¡°Is that what you¡¯re worried about in this situation?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t seem to have a grasp of reality, sir¡­ It feels like it¡¯s all a dream.¡±

    Those were my honest feelings. Everything going on was unbelievable. I had just seen the rulers of Eden¡ªNo, it wasn¡¯t enough that I had actually just seen one of the Twelve Gods, but the boss I had known for so long was also a Hunter.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold her back for long. That bitch will break this dome soon.¡±

    I really couldn¡¯t believe it: The fact that he knew Athena, down to even his ability to block her power, if but for a moment. Everything felt surreal.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    As the dust fell and the dome shuddered once more, I started to gather my thoughts little by little.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± my boss urged.

    ¡°Who the h¡­. Who are you, sir?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. I knew we didn¡¯t have time, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. Athena was waiting outside the dome, and with Athena, came the sure promise of death.

    ¡°...We don¡¯t have time.¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer my question, and I couldn¡¯t ask any further. I waspletely focused on what he was pointing to.

    ¡°Everything will end if that book falls in their hands.¡±

    ¡°Boss, did¡­ you know about this book from the very beginning?¡±

    He had known about the peculiarities of the book before, but it was only limited to what I had told him. I had naturally confided the book¡¯s secrets to him after having been friends for a long time, but the boss had urged me to not speak about such secrets anymore.

    Yet, his answerpletely broke his previous facade.

    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know? I had been searching for that book. And that¡¯s how I met you.¡±

    His replies were short and to the point, unlike the close brother or the store owner I had known. He was like apletely different person.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    ¡°There¡¯s not enough time. If I take the book now, I should be able to run away with it safely. You on the other hand¡­ You¡¯ll probably die.¡±

    There was a slight quiver in his eyes.

    ¡°Boss¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your burden.¡±

    My boss had prepared something. Even a clueless, ordinary person like me had noticed the change. Something hazy was emitting from him and was slowly enveloping him.

    ¡°There¡­ must have been a reason that you had the book. Perhaps, you¡¯ll be the one to¡­¡±

    It seemed as though he hade to some decision.

    ¡°I¡¯ve observed you for a long time.¡±

    What was he talking about??

    ¡°Make your choice.¡±

    I couldn''t understand what he was speaking about.

    ¡°But I won¡¯t leave you here. I¡¯ve grown too fond of you. Damn it¡­¡±

    As the boss mmed the floor once more, the shaky and unstable dome hardened again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet everything on you,¡± my boss said.

    I had no idea what he was talking about.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    The dome rattled violently. This time, it was much different from before. The boss had transformed all of a sudden. He had originally been dressed in everyday clothing, but now his body was covered in ornate golden armor. A helmet adorned with golden horns was on his head.

    ¡°Is the current state of the world to your taste?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    That was the only reply I could give. It was such an absurd question to throw at me in such a dreamlike reality.

    "Hunters rule everything, and those who used to be humans now im to be gods. You all are¡­ No, men are all like livestock holding their breath, waiting for their end.¡±

    His voice changed, earnest and solemn. There was nothing left of the older brother or the boss that I had known. Wrapped in golden armor, his figuremanded a presence akin to a god¡¯s.

    ¡°You could say that you are the most ordinary person in this world. You may not have been persecuted much, but you also didn¡¯t receive any benefits as a Hunter. You really could im that you were the most ordinary people of our time.¡±

    <i>Thud. Thud. Thud!</i>

    The sounds rang out again outside the dome as my boss continued ¡°How do you feel about the world? Is it to your liking? If not¡­¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    It was the first time I heard that particr sound. The dome had been breached.

    ¡°Would you change the world if given the chance?¡±

    The same sound urred again as he asked the question. I could see it clearly now.

    <i>Crack</i>.

    A transparent blue spear had pierced through the dome and had begun to expand.

    ¡°Make your decision. We¡¯re out of time. If you could change the world, would you? Or would you rather let the opportunity slide by¡­¡±

    Boss moved for the first time. A sword made of gold and jewels appeared in his hand, shining brilliantly. Without hesitation, he swung it with his right arm and struck the spear prating the dome. He turned to look at me and asked another question, "And just roll over and die?"

    He had asked his question. Yet, I didn¡¯t have an answer. My grudges with the world? Of course, I had them. Everyone had grudges with this world. This world was ruled by Hunters. Everything was restricted for ordinary humans; humans were simr to the livestock he had spoken about, waiting to be tossed aside.

    My parents too.

    <i>¡®I heard his parents were killed by Hunters.¡¯</i>

    Hunters had taken everything from me. So yeah, I had a lot ofints.

    When I was younger, I had a dream. I had wanted to be a civil servant and help the orphanage where I grew up. But as an ordinary human, it was a pipe dream that could never happen.A civil servant job was not only out of the question, but also any other jobs too.

    Non-Hunters could not upy any important positions. No matter how talented they might be, no matter how hard they tried, it was an impossible mountain to climb.

    There was nothing that could be done. It was a matter of identity. A matter of fate. Even if we all banded together, it would still be impossible to defeat the Hunters. What farmer would give in when the cattleined? It was our reality, our future.

    <i>¡®If you could change the world, would you?¡¯</i>

    Would I have the drive to fulfill it? I couldn¡¯t even process the current situation I had suddenly been thrown into. Could I even make such a decision?

    "Heimdall!"

    Athena¡¯s voice came through the pierced dome.

    ¡°Boss, is your name Heimdall?¡±

    Heimdall.

    I knew this name too.

    ¡°Yeah, but that stuff doesn¡¯t matter anymore. You have five seconds at most. Make your choice. I can¡¯t guarantee anything after that.¡±

    I nodded to him. Honestly, I had no grand ambition of changing the world. Furthermore, nobody would have been able to answer a question like this when asked so suddenly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, sir.¡±

    But, I didn¡¯t want to die.

    ¡°Great,¡± Heimdall said. It seemed that my statement had answered his question. His sword, which had been blocking the spear, began to radiate a vibrant rainbow light.

    ¡°If you ever end up meeting me there¡­¡±

    Heimdall suddenly pointed the shiny golden sword toward me. Even at that moment, I thought that the weapon was beautiful. Was I a person without conviction?

    ¡°...Treat me well.¡± Just then¡ª

    <i>Puuk.</i>

    A pain I had never felt before flooded my brain. I looked down and saw a brilliant golden sword that had pierced through the book in my arms into my chest. Something was wriggling out of the book.

    <i>Shhhhhhhh.</i>

    I heard a voice in my mind. It was a dark and gloomy voice that could not be denied.

    [Execute the Contract.]

    [ording to the contract, I, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, will¡­]

    [Sponsor you.]

    After the voice spoke hisst, Boss also said his goodbyes.

    ¡°Have fun. Looks like I didn''t make a mistake.¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    I lost consciousness and could only watch as the spear pierced through Hemidall¡¯s chest as he turned.

 Chapter 3: The Age of Heroes Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 3: The Age of Heroes Pt. 1</h4>

    It was as if my body had sunk endlessly into the cold, murky water. Dazed, I suddenly had a thought.

    <i>¡®Would you change the world if given the chance?¡¯</i>

    I thought he was just an average neighborhood hyung. An ordinary person living an ordinary life running a convenience store. But that was not the case.

    <i>¡®To think he was Heimdall.¡¯</i>

    It was already incredible that I had met Athena, let alone Heimdall. It was unbelievable.

    When people spoke of heroes, they were thinking of the Twelve Heroes who made Eden. They thought only of those who became gods. It was only natural, as, through Eden¡¯s efforts and oppression, countless other heroes had been erased from history. Still, among the erased names, there were a few that continued to shine brightly through the veil of oppression.

    One of them was Heimdall.

    <i>¡®The Guardian of the Brilliant Rainbow.¡¯</i>

    As the wielder of the brilliantly shining sword of rainbows, he was one of the Heroes who had saved many people and closed many gates. But s, few knew his name. Eden had worked long and hard to make sure of that.

    <i>¡®Because he was apanion of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    I hade across those names within the secretive book my parents had left me. It contained tales that described thepanions who had helped the Demon King and shared his will. Companions who deserved the title of Heroes infinitely more than the creators of Eden.

    Heimdall was definitely among those names.

    As my mind descended further into the fog, a few more questions arose.

    <i>¡®Why did I have that book?¡¯</i>

    I already knew it wasn¡¯t just a memento that my parents had left me when they died at the hands of a Hunter. Boss, no, Heimdall, said he had been searching for the book, and while I had never confirmed it, it was clear that Athena was searching for it too. A book that lit a fire in the eyes of Hunters who zed through an entire era. Why was a book like that in my possession?

    <i>¡®But more importantly, what will happen to me?¡¯</i>

    I mean why did Hyung, no, Heimdall, say that sort of thing?

    If I would change it? What sort of question... and what sort of ridiculous request was ¡°be nice to me if you meet me again?!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t think or understand anything any longer. My mind had fallen past the point of no return, and my body couldn¡¯t sustain any more thoughts.

    <i>Shaaaa.</i>

    A light shone brightly over my body after a while.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    I exhaled deeply as soon as I returned to my senses. It was difficult to breathe, as if my lungs were full of water.

    ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡±

    As I was trying to catch my breath, my vision slowly began to return. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, only to find myself surrounded by gloom.

    ¡°A cave¡­?¡±

    In my dim view, I could see a ceiling full of stctites. Everything was simr to the caves I saw on the inte. At the same time, something about it felt strange.

    ¡°A gate¡­?¡±

    Gates connected Earth to another dimension. The area the gates connected to were called dungeons. I remember seeing that some low-grade gates had dungeons in the form of caves. Looking more closely, this ce resembled those pictures.

    <i>¡®No way... Gates are under the strict management of Eden, and only hunters with authorization can enter them.¡¯</i>

    It was impossible for people like me to step foot into a gate.

    As my head cleared up, my memories slowly started to return. It was unbelievable. It was bad enough that I had met Athena, let alone¡­ at the hands of Heimdall, someone who I had considered an ordinary Hyung.

    <i>¡®I definitely had died.¡¯</i>

    I remembered my chest being pierced, and I was sure that I had heard a voice in my head, but my memory was still hazy. Amid all these unbelievable things, I woke up to find myself in a cave.

    ¡°Nothing will surprise me now.¡±

    By this point, I had gotten limated to these types of situations. More importantly, I was not even sure if this was actually a dungeon gate. There was also a chance that Heimdall had escaped with my very dead body. I mean, if it was Heimdall, he should have the power to revive me, right? The weight of the title Hero was enough to make one believe that such powers existed.

    I looked around at the surroundings.

    <i>¡®Fortunately, I think I¡¯m alone.¡¯</i>

    After collecting my thoughts, I scanned over my body. I was in much better shape than I expected, wearing a in t-shirt and pants. Looking inside the shirt, there were no visible wounds from when I was pierced by the sword.

    <i>¡®Something is different?¡¯</i>

    I had a strange feeling of peculiarity. While I couldn¡¯t see clearly in the dark, I knew there were a lot of things that were different, whether it was the shape of my hands or the span of my vision. As I was about to take a closer look at the condition of my body, I had no choice but to stop thinking at the sound of footsteps.

    <i>Scrape.</i>

    .

    I quickly scanned around again.

    Someone wasing.

    If it were Boss, no, Heimdall, then that would be another story, but for some reason, I felt something ominous.

    <i>¡®The sound of the footsteps¡­¡¯</i>

    The reason was obvious. The footsteps sounded bizarre. I had never heard something like this before. Like the sound of something stepping in water without any shoes on. There wasn¡¯t even a ce I could hide.

    "Keruk?"

    I came face to face with the owner of the footsteps.

    "¡­"

    I was at a loss for words. No matter how I looked at it, the owner of the footsteps in front of me didn¡¯t look human at all. There was saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth, and I could see its teeth, sharp and jagged, glowing in the soft light. It was about half as tall as an average person, but the most strikingly strange part was its green skin and reptilian eyes.

    I knew what the thing was.

    <i>¡®Goblin.¡¯</i>

    I held my breath and crouched low.

    Goblins were the most basic monsters, and they were often found in low-grade dungeon gates. Why the hell was it here?

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure of it now. This is a dungeon gate¡­¡¯</i>

    I didn¡¯t know how I had gotten into such a heavily restricted ce, but I was sure of it. I was in a dungeon gate and that was a goblin searching for food. He hadn¡¯t found me yet. I looked around again, searching for a way out, but there was still nowhere to escape. While it would have been nice if he went back to where he came from¡­

    "Keruk?"

    He seemed to have found me. My heart wrenched with horror as I saw it walking closer, with a rusty dagger in its hand. My mind started running at full speed as it slowly approached me.

    <i>¡®What should I do? If I stayed like this, I¡¯ll die again, for real.¡¯</i>

    I had no idea how I didn¡¯t die before, but I was alive now. But if it came closer to me, I would surely be dead meat.

    <i>¡®A goblin¡¯s weakness¡­ weakness¡­¡¯</i>

    My thoughts raced even faster. Information on goblins was so low level that even I could find it easily. All the information on it could be found just by searching on the portal site.

    I stopped thinking.

    "Keruk!"

    That punk had found me and began running towards me.

    Without hesitation, I shouted loudly, "Aaaaah-!"

    It looked startled by the sound of my shouting, as it stopped racing towards me, wed at its ears, and fell to the floor.

    "Aaaaah-!" I screamed again and kicked at its hand.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The rusty dagger that had been held in its hand ttered to the floor. I kept screaming, over and over without pause. While goblins in other gates might be different, these were cave goblins. Goblins that appeared in these dungeon gates were known to be especially sensitive to sounds. Because they only lived in caves, they couldn¡¯t handle loud noises, as it would cause their eardrums to tear.

    <i>¡®The information was urate!¡¯</i>

    I moved even faster and picked up the fallen dagger.

    <i>Puheuk!</i>

    I pierced the dagger deep into the nape of its neck. Moist green blood flowed from where the weapon had entered its neck.

    <i>¡®Whew¡­¡¯</i>

    I swallowed my breath and pulled out the knife. Paralyzing a goblin by yelling was a well-known strategy. However, it had one fatal w.

    "Keruk! Kerulleuk!"

    "Keruk!"

    "Kerreuk!"

    The sound drew in goblins from the surrounding area. However, I had no other choice as I wasn¡¯t a Hunter, just an ordinary person. There was no other way for me to survive.

    I grabbed the dagger and stared at them.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s three of them.¡¯</i>

    Fortunately, as time passed, no other goblins emerged. These were all the goblins in the area.

    <i>''This is all the goblins I have to deal with.''</i>

    I still had the energy left to keep yelling. I shouted loudly at the goblins running toward me, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-!"

    I threw myself at the goblins who had fallen to the ground, wing at their ears just like the one previously. I stabbed one of the goblins rolling on the floor in the neck. I felt like my throat was going to tear apart from the constant shouting, but the pain was a hundred times better than dying.

    "Aaaaah-!"

    Continuing to scream, I sliced another neck. I got goosebumps from the uncanny feeling.

    <i>¡®One more.¡¯</i>

    There was still one left.

    "Ah-!"

    This was my limit. More so than my throat¡¯s limit, my lung capacity was a problem. I couldn¡¯t make any more sounds.

    "Keruk!"

    But luckily I was able to make it on time. I plunged the dagger into thest goblin¡¯s neck and copsed on the spot, leaving the de in its neck. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had moved this violently.

    ¡°I did it¡­¡±

    But more importantly, I did it. Me, the ordinary human, hunting goblins. Even though I had known information on how to attack them, it wasn¡¯t an easy task. Rather, it was a feat so great that if I had told anyone what had just happened, I would have been called a liar. Dizziness was starting to ovee me.

    "Ker¡­ reuk."

    Alongside the cry of a goblin which I had thought was dead, came a pain piercing my skin.

    <i>Puheuk.</i>

    I looked in disbelief. My forearm had a dagger deeply embedded into it. One of the goblins from before, the one whose neck I sliced, was ring at me while holding its throat together.

    ¡°Keuk.¡±

    Enduring the intense pain, I pulled the dagger out of my arm. While it wasn¡¯tpletely dead, it was on its way there. I took the knife I had pulled out of my arm and shoved it into its head as it stumbled back and forth as if its vision was blurry.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    It copsed into a heap. It was definitely dead, and I couldn¡¯t feel any other goblins around.

    <i>¡®Uugh¡­¡¯</i>

    The pain in my forearm was overwhelming, I could feel the hot blood flowing down my wrist. Was poison smeared on the dagger? I could feel my consciousness slowly fading. I wanted to sit down and figure out some sort of n, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do as an ordinary person.

    My consciousness was crumbling.

    And.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    My body as well.

    I copsed next to the goblin I had just killed, its eyes staring right into mine.

    ¡°This¡­ how¡­¡±

    I saw it. I saw my reflection in its eyes. My heart started racing even faster, now that I was facing a situation I just couldn''t understand. My consciousness started fading away, and my eyes slowly started to shut.

    [You have leveled up.]

    I suddenly heard a voice, but there was no way that I had heard it correctly. But there was something that had oddly changed. It felt as if my body, which was on the verge of death, had suddenly improved a little.

    ¡°There are signs of goblins!¡±

    Someone called out. They were speaking the samenguage as me. I wanted to call out to them, but I couldn¡¯t find the strength to make a sound. My consciousness started slipping away, and I was on the edge of unconsciousness.

    ¡°There is a survivor!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t clear, but it was definitely someone¡¯s voice.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you.]

    The dark voice from before rang in my head again.

 Chapter 4: The Age of Heroes Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Age of Heroes Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Exactly how many did he kill?¡±

    ¡°Looks like four goblins?¡±

    ¡°He must have awakened, right?¡±

    With a hazy mind, I could hear voices one after another as I felt the hands of someone moving me.

    ¡°Be it theck of weapons and armor and the fact that he¡¯s a new face in this area¡­¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s a case of a civilian entering a gate and awakening.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move for now.¡±

    There were quite a few different voices. I focused on the sounds and their conversation and was soon able to deduce their identities.

    Hunters.

    It was clear that Hunters had rescued me. I continued to listen to them talk around me.

    ¡°By the way, I heard that gates have been popping up more frequently these days.¡±

    ¡°What did the Hunter Association say about it?¡±

    I trembled at that word.

    <i>¡®The Hunter Association.¡¯</i>

    It had been so long since that word hadst been used, and the only ce one could see it was in textbooks.

    In the early days, the governments of the world,rge corporations, and guilds came together and formed an organization to manage Hunters and gates. However, the organization waster co-opted by the Twelve Heroes and renamed Eden.

    This organization¡¯s original name was the very word that the voices were brazenly throwing around.

    <i>¡®What is this¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t easy grasping whatever was happening around me. I was exhausted. Exhausted from having to fight something to survive, and exhausted from having to ept impossible conditions. I was overwhelmed by fatigue from all directions.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡±

    That was thest I heard before I fainted again.

    ***

    <i>Beep. Beep. Beep.</i>

    The muffled sound of machinery rang in my ears. I carefully opened my eyes to a white ceiling and a dim light illuminating the room.

    <i>''Where...''</i>

    I slowly pulled myself up and looked around. My body felt lighter than before. As I looked around, I realized where I was.

    ¡°A hospital¡­?¡±

    There were machines around me, and an IV pierced into my wrist. The IV was connected to a tube full of a glowing red substance. I immediately knew what it was.

    <i>¡®Even a potion¡­ how¡­¡¯</i>

    My body may have felt lighter, but my head felt like it would explode. Why was I in a hospital, and why was there an expensive potion in my IV?

    Potions.

    A treatment method that had a much better effect than anything humans could have created in the pre-Gate era. I had heard that Hunters would drink it like water, but it was something an ordinary person like me would never have been able to even see, let alone use.

    I had only ever had the chance to use a potion once.

    <i>''It was after I had been in the ident when I was younger¡­ They said that the hunter had used one on me.¡¯</i>

    It was a memory from my childhood I couldn¡¯t even remember, but there was a Hunter who had said they had hit me with a car while driving drunk. After I had copsed in a critical state, the drunk Hunter pitied me and used a potion. It was funny thinking back on it. To be saved by the mercy of a drunk Hunter.

    I shook my head to clear my thoughts, my memories slowly returning.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯</i>

    I had met Athena and found out that the hyung I was close to, who ran the convenience store, was Heimdall. Furthermore, Heimdall had stabbed me in the chest, and I woke up to find myself in a dungeon gate. I had even killed a goblin there.

    ¡°Are you starting to feel better, sir?¡±

    Someone had opened the door to the hospital room and came in as I was organizing my thoughts.

    ¡°...¡±

    I stared at the girl, startled by the sudden situation. The image of a person popped into my mind at the sight of her white clothes.

    Athena.

    However, there was a big difference between the girl in front of me and the person I remembered. The girl calmly said while checking over the machinery, ¡°You¡¯re really lucky. Thankfully the League Guild was dispatched to that area. Otherwise¡­ this could have been very bad.¡±

    I looked at her, surprised at the sudden name, and asked, ¡°The League Guild¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The League Guild¡¯s members saved you, sir,¡± she said with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that your injuries weren¡¯t too serious. Someone from the Hunter Association should be arriving soon. Until then, please rest for a little while.¡±

    The girl turned to the hospital door, about to leave after finishing her work. I quickly snapped myself out of my shock and called for her, ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± She turned around.

    ¡°What year is it¡­?¡±

    There was an odd sense of dissimrity and strangeness. I had to ask to confirm my suspicions. She soon nodded as if she understood why I had to ask.

    ¡°It seems as though you are having memory issues. The year¡­¡±

    While the girl¡¯s face was clear and wless, my mind was wrought with confusion.

    ¡°...is 2022, sir.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    2022. The gates had appeared in 2020, and the year I lived in was¡­

    <i>¡®This is more than a hundred years ago¡­?¡¯</i>

    It was an era in apletely different century, and something was clearly wrong. Somehow, I had gone back to a hundred years ago. How¡­?

    And if it was 2022, then it was now¡­

    <i>¡®The birth of the Heroes.¡¯</i>

    Hero ss Hunters. It was a time when special Hunters began to appear. I stared nkly at her with a confused expression.

    ¡°Please get some rest.¡±

    She shrugged her shoulders at my astonished face and left the hospital room.

    All I could say to this situation was, ¡°How¡­¡±

    ***

    Under mysterious circumstances, I had returned to the past. It was hard to believe this was even possible. No Hunter could control time, even in the days when Hunters ruled the world and people called themselves Gods. Not even the Twelve Gods who created Eden.

    <i>¡®But I¡¯m in the past¡­¡¯</i>

    It was clear that I had returned to the past. Moreover, it was more than a hundred years ago, well before I was even born. The time when everything was about to begin. It was an impossible situation to believe in.

    <i>¡®Even if I had believed that this was the past¡­¡¯</i>

    What kind of person would prepare to head into the past? While everyone may imagine returning from time to time, no one would actually think it was possible. It was the same for me as well. No, actually, I was different. I had never even fathomed this could happen, that I would be thrown into an impossible situation like going back in time.

    <i>¡®The book.¡¯</i>

    The book that had been pierced along with my chest by Heimdall. The book that had contained the story of one of the forgotten Heroes. The strongest Hero. The Demon King. I had read this book dozens, no, hundreds of times. Not only that but there was also a time in which I had been interested in history in order to be a civil servant. Therefore, I knew quite a bit about the significant events in this era. Because I was also interested in the existence of monsters, I had also often searched for information about them as well.

    <i>¡®While it wasn¡¯t because I had ns to return to the past, this will be helpful in the future.¡¯</i>

    I had suddenly gone back in time. However, I had no intention of ever returning to my time. I was currently in what was referred to as ¡®the Age of Beginnings.¡¯

    ¡°The Age of Heroes.¡±

    I realized that this was the time when Heroes were born.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    I couldn¡¯t control my racing heart. This was a chance.

    I had been an ordinary person who couldn¡¯t do anything at a time when even bing a Hunter was at the whim of Eden. But it was different now.

    I slowly rose and headed towards the bathroom inside the hospital room. My body felt lighter and faster than ever before. I turned on the tap and looked into the mirror.

    ¡°...¡±

    Though I had seen it several times before, I still wasn¡¯t used to it. The person in the mirror staring back at me was different from the person I had known. There were a few areas in the reflection that resembled my original appearance, but that was only a small part of the overall image. I had been quite short, but now I was over a hundred and ny centimeters in height. In addition, my round facial features had sharpened. While there were definitely some parts of my original self, overall, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that I had be apletely different person.

    I wasn¡¯t used to it. It was an unquestionably different body. Still, I had no major issues with moving around. I stood there for a while, trying to get used to my new appearance.

    Suddenly, an unfamiliar

    voice said, ¡°Is anyone here?¡±

    Someone had entered the hospital room.

    ***

    "I¡¯vee from the Hunter Association."

    The man talked to me as he handed me a business card. On the card was the name Kim Su-Yeong, Department of Hunter Management.

    ¡°You were rescued from the gate. I heard that you were also having some trouble with your memory. Is that correct?¡±

    That information would havee from the nurse. It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise since I must have seemed confused and had asked various questions.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Plus, this misunderstanding would be better for me too.

    The man scratched his head.

    ¡°Then would you mind telling me what parts you do remember? Your name¡­ or your family¡­ or perhaps how you ended up inside that gate¡­¡±

    I had been taken to the hospital, and the hospital and the Hunter Association had tried to collect my information. While it was standard procedure, they told me they couldn¡¯t collect any of my information. No name, no family, nothing. While it wasn¡¯t normal, it wasn¡¯t umon in this era. Humanity had lost a great deal with the advent of the gates and the surge of monsters. Moreover, it wasmon to have difficulty identifying people who had entered gates due to changes in their bodies.

    "¡­"

    It wasn¡¯t a question I could answer easily.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be nervous. You can speak to me casually. You have been rescued, sir. There is no need to be on edge.¡±

    He asked me again. I thought for a long time¡ªmy name. Naturally, I remembered the name that I had used before I returned to the past. However, I wasn¡¯t sure whether it would be fitting to use it at this point.

    ¡°My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    After pondering my choices for a while,?I gave him a name. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t my original name or anyone else¡¯s.

    <i>¡®The Demon King¡¯s name and my name¡­¡¯</i>

    It was a name made by mixing his and my name. I had no idea why I had mixed my name with the Demon King¡¯s.

    <i>¡®For some reason¡­?It feels right.¡¯</i>

    Kim Su-Yeong nodded after hearing the name.

    ¡°Then I will refer to you as Lee Jun-Kyeong, sir.¡±

    After writing something down on the paperwork, he continued with his questions.

    ¡°How old are you? Could you state your parents'' name or where you had lived¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-three¡­ and can¡¯t seem to remember the rest.¡±

    I answered in a manner that was favorable for me. There wouldn¡¯t have been any information about me, who had gone back in time. While there wasn¡¯t any way to return to the future, it was not like I intended to do so. So from this point on, I had decided to live in this era. To do so, I had to answer in a manner that would benefit me.

    ¡°This might be an issue.¡± Kim Su-Yeong said, scratching his head as if it was rare to have such little information to work with.

    ¡°Well¡­ Do you feel different anywhere? Likepared to before?¡±

    I paused for a moment at his question and looked back at him. I knew what he was trying to get at and that I could give him a satisfying answer.

    I admitted, ¡°I heard a voice.¡±

    "¡­!"

    His eyes grew round like a full moon, sparking as if he had found a treasure. I had not disappointed him with my answer.

    I continued, ¡°I heard someone saying, ¡®I will support you.¡¯¡±

    ¡°... I understand. Mr. Lee, it seems as though you are¡­¡±

    He had to swallow his saliva and then continued speaking.

    ¡°It seems as though you have be a Hunter. Do you remember anything regarding Hunters?¡±

    ¡°I only remember that they were a special sort of people.¡±

    He nodded and continued, ¡°While I¡¯m not sure who, it may be me or someone else¡­ But someone from the Association wille to find you soon.¡±

    Most likely, they had wanted to verify if I really was a Hunter or not. It shouldn¡¯t be an issue. While I had understood everything, I still nodded, portraying a confused expression.

    ¡°I understand that this can be quite a shock. However, Mr. Lee, you have be an important person the world needs now.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong then rose from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯lle to find you again soon,¡± he said, leaving the hospital room.

    I looked at the hospital room door where he had left for a moment and then quietly said, ¡°Status window.¡±

    Suddenly, a blue window only visible to me opened up. Moreover, this was apletely different window that the ordinary Hunters had. I knew what this was.

    <i>¡®The power of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    The reason why the Twelve Heroes had suppressed the Demon King. The reason behind why he was so powerful. The reason why they had tried to erase even the slightest traces of him. The Demon King was special, even amongst all the Hunters. To be precise, he wasn¡¯t actually a Hunter. He was a different being than that of a Hunter. Better than a Hunter.

    [yer]

    It was clearly written on the blue window.

    <i>¡®A yer¡­¡¯</i>

    Unlike Hunters, who grew through the aid of Sponsors, yers could grow through their own efforts. They were given infinitely more opportunities than anyone else, so it was an ability with great potential. A yer could grow by hunting monsters and wouldn¡¯t have to rely on anything or anyone else.

    It was the ability to grow alone, with a growth rate iparable to that of a Hunter.

    This was the <i>¡®yer.¡¯</i>

    It was an ability only the Demon King had had in this world.

    The only existence that could be stronger through hunting.

    But that was the Demon King.

    <i>¡®Now I¡¯m the yer.¡¯</i>

    1. The original writes round like a bunny, but that¡¯s not a normal thing to say in English. However, I kept on with the bunny theme by using the moon, as there is a fable in Korea about rabbits on the moon.

 Chapter 5: The Age of Heroes Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Age of Heroes Pt. 3</h4>

    A few dayster, Lee Jun-Kyeong was getting closer to being discharged. While the injuries weren¡¯t severe, his discharge had been dyed due to the special nature of his rescue.

    As people were often rescued from within the gates, this dy became necessary. Gates were a kind of door connected to another dimension, most of which were unstable. Falling into a gate could have fatal consequences for non-Hunters. There were cases such as a warped flow of time or exposure to an epidemic. In rare cases, a person could emerge, having had their fundamental nature changed.

    ¡°Mr. Lee! Congrattions! We¡¯ve confirmed that you are a hundred percent human!¡± eximed a nurse excitedly. The nurse and Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten a little closer during his stay.

    ¡°Th¡­ Thank you.¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe that there was a reality in which he had to be happy that he was still a human being, he was still d. He had gone back in time and obtained a body different from the one he had before. To be honest, it was an issue that had concerned him.

    <i>¡®I thought there might have been something wrong with my body¡­ It¡¯s a relief.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong still had many other worries. Returning to the past was not a normal urrence. Furthermore, his body hadpletely changed into something else.

    ¡°And congrattions on bing a Hunter!¡±

    He had be a Hunter. There were concerns about the changes in his body after bing a Hunter as there was no guarantee that all of them were for the better.

    <i>¡®There were some stories of a person who had be a Hunter, and his blood had be acid, and others where someone had turned into a hideous Morgor.¡¯</i>

    This was because there was a chance one¡¯s body would change ording to their awakened ability. Fortunately, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t seem to have that problem. He hadn¡¯t undergone any significant changespared to the average awakening.

    ¡°Is bing a Hunter something that needs to be celebrated?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong naturally already knew the answer to this question. Bing a Hunter was something to be celebrated and was considered an extraordinary urrence.

    Sort of.

    <i>¡®Because I was chosen.¡¯</i>

    Specially chosen out of the masses. It wasn¡¯t something that someone could have just because they wanted it. A person had to draw focus to their unique talents and be chosen by ¡®Them.¡¯ So then why did Lee Jun-Kyeong ask the nurse his question?

    <i>¡®I need to know exactly how Hunters are treated in this era.¡¯</i>

    He only knew the information that had been passed down through textbooks or the inte. Even though he may have returned to the past, it wasn¡¯t to a past that he had lived and breathed. There was a chance that not everything he had been taught was true.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s something to be celebrated! It¡¯s the same as winning the lottery, right? Even the lowest rank F-ss Hunters can earn wealth unimaginable to ordinary people!¡± the nurse eximed excitedly as if this was her own opportunity.

    ¡°While there is the downside of having to fight with your life on the line, is that really an issue these days? They say that there are many things Hunters can do now to earn money, even if it¡¯s not through battle.¡±

    It was a true statement as there were many things the special humans called Hunters could do. Whether it be bing cksmiths through special powers or performing special tasks using higher-than-normal intelligence. They could even act as bodyguards for the rich.

    They really were <i>¡®special humans.¡¯</i> So much so that they would always be superior no matter who they werepared to.

    ¡°It seems like it really is something to celebrate.¡±

    It was a shame. Shortly, the world would be ruled by Eden and the Twelve Gods. Soon, the unchosen humans would be cursing a reality where most of them would not be selected as Hunters. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly.

    "Anyway, congrattions! Make sure you buy me a meal when you be a great hunter in the future.¡±

    "Of course," Lee Jun-Kyeong offhandedly answered. However, he had no intention in keeping casual rtionships.

    "Oh, and don¡¯t forget this."

    The nurse pulled out something and handed it to Lee Jun-Kyeong when she saw his ufortable expression.

    ¡°Do you happen to remember Kim Su-Yeong from the Association? He left this for you. Something about how it may have been difficult for you to wear the clothes you had before¡­¡±

    She handed Lee Jun-Kyeong a ck T-shirt and jeans. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and epted the clothes, thinking that they looked like they would fit surprisingly well.

    ¡°Then, congrattions on your discharge!¡± said the nurse as she left the hospital room.

    ***

    "This is¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but admire it. While he had been able to look out the hospital room window, he hadn¡¯t been able to leave barring the examination, as they had to confirm whether or not he had contracted a disease or any other issues. But now, he was standing in front of the hospital entrance. He scanned his surroundings.

    Korea during <i>¡®The Age of Heroes.¡¯</i>

    There was a view of Gangnam, where the Hunter Association was located, and everything around him was new and strange.

    <i>¡®The atmosphere ispletely different.¡¯</i>

    He had been to Gangnam once before in the future. It was one of the only cities the general public could visit without permission. It was a city of dreams for civilians, where someone could change their life if they had enough luck.

    The Gangnam where he had pursued his dreams wasn¡¯t a good memory. It was different from the rumors, a ce where his status as a civilian had left his efforts in vain, and he returned to his hometown.

    However, he never forgot the scenery: a beautiful and colorful city with an underlying darkness.

    <i>¡®It seems lively.¡¯</i>

    This time was different. They were a world gued by threats, not knowing when the next monster would emerge from the gates or when the next big event might happen. But even so, it looked more peaceful and lively than the Gangnam in the future. Lee Jun-Kyeong took in the surrounding scenery as if it was a wondrous sight.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. It seems like you don¡¯t remember much,¡± someone said.

    ¡°Manager Kim.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong acted as if he knew him. Kim Su-Yeong had been waiting with his car parked. He smiled and said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°We¡¯ll be heading straight to the Association as you still don¡¯t remember your current address or any other information. Am I correct in assuming that you won¡¯t have a ce to stay from now on?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong emptily nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After registering as a Hunter in the Association, they should provide you with a rental apartment. There are often cases like yours.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded again. While it wasn¡¯t a benefit that everyone was offered, his was a particr case¡ª

    ¡°Let me congratte you in advance for bing a D-Rank Hunter.¡±

    Hunters were ranked ording to the alphabet. Usually, when one first awakened as a Hunter, it wasmon to be graded an F-Rank or E-Rank. While there were instances where some were awarded higher grades, they were considered promising prospects and received special treatment. While all Hunters could grow into higher ranks when given support, the initial grade after awakening was still crucial.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had received a D-Rank in his first ability test after awakening in the hospital.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s that much¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡ªbecause he had great potential.

    A D-Rank Hunter. It was a great start.

    ¡°Once the registration isplete, the Association will provide you with many more benefits. I¡¯ll exin the rest after registration isplete. Please, take a seat,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong while smiling.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong modestly expressed his thanks and entered the old car through the door held open by Kim Su-Yeong. The car set off slowly as Lee Jun-Kyeong admired the unfamiliar scenery outside the window.

    ***

    "Now, after you finish signing, you will officially have be a Hunter."

    It was a thick contract. Eventually, only thest page remained. After careful review, Lee Jun-Kyeong came to the conclusion that it had nothing that could have been an issue.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that while I have be a Hunter, I won¡¯t belong to the Association?¡±

    That was the most critical part. Whether or not he belonged to a group. While it used to be what Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted, that was him from before, his past self that had had no dreams or hopes. Now, it was different. As someone with endless opportunities, tying himself to something was no different from shackling himself.

    "Yes. The role of the Association is to manage the Hunters. Well, it might be a littleplicated to exin... Simply put, it is simr to the rtionship between a government and its people."

    Fulfilling the basic duties and reaping the benefits that came with it. Beyond that, there was no obligation that demanded a Hunter be loyal to the Association. Lee Jun-Kyeong made his decision.

    <i>Scribble.</i>

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    He signed the contract.

    ¡°From now on, you may work as a Hunter. The Association will put in a lot of effort for you, and you will be free¡­ would be grateful, however,¡± rambled Kim Su-Yeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong had honestly spaced out in the middle of the man¡¯s speech and only caught himself towards the end.

    Kim Su-Yeong continued, blissfully unaware that the other man hadn¡¯t been paying attention, ¡°As you already know, Hunters may be drafted in for things such as national emergencies or transcendental grade gates. You¡¯ve been fully briefed on the matter, correct?¡±

    It was something that he had already heard multiple times. Kim Su-Yeong''smitment to work was quite thorough. There were no signs of deceit that Lee Jun-Kyeong had noticed.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong stood up and shook Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand. They hadpleted the contract.

    <i>¡®The goal I had so wanted¡­¡¯</i>

    Just then, a result he couldn¡¯t have imagined even in his dreams.

    <i>¡®I have be a Hunter.¡¯</i>

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s words rang within Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest.

    Hunters. The blessed and chosen few. The impassable ss ceiling.

    <i>¡®No, something greater.¡¯</i>

    He had be something different from other Hunters.

    A yer.

    <i>Squeeze.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put strength into his handshake with Kim-Su-Young.

    "It will take some time to deal with your identity registration and rental housing¡­ Until then, would you like to talk about anything?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. He was thirsty for information. He needed topare the information from the future in his head to the information in this era. In order to do so, he would first have to collect a lot of information.

    ¡°Firstly¡­ either this week at the earliest or next week, there will be an assembly.¡±

    ¡°An assembly?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong smiled as if to convey there was nothing to worry about.

    "It¡¯s the tutorial."

    "Ah."

    "You¡¯ve applied, Mr. Lee?"

    Kim Su-Yeong was right in his assumption. This was a tutorial that one could apply to attend after bing a Hunter. While it wasn¡¯t mandatory, it was a process meant to aid those that had applied.

    <i>¡®If one¡¯s goal is to be a battle Hunter, attending is all but mandatory.¡¯</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t a Hunter in the first ce, he recalled the sudden fight with the goblins. How his actions were a stretch from what one could call fighting. Furthermore, even though he knew a lot of information regarding Hunters, it wasn¡¯t as if he had any real experience. He agreed it was necessary to attend the tutorial.

    "It willst for three days. To give a rough exnation, there will be a brief overview of the theories of being a Hunter while mainly focusing onbat-rted lectures and weapon skills.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°And thest day is as I have exined in advance.¡±

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed nervously.

    "Thest day will be a trip to a dungeon gate. While it will be the lowest ranked gate, it¡¯s best to be prepared as one never knows what will happen,¡± Kim Su-Yeongughed.

    ¡°Though, don¡¯t worry too much. Not only are you a D Rank¡­ but haven¡¯t you also already killed goblins before? There is nothing for you to worry about. I¡¯m sure you¡¯lle out with great results.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Kim Su-Yeong also talked about a variety of other things.

    ¡°Are there any Hunters to look out for?¡±

    Stories rted to this era and rumors about other Hunters.

    ¡°Well, there are quite a few famous Hunters as it¡¯s been a while since Hunters had first appeared.¡±

    <i>Ring.</i>

    As Kim Su-Yeong tilted his head as if he was thinking about something, his phone started to ring.

    ¡°Ah, it seems as though it¡¯s already over. Let¡¯s go over the restter.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±

    With Lee Jun-Kyeong''s agreement, the two rose from their seats.

    ***

    "Congrattions."

    It felt like he had received twenty years'' worth of missed congrattions in one day.

    Still, he was grateful. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sincerely appreciative.

    It was a special day. It was his first day of being a Hunter, and the first opportunity that he had been able to grab. For the first time in his life, he had a home. The house he used to live in was an abandoned shack that he had refurbished. It was a ce utterly iparable to the house he would live in for now.

    He was happy. It was the first time he had been able to understand the true meaning of happiness.

    "Ah¡­ There was one more thing I had to tell you."

    "Yes?"

    "There is someone who wishes to meet with you."

    "Me?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s heart started to race. He was someone who had returned to the past. There shouldn¡¯t have been a single person who would have known him. Instead, he wondered who it could be and why they would want to meet him.

    ¡°Well¡­ He¡¯s the Guild Master of the League Guild that had saved you. It seems as though he has a bit of interest in you. But, of course, it¡¯s not a requirement. You don¡¯t have to ept his request.¡±

    ¡°The League Guild?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s one of the more active Guilds these days.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong considered it for a moment.

    If it was the League Guild¡­ he made a decision, ¡°Then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. From what he had seen, Lee Jun-Kyeong was a very cautious person. A careful and wary person. He had been sure that Lee Jun-Kyeong would decline the meeting.

    Shortly after Kim Su-Yeong had stepped aside to take a phone call, he came back and said, ¡°This is Lee Jun-Kyeong." Kim Su-Yeong had brought someone over and introduced him to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°And this is the Guild Master of the League Guild that had saved you, Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    The man was handsome, appearing on the younger side. Despite being a Guild Master, he had a face that seemed familiar or easily recognizable. His most stand-out feature, however¡­

    ¡°I shaved it myself. I¡¯m the Guild Master of the League Guild, Yeo Seong-Gu.¡±

    ¡­was his head, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Not a single hair was visible on his sparkling scalp.

    ¡°And this is¡­?¡±

    He seemed to have noticed the attention towards his head. It wasn¡¯t until Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s eyes furrowed slightly in difort that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to his senses.

    ¡°Thank you so much. It¡¯s just that you look very simr to someone I know¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to be rude,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong apologized while shaking his hand.

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>¡®So this is how we would meet.¡¯</i>

    He was one of the very few friends Lee Jun-Kyeong had. Someone he could never treat well enough. It wasn¡¯t because of the request he had received. He wanted to do it from the depths of his heart. The reason was¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    It felt as though he was about to cry. It was a meeting that urred much sooner than expected¡­

    <i>¡®Hyung.¡¯</i>

    ¡ªHe had met his Hyung.

    Though he may have pierced Lee Jun-Kyeong with a sword at thest moment, he was a Hyung who truly cared for him.

    Heimdall.

    1. The author uses a mix of myself (??) and Lee Jun-Kyeong (???) to reference the main character. For the first 4 chapters, as his name wasn¡¯t revealed, we used 1st person POV, intending to keep it that way for the book. However, after the introduction of his name, it made much more sense to change the POV to 3rd person, as it read better and was easier to distinguish.

    2. A Morgor is a Korean term for a hideous morphed human. Sort of like a brute or a neanderthal. Think in terms of Frankenstein¡¯s monster, or like a super-deformed bodybuilder.

    3. A ss Ceiling is an invisible ssist barrier that keeps a certain group of people from ever rising beyond a certain point in society.

 Chapter 6: Tutorial Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 6: Tutorial Pt. 1</h4>

    "This¡­ is¡­¡±

    Emotions overwhelmed him, making it hard for him to speak. All Lee Jun-Kyeong could do was blink with a stupefied expression. The reason he felt so emotional was that he now had a home.

    ¡°My home¡­¡±

    They had arrived at the rental housing provided by the Hunter Association. While the apartment wasn¡¯trge, it didn¡¯t feel cramped. More importantly,pared to his previous shack, this was a pce. His previous shack had reeked of mildew and also had a strange odor rising from the pipes.

    Unlike his former ce, where it was routine to start his morning with cockroaches, this one was <i>clean</i>.

    While it was a rental, it seemed to have been newly built, as there wasn¡¯t much to clean. The walls were white, and though there was only one bedroom, the living room was quite spacious. Although it wasn¡¯t fully furnished, it''s amazing.

    There was a bed in the living room. Lee Jun-Kyeong ran toward the bed andid down, his body enveloped by its softness. For him, this all felt like a dream¡ªfrom bing a hunter to changing his appearance, and even his newfound passion for his future. Everything felt surreal.

    ¡°This really is real.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong reached out and clenched his fist as if he was trying to grab onto the light cast from the window onto the ceiling. Then, as hey on the cushions, it all started to feel real. It was a sense of reality clearer than anything he had experienced until now.

    At that moment, the question came up again.

    <i>¡®What really happened to my body?¡¯</i>

    He could tell that this body had been rebuilt using his original one as a base. At first nce, it looked as if there were many changes, but the basics were definitely the same.

    In fact, it was a little embarrassing for him to admit this.

    <i>¡®Even the blue spots on my butt are the same as before. This is?definitely?still my body.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t as if his mind and soul had entered someone else¡¯s body or anything. Instead, his body had simply transformed. Also, there was one more question on his mind.

    <i>¡®Why am I a yer?¡¯</i>

    The ability of the Demon King.

    He had read the book dozens, if not hundreds of times. The forgotten, most powerful Hero, and the most unique Hunter: the Demon King.

    Why did he have that man¡¯s powers? And what happened to the Demon King? After all, he had heard that only one person could have this ability at one time.

    The special ability of a Hunter was determined by the first Sponsor who selected them.

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse>

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse> only supported one person, and the ability it gifted was ¡®yer.¡¯

    <i>¡®Furthermore,?<The Sky of the?Apocalypse> said it would fulfill the contract.¡¯</i>

    It was the voice he had heard before he died. Yet, there was no way of finding the answers to these questions. There was no information he could use to verify anything.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong went over everything he was sure about. He had returned to the past and had acquired the special ability that everyone coveted. He had been granted an opportunity. Finally, his <i>¡®Hyung.¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able to meet his Hyung again. He had initially noticed it when he first heard the name of the guild that had saved him. The League Guild was Heimdall¡¯s Guild. Yeo ¡°Heimdall¡± Seong-Gu was the name of a Hero who would close an uncountable number of gates and save innumerable people in the future. A forgotten Hero rumored to be dead.

    <i>¡®He said he had found me while searching for the book.¡¯</i>

    Whether as a boss or hyung, he had been a precious person to Lee Jun-Kyeong, but Yeo Seong-Gu had not approached Lee Jun-Kyeong with the cleanest intentions. He had initially found Lee Jun-Kyeong while searching for the book and had offered his friendship with a purpose in mind.

    However, he had still died saving Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    That alone was enough for Lee Jun-Kyeong to be grateful. Furthermore, there were more than enough reasons for him to be thankful. For a Hunter at the level of Heimdall, it would have been nothing for him to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong earlier and take the book.

    Suddenly, there was silence. Only the sound of breathing could be heard within Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s new home as he drifted off to sleep.

    ***

    "It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± said the man wearing a pair of sports sunsses.

    "My name is Bae Sang-Su, and I will be in charge during your Tutorial."

    Tutorial Guide. It was a job taken mostly by retired Hunters at the request of the Hunter Association and was considered a cushy job on a silver tter with easy pay and guaranteed safety. However, Bae Sang-Su was different.

    <i>¡®Should we get started?¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su was the first Hunter who had wanted to be a guide. He was the type who preferred the joy of discovering the next talent rather than hunting. There had been several Hunters whose talents had been discovered by him. More often than not, these Hunters rose to significant positions withinrge guilds or the Hunter Association.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Many in the group had heard of Bae Sang-Su, and a rumor had circted among those who had be new Hunters: if Bae Sang-Su gave you a good evaluation, then your road ahead was full of sunshine and rainbows.

    However, Bae Sang-Su had no interest in most of them. He only had eyes for one particr Hunter among those who hade to participate in the Tutorial today. He had heard that, for the first time in a while, a Hunter had awakened as a D-Rank.

    ¡°A D-Rank, huh?¡±

    The tutorial was designed to proceed without any information about the participants being given out. This was to avoid favors or requests for someone who was being sponsored by therge guilds. It was only due to his status as a senior guide that Bae Sang-Su heard about the D-Rank Hunter participating.

    <i>¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to suss them out.¡¯</i>

    This was what Bae Sang-Su lived for¡ªto find things out himself. However, there were quite a few who stood out. Most seemed to have either a strong body or a high initial magic power.

    <i>¡®The Hunters this time seem?to be pretty?decent.¡¯</i>

    In the end, he couldn¡¯t find the special one. However, since he could see that the Hunters had quite a few prospects in this round, he had a lot to look forward to.

    <i>''There are quite a lot of gem-like prospects.''</i>

    Intending to slowly uncover the D-Rank Hunter, Bae Sang-Su began to speak.

    ¡°For today, we will have a brief overview of information about Hunters and the process of choosing a weapon. There is no need to be nervous, so please rx a little.¡±

    The Hunters rxed after hearing that, and like a pro, Bae Sang-Su announced the start of the Tutorial.

    "Do you know how Hunters are born?"

    Someone raised a hand at Bae Sang-Su''s question.

    "Isn''t it by being chosen by a Transcendent Sponsor?"

    "You are correct."

    Bae Sang-Su shrugged his shoulders as if to indicate that this much wasmon knowledge and moved on to the next question.

    ¡°It is well known that a Hunter¡¯s special abilities be fixed upon awakening. However, Hunters are still able to experience growth. Could anyone answer how? Ah, you don¡¯t have to raise your hands.¡±

    In response, a man who had held his hand up to show that he wanted to answer the question continued to keep his hand raised.

    ¡°But I¡¯m holding my hand because I want to answer the question?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Bae Sang-Su thought, <i>¡®He must have studied a lot in advance.¡¯?</i>At his nod, the man spoke.

    ¡°By closing gates and hunting monsters!¡± the man answered confidently.

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su nodded in affirmation. However, his questions didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°How can closing a gate and hunting monsters provide Hunters with growth?¡±

    ¡°By closing gates and hunting monsters, one can receive ¡®attention¡¯ from the Sponsors. In addition, one can acquire high-quality items or skills through additional support or sponsorship from other Sponsors.¡±

    <i>p, p.</i>

    It was a concise answer. The man blushed out of embarrassment and lowered his head at the sound of the apuse from Bae Sang-Su.

    ¡°You¡¯re all so talented,¡± Bae Sang-Su continued with a bit of yfulness. Recently, Hunting had emerged as a promising profession. Therefore, this amount of preparation was expected. Bae Sang-Su decided to move on to some challenging questions.

    ¡°What are the motives of the Sponsors?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The motives of the Sponsors?¡± someone asked.

    As expected, no one was able to answer. How would they? Not even Bae Sang-Su knew the answer himself. However, any experienced Hunter had this question in the back of their mind. Who <i>were</i> these Sponsors really?

    <i>¡®Why do they select people and turn them into Hunters?¡¯</i>

    It was an unanswerable query. In the first ce, with the power they had, wouldn¡¯t it have been possible for the Sponsors just to get rid of the gates themselves? While there were countless dubious parts, everyone skirted around the issue. It was the same now.

    ¡°Would the person over there resting his chin on his hand like to answer?¡±

    Bae Sang-Su chose someone to answer. Everyone else was trying their best to give their answer, fighting for his attention. Only one person stood out¡ªa man, sitting by the window, nonchntly attending, seemingly disinterested, with his head in his hands.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t get nervous about answering. It¡¯s not a question with a set answer in the first ce,¡± Bae Sang-Su replied, unphased by the man¡¯sck of reaction. ¡°No matter your answer, there won¡¯t be any negative points or additional actions. I just wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter.¡±

    The man seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be for entertainment?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    The ssroom was taken aback.

    ¡°That is¡­ Could you exin what you mean by ¡®entertainment¡¯?¡± Bae Sang-Su asked with a trembling voice, as if he had heard something wrong.

    ¡°Choose your character¡­ hunt monsters¡­ have fun watching them get stronger.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice began quiet and low, and clear enough to be heard in everyone¡¯s ears.

    ¡°As if it was a game.¡±

    His words were something that Bae Sang-Su couldn¡¯t shake off for a long while.

    ***

    <i>¡®What could be the real purpose of the Sponsors?¡¯</i>

    While he had answered this question earlier, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know the exact truth. The Twelve Heroes had reached the apex of the Hunters and be known as ¡®gods¡¯, but the purpose behind their Sponsors was never revealed. Instead, the answer Lee Jun-Kyeong had offered was in fact the view of the Demon King that he had read in the book. It was an important issue to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Maybe the Sponsors really did think of this world as a game. He felt as if he was slowly grasping their intentions.

    <i>¡®I have to find out the identities of the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong was lost in his thoughts, he heard Bae Sang-Su¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Now, this may not be all of them, but here are the types of weapons most Hunters use.¡±

    The theoretical portion of the Tutorial had ended. Now, it was time to exin how choosing a weapon worked and for the Hunters to make their initial choices on the weapons they would use for the future. There were no set weapons that all Hunters had to use, so they were able to choose their weapons themselves.

    <i>¡®Everyone should have their preferred weapons.¡¯</i>

    In front of them were most of the weapons that the Sponsors preferred. A Hunter¡¯s inherited abilities differed based on the Sponsor''s propensity or ability, so weapons were easily adaptable based on the types of items the Sponsors gifted. Therefore, while a Hunter¡¯s choice in what weapons they would first use was important, it wasn¡¯t a crucial decision.

    ¡°Please take your time and go through them one by one.¡±

    After Bae Sang-Su¡¯s exnation ended, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to look through the options. As they were provided by the Hunter Association, most of the weapons were generally in good condition. However, the overall condition varied based on poprity.

    The first thing Lee Jun-Kyeong picked up was a sword.

    <i>¡®Hm¡­¡¯</i>

    For whatever reason, the sword was the primary weapon of many Hunters.

    The sword, the saber, the greatsword, the longsword. While there were many different types, they were still essentially tributaries of the same river.

    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put down the sword, not feeling a connection. When choosing a weapon, the feeling one had was extremely important. If the Sponsor would eventually select the weapon There was a high likelihood that the Sponsor would choose a weapon that fit the user.

    <i>¡®I have to trust my senses.¡¯</i>

    The next weapon Lee Jun-Kyeong picked up was an ax. Surprisingly, it was a popr weapon used by quite a few Hunters.

    <i>¡®But this isn¡¯t it either.¡¯</i>

    Looking around, it seemed as though most of the people around him had made their choices. Only a few had not yet made a decision.

    The next item he picked up was a shield.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He could feel a bit of a connection. Basically, he could either choose the shield or not, as he felt that his Sponsor would be fine either way. Lee Jun-Kyeong held onto the shield while looking through the remaining weapons. A halberd, a bow, a crossbow, a two-handed sword. As he perused them, nothing caught his attention.

    Finally, there were some less popr weapons that hadn¡¯t been chosen yet.

    <i>¡®The spear.¡¯</i>

    He picked up the spear with a hopeful feeling.

    It rang out again.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> encourages your choice.]

    It was the voice from before. He had never heard of a Sponsor getting this directly involved in choosing a weapon. All he remembered was that they could guide you with a feeling or through some kind of intuition. So how was it able to send him such a direct message? And that was not all, either.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the weapon of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    The spear was the Demon King¡¯s weapon of choice.

    1. The original text says the Mongolian Spots, a type of birthmark that generally disappears a few years after birth. The term Mongolian is outdated, as it was originally thought to be prevalent to Mongolians, but s, racism.

    2. There is a lot of contention about the different words for swords in Korean. Often used interchangeably until recently, there has been a big movement in historical fiction and fantasy novels (like the one you¡¯re reading currently) to subdivide and categorize the terms.

 Chapter 7: Tutorial Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 7: Tutorial Pt. 2</h4>

    <i>¡®A spear?¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su looked at the man. As the rules did not allow information about the participants to be released during the Tutorial, the participants were given numbers. Hunter No. 7 kept catching Bae Sang-Su¡¯s attention. When he had said that he thought the Sponsors viewed it as a game. Then again when he had chosen the spear and shield.

    <i>¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯</i>

    Actually, the spear was an easy-to-use weapon. It had a long reach, and the techniques weren¡¯tplicated to learn. But, of course, while it was true that there was a significant difference depending on who was wielding it, the spear was still very suitable for beginner Hunters to use.

    <i>¡®But, was there a Sponsor who encouraged the use of spears?¡±</i>

    It was rare to find a Sponsor who preferred spears. Beginner Hunters who had ended up choosing the spear were bound to change their weaponter. It had be the norm not to choose a spear as one¡¯s first weapon. Furthermore, there was no reason to persist with the spear as there were plenty of other suitable weapons.

    <i>¡®What a strange one.¡¯</i>

    He was definitely a Hunter who continued to stand out. Furthermore, he also added the shield to his repertoire. He hadbined the shield that had a short reach with a long spear, which was not aspatible as a short spear would be. It was a rarely usedbination of equipment, only really used when hunting giant monsters. For him to grab such a spear and shield as his primary weapon... To be honest, Bae Sang-Su couldn¡¯t wrap his head around why No. 7 would pick the shield in the first ce. While it was true that there was some use in increasing survivability, it wasn¡¯t thatrge of an increase. For a Hunter, the most important tool for survivability was strength, and that strength stemmed from skills. It wasn¡¯t that no one had tried thatbination before, but for a Hunter who thrived on the usage of skills, using a shield unrted to their abilities could have a negative effect.

    <i>''Maybe¡­¡¯</i>

    He thought that No. 7 could have been the D-Rank Hunter. If No. 7 was the D-Rank Hunter, unlike any of the rest, he could have secrets no one else knew about. Still, it was impossible to tell. No. 7 may have been unusual, but he hadn¡¯t shown any signs of being special as of yet. There were some decent candidates among the other Hunters as well.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su picked up a weapon.

    ¡°I will begin to exin the weaponry briefly. After all, there is no guarantee that the weapon you chose will be the weapon you continue with, and also because there is no single king of weapons.¡±

    Weapons would have different strengths depending on who held them. Even stones could be the most potent weapons in the hands of a strong Hunter. The current introduction was only meant for exining the basics.

    "We¡¯ll end today''s course with an exnation of techniques and simple training."

    This was all that was covered for the first day of the Tutorial. Bae Sang-Su spoke slowly, ¡°Tomorrow¡­ we will have a simple test.¡±

    <i>Chatter.</i>

    Soon, the ssroom quieted down, as it was a test everyone had already known about.

    ¡°Only those who pass the exam tomorrow will be able to participate in the graduation ceremony the day after tomorrow. To be clear, if you are able to participate in the graduation ceremony tomorrow, you can be considered to have passed the tutorial.¡±

    The Hunters nodded. They hade as Hunters who made up their minds toplete the Tutorial after hearing the basics.

    ¡°Then I will begin to exin the techniques.¡±

    At Bae Sang-Su¡¯s words, the Hunters began to inspect the weapons they were holding.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow.¡¯</i>

    The exam was tomorrow, and in it, he would be able to confirm who the D-Rank Hunter was.

    ***

    "Please,e inside,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, opening the door in a very inviting voice.

    "Thank you for inviting me,¡± said the man standing in the doorway. He carried arge pack of toilet paper with his right hand.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I could alsoe in.¡±

    Standing next to the first man was another man whose head shone brightly from the light in the front door. They were Kim Su-Yeong and Yeo Seong-Gu. They hade to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house today; it was a housewarming party.

    ¡°Wow. Is that what you were speaking about?¡± eximed Kim Su-Yeong in admiration as he entered the house, looking around the living space. The focus of his attention was a bed. It was a bed that looked even more luxurious than the previous one.

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°Would it be okay if I tried it out?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeongid down.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Expensive stuff really is different.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s admiration wasn¡¯t strange. As a registered Hunter who had received a D-Ranking, Lee Jun-Kyeong received much more than just rental housing. He had received a bonus for registering as a Hunter as an encouragement for his future activities.

    Twenty Million Won.

    It was an amount Lee Jun-Kyeong had never seen before, let alone had. Excitedly, he had thought hard about where to spend it.

    <i>¡®I want to spend my entire first paycheck.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to save any money. He had simply made up his mind to spend it all without restraint for once in his life. However, an unexpected dilemma had arisen. As he had never had such arge sum before, he had no idea where to begin to spend his money. Even after buying clothes, groceries, and even some furniture, he still had some left over.

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had chosen was¡­

    ¡°Considering it¡¯s a bed bought using nearly your entire fortune¡­ of course it¡¯s different. It really is different!¡± said Kim Su-Yeong in an admiring tone. Yeo Seong-Gu stood to the side, trembling.

    ¡°You can lie down if you want,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, hinting at Yeo Seong-Gu subtly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu shook his head and declined.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s different.¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he looked at Yeo Seong-Gu. He was different from the Yeo Seong-Gu he had known. The person he had known was a friendly and humorous man. However, the Yeo Seong-Gu in front of him was cold and charismatic, a typical leader type.

    <i>¡®Yeah, he¡¯s just like what I saw in the book.¡¯</i>

    Even though Heimdall from the book was simrly bald, he still couldn¡¯t connect that hero with Yeo Seong-Gu. Even if they had simr personalities, connecting the two together would still be challenging. Either way, the Yeo Seong-Gu now and the Yeo Seong-Gu he had known were different.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what could have happened that would cause such a transformation. It was too much of a difference to just attribute it to the passing of time. It was too different of an appearance. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still felt close to him.

    <i>¡®Is it because he¡¯s bald?¡¯</i>

    Even though he had apletely different personality, Lee Jun-Kyeong still felt as though Yeo Seong-Gu was the older brother he had always known.

    ¡°What weapon did you pick today during the Tutorial?¡± asked Yeo Seong-Gu in a soft tone. He was the guild master of the rising guild, the League Guild. There was a reason why he, the rising rookie, hade all the way to the house of the newly made Hunter, Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "I chose a spear and a shield."

    "The spear and the shield¡­"

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded as if he was contemting something.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down for now."

    They sat down at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s suggestion, and a small party with light refreshments was held. While it was ironic that the three men had snacks and soft drinks in front of them¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is great.¡±

    Surprisingly, none of them enjoyed drinking.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong originally didn¡¯t drink as he had thought of alcohol as a luxury, which subsequently developed into a habit.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s unexpected.¡¯</i>

    It was surprising that neither Kim Su-Yeong nor Yeo Seong-Gu were drinking, especially Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not drinking?¡¯</i>

    It was even more disconcerting the way it contrasted with the Yeo Seong-Gu from before, who had walked around with a soju bottle in his hand. If it weren¡¯t for the name of his guild, the League Guild, or his own name, Yeo Seong-Gu, or even his bald head, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have thought he was a different person from the man he had known.

    ¡°As we have a gate raid tomorrow, let¡¯s drink together next time.¡±

    If that was what he wanted, then that was fine. Yeo Seong-Gu had his own reasons, but it was a pitiful sight to see him refrain from his own tastes though.

    A simple conversation ensued about the Tutorial and future endeavors. As Kim Su-Yeong had been assigned as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s manager, they would often see each other from this point. For D-Rank Hunters or higher, it wasmon for them to have managers assigned from the Hunter Association.

    ¡°Speaking about the future¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu, who had decided to speak informally from a certain point in the conversation, spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Yeo Seong-Gu was currently thirty, though he had been thirty even when Lee Jun-Kyeong had known him.

    <i>¡®How long has he been hiding his real age?¡¯</i>

    High-level Hunters, especially Hero-level Hunters, didn¡¯t age or fall ill. Furthermore, it was rumored that as long as certain conditions were met, their lifespans could be unimaginably long. The Twelve Gods, for example, still existed in the distant future. While Lee Jun-Kyeong was momentarily distracted by other thoughts, Yeo Seong-Gu spoke, grabbing his attention.

    ¡°Have you considered the proposal?¡±

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    The carefree Kim Su-Yeong swallowed at the sudden question.

    The League Guild was a guild that was currently considered promising in Korea, and he was their leader. Even though he was a D-Rank, it was still difficult to catch their interest as a recently awakened Hunter.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking because, for some reason, I had the gut feeling that I couldn¡¯t miss out on you. I don¡¯t have any intentions of forcing you.¡±

    The League Guild¡¯s recruitment offer was straightforward. His sincerity was clear from hising to visit a Hunter who had just awakened, even attending his housewarming. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given it a lot of thought.¡±

    It was the request of Yeo Seong-Gu, someone he was indebted to.

    ¡°I will have to decline.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was adamant.

    ***

    <i>''Would it be okay to ask why?''</i>

    He remembered what had happened yesterday. Unlike Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s shocked expression, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face had stayed calm.

    <i>¡®While it could have been a little unfamiliar, it wasn¡¯t a decision I could understand. Rather than being a problem for someone like you who wanted to be a battle Hunter, this would have been a promising proposal.¡¯</i>

    It was true. Rejecting Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s proposal was an act that made absolutely no sense. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still refused.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Regardless for him or Yeo Seong-Gu, it was risky. Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who had returned to the past. There was a countless amount of information about future events stored within his mind. Furthermore, he had created a rough n with this information in mind. Because he had the n, it was dicey to be close to anyone.

    Due to necessity.

    Due to understanding.

    ¡°But if there ever is a time you need help, I¡¯ll be there. I owe a huge debt to Hunter Yeo Seong-Gu.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong couldn¡¯t contain hisughter anymore after hearing that. This wasn¡¯t something a person who finally had just be a Hunter should be saying to the rising rookie Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°I will remember that.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s response was different. He had epted Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words wholeheartedly and earnestly. Of course, he had misinterpreted the huge debt that the younger man had alluded to. Instead, he thought it was because he had saved Lee Jun-Kyeong from the cave.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses to the sound of screaming. Suddenly, a huge iron gate had opened in front of him, from which a female Hunter came out. He was next in line for the test.

    ¡°Hunter No. 6, unfortunately, did not pass the exam. We rmend you either retake the Tutorial or try again at the next opportunity.¡±

    Hunter No. 6 shed tears. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t pay any attention to her. Because he was the next in line.

    "Are you ready, Hunter No. 7?"

    "Ready," he said, standing up. Only by passing the exam would he be able to participate in the graduation ceremony tomorrow.

    <i>¡®The benefits the Association would give me would increase¡­¡¯</i>

    If he was able to show good results in the ceremony, he would be able to get the attention of many others.

    Attention.

    The goal at this point was to get as much attention as possible. Without thinking any further, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked out with a shield in one hand and a spear in the other.

    ¡°I will exin it again,¡± Bae Sang-Su said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had stopped before the iron gate.

    ¡°The goal is to deal with the starving goblins. It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t actually kill them all. I will decide if you have passed or not. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to worry too much. They have been brainwashed so they can¡¯t inflict fatal wounds that could lead to death.¡¯

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    <i>nk, nk, nk.</i>

    The vast iron gate began to rise. As the gate rose, arge and deste room became visible.

    ¡°Keruruk.¡±

    Within that ce?was a chained goblin, with eyes red and bloodshot from hunger.

    The goblin.

    <i>¡®We?meet?again.¡¯</i>

    The first being Lee Jun-Kyeong had met in this time was not a human but a goblin. At that point, he had somehow been able to deal with it using a strategy he had previously known.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s different this time.¡¯</i>

    Not only was that method useless this time, but he also hadn''t intended to use it either. He had awakened as a Hunter. This would be the first monster he faced after understanding his own condition and holding a weapon. Here, Lee Jun-Kyeong nned to test himself.

    ¡°Keruruk.¡±

    The saliva dripping from the chained goblin¡¯s mouth stretched and dripped from its chin. It was disgusting. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong calmly raised his shield and aimed his spear.

    -When you''re ready, raise your hand.

    From the broadcasting system, Bae Sang-Su''s voice echoed through the room.

    "Whew."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled calmly, and raised his hand.

    -Start.

    <i>Rumble rumble.</i>

    The goblin rushed towards Lee Jun-Kyeong as soon as the chains were loosened. While he had no weapons, his long nails looked like he could tear a human into pieces.

    <i>ng!</i>

    As the goblin rushed in,?Lee Jun-Kyeong pushed it back with his shield.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s bearable.¡¯</i>

    Thankfully, his strength had not changed; the fallen goblin rushed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    With a ringing bang, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw his shield and raised his spear.

    Then.

    <i>Peuuk.</i>

    -Beep.

    Two sounds rang out at the same time. One was the sound of flesh being pierced, and the other an rm, signaling the end of the test.

    -12 seconds¡­ You have passed.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    The goblin copsed to the floor with the spear that Lee Jun-Kyeong had thrown stuck firmly within its head.

    <i>St.</i>

    .

    Like a fountain, the goblin¡¯s green blood spurted up as Lee Jun-Kyeong retrieved his weapon.

    <i>Rumble rumble.</i>

    As the iron gate lifted again, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you.]

    As the voice disappeared, the iron gate Lee Jun-Kyeong had passed through began to close.

    1. This is overall strength, not physical weightlifting strength.

    2. Roughly 14,000 USD

    3. I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to include this earlier, but I think it¡¯s relevant now. ???, or Yeo Seong-Gu, has a really odd name? So if we drop the gu, and just have yeoseong (??), it means female or woman. Which is very contrasting with his Bald, manly appearance. However, it¡¯s still alluded to quite often, as Yeo Seong-Gu is described to be very handsome, almost beautiful if it wasn¡¯t for his bald head.

 Chapter 8: Tutorial Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 8: Tutorial Pt. 3</h4>

    The preliminary exam was administered on the second day of the Tutorial. The purpose behind it was simple: to measure how much one could ovee their fear of monsters. Furthermore, monsters were still living beings. Could an ordinary person not used to killing bring themselves to kill a monster? While it was a simple test, it was a difficult hurdle to ovee. In fact, many Hunters had failed this preliminary exam. On the flip side, many of the Hunters who were now famous had achieved good results on this exam.

    Since the guides basically determined the grades at the end, there were those who had wanted a more standard form of evaluation. Therefore, the stopwatch had been introduced. Nothing was as impartial as numbers, so a Hunter¡¯s rating was determined by the time it took to pass the exam. The best record so far had been¡­

    ¡°Didn¡¯t that person set the record at 15 seconds?¡±

    ¡°To think hepleted it in 12 seconds¡­¡±

    ¡°What is he?¡±

    Voices surrounded Lee Jun-Kyeong. Everyone around him was stunned by surprise.

    ¡°Do you think he must have already entered a gate before?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way. There¡¯s a rule in the Tutorial qualifications that states you can¡¯t attend the Tutorial if you¡¯ve already entered a gate before.¡±

    ¡°You never know. He could have a really strong backing.¡±

    However, among them were voices full of jealousy and suspicion. Of course, it had been clearly stated within the rules of the Tutorial. However, the regtion forbade those who had entered a gate after registering as a Hunter. This rule did not apply to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been rescued from a gate.

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s going to be a great Hunter?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sat down, ignoring the noisy chatter. Unfortunately, the exam had not ended just yet. Blocking out his surroundings, he stared down at his hands.

    <i>¡®I pierced through something.¡¯</i>

    He agonized over the feeling of piercing flesh and killing. Of course, while he had to fight goblins when he was initially plopped into this era, his memories of that incident were blurry. He had fought due to a desire to live, fueled by adrenaline and fear. This was different.

    <i>¡®I chose to kill this monster.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fist, carving the feeling he just had into his mind. It was something he would remember for the rest of his life.

    ¡°What is he¡­¡± Bae Sang-Su muttered to himself, staring at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°What a monster¡­¡±

    ***

    The next day.

    ¡°Only those who passed the exam yesterday were invited today.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su examined the faces of the Hunters. Only a little over ten out of the original twenty students remained. This was to be expected.

    <i>¡®The Hunters this time definitely are of a higher standard.¡¯</i>

    Rather, there were more candidates who had passed than expected. The preliminary exam, the goblin hunt, was a difficult test for someone to grasp. It required someone to ovee the fear of watching something rush at you, hellbent on killing you. In addition, the new Hunter needed to have the resolve to cut a living, breathing being and take their life with their own hands. It was a near-impossible ordeal for the newly awakened Hunters who had never been in a real battle before.

    <i>¡®Uh¡­¡¯</i>

    But yesterday, Bae Sang-Su was startled as he observed one Hunter. That person¡¯s exam results yesterday had broken the record. The current record of 15 seconds had been set by a famous Hunter who led arge guild, but it had been broken by three whole seconds.

    <i>¡®He must be that D-Rank Hunter.¡¯</i>

    It was an expected assumption, as it was an impossible movement toe from a Hunter who had just awakened. However, even assuming he was the D-Rank, it was such a high level of skill that it could be called crazy. The Hunter with the previous record had received an awakening rank of B. It was as if this Hunter had beaten a B-Rank at just a D-Rank. Of course, if one went into detail, there were things to critique.

    But that wasn¡¯t the part that had surprised Bae Sang-Su. It was normal to just brush this Hunter off as just a D-Rank. In fact, Bae Sang-Su himself was rated as a B-Rank Hunter. He was ranked high enough to hear the praises of a High-Level Hunter wherever he went. However, the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had made him so ufortable was that¡­

    <i>¡®His eyes yesterday were simr to that person¡¯s.¡¯</i>

    The other Hunters may not have noticed it, but the examiner had definitely seen it. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze while hunting goblins was unique. Bae Sang-Su had only seen that gaze once before, and it was at the gate where he had decided to retire.

    The guild that came to save them.

    <i>¡®Olympus.¡¯</i>

    The Guild Master of Olympus had a gaze like that, a gaze with empty, lightless eyes. It had inflicted Bae Sang-Su with an inconceivable fear that was impossible to put into words.

    He was the man who had awakened with a B-Rank, and the one who held the record before Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll watch him closely today.¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su swore to observe and guess precisely how big the unnamed Hunter would be.

    ¡°I¡¯ll begin to exin the Tutorial graduation ceremony briefly. As you all may know from my previous exnations¡­¡±

    Bae Sang-Su slowly exined to the gathered Hunters.

    ¡°Today, we enter a gate.¡±

    The Tutorial Graduation Ceremony urred at the end of every Tutorial, and the sessful participants entered a gate. It was a stabilized gate, where they would enter the lowest level gate and experience it themselves. In a way, it was the most necessary part of the Tutorial.

    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t have to worry about safety. I¡¯ll be entering with all of you.¡±

    For the beginner Hunters, participating in the Graduation Ceremony itself was recognized as having graduated from the Tutorial. After all, it was pretty much guaranteed that the gate would be cleared. Still, it was obvious that some of the newbie Hunters were nervous.

    A man stood out among them.

    <i>¡®You seemed nervous during thest test¡­¡¯</i>

    He caught Bae Sang-Su¡¯s attention.

    Hunter No. 7.

    He had clearly been anxious during the preliminary exam yesterday, but his current appearance waspletely different. Like a seasoned Hunter, he was warming up his body and regting his breathing.

    Bae Sang-Su shook his head to clear his mind and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head out immediately after I hand out the supplies and potions.¡±

    Now, the graduation ceremony had officially begun.

    ***

    [You have entered the Vige of the Weak Goblin.]

    A voice rang out in everyone¡¯s ears as they entered the gate. It was the first gate they had ever stepped into. Everyone seemed thrilled but nervous as if they were epting the situation in their own ways.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s my first gate.¡¯</i>

    The previous gate was one Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t remember properly, but this time was different. This was the first gate he had entered after bing a Hunter.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s sticky.¡¯</i>

    The first thing he noticed after entering the gate was that the air around him was so sticky it was almost palpable. It was an already recorded phenomenon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. As we discussed before, the density of magic power within the gates is very high. As it¡¯s much different from Earth, where the density of magic power is low, you¡¯ll be able to feel it at the beginning,¡± exined Bae Sang-Su.

    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll be setting off immediately. All you have to do is listen to what I tell you during each individual monster encounter we have.¡±

    The skittish Hunters each gripped their weapons. They had finally found themselves in a dungeon. They were on a state of high alert, not knowing when or where the monsters might appear.

    ¡°Keruk?¡±

    ¡°Keruruk.¡±

    But, by chance, as soon as Bae Sang-Su¡¯s exnation ended, they had run into a group of goblins. Bae Sang-Su slowly raised his hand and signaled the Hunters to stop moving.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you.]

    The Hunters and goblins made eye contact and a voice heralded the start of the battle. This wasn¡¯t just something that happened to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Within the gates, everything about the Transcendents was being watched by the Sponsors.

    ¡°Here theye!¡±

    As soon as Bae Sang-Su¡¯s warning shout had ended, the goblins began to chase the Hunters.

    ¡°Keruruk!¡±

    ¡°Hunters No. 1 and No. 3! Raise your weapons!¡±

    Bae Sang-Su gave orders to the two Hunters closest to the goblins.

    ¡°U¡­ Understood!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    They shook off their nervousness and raised their weapons. One held a longsword, the other an axe.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Their weapons shed with the goblin¡¯s dagger.

    ¡°As you may have just felt, the goblins are much weaker than you may think. Considering you all have passed the preliminary exam, you should be able to dispose of them easily as long as you don¡¯t be a deer in headlights.¡±

    They all nodded. Bae Sang-Su was right. While goblins were considered monsters, they were ranked the lowest. The goblins ended up being shoved around by the weapons of the Hunters. However, there were many of them.

    ¡°Hunters No. 16 and No. 8, it¡¯s your turn!¡±

    The two Hunters stepped forward and prepared their weapons.

    <i>ng!</i>

    They parried the weapons of the rushing goblin.

    <i>sh!</i>

    One of the two gutted it with a sword.

    ¡°Confirm your kill!¡± ordered Bae Sang-Su when the fallen goblin started moving again. Then, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, the Hunter who had just gutted the goblin stabbed his de into the goblin¡¯s head.

    There were still many goblins.

    ¡°Hunter No. 7!¡±

    There was only one Hunter with that number. No. 7. When that number was called, the gaze of the nervous Hunters prepping for battle focused on a single person.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He began to walk forward with a spear and shield. Unlike the other tense Hunters, he had an unusually indifferent gait.

    "Keruk! Keruk!"

    "Kerrleuk!"

    "Keruk!"

    As he stepped forward frighteningly, three goblins rushed forward at the same time. The other Hunters had only dealt with one goblin at a time, but this time, three goblins had rushed towards one Hunter. The other Hunters looked from Lee Jun-Kyeong to Bae Sang-Su, and their eyes shifted back and forth as they fretted about dissuading him or helping. However, Bae Sang-Su was watching Lee Jun-Kyeong and the goblins more seriously than ever.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s usually too much for someone to handle.¡¯</i>

    Awarding a D-rank merely only ranked a Hunter¡¯s potential after awakening. Their real strength typically wasn¡¯t anywhere close to a real D-Rank. However, here, it seemed possible for some reason. Furthermore, there weren¡¯t any safety issues here. Bae Sang-Su was an assassination-type Hunter with an ability that made use of an invisible thread. His thread had already been wrapped around all of the goblins in the vicinity. It was just that no one had noticed, but he was prepared to help whenever the situation turned dangerous.

    <i>¡®Show me your skills.¡¯</i>

    Hunter No. 7¡¯s real strength might be shown now.

    <i>ng!</i>

    When Bae Sang-Su¡¯s expectations had reached a tipping point, Lee Jun-Kyeong and the goblins finally collided. The three goblins swung their daggers simultaneously while the rookie Hunter blocked, the des bouncing off his shield.

    <i>¡®Impressive!¡¯</i>

    It was an incredible disy of strength. For a recently awakened Hunter, it was unbelievable that he could push back three goblins at the same time. That wasn¡¯t all. Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately dropped his shield and thrust with his spear.

    ¡°Kek!¡±

    Before the falling goblins couldnd on the ground, a goblin died with a final scream. The spear pierced into his heart. However, there were still two goblins left. Seeing how theirrades fell, the remaining two rushed towards Lee Jun-Kyeong again. He held the spear with both hands and swung it towards the oing daggers this time.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s having a hard time.¡¯</i>

    Spears were weapons that were able to exert their power when there was a certain distance between the user and the enemy. If an enemy got too close, it became more difficult to deal with them using the spear. Furthermore, Hunter No. 7 was a newly awakened Hunter. No matter how much potential he may have had, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t used to handling a spear. It was a situation that required either a quick response or strong weaponry skills.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Bae Sang-Su tightened his hold on the thread attached to the two goblins as he was prepared to end the monsters at any time.

    <i>Puheuk!</i>

    However, a sharp sound rang out. The edge of a shield bashed into a goblin¡¯s head. As for thest remaining goblin, Lee Jun-Kyeong reacted in an astonishing way.

    ¡°Keruk!?¡±

    He dodged the goblin¡¯s dagger, not even bothering to block it.

    <i>''He¡¯s agile.''</i>

    He drifted by the goblin¡¯s dagger very naturally. As he evaded the de, Lee Jun-Kyeong let go of his spear.

    ¡°What are you thinking?!¡±

    Bae Sang-Su reacted in a panic, but his reaction had been too hasty. Lee Jun-Kyeong slid his hand up the haft of the falling spear, grasping it right before the base of the de. He had modified his grip on the weapon, make-shifting a short spear with a reach simr to that of a dagger.

    ¡°Ke¡­ruk¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong plunged his weapon into the back of the goblin he had just evaded, without hesitation.

    This entire fight had happened in the span of five minutes.

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone held their breath,pletely unable toprehend what they had just seen.

    "Are you telling me you¡¯re really a freshly awakened Hunter?"

    "Why are you even taking the Tutorial?"

    "Fuck¡­ There¡¯s no way the other Hunters were like that, right?"

    The other Hunters were shaking their heads and talking about the unbelievable performance.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s terrifying.¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su was dumbfounded. Never before had there been a Hunter who had shown this level of performance within the Tutorial. No matter how talented a Hunter may have been, this was impossible, even for the Guild Master of Olympus.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to investigate him after we get out this time.¡¯</i>

    While there wasn¡¯t any chance that this could have happened, Bae Sang-Su still had to verify. Could there have been an experienced Hunter who lied about his identity and entered the Tutorial?

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> admires your performance.]

    A system message appeared for Lee Jun-Kyeong, and at the same time, he felt his body filling up with power.

    [You have leveled up.]

    1. There are two terms that refer to the Hunters. ?? (Hunter) and ??? or transcendents. Thetter is used mostly duringparisons with Sponsors and Hunter¡¯s ce in the rtionship.

 Chapter 9: Super Rookie Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 9: Super Rookie Pt. 1</h4>

    The Vige of the Weak Goblin.

    As anyone would expect, the capture of the F-Graded gate, which was the lowest-ranked gate, went smoothly. With the Tutorial Guide, Bae Sang-Su, guiding them and keeping them safe, the Hunters attacking the dungeon ruthlessly hunted the goblins. Their tension and fear had disappeared after the first few goblins were easily dispatched. Humans were adaptable creatures, and they were adapting to the title of Hunter. Among them was someone who was the most worthy of the title Hunter out of all of them.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Guide Bae?¡±

    ¡°Where should we be going now?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was acting alone, conducting a solo performance. He wasn¡¯t learning how to be Hunter. No, he had been born as one. By hunting goblins alone, he was truly living up to his new title.

    "Keeeeeeek!"

    It was so much so that the goblins, who had only ever raged toward the Hunters, ran away screaming.

    [You have frightened away many goblins.]

    [You havepleted the ¡®Goblin Hunter¡¯ achievement.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was hunting goblins while listening to the notifications.

    <i>¡®Goblin Hunter¡­¡¯</i>

    Hunters deemed a few things important, one of which was achievements. Achievements were obtained when a person conducted a particr act or received someone¡¯s recognition. While various rewards were based on achievements, the mostmon reward was an increase in Hunter¡¯s stats.

    <i>¡®...to think I¡¯d have gotten it already.¡¯</i>

    However, it was difficult for Hunters to obtain achievements. They were only obtainable if a person had enough skills to overwhelm the monsters. In most cases, Hunters with some experience would return to lower-ranked gates to obtain them. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    There was another important factor in earning achievements.

    [ <The Sky of the Apocalypse> is by your side.]

    The presence of the Sponsors. Very rarely, for some unique Sponsors, they could raise the level of a Hunter¡¯s existence just by sponsoring them. <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was such a Sponsor.

    ¡°T¡­The confrontation is over,¡± said Bae Sang-Su in a trembling voice. Lee Jun Kyeong turned around and swung his spear, shaking off the blood from its tip.

    "Kerruk¡­"

    While there were a few goblins still left alive, most of them had been fatally wounded and had fallen on the floor. Most of the goblins?were lying down, copsed, with their lives slowly fading with each breath.

    There weren¡¯t many goblins in the fallen horde, maybe a little over a dozen. However, one Hunter had killed nine of the goblins alone during the Tutorial Graduation Ceremony.

    <i>''He¡¯s overwhelming.''</i>

    Bae Sang-Su was sure Hunter No. 7 would be an overwhelming Hunter.

    <i>¡®Maybe¡­?he might end upparable to them.¡¯</i>

    There were great Hunters who had made a name for themselves around the world, like the Hunter Association¡¯s President. Maybe he would find Hunter No. 7 among them soon. Or maybe even above them.

    "Keruk!"

    Bae Sang-Su spoke up again as he heard the voices of the goblinsing from afar. ¡°There isn¡¯t much further to the Boss! From this point on, we will be proceeding without a break!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! I want to kill some of them too!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±

    The Hunters responded loudly at Bae Sang-Su¡¯s orders. They had forgotten their fear and selfish ideas of self-preservation after seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s performance. Instead, it felt as though they had finally found the essence of what it meant to be a Hunter: confidence and anticipation. All the shouting Hunters became filled with these emotions.

    ***

    "We¡¯ll be at the boss room soon."

    Bae Sang-Su had slightly softened his voice. They had arrived at the final barrier of the lowest dungeon gate.

    ¡°It would be a mistake to assume the Boss would be the same as the goblins we have hunted thus far.¡±

    The boss was a different breed, though it may have been the lowest-ranked dungeon with the highest survival rate. Even for Bae Sang-Su, a Tutorial Guide and a senior Hunter, it was impossible to predict all of the unexpected situations the group may encounter, even if he assisted them. The Boss of a gate could be considered a gate itself. It was apletely different existence from themon, widespread monsters that came before it.

    ¡°We will be checking our equipment here. Don¡¯t try to save your potions. Take them if necessary. Inspect the condition of your weapons and armor, and examine your body for any issues.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su slowly spoke ording to the manual and thoroughly advised the Hunters. It was all a precaution, just in case. The Tutorial Graduation Ceremony always consisted of an attack on the lowest level gate. However, there had still been quite a few recorded fatalities. This wasn¡¯t because the Tutorial Guides had been weak. Rather, there were many cases in which Bosses often had skills or strengths that had greatly exceeded expectations. Whenbined with the increased arrogance of the Hunters, who had gained confidence after dealing with ordinary monsters, this often led to unnecessary deaths.

    ¡°You must not let your guard down.¡±

    After giving onest warning, Bae Sang-Su started his own maintenance so that he could be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances to avoid losing the Hunters. The same went for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>''Great.''</i>

    He had checked his stamina, maintained his weapons, adjusted his armor, and evaluated his condition. He had no issues. Instead, he was in the best state.

    <i>¡®Is it not there yet?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was waiting for something. As he had read in the book, his level rose quickly while it was still low. He had leveled up once more while traveling to the boss. He was quickly leveling up and reaching levels of power that matched his awakening D-Rank.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s still not there yet.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t obtained the power he had been waiting for.

    The Demon King had the inconceivable power of the yer. However, being a yer was only his foundation. Lee Jun-Kyeong still hadn¡¯t received the powers that had earned the Demon King his moniker. While the Demon King had multiple powers, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought he would have obtained at least one of them. If he was able to receive it, then..

    <i>¡®I can grow even faster.¡¯</i>

    The Demon King had been a genius. Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was armed with the knowledge of the future and the sponsorship of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, the Demon King had been a genius on his own merit. Whether in battle or strategy, he was a genius said to be the best at killing and destruction. They were on entirely different levels.

    <i>¡®Still, he died.¡¯</i>

    Even though he had been a genius.

    Even though he had been sponsored by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Even though he had those incredible powers, he had still died.

    Died at the hands of the Twelve Heroes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he wouldn¡¯t be any different. He had obtained the power of the Demon King and was in a simr situation. No, he was in an even more extreme position. If things went the way he wanted them to, he could be met with more enemies, stronger enemies than that of the Demon King.

    <i>¡®If things ended up like this, I¡¯ll die too.¡¯</i>

    He would die in a manner in which even all the opportunities he had been able to seize would have been futile. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong set his biggest goal. It wasn¡¯t aplicated one, nor was it grandiose.

    Get stronger.

    <i>¡®More so than anyone else.¡¯</i>

    He would do anything to fulfill this n. The priority was to obtain what the Demon King had even faster than the Demon King did.

    "Are you all ready?"

    It seemed like quite some time had passed while Lee Jun-Kyeong was thinking.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    Not a single Hunter raised their voice. It might have been that they instinctively knew that the Boss was nearby. The Hunters had begun to act a little more carefully.

    ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s set off. Everyone, please stand behind me.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su sent the Hunters, whom he had stood in the front until now, behind him and stepped forward. No oneined about the new formation.

    ¡°You all should be able to feel it. This is the magic power that the Boss exudes.¡±

    The Hunters and Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the charged air. It was a sticky magic power, so concentrated and dense that it felt like a weight upon their bodies.

    "Kerrleuk!"

    Goblins, seemingly more powerful than the goblins the Hunters had dealt with so far, were crying out and approaching. They may havee to herald the existence of a Boss.

    ¡°I will take care of the goblins.¡±

    However, there was no need for the Hunters to make a move.

    <i>Thump thump.</i>

    As soon as Bae Sung-Su made his announcement, the goblins running toward them suddenly became sliced into pieces and dropped to the floor. While everyone widened their eyes in surprise, Lee Jun-Kyeong reacted differently.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s a mature Hunter.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t shocked or awed. Rather, he analyzed and epted the result. While he had lived in a world full of Hunters, it was rare to see the power of Hunters up close. That sort of power was the strength of a fully matured Hunter. However, this was before many Hero-Level Hunters had been born or the lower level¡¯s ranking readjusted.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s impressive.¡¯</i>

    It was apletely different method from how Lee Jun-Kyeong had been killing goblins. He wasn¡¯t even able to see what had actually killed them either.

    <i>¡®I would have died if Bae Sang-Su was my enemy.¡¯</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s the boss!¡± yelled Bae Sang-Su. Everyone looked to where their Tutorial Guide was staring. The monster had a stature that was sorge that it was impossible to believe it could have been a goblin. But, unlike the ones before it that only held sharp cutlery, it was holding a huge club studded with thorns.

    ¡°An orc¡­?¡± said Bae Sang-Su in bewilderment. To think that there was an orc within the goblin¡¯s nest. Everyone was shocked by the unimaginablebination.

    ¡°Hunter No. 7!¡±

    However, watching Lee Jun-Kyeong running forward without a hint of hesitation shocked Bae Sang-Su even more.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew to be afraid of the boss. He also knew that having an orc as the Boss within a goblin¡¯s nest was strange. Orcs were not monsters that should have appeared within a lowest-ranked gate. Instead, they were monsters that would appear at the minimum as a D-Grade monster or an E-Grade Boss. It didn¡¯t fit into an F-Grade gate at all. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he should have listened to Bae Sang-Su¡¯s instructions. For most hunters, it would be difficult to scrape a win against a Boss in the first gate that they entered even if they followed the orders andmands of the Tutorial Guide.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew all of this.

    "Hunter No. 7!"

    He ignored everything, racing towards the orc as soon as he saw it. He wasn¡¯t stupid or arrogant. He wasn¡¯t reckless. He had a reason to rush towards the orc.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>mands you.]

    It was a voice he heard as soon as he saw the orc.

    [Dispose of the orc.]

    It was different from the courteous voice he had heard up until now. It was a little more direct, simr to the voice he had heard when Heimdall had stabbed him with the shining sword. It was rare for the Sponsor to speak to a Transcendent directly.

    [Mission Start.]

    <i>¡®A mission.?They¡¯ll give a reward.¡¯</i>

    It was finally the opportunity for Lee Jun-Kyeong to possibly get what he had been waiting for. If he could get it at this point, it would make things much easier in the future.

    <i>¡®Just like the Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, while missions were not easily given,?the circumstances changed when one was favored. A Sponsor¡¯s favor was the key force behind creating truly powerful Hunters. He had to grab the favor that was being presented to him. So many things would change if he could only get the favor. For Lee Jun-Kyeong, he was confident that he would win this favor. At that point¡­

    <i>¡®The most important thing is dealing with the orc.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t because he had received the mission instructions that were like the orders of his Sponsor. Instead, it was a challenge Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to ovee himself.

    The mission to deal with the orc wouldn¡¯t simply end with its death. He not only had to deal the most damage to the orc but also had to grab its aggro. In other words, he would have had to be the boss¡¯s antagonist, the boss''s primary target.

    "Chwiik?"

    The orc had its attention drawn to the rushing Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Haah!¡±

    Without hesitation, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a breath and threw the spear in his right hand. The spear arced across the sky, elerating faster and faster. Hurtling almost relentlessly, the spear rotated as it traveled like a typhoon.

    <i>Puheuk.</i>

    The spear drove deep into the orc¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was not happy with the damage he had inflicted. The deeply embedded spear had gotten stuck in the wrong spot, missing his intended target. His intention wasn¡¯t to hit the shoulder but the heart. He had tried to pierce its heart in one blow, but he had missed and only damaged the orc¡¯s shoulder.

    "Cheweek!"

    The orc emitted a ferocious scream, swinging its huge wooden club at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The spear wasn¡¯t the only weapon Lee Jun-Kyeong had been holding. He used the shield in his left hand to block the wooden club.

    "Ugh¡­¡±

    However, it was difficult for him to block its enormous power entirely. The entry-level shield wasn¡¯t even qualified to be considered proper equipment and had crumpled beyond repair in a single attack.

    ¡°Keruk!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong vomited blood after receiving the blow.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap!</i>

    Fortunately, he used the momentum from the blow to reach his spear, tearing it from the orc¡¯s shoulder. Then, he tossed the useless shield to the side as he retreated with his spear.

    ¡°Hunter No. 7!¡±

    He could hear Bae Sang-Su calling out to him and could sense the confusion and shock exuding from the guide.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let him get involved.¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su was beginning to react to the sudden situation. No matter how strong the orc was, there was no way it would be able to match Bae Sang-Su. If the guide ended up intervening, the orc would be taken away from Lee Jun-Kyeong. Basically, he would fail the mission.

    Worried about that happening, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shouted at Bae Sang-Su, ¡°Please allow me to attempt to deal with him!¡±

    "..."

    Bae Sang-Su didn¡¯t respond and fell quiet, as if he was considering the situation. The rookie Hunter¡¯s request was so dangerous and absurd that he wanted to protest. As a guide, it had developed to the point where he should be stepping in.

    <i>¡®That Hunter wants to try it.¡¯</i>

    Not only that, but Bae Sang-Su also wished to see him try it on his own as well. He could tell that the request didn¡¯t stem from the arrogance of someone who had overestimated his abilities without ever taking a hit. After all, the rookie Hunter was willing to try even after he had already endured a blow.

    <i>¡®He really is different.¡¯</i>

    Hunter No. 7 really was different. Bae Sang-Su had be filled with anticipation, and it was a scorching hot feeling that made him feel conflicted.

    ¡°W¡­We would like to fight as well!¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay to get involved once it became too dangerous?¡±

    ¡°I really want to try facing the orc!¡±

    The other Hunters only served to fuel the fire within Bae Sang-Su as seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong dealing with the orc exhrated him.

    ¡°Okay. However, I will get involved if there are signs of the situation bing dangerous.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su gave his permission, and someone immediately made a move.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been dodging the orc¡¯s wooden club, thrust his spear again toward the orc¡¯s head.

    1. The raws referred to Lee Jun-Kyeong by name, but I changed it to Hunter No. 7 because, at this point, Bae Sang-Su has no idea who he is.

    2. Again, the author writes Lee Jun-Kyeong when Bae Sang-Su is not supposed to know his identity

 Chapter 10: Super Rookie Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 10: Super Rookie Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you please just die?!¡±

    The shouts and screams of the hunters seemed to fill the dungeon. It had been an hour since they had begun the fight with the orc.

    ¡°Chwieukkkkkk!¡±

    Despite the fact that all of the Hunters except Bae Sang-Su had been fighting the same orc,?the orc was still alive and screaming. It was extremely tough and had impressive regeneration abilities. They were in a tense standoff that could be felt in the air with waves of tension right at the tipping point.

    ¡°...¡±

    Bae Sang-Su was watching everything, and his hands were stained with sweat. There had been several moments where he had wanted to step out, but he stood in ce, focused on every single detail. The situation hadn¡¯t reached the point of no return as there was one person¡¯s performance that allowed him to hold back.

    ¡°On the right!¡¯

    It was the Hunter who was screaming orders, the Hunter with the lucky number seven. It was because of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The Hunters attacking the orc on the right backed away.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    The orc¡¯s wooden club smashed into the ground where they had just been. Then, as the club became stuck to the ground, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again, ¡°This is our chance!¡±

    The battle had already gone for an hour, so even though the Hunters weren¡¯t fatally wounded, they were exhausted. However, by the copious amount of green blood sttered on the floor, the orc was likewise just as tired and injured.

    "Chwik! Chwik!"

    Sapped of its strength, the orc struggled to pull the wooden club out of the floor. But, just like Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, this was an opportunity.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    The Hunters hoisted their weapons and ran, the green blood of the orc sshing furiously.

    <i>¡®To think he can evenmand.¡¯</i>

    Bae Sang-Su was surprised while watching Hunter No. 7. At first, he had assumed that the Hunter was simply a fighting genius so unbelievably talented that it was hard to believe he had just awakened. But that wasn¡¯t all. The man also had incredible insight when faced with strategies and situations. Eventually, he had found his way into neatly handling the role Bae Sang-Su was supposed to y.

    ¡°Hah, eup!¡±

    Just like what had happened in the beginning, Lee Jun-Kyeong charged while screaming, holding a spear that had broken in half like a dagger in his right hand.

    <i>Puheok!</i>

    The broken spear?plunged into the orc with an uncanny resonance.

    Finally!

    ¡°Chwi¡­ ik...¡±

    At that moment, the iron spear tip plunged deep into the orc¡¯s skull, caving it in. The giant orc¡¯s eyes shifted and its arm moved, seemingly aiming for Lee Jun-Kyeong, trying to end his life.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    However, its body didn¡¯t follow its will. No matter how great its regenerative powers were, even it was unable to recover from directly being attacked in the brain.

    The orc had fallen. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear was broken beyond repair. However,pared to the achievement of having defeated an orc, the destruction of an entry-level spear was of little concern. The Hunters gathered around the fallen orc, silently taking it all in. It was unbelievable.

    ¡°D¡­Did we really do it?¡± one gasped.

    Another almost screamed, ¡°Did we really take down an orc?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alive, right?¡± another muttered.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±

    They slowly came to their senses and began to speak.

    ¡°Congrattions. I sincerely offer my congrattions,¡± Bae Sang-Su uttered his praise for their unbelievable achievement.

    [You have aplished an Achievement.]

    [You have hunted an enemy far above your level.]

    [You havepleted the Achievement, The Quality of a Hunter.]

    [Your ability has increased.]

    [Sponsors have taken notice of you.]

    Everyone suddenly heard the same voice. They had earned the notice of the Sponsors and had aplished achievements.

    [You have sessfully conquered the gate.]

    Everyone smiled upon hearing the voice that confirmed their victory.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a sess¡­¡¯</i>

    There was one person happier than the others. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood smiling with his head bowed.

    [Mission Sessful.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> admires your performance.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> ...]

    Finally.

    [You have earned the right to summon a Familiar.]

    He had received it.

    ***

    "Would it be okay to tell me your name now?" Bae Sang-Su asked carefully. The gate where the graduation ceremony of the Tutorial had taken ce was finally closed. While the orc at the end had been a special case, the Hunters had unbelievably ovee it with their own strength. After everything had ended, Bae Sang-Su had asked for Hunter No. 7¡¯s, the most memorable person in Bae Sang-Su¡¯s illustrious guide career, name.

    ¡°My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    Hunter No. 7, no, Lee Jun-Kyeong said his name without hesitation. Bae Sang-Su quietly nodded his head.

    <i>¡®Figures.¡¯</i>

    He was sure that Lee Jun-Kyeong was the Hunter who had awakened as a D-Rank. Bae Sang-Su was so sure of it that he could swear by it. While he couldn¡¯t attest to how much longer his guide career would be, he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t meet any Hunter more memorable than Lee Jun-Kyeong. He then asked the names of the other Hunters who had participated. While they may not have made as much of an impact as Lee Jun-Kyeong, they had still been a part of an incredulous feat.

    ¡°My name is Choi Yong-Ok.¡±

    ¡°My name is Kim Min-Su.¡±

    The other Hunters answered quickly as they were more focused on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Hunter Lee! Are you currently in a guild?¡±

    ¡°Did you really only awaken recently?¡±

    The Hunters hadn¡¯t spoken much during the Tutorial as they had to keep their names and information hidden. Now that the Tutorial had ended, they took turns in speaking to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°No, I am not. Yes, it is true that I just recently awakened.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered the questions they asked without any signs of difort.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a guild¡­¡±

    He quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±

    Initially, the guild officials, or even the family members of guild officials, tried to convince Lee Jun-Kyeong to join their guilds. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong refused them all. The other Hunters had begun to do other things, such as getting to know one another and exchanging contact information.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d ever have ns to enter the Association?¡±

    Finally, Bae Sang-Su approached Lee Jun-Kyeong after all the other Hunters had finished with their questions.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°To think he¡¯d get an invitation from the Association¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­¡±

    The other Hunters became shocked after overhearing Bae Sang-Su¡¯s request. While there generally were quite a few Hunters who would eventually receive invitations from the Hunter Association, there was only one that the Association had recruited directly from the Tutorial.

    <i>¡®Is the Association trying to invest in me from the very beginning?¡¯</i>

    It was said that the Association directly invested in the growth of recruited Hunters. This meant that the recruited Hunter would be supported from the very beginning, immediately after the Tutorial. This wasn¡¯t an opportunity offered to just anyone. There had only been two other instances so far. One had refused and the other had epted.

    <i>¡®Athena¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew of both cases. One of them was thest person he had seen with Heimdall before returning to the past: the Official of Eden. Furthermore, she was Athena, one of the Twelve Heroes and one of the Twelve Gods. She had declined the offer.

    <i>¡®Chi-Woo.¡¯</i>

    The other, was a Hunter who, while not counted amongst the Twelve Heroes, was just as strong as they were. While everyone else had ranked Chi-Woo below them¡­

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a genuine monster.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen him in his book. It was said that he not only could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Twelve Heroes, but that he could also overwhelm them. He most likely was currently growing at an insane rate under the management of the Hunter Association.

    <i>''However, Chi-Woo?died at the hands of the Demon King.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a moment to think, and then finally responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have no intention of affiliating myself anywhere just yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Bae Sang-Su couldn¡¯t react for a moment, as if from shock. Eventually, he shook his head and said, ¡°I understand¡±.

    He made no further attempts to convince Lee Jun-Kyeong. He could tell by looking at the other Hunter¡¯s face that he knew exactly what he was refusing when he had declined the Hunter Association¡¯s invitation. Bae Sang-Su wasn¡¯t stupid enough to waste time trying to convince someone who had already made his decision.

    <i>¡®What a shame.¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had sincerely considered it for a moment. To be invested in at the level the Hunter Association would provide would be a shortcut that would make many things possible and could help him grow at an even faster pace. Because, for the current period, the Association was basically the gathering point of all the power. But this was the very reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had refused.

    <i>¡®I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide anything that I would have wanted to.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that he was worried about hiding his true identity or the strength he currently possessed. No, he was worried about what he would eventually procure. By joining the Hunter Association, he would have zero secrets, and people would sooner orter learn about any hidden cards he obtained in the future. This was the first reason why he had declined the Association.

    <i>¡®Also, that man is in the Association.¡¯</i>

    The second was that there was another strong yer that was being supported by the Association. He was a person Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of being involved with, nor was he someone he could deal with currently. Although his reasons for doing so were different when he had declined the League Guild¡¯s offer, in the end, he had no choice but to decline again.

    ¡°Everyone! You have sessfullypleted the Tutorial! From the bottom of my heart, congrattions!¡±

    Bae Sang-Su smoothly changed the mood after Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s rejection.

    ¡°We finished...¡±

    ¡°Was there anyone else who had worked as much as we did to finish the Tutorial?¡±

    The shared experiences of the Hunters soon swept away their previous interest in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°From this point forward, you are all true Hunters, and will be given small gifts from the Association as well. Furthermore, thepensation for attacking the gate will be disbursed as well.¡±

    It was their first gate. Their first attack. Their first pay. Everyone¡¯s face brightened. It had finally ended. While it had only been three days, they had learned and felt a lot. The Hunters gathered together and started talking again.

    ¡°Hunter Lee¡±, said Bae Sang-Su carefully in a voice only Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear.

    ¡°That thing from before¡­¡±

    The excessive actions he had taken to defeat the orc. It wasn¡¯t an action anyone could have understood.

    ¡°It was a mission, right?¡±

    Bae Sang-Su was convinced that it was a mission.

    ¡°Yes, however¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded without hesitation. ¡°With all due respect, I will not be telling you what I received for my reward.¡±

    As there was no reason for him to exin anything, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned away with a slight smile on his lips meant for Bae Sang-Su. While everyone else had thought they had finally finished, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought differently.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s finally begun.¡¯</i>

    ***

    "It¡¯s been a while. Why did you want to meet with me?¡±

    It was a neatly organized room with a huge table with a pile of papers ced neatly on it. Beyond that, there was nothing special about the ce. However, the man, who was handling the papers, had a presence that almost overwhelmed the room which seemed quite empty.

    ¡°It has been a long time, sir.¡±

    There was a man standing respectfully in front of the table, with an eyepatch over one eye. It was Bae Sang-Su. He lowered his head deeply and said, ¡°Association President.¡±

    The man sitting across the table handling the documents was the president of the Hunter Association, which had an influence beyond Korea and reached the rest of the world. He looked to be around his forties. Oddly enough, he also had an eyepatch on one eye. He set aside his papers and observed Bae Sang-Su.

    ¡°The reason you requested to see me must be rted to the Tutorial. Is it because of that D-Rank Hunter?¡±

    As someone who was said to rule the Association, no, all of Korea, he was someone who had connections throughout the entire world. Living up to his name, he clearly had an inkling as to why Bae Sang-Su hade over. "Yes."

    "You must have requested this because you liked that D-rank Hunter."

    Bae Sang-Su nodded in affirmation and then slowly formed a serious expression.

    "¡­"

    The Association president¡¯s face hardened as well in response. He had only seen such an expression on Bae Sang-Su¡¯s once before. ¡°Is he on the same level as Chi-Woo?¡±

    Chi-Woo was a Hunter currently growing significantly under the aid of the Association. When he had been discovered, Bae Sang-Su had reported the matter with the same expression he had now. However, the Tutorial Guide¡¯s answer was different from what the all-epassing Association President had expected.

    ¡°He¡¯s on an even higher level.¡±

    Bae Sang-Su carefully lowered the documents. The eyes of the Association president slowly widened little by little as he read through them. The Association president rarely became as shaken as he was now.

    ¡°You¡¯re not one to lie within your evaluations.¡±

    The Association president looked at Bae Sang-Su with implicit trust in his eyes.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    His chair rotated, showing a view of his back. He responded in a low voice, ¡°How high do you think his potential is?"

    He wasn¡¯t asking for the current evaluation. It was a question of his future growth.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    Bae Sang-Su¡¯s trembling voice filled the room.

    ¡°You may be able to fulfill your dreams, President.¡±

    "What?"

    The president seemed surprised, suddenly turning his chair again to look at Bae Sang-Su.

    ¡°The very top.¡±

    His purpose had been to stand on top of all the Hunters. To make all the Hunters kneel. To have overwhelming power. It was a humorous situation. To think that the word ¡®purpose¡¯ hade from the mouth of Bae Sang-Su with regards to a Hunter who had just awakened, no matter how much potential he would have.

    ¡°Soon¡­ I would like to meet you.¡±

    An indescribable smile appeared on the Hunter Association president.

    It was a mix of expectation and an unfamiliar dark emotion.

    1. The man speaking is using the word ??, which is basically how elderly people (especially elderly men) will say ? or you. It¡¯s always used in a context of higher power dynamic to a lower one, and is often used in writing and media to denote a very old, but respectable, almost powerful sage-like figure.

    2. Now the respondent is being exceedingly polite, which is often reserved for people who are speaking to the elderly or someone of much higher status. I don¡¯t speak to my own parents this way, though I do with my grandfather.

 Chapter 11: Super Rookie Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 11: Super Rookie Pt. 3</h4>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was leaving the Hunter Association after the Tutorial, he discovered that there was a familiar face waiting for him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Guild Master Yeo had said he wanted toe as well.¡±

    No, there were two. Yeo Seong-Gu nodded.

    ¡°We were a bit anxious while we waited for you to finish, but, as expected, it seems you¡¯ve returned with no issues,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong while looking over Lee Jun-Kyeong. There were rare cases of broken limbs due to issues within the Tutorial. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t a lie to say that he had been waiting impatiently, worried that something may have happened. As evidence, Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s shirt had been drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Have you received an invitation from the Association?¡±

    On the other hand, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s wee was utterly different from the other man¡¯s. Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s eyes widened at the implications of that question. He knew exactly what an invitation from the Association entailed. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response without saying a word.

    ¡°A¡­Are you serious? Did you really get an invitation to join?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked, bewildered, but Lee Jun-Kyeong only smiled.

    ¡°Do you have a favorite food?¡±

    While Kim Su-Yeong was gasping in shock, Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had no intention of waiting for the other man to calm down.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    This was a more difficult question for Lee Jun-Kyeong than answering whether he had been given an invitation from the Hunter Association.

    <i>¡®Was there something I liked to eat?¡¯</i>

    No matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind. There weren¡¯t many things he had eaten until now that he had thought were delicious.

    ¡°Cup Ramen¡­?¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong responded carefully, Yeo Seong-Gu shook his head as if he was a lost cause.

    ¡°Do you like meat?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded faster than he did before.

    ¡°Haha. Good. Then, let¡¯s go eat meat.¡±

    Finally, for the first time, Yeo Seong-Gu looked as if he was smiling genuinely.

    ***

    "¡­"

    Kim Su-Yeong clearly looked bewildered. On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong was shoveling meat into his mouth without a single word.

    ¡°Hunter Lee¡­?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong tried to get Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s, who was now in the truest sense a Hunter, attention again.

    ¡°Hunter Lee?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been devouring meat, finally realized someone was calling at him, so he looked at Kim Su-Yeong.

    ¡°In what world¡­ What kind of monsters are the two of you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, swallowing the meat in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t figure out what had prompted Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s question. Then, as he shrugged his shoulders, his eyes drifted towards Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.</i>

    An incredible speed. Not only was his speed incredible, but he also crammed a ridiculous amount of meat into one bite.

    ¡°...¡±

    "What''s wrong?"

    Yeo Seong-Gu also finished chewing the meat and stared at Kim Su-Yeong. Two sets of eyes were drilling into Kim Su-Yeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong lowered his gaze onto the table that waspletely piled with tes. All of them had been tes of meat, beef to be exact, piled high. There were too many to count, as they were piled in tall stacks.

    ¡°Is there a beggar in your stomach¡­ No, have you been starving for a long time? No matter how good they say a Hunter¡¯s appetite is¡­¡±

    Hunters had to consume more than ordinary people due to the extensive amount of physical exercise they got. Furthermore, they required vast amounts of nutrients to produce mana. Still, this much was well beyond ordinary. Moreover, as Kim Su-Yeong nced at the order sheet next to him, he became even more shocked.

    ¡°Thirty¡­ five servings¡­¡±

    It was an impossible amount of servings for three ordinary people to consume. On top of that, Kim Su-Yeong had at most two servings, and the two pigs consumed the rest.

    ¡°A man should be able to eat at least this much,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, seemingly somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Delicious¡­¡±

    In truth, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the capacity to pay attention to Yeo Seong-Gu. Instead, he was only concerned with eating the ridiculous amount of meat piled on the table.

    Beef.

    <i>¡®Looks like my second experience with beef is with Hyung again.¡¯</i>

    The Lee Jun-Kyeong from before had been poor. He had struggled day by day, so being able to eat pork, let alone beef, was a luxury. The first time he had ever tried beef in his miserable life had been with Yeo Seong-Gu. Again in this life, his first time having beef was still with Yeo Seong-Gu. It was ironic. However, he valued the taste of the beef melting on his tongue more than the memories from before.

    ¡°You eat well."

    Yeo Seong-Gu smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong again. It was already apparent that Yeo Seong-Gu had a great appetite and an even better alcohol tolerance.

    ¡°Is it really okay for you to drink like that?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s question was fully warranted. There were piles of empty draft sses that the staff had given up on cleaning next to the stacks of beef.

    ¡°Yes, because there is no gate raid tomorrow.¡±

    Following that, Yeo Seong-Gu became absorbed again in eating the meat and drinking alcohol.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong, he did the same.

    <i>Chomp. Chomp.</i>

    ***

    He had met Kim Su-Yeong and Yeo Seong-Gu after the tutorial. Contrary to his original assumptions that they would ask various questions or talk about many things, they just ate well.

    ¡°Kyaaaaa.¡±

    They ate very well, and then they ate some more. That was all. After the meal, Kim Su-Yeongined of fatigue and went home, while Yeo Seong-Gu paid and returned without a word.

    <i>¡®The Hyung in this time is cool.¡¯</i>

    The Yeo Seong-Gu in the future felt more friendly and warm, but he thought that the current Yeo Seong-Gu was a little cooler. Anyways, after eating, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally returned home.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Hey on thefy bed for a moment and let loose a deep breath, the day''s events flickering by like a movie. The Tutorial graduation ceremony. The events that happened in the first gate he entered. Hunting goblins.

    ¡°I actually hunted an orc¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe it. Even though it was something he had done himself, he still couldn¡¯t believe it, let alone everyone else who had been shocked.

    <i>¡®To think I¡¯d get an invitation from the Association¡­¡¯</i>

    It must have been due to Bae Sang-Su¡¯s rmendation. While an invitation from the Hunter Association could have many meanings, it held special to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®You¡¯re doing great.¡¯</i>

    That he was true to the title Hunter and that as a returner to the past, he was fulfilling his duties exceptionally well. That was why <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was watching him.

    <i>¡®The power of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, he didn¡¯t know why or how, but he was gaining the power of the Demon King and earning what the Demon King had earned. So he thought to himself, <i>¡®Aren¡¯t I making use of the power I had earned at least somewhatpetently?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Where is the Demon King¡­?¡¯</i>

    Could that man exist in this era? The situation wasn¡¯t much different from Lee Jun-Kyeong robbing him of his powers. But if he really were alive, for <The Sky of the Apocalypse> that only chose to sponsor one Hunter, wouldn¡¯t that being be sponsoring the Demon King? Everything was utterly jumbled up.

    Therefore, he came to a conclusion.

    <i>¡®I just won¡¯t worry about it.¡¯</i>

    Until he ran into an issue, of course, he would still be prepared for whatever situation might arise.

    ¡°Ahhhhh.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong barely managed to get up after stretching a little as he was weighed down by an overly full stomach. As he sat down, the first thing he did was confirm any changes in his stats.

    "Status window."

    After having be a Hunter and gaining the power of the yer, it was time to check his own abilities. A blue window opened in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes. The first thing he saw was his name and his title of yer.

    Further down, a simple menu detailing his stats was visible.

    [Level: 5]

    [Strength: 18, Agility: 21, Stamina: 20, Mana: 25]

    Seemingly modest, but to the eye of someone who understood the secrets of the values, it hid an almost terrifying meaning. At first nce, while it was true that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s data looked a little shabby, he was already aware of the true meaning of these figures.

    <i>¡®A freshly awakened F-Rank Hunter¡¯s total number of stat points would be around 30 when converted to a yer¡¯s values.¡¯</i>

    He knew this as the book had written down the data on the figures that the Demon King had deduced. Also, he understood how the stats would rise ording to one¡¯s level.

    <i>¡®Talent.¡¯</i>

    The stat values would also increase ording to a Hunter¡¯s talent. In addition, the more attention a Hunter received, the higher their stats would rise. Of course, there were still other variables that influenced a person¡¯s stat values.

    <i>¡®Good,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought after he finished inspecting his stat increases. It wasn¡¯t an irrelevant rise in stats, either. The Demon King also had said that E-Rank Hunters have roughly abined total of 50 stat points, and D-Rank 80.

    In fact, a hunter¡¯s total stat values were a marker for their rank, whether it was strength, stamina, agility, or mana. One could consider thebined total of the values to serve as a rough estimationpared to that of the rankings for Hunters. The required total values to match increased exponentially as the rank went higher. It was a convoluted system. However, for Lee Jun-Kyeong, theplicated system didn¡¯t matter.

    <i>¡®As long as the values go up, it¡¯s the same.¡¯</i>

    Unlike Hunters, who grew ording to the level of attention of the Sponsors, his level would rise even if he only hunted monsters. That was the most crucial part.

    <i>¡®D-Rank.¡¯</i>

    He currently had a total of 84 stat points. The value was still slightly higher than what was considered D-Rank, but he warned himself not to be too focused on the ranking.

    <i>¡®A high ranking doesn¡¯t equate to being strong.¡¯</i>

    A number of factors had to be considered, such aspatibility with one¡¯s Sponsor and innate battle sense. However, this method was correct for the majority of Hunters to estimate their own strength ording to their rank because their rank showed the abilities and mana they possessed. After contemting what was on his status window, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sparkling text underneath.

    [Through the sponsorship of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, you have been granted the ability to summon 1 Familiar(s).]

    Summoning a Familiar was not a power any ordinary Hunter could obtain. In fact, it was a power only avable to the Heroes of Heroes. It was a power only a few Heroes, even among the Twelve, had ess to.

    <i>¡®That was fast.¡¯</i>

    It could be said that he had acquired this ability quickly. Even faster than the Demon King had. No, not a single hero would have earned the opportunity to summon a Familiar at this point. So what was The Sky of the Apocalypse actually thinking? Furthermore, this wasn¡¯t something to just blindly be happy about.

    ¡°Would the same thing that the Demon King had summoned firste out?¡± he muttered.

    The powers he had obtained so far had been the same as those that had been obtained by the Demon King. However, there was no guarantee that the summons would also be the same because Lee Jun-Kyeong was different from the Demon King.

    <i>¡®I have no choice but to try.¡¯</i>

    Regardless of the result, it was still a Familiar. A Familiar would grow alongside the growth of the Hunter. As long as it didn¡¯t die, it was the same as if there was another Hunter that unconditionally followed him. The Demon King had a great many Familiars. It was due to these Familiars that the Demon King had been named a King. The Bone Dragon, Balrog, Cerberus, among others, alongside many horror monsters. Familiars that could terrify with just a hint of their names.

    <i>¡®I wonder what wille out.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt his heart racing again. His heart had been racing quite frequentlytely. Not out of fear or negative emotions but out of expectation and hope. It was a heart pounding full of positive emotions. Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth while full of anticipation.

    ¡°Summon Familiar.¡±

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse has granted you one summon, would you like to use it now?]

    A blue window appeared, asking again. Lee Jun-Kyeong responded without hesitation.

    "Summon."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s small room was engulfed in light.

    ***

    <i>Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.</i>

    It was t day after Lee Jun-Kyeong summoned his Familiar. A cell phone that had been tossed on the table next to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bed rang loudly. Lee Jun-Kyeong drowsily picked it up.

    [Kim Su-Yeong]

    In the call log, he could see he had missed dozens of calls from a familiar name. He had been extremely exhausted from hunting the orc, so he hadn¡¯t woken in time to answer any of the previous calls.

    However, like clockwork, the phone started vibrating again.

    <i>Buzz.</i>

    He stifled a yawn and said, "Hello."

    -I¡¯m sorry to bother you. Have you been sleeping? Kim Su-Yeong responded in a slightly urgent tone. After he heard the somewhat uneasy voice, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook off his sleepiness.

    -I''m sorry to bother you with all of this, but could you please open the door?

    -Excuse me?

    -I¡¯m in front of your apartment.¡±

    For a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was taken aback by the sudden situation, then he slowly walked to the front door and opened it.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong put away his phone, moving in a way that showed that he had been waiting, and handed something to Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was a newspaper that dealt with news about Hunters that the Association published.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± he gestured again as if directing Lee Jun-Kyeong to focus on the front page.

    ¡°This is you, right, Hunter Lee?¡±

    The front page of the newspaper had this title: ¡°The birth of a super rookie. An awakening grade D-Rank. If that wasn¡¯t enough, tales of his orc conquest during the Tutorial.¡±

    Even when taking a cursory nce, he could tell it was a story about him.

    1. In Korea, it¡¯s a verymon trope only to eat cup ramen when you¡¯re poor, especially as a young man or a bachelor. It has further be a method to show juxtaposition in terms of poverty. Ramen is something the rich eat for fun, while it is often the basic food for people who can¡¯t even afford rice. You can see some scenes in dramas such as Our Blues where the father is sitting there eating ramen, and then it pans over all of the stuff the father was usingpared to all the new brand-name stuff provided for his daughter. So when our boy is out here saying Cup Ramen, it¡¯s to show exactly how hard he had it. Dude couldn¡¯t even think of Jjajangmyeon.

    2. Because he¡¯s eating like one

    3. The Korean ??? refers to shadowntern shows, basically a pre-technology tv.

 Chapter 12: Collision Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 12: Collision Pt. 1</h4>

    ¡°You took down an orc? How did you manage that? Why didn¡¯t you say anything about it yesterday?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong put the newspaper in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong, as if signaling him to reread it, and repeated his question. Lee Jun-Kyeong read through the article.

    ¡°There¡¯s no identifying information about me.¡±

    While the newspaper covered the Super Rookie''s birth, there was no personal information detailing who it was. At most, there was some information describing the recent Tutorial and the Rookie¡¯s awakening rank of D. However, the Hunters who had participated in the Tutorial with Lee Jun-Kyeong and their acquaintances most likely would be able to identify it as him.

    ¡°Hunter Lee?¡± Kim Su-Yeong called out.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked. ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    The other man asked patiently, ¡°Could you please exin why you didn¡¯t tell me yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday¡­¡±

    <i>¡®It was because the beef was so delicious.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed that thought down and instead asked, ¡°But what were you trying to point out by showing me this?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong looked incredulous. ¡°What did I want to point out¡­ I¡¯m saying that Hunters are now getting more attention than celebrities!¡±

    ¡°So what about that is important enough for you to point out?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong quickly shut his mouth. That was right. What was so important about it that he had toe to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house this early in the morning? Although it was important enough to have been stered across the newspaper''s front page, it wasn¡¯t as if Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s personal information had been leaked.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s the giant guilds or high-ranking members of the association, they all probably know about me, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was right. Even if the media hadn¡¯t covered it, it wasn¡¯t like he had attended the Tutorial alone. It was clear that they would have been interested in him anyway due to just how unusual his actions had been. Kim Su-Yeong lowered his head in a strange sense of defeat.

    <i>¡®What did I just do?¡¯</i>

    He thought to himself, concerned if he had to exin that he was just too excited. To exin that he had run to this ce as soon as he saw the newspaper because of a strange feeling. That it was the feeling of knowing some sort of secret that no one else knew about.

    ¡°While you¡¯re here, I have a favor to ask you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, interrupting Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s weird train of thought.

    ¡°I want to start attacking dungeons.¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the Hunter who had awakened as a D-Rank, and was the emerging Super Rookie who had defeated an orc. While others struggled to describe him, Lee Jun-Kyeong was lost in his own contemtions.

    <i>¡®The Familiar¡­¡¯</i>

    Familiar summons was a power that was only avable to a Hero among Heroes. Only the chosen ones among the Hunters, who were favored by the Sponsors, could touch it. He had earned a power that even the Demon King had taken a while to acquire at a blinding pace, a power he had used without any fear.

    <i>¡®What the hell is this?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt confused. The Familiars of the Heroes had been widely knownter on, as the Familiars were just as, if not more, loved and famous as the Heroes themselves. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew most of the Familiars, even the ones only found in the book that were unknown to most people; that said, this was the first time he had encountered a Familiar like this.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes drifted toward his right wrist to look at a never before seen bracelet that was now hanging upon it. There was a small skull that looked like it was threaded on a thread made of iron. At first nce, it appeared to be a rustic design that may have been in fashion. This was the Familiar Lee Jun-Kyeong had summoned.

    His Familiar.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls]

    [Familiar]

    Information about the Familiar came up as soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong desired it. Underneath, there was a brief description of its powers.

    [Cannot be activated because it does not contain a soul.]

    It was too short and difficult to understand.

    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t this simr to an item?¡¯</i>

    A Familiar was a being that appeared with strong powers from the beginning while supporting the Hunter. They were usually beings with powerful innate powers or some special animals.

    <i>¡®There were some that were simr to this.¡¯</i>

    Among Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s vast knowledge of the types of Familiars, some Familiars resembled items.

    <i>¡®And the strongest of them all was his weapon.¡¯</i>

    He was someone who Lee Jun-Kyeong had to encounter someday. He was a Hero who had dominated this era. It was said that his weapon was this type of Familiar.

    <i>Shoo!</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong had been thinking deeply about this matter, a spear cut through the wind.

    ¡°Kehek!¡±

    There was a final scream; a monster had lost its life. Green blood and corpses still leaking blood filled the area around him. These dead monsters were very familiar to him. After all, they were goblins.

    [You have leveled up.]

    [ <The Sky of the Apocalypse> is satisfied with your performance.]

    [You have cleared the dungeon.]

    The magical energy that filled the gate dungeon began to transform. It was a sign that the dungeon was dissolving. As Lee Jun-Kyeong was quickly picking up the items and spoils of battle, someone softlymented, ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    Before long, he was Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s familiar face waiting for him. The dungeon had been cleared, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was pushed out.

    ¡°...¡±

    He embarrassedly straightened his waist, which had been bent while picking up items.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already seeded in conquering your fourth dungeon.¡±

    The more he got to know Kim Su-Yeong, the more he felt as though the manager was an odd fellow. Every time Lee Jun-Kyeong closed a dungeon, no one was more ted than Kim Su-Yeong. Furthermore, no one was as amazed as the manager whenever he thought Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten stronger. He was a very easy-to-read person.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m grateful.¡¯</i>

    Kim Su-Yeong was someone to be appreciated. He had only ever received this type of sincerity from one other person, Yeo Seong-Gu. Unexpectedly, Kim Su-Yeong had started to be a special person to him.

    ¡°You can hand me the spoils and the items to me for processing and sale.¡±

    As Kim Su-Yeong reached out, Lee Jun-Kyeong naturally took all of the items out of his inventory and handed them to him.

    The Inventory was a unique storage space, also called a subspace, that could only be received by Hunters who had been acknowledged by the Sponsors. Of course, it wasn¡¯t something that required special attention to obtain, so it was still something that any Hunter who had grown to a certain point would receive.

    ¡°Thank you for the items. We will deposit the funds once the sale has beenpleted. Furthermore¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me you¡¯ll do it for free,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, cutting off the other man. While Kim Su-Yeong had started to be a special person to Lee Jun-Kyeong, this was still a rtionship built on using each other. It wasn¡¯t with negative intent. It was a business rtionship built on trust and mutual benefit. It was not like there was a guild backing Lee Jun-Kyeong either, so some benefits were expected as by-products when managing a special Hunter. It was a given that Kim Su-Yeong wasn¡¯t helping Lee Jun-Kyeong from only the kindness in his heart.

    <i>¡®They also said there¡¯s a certain level ofmission every time I cleared a gate, right?¡¯</i>

    That was why guilds were trying to ept even the most haphazard Hunter. For Hunters in guilds, the guild would handle everything Kim Su-Yeong had been doing and, therefore, earn additionalmission.

    It was aplicated system.

    ¡°Has the next dungeon been booked?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately asked Kim Su-Yeong.

    The other man suggested, "How about getting some rest?"

    "¡­"

    "It seems like you¡¯re overdoing it." Kim Su-Yeong continued to speak while waving his hands at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s furrowed expression, ¡°I wasn¡¯t presuming to give you advice or anything. Simply put, there are no more dungeons to reserve currently.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s puzzlement was warranted. After all, this was a world overrun by dungeons. In fact, their problem was that they couldn¡¯t close all the dungeon gates. To think that it was impossible to book one. That wasn¡¯t a thought that made much sense. Kim Su-Yeong continued to speak as if he had caught on to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s confusion and irritation, ¡°There is a guild that has slowly been making a name for itself these days and had reserved more than 20 low-level dungeons simultaneously.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked incredulously.

    No matter how low level these dungeons were, to think they had imed more than twenty of them. Lee Jun-Kyeong was bewildered, wondering what the Hunter Association had been thinking in epting such a reservation. But, seemingly noticing his expression again, Kim Su-Yeong continued, ¡°Of course, while the Association had originally refused the request¡­ But they had no choice but to ept itter as the guild hadpletely cleared all the gates it had been able to reserve.¡±

    It was impressive. That was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s honest impression after hearing Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s exnation. It was no different than the guild expressing their confidence in their ability to clear more than twenty dungeons in a short time.

    ¡°Still, there are some low-level gates in the countryside. Should I make some reservations there?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. The gates in the countryside weren¡¯t efficient. Even if it wasn¡¯t something Kim Su-Yeong had brought up, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already been thinking about taking a break.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll reach out to youter.¡±

    After Lee Jun-Kyeong had said those final words, he left the area where the gate had urred.

    ***

    <i>¡®A guild that could reserve more than twenty dungeons at a time in this era¡­¡¯</i>

    Even though they were called low-level, reserving more than twenty dungeons and clearing them efficiently wasn¡¯t an easy task. To think that the Hunter Association had no choice but to ept the reservation after recognizing their skills.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯</i>

    That sounded absurd. The profit to be gained from a single gate was beyond imagination. The Hunter Association¡¯s job wasn¡¯t simply to just manage the Hunters and save people. Instead, they tended to pursue their interests first. The fact that they would ept the guild¡¯s ridiculous reservation request meant something else.

    <i>¡®There must be some sort of connection.¡¯</i>

    A connection so extensive that he had to be concerned about it. No matter how low level the dungeons were, for a guild, especially an emerging guild, to raid more than twenty dungeons was the same as letting them monopolize all of the profits from more than twenty dungeons.

    <i>¡®They are supporting them.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that the Hunter Association was trying to raise the guild. But then, he wondered, who would it be? Whose guild was that guild?

    <i>¡®If I had to guess¡­¡¯</i>

    There was one. But if it really was who he was concerned about, then there were definitely conflicts that could ur between them because Lee Jun-Kyeong and that guild were like water and oil. There was something that was changing the situation. It was something that hadn¡¯t been in the book or was an event unknown to the future. Or, it may have been a change due to his presence.

    "Thank you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled sincerely and bowed his head toward the cashier. In front of him was a shabby shopping cart crammed with groceries. He had decided to take a break for a while and go grocery shopping.

    "Whew¡­"

    It was different. Even the air was different. The world he had lived in the future and the world of today werepletely different, even in the taste of the air. Even the energy that radiated from the people and the magic power that spread through the atmosphere was distinct. Everything was different. He could feel it.

    <i>''It¡¯s because it¡¯s the past.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, it was the age of heroes. It had only been a short time after the first gate had appeared.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked down the road, deliberately not taking a bus or a taxi. It wasn¡¯t a long walk anyway, and he had wanted to enjoy the day and the ambiance of his surroundings. His mood further brightened at the sight of the full shopping basket.

    ¡°Now I won¡¯t have to worry about what I¡¯m going to eat.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that the sry he had received while working at the convenience store was small. His boss, Heimdall, or Yeo Seong-Gu, had given him more than the usual wage. However, a slightly higher than average sry was meaningless to non-Hunters.

    <i>¡®The taxes.¡¯</i>

    While Hunters received benefits that brought their tax burden close to nothing, ordinary people had to pay most of their ie in taxes¡ªfor their lives, saved by the Hunters. It was the cost to pay them back, like a protection fee paid to the Hunters for constantly protecting them. It was a life of struggle for ordinary people, worrying about their daily meals after paying the extensive taxes.

    On the other hand, it was different here too. He had a bankbook filled with pages showing that he had a hefty amount of money. However, as much as the weight of his bankbook increased, so did the weightying heavy on his heart. He had been stabbed with a sword there, which had pierced through with the book. The words Heimdall had said.

    <i>¡®The world...¡¯</i>

    He worried if he would really be able to change it. If he could prevent theing of the future he had lived in. It was such a grandiose task that it filled him with worry. As his mind becameplicated with many concerns¡­

    ¡°Please leave me alone!¡±

    He heard an old voice. The voices stemmed from a deserted alley. Lee Jun¨CKyeong contemted it for a moment.

    ¡°Is it okay to do this just because you¡¯re a Hunter?¡±

    <i>¡®Jerk.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around immediately. He entered the deserted alley, towards the ce where he had heard the voices. At the same time, he focused his mind.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a Hunter.¡¯</i>

    He could feel the Hunter¡¯s energy emanating like a weak voice. It was a feeble magic power. Compared to his own, slightlycking strength, it was even frailer. This wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Lee Jun-Kyeong took a moment to grab his cell phone and fiddle with it.

    ¡°Please, won¡¯t you leave me alone?!¡±

    Hearing the desperate cry of the old man, Lee Jun-Kyeong entered the alley.

    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked in a lower voice than usual. As soon as he entered the alley, he saw an almost broken pushcart and a pile of copsed boxes. There was a crying old man with two stout men standing over him. It was a situation that needed no exnation.

    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are?¡± Even the voice of the stout man spitting at the old man made it obvious what was happening.

    ¡°Are y¡¯all¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked, raising one corner of his mouth, and finished, ¡°Thugs?¡±

    However, the light in his eyes had steeled over. While it was difficult to see in detail, as it was hidden by the jackets they were wearing, there was definitely some sort of pattern. It was a pattern that clearly belonged to a certain guild.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t sure of it, but for some reason, it brought to mind <i>¡®that guild.¡¯</i>

    1. Another old way of speaking from another grandpa.

    .

    2. This is in informal speech, which is quite a rude way of speaking to someone who you¡¯ve just met

    3. Now that he¡¯s been disrespected in speech, Lee Jun-Kyeong drops his polite speech for a much coarser informal one.

 Chapter 13: Collision Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 13: Collision Pt. 2</h4>

    "What?"

    At the sound of the voice, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his gaze away from the guild logo. As expected, they had started to bite right away. He had dealt with these types of punks countless times before. Hunters. Basically, they were punks who had be full of themselves and thought that they had been chosen. Thus, they looked down on ordinary people as if they were bugs. Lee Jun-Kyeong had a lot of experience provoking these types of idiots to draw attention away from their victims.

    "I hade to check things out after having heard some noise, but to see you attacking an elderly man¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong then pointed his finger at the broken pushcart. ¡°Isn¡¯t this some stuff thugs do?¡±

    ¡°How dare you speak informally to me?! Who do you think you are¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who spoke informally to me first when I first came into the alley? Didn¡¯t you say, ¡®Who the fuck do you think you are?¡¯?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The punks shut their mouths. At this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was like apletely different person. It was far from the cold-hearted Lee Jun-Kyeong that was the norm ever since he had returned to the past. His mind was clear and calm, but he was furious. He found himself, back in his past, the feeling of his past helplessness raging through him. He remembered the days when he had been a powerless ordinary person before he hade to this time.

    The punks¡¯ faces began to turn red. It was clear that while they had been triggered by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, that wasn¡¯t the only reason why their faces were flushed.

    <i>¡®The smell of alcohol.¡¯</i>

    They were drunk. For some reason, it felt as though he had been in the same situation before.

    <i>''Is it because that I have power now?''</i>

    Something was different from the past. Lee Jun-Kyeong finally had the power to fight against irrationality and had the ability to protect someone.

    ¡°Are you a hunter?¡±

    Apparently, the punks had finally noticed that something was off. In the first ce, ordinary people and Hunters smelled differently. It was the smell of magic power. While the general public couldn¡¯t feel it, Hunters could generally at least tell whether someone was a Hunter or not. It was more difficult to grasp the exact level of power though. ¡°Could you exin what is going on?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he approached the elderly man.

    ¡°So the thing is¡­¡±

    As the elderly man was about to respond to the question, the punk interrupted, gesturing to his hand, ¡°The old man scratched my precious body with his pushcart.¡±

    From Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s perspective, it only looked like it would have been a slight bump, there weren¡¯t even any signs of dirt on the hand he had been waving around. There were no visible wounds either.

    ¡°I was just asking the old man aboutpensation for the damages.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you saying? Didn¡¯t you just kick my pushcart and then throw all the me against me?¡± the elderly man cried out in anguish. What they did wasn¡¯t an eptable response, even if what the punks said was true.

    ¡°Why did you break the pushcart?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know it if you¡¯re a Hunter too? Anything that attacks me is considered an enemy, hahaha. That¡¯s why I broke it. What¡¯s the problem here? So, you gotta be careful too. Because you¡¯ll be my enemy too if you attack me,¡± said the punk, smirking.

    They most likely didn¡¯t think that Lee Jun-Kyeong posed any threat to them. He hade empty-handed with no weapons. As for the other side, he could feel a weak magical power from their arms.

    <i>¡®Is that a dagger?¡¯</i>

    Looking at the magic power it emitted, he could tell that the dagger was actually a special <i>item</i>.

    <i>¡®And, they belong to a guild.¡¯</i>

    Their clothes had hidden it partially, but he had seen it before. It was clear they belonged to a guild from the particr pattern on their chests. There had to be something that they were confident about. It was stupid. To think some rookie Hunters who had no understanding of their opponent¡¯s powers would be acting like this.

    He snorted. ¡°It¡¯s excessive.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± one of the punks yelped.

    ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I¡¯m saying y¡¯all seem like petty thugs,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while moving a little closer to the elderly man.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.

    The elderly man sniffed. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Fortunately, it looked like they hadn¡¯tid their hands on the elderly man just yet. It was a relief that all they had gotten to was destroying the pushcart and making threats.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone far enough?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, calming his anger a little. ¡°You should back off after having gone this far.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was watching the punks.

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    The punks started to shake under his steely gaze.

    ¡°Who does this bastard think he is, ordering us to do this and that?!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was once again struck by their utter inability to gauge who they were dealing with. He had already had a good understanding of the punks'' power, but these idiots came out swinging without knowing anything about him.

    <i>¡®While being drunk could be a factor in it¡­¡¯</i>

    If it were the past, he would have been terrified and petrified, but it was different now.

    Instead, it was rather funny that they would act like this while having such a low level of skill.

    ¡°This is yourst warning. I¡¯ll let it go if you both turn around now.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong gave hisst warning.

    ¡°You bitch!¡± one of the drunk punks snapped.

    In the end, they made the worst decision. One of the two suddenly ran at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    In order to make sure the elderly man wasn¡¯t harmed, he threw the rushing punk against a wall using the punk¡¯s own momentum. The thug writhed as the bricks broke.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked innocently, ¡°Did you see it clearly, grandpa? They attacked me first.¡±

    "Uh¡­ uh! Behind you! Look behind..."

    The elderly man was taken aback.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swiftly dodged. Then, as he turned around, he saw that the other punk, the one who hadn¡¯t copsed, was holding a dagger in his hand and shrieking about.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ To think you¡¯d draw your weapon in a ce like this. Do you really think you can bear the repercussions?¡±

    Hunters were allowed to carry their weapons at all times as gates could ur anywhere and monsters could attack. However, taking a weapon out whenever one wanted without cause was a felony. No matter how drunk they were, it wasn¡¯t a decision to be taken lightly.

    The thug shouted, ¡°You¡¯re not in a guild, right? I¡¯m fundamentally different from a piece of trash like you!¡±

    If anyone else had been watching, they might have been convinced that the guild was his mother¡ªa mother who had a high-ranking politician husband.

    The Hunter swung his dagger again. Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to avoid it and kicked the guy''s shin with his foot.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± the punk screamed as the sound of something breaking rang out. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop there, knocking the dagger out of the punk¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Keeughk!¡±

    As he picked up the fallen de, Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped on the back of the thug¡¯s neck with his foot.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    As the punk who had been mmed into the wall early got up and rushed toward him, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw the dagger.

    <i>Whistle.</i>

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Of course, the ded edge didn¡¯t hit the thug. Instead, it was the handle. The dagger''s handle had hit the punk¡¯s forehead and knocked him down. Since the dagger was an <i>item</i>, the impact was impressive, easily taking him out. The two fallen punks groaned and whined.

    ¡°Ugh¡­. ugh¡­¡±

    The elderly man was bewildered and confused as to what to do.

    ¡°Hunter Lee!¡±

    Just then, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a familiar voice. Before he had entered the alley, he had stopped to contact Kim Su-Yeong. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t respond to Kim Su-Yeong. Instead, he focused on the two fallen punks, whose clothes had been torn from the violent exchange. The guild logo had been revealed.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    It was <i>¡®that guild¡¯</i> that Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of before when he had seen a glimpse of the hidden guild logo under their clothes.

    ***

    "You dealt with it really well,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong to Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely.

    "Do you know who we are?"

    "You bastards! I¡¯m telling you that the old man attacked us first!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see the punks being taken away by the Hunters from the Hunter Association. They had a blue shield with clearly engraved stripes on their chests. Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the guild logo. Then, as he frowned, he heard a voice.

    ¡°You really did a great job.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong was praising Lee Jun-Kyeong again. Before entering the alley, Lee Jun-Kyeong had contacted Kim Su-Yeong in advance. It was a clearly defined situation of Hunters persecuting an ordinary person. While something like this was a non-issue in the future, it was still a crime that could be prosecuted in the present age.

    "It is a felony for Hunters to harm ordinary people recklessly,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    While incidents like this still may have urred asionally, at least for now, the Hunter Association and the majority of Hunters still respected the rights of ordinary people.

    "The witness is certain¡­ This is what the Association should do. Thank you,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong while looking at the elderly man, who seemed to have calmed down a little. The elderly man had already testified about the previous situation. Most of the time, in these types of cases, most people didn¡¯t speak up as they were afraid of retaliation from the guild or the Hunters.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯</i>

    Apparently, the old man had testified without lying. While there had been many times when his heart had still been heavy even after helping, this wasn¡¯t one of those instances.

    Kim Su-Yeong suddenly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you currently worrying about that grandfather getting retaliation from those punks or their guild?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes¡­¡±

    As expected, Kim Su-Yeong had caught on quickly.

    ¡°The Hunter Association will monitor so that sort of situation won¡¯t ur.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slightly. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I¡¯m d.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if he could trust those words.

    <i>¡®I guess I don¡¯t have a choice but to believe it.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to trust that the sudden events would end up handled like this.

    "That guild¡­"

    Kim Su-Yeong hadn¡¯t finished stating everything he had prepped.

    ¡°Do you remember what I told you the other day?¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to the guild that reserved more than twenty low-level dungeons?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Kim Su-Yeong nodded.¡°Yes, you remembered it exactly.¡±

    It was a natural deduction.

    ¡°That is that guild¡¯s logo.¡±

    He already knew, even before Kim Su-Yeong had said it. That the guild in question would be the one he had already been considering. He had brushed it off earlier, as he had thought to himself, ¡®it couldn¡¯t be.¡¯

    It was a guild that had grown rapidly in the present period. It was indeed the guild that Lee Jun-Kyeong had suspected.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong. ¡°It¡¯s a guild led by another famous rookie Hunter. These days, it¡¯s been making a name for itself through its rming growth rate.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    "I will let you know as soon as this is dealt with. It should be fine for you to go home."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt somewhat uneasy.

    <i>''There aren¡¯t any issues.''</i>

    He hadn''t made a mistake, nor did it escte to a circumstance from which he would need to extract himself. Furthermore, he still had the insurance he had prepared. Lee Jun-Kyeong was contemting various things with a hardened expression when the elderly man came to him, having finished testifying.

    ¡°Thank you, young man.¡±

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeongughed.

    ***

    While it wasn¡¯t his intention, Lee Jun-Kyeong had ended up profiting from his earlier actions. Because the Northern Army Guild had members who had gotten into an incident, the guild had to cancel several of their dungeon reservations. Due to their problems, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been waiting for his turn, had acquired the dungeon attack rights.

    [You have cleared the dungeon.]

    There was a voice in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head, informing him that he had cleared a dungeon. However, he didn¡¯t look happy.

    <i>¡®Is this not enough yet?¡¯</i>

    He had already cleared quite a few dungeons, and his level had steadily increased. Unfortunately, he still hadn¡¯t obtained what he needed.

    <i>¡®While I was happy when I had gotten the Familiar Summoning¡­¡¯</i>

    In reality, it was pretty useless, and he still hadn¡¯t obtained any of the other abilities he had wanted. Other Hunters would have acquired more skills by this point.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s so stingy.¡¯</i>

    He thought to himself that The Sky of the Apocalypse was a very stingy Sponsor. For a Sponsor that only sponsored one person, it wasn¡¯t very good at holding a proper sponsorship. Considering that it had given him a chance to summon his first Familiar so quickly, it was clear that it wanted to favor him. However, it had only supplied him with just this one skill and hadn¡¯t given him anything he had wanted since.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> senses your dissatisfaction.]

    Just when Lee Jun-Kyeong was starting to feel resentment, a sound rang.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> has decided to grant your request.]

    [You have been granted]

    No way.

    [An Authority.]

    He had been granted what he had been waiting for. To think, this was the way he had been given his power. A Sponsor who actually listened toints actually existed. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt disbelief before he could bask in the joy of getting what he had wanted.

    As the dungeon dissolved around him, as always, he heard Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s voice talking to him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong looked troubled.

    "That is¡­"

    He muttered with an angry expression, ¡°It seems they have dered you to be the assant, Hunter Lee.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s bright red face showed how angry he was as he spoke about an utterly impossible result.

    "What do you mean?" said Lee Jun-Kyeong looking perplexed. Somehow, he had been painted as a perpetrator while he was clearing a gate. He was utterly astounded at the ridiculous notion, not understanding what the other man was talking about.

    ¡°Do you remember¡­ How you saved an elderly man a while ago?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong, sincerely not understanding the situation.

    ¡°The elderly man has changed his testimony¡­!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The elderly man changed his testimony, iming that you had been the one to suddenly attack the Hunters and destroy his pushcart!¡± said Kim Su-Yeong, his voice filled with anger.

    ¡°...¡±

    The light in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes steeled over, giving them apletely different look from before. The air around them chilled, and his face turned frosty.

    ¡°The Association has summoned you, Hunter Lee,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong, his head bowed in shame. While the end result was within one of the many oues Lee Jun-Kyeong had considered, somehow, it had really be true.

    <i>¡®What a shitty damper on the mood.¡¯</i>

    1. To rify, his past, which is still 100 years into the future of this current timeline.

    2. He has returned to polite speech when addressing the elderly man.

    3. The word item here is in English, not Korean.

 Chapter 14: Collision Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 14: Collision Pt. 3</h4>

    They were on the road to the Association. Lee Jun-Kyeong sat silently in the traveling car, whereas Kim Su-Yeong didn¡¯t say any of the things on his mind. It was aplicated situation.

    <i>¡®To think that grandpa¡­¡¯</i>

    The elderly man who he had saved had changed his testimony. The perpetrators had be the victims, and he, who had been the savior, had be the perpetrator instead. Though nothing had been confirmed yet, it was to be expected. So he could infer why the elderly man, who had repeatedly thanked him earlier, had suddenly changed his testimony.

    <i>¡®Feels like shit.¡¯</i>

    Still, it wasn¡¯t a good feeling. Even if he could understand the situation and knew what had happened, it was impossible not to feel bad. So while it wasn¡¯t a situation he had intervened in while expecting anything, it was still irritating for the results to turn out this way. Still, several things kept him calm, and these things were enough to keep him from screaming out in anger.

    <i>¡®This was to be expected.¡¯</i>

    He had thought the situation might turn out this way when he had found out they were members of the Northern Army Guild. After all, this guild had been allowed to reserve twenty dungeons at once. But, as he had suspected, there definitely was a connection within the Association itself.

    <i>¡®It just proves that the guild¡¯s ability is great.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew information about the Northern Army Guild itself. They were punks with significant backing. The Association, no, that man, was supporting the Northern Army Guild. But before they could spread their wings, they had found themselves in trouble.

    <i>¡®It must have happened that way.¡¯</i>

    There was no way that punk supporting the Northern Army Guild would have been able to stay still. It was a given that things would turn out this way. Still, there was no way Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t feel angry and bitter.

    "We¡¯ll be arriving soon,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said softly into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear, who was sitting there with closed eyes. This wasn¡¯t forceful detainment. Instead, the Association had taken as much courtesy with this procedure as possible. They had been traveling in Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. There¡¯s no way for things to go wrong,¡± Kim Su-Yeong continued in an attempt to reassure Kim Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The Association hasn¡¯t gotten that rotten¡­ just yet,¡± he said, right before they had arrived.

    To say the Association hadn¡¯t rotted just yet simply meant that the information was still hidden.

    <i>¡®Is that really the truth?¡¯</i>

    While no one else knew, he knew the truth as he hade from the future.

    <i>¡®The Association is an organization that started out rotten and has stayed that way.¡¯</i>

    However, there was no reason for him to try to change how Kim Su-Yeong felt. The manager would understand it as time went on. If that didn¡¯t happen, then Kim Su-Yeong could have already been a part of the rotten branch without Lee Jun-Kyeong even realizing it.

    ¡°We have arrived.¡±

    Regardless, they had arrived at the Association.

    ***

    "Your name is Lee Jun-Kyeong, and it''s been less than a month since you became a Hunter, is that right?"

    The investigator and Lee Jun-Kyeong were sitting at an iron table. The investigator acted as if he had alreadye to a conclusion. However, nothing had been used to restrain him.

    <i>¡®They don¡¯t need to.¡¯</i>

    After all, not every Tom, Dick, and Harry could be an investigator for the Association. As their job was to deal with criminal Hunters, only Hunters who were mid-level or stronger could be investigators in the first ce. As for the investigator in front of him, he seemed to be around the tutorial guide Bae Sang-Su¡¯s level or stronger. There was no way for him to be sure, but that was the feeling Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten. He still found it difficult to judge a Hunter stronger than himself.

    ¡°Hunter Lee?¡± asked the investigator, slightly rxed.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct.¡±

    ¡°It seems you were rescued from a gate¡­ and there are no records of you prior to that.¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, answering the investigator¡¯s questions without lying.

    ¡°You¡¯re here today to discuss the incident that had happened a few days ago. Hunter Lee, is it true that you were the first to report the incident, and that you had subdued the Northern Army Guild members at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    The investigator had had a rxed tone up until now.

    ¡°Furthermore, did you intimidate the elderly man, Lee Mun-Su, forcing him to falsely testify that the Northern Army Guild Hunters attacked you first?¡±

    While his tone hadn¡¯t changed much, something had shifted, turning the air chilly. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°That is incorrect.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that isn¡¯t the truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is an incorrect statement.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The investigator shifted his papers, seemingly checking something.

    ¡°We will be shifting to a full-scale interrogation.¡±

    At the investigator¡¯s beckoning, the door opened.

    ¡°...¡±

    An old man with his head bowed entered the interrogation room. It was the elderly man that Lee Jun-Kyeong had saved. The elderly man took his seat quietly.

    ¡°Are you the elderly man, Lee Mun-Su?¡±

    ¡°Y¡­Yes¡­ that¡­¡± responded the elderly man in a trembling voice.

    ¡°During the incident a few days ago, is it true that the person you see in front of you, Hunter Lee, threatened you? We ask that you confirm if he forced you to testify that the Northern Army Guild members had attacked the both of you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the quietly conflicted elderly man. The elderly man¡¯s gaze began to tremble violently the moment he had looked at him. It was obvious why he had started shaking.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s been threatened.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered over Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s previous assertion that the Association would monitor the situation. That had turned out to beplete dog shit. What was going on now had basically confirmed his previous spection.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s already be a rotten tree.¡¯</i>

    All he had to do was observe the elderly man. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t in a normal state.

    ¡°You can speakfortably, sir,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the elderly man. Despite his gentle tone, the elderly man¡¯s trembling didn¡¯t stop, but rather, it only got worse.

    ¡°You are correct¡­ That young man threatened me¡­¡±

    In the end, the elderly man confirmed it.

    ¡°I understand that must have been difficult. Thank you.¡±

    The elderly man left the room, watching Lee Jun-Kyeong the entire time before he exited. From those eyes, Lee Jun-Kyeong could almost see it.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯</i>

    The old man¡¯s eyes were brimming with tears, and his lips were trembling furiously.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a short breath. It was aplex situation, and he felt many incredibly conflicting emotions.

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± the investigator asked coldly.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took his cell phone from his pocket and yed a video.

    -Who the fuck do you think you are?

    It was the voice Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard as soon as he had entered the alley. After he had contacted Kim Su-Yeong, he had recorded everything that had happened with his cell phone.

    ¡°This is what I have to say,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, his voice bing frostier by the second. The atmosphere abruptly changed, feeling as if the surroundings had suddenly frozen over.

    ***

    The cell phone video had been epted as evidence as it had been confirmed to be genuine after it had undergone various verifications. Everything had been rified, and the truth had been revealed. Lee Jun-Kyeong was not the perpetrator, and rather, it was the guild members of the Northern Army Guild. As for the elderly man, he had been used of giving false testimony. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had argued with the investigator, pleading for leniency. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to know how the Association would decide on that matter. It was a given that the Association already knew why the elderly man, Lee Mun-Su, would have changed his testimony.

    <i>¡®They most likely would turn a blind eye to it.¡¯</i>

    There was nothing more he could do for the current situation.

    He felt like shit once again.

    <i>¡®My strength¡­ it¡¯s still not enough¡­¡¯</i>

    He still wasn¡¯t able to protect anyone properly. He had been unable to protect the elderly man to the very end. After all, the punks had been able to be released due to hisck of strength. He swore to himself that this would be thest time he would get angry because he didn¡¯t have enough strength. In addition, he vowed that this would never happen again during this new life of his.

    ¡°When did you prepare something like that? Kim Su-Yeong asked.

    ¡°I did it just in case¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded simply without borating. However, his real reasoning was slightly different. It had be almost like a habit, and it was a habit that had formed naturally as he had been subjected to so many unfair and unreasonable situations. After all, it wasn¡¯t umon to get stabbed in the back while helping someone in the era that he had lived in. Even while being oppressed by the Hunters, the regr people still doubted and hated each other.

    <i>¡®Looks like that¡¯s starting right now.¡¯</i>

    The Northern Army Guild. It was clear that the incident they had just created would repeat over and over to make the world of the future.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong balled up his fists.

    ¡°Ah¡­ and¡­¡±

    Just as Kim Su-Yeong was about to say something, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze had already been directed somewhere else.

    ¡°I heard a rumor that you were in trouble.¡±

    It was the voice of the guild master of the League Guild, Yeo Seong-Gu, who was approaching them.

    ¡°I contacted him just in case¡­ I didn¡¯t have a line in the Association¡­ So he was the most influential person I could reach,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong exining that he had acted on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief. It looks like there isn¡¯t anything else I can say but that.¡±

    It was clear that although he had to have been busy, Yeo Seong-Gu had rushed to the scene.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The slightly unpleasant feeling Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt earlier had instantly disappeared. Whether it was in the past or now, Yeo Seong-Gu had always been someone he could depend on. Furthermore, even though it was a new rtionship, for him, Kim Su-Yeong had also shown himself to be dependable. Still, this feeling of constion onlysted for a while.

    ¡°...¡±

    Someone was walking towards them in the silence. Lee Jun-Kyeong recognized him first.

    ¡°Grandpa.¡±

    It was the elderly man whom he had saved, who had turned around and put the me on him bymitting perjury. The elderly man approached quickly, and after looking around at the group, he knelt done on his knees and bowed his head.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± asked the bewildered Lee Jun-Kyeong, pulling the elderly man up. However, Kim Su-Yeong and Yeo Seong-Gu were looking at the elderly man coldly.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>''Ah¡­''</i>

    .

    To them, the elderly man was not someone who deserved any pity orpassion. He had be a backstabber who simply threw away the favor he had been granted after being saved. That was all he hade.

    "I¡­ I''m so sorry¡­ I''m so, so sorry..."

    The elderly man stood up, continuing to weep and apologize.

    ¡°Those guys¡­ Those punks¡­ they said they would ruin my granddaughter¡¯s future¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do it. I wanted to support you, not create so much trouble for you¡­¡±

    They could feel the sincerity in the elderly man¡¯s crying voice.

    ¡°Are you saying that the Northern Army guild had threatened you, grandfather?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked in a bewildered tone. He quickly turned around and began to question the elderly man.

    ¡°They had¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are youing to tell us that now?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s still cold voice rang out.

    ¡°My granddaughter would have been harmed if I had told you beforehand¡­ Seeing as how things had turned out¡­ I had wanted to at least apologize to you. I¡¯m so very sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    The three men¡¯s faces hardened at the same time. In the end, they had found out the real reason why the elderly man had changed his testimony. He had been intimidated; moreover, it had been a threat to his family. Their faces began to glow with anger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong.

    Yeo Seong-Gu added, ¡°There is no way that will happen.¡±

    "You can go home without worrying too much about those punks. They were just empty threats. In reality, there¡¯s no way they would actually act upon them,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The three men spoke reassuringly to the elderly man, attempting to console him. Meanwhile, their anger had risen to the boiling point, simr to a heated kettle before it exploded with steam. Lee Jun-Kyeong had said the truth. Since there was a lot of interest and attention on the current situation, there was no way for the perpetrators to touch the elderly man¡¯s family. Still, all three men were infuriated, and all traces of the earlier good feeling had dissipated.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong, feeling helpless.

    Yeo Seong-Gu responded in kind, ¡°Feels like shit.¡±

    His frosty expression showed that he was slowly burning with anger. The three of them knew that the elderly man wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking somewhere else. A little further away, someone was watching them. It had started from the moment the elderly man had cried and had stayed on to the trio up until the present. They could feel a greasy touch, the feeling of magic power.

    ¡°Is it that guy?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded at Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s question. The man standing far away was someone that he definitely knew.

    ¡°Choi Yeong-Seong.¡±

    The man imposingly approached while Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke his name. It was impossible to tell whether he had approached due to the end of the events, or if he had nned for this timing. Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped forward. Behind the man were three others, all Hunters. They all had the same pattern on their chest, the symbol of their guild: a blue shield with engraved stripes.

    ¡°It really is such a regretful situation,¡± said the approaching man to the three men without so much as a hello.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± he continued with a self-satisfied smirk. He had a cruel and infuriating face, seemingly full of underhanded intent. It was, in fact, such an unsettling face that it was difficult to describe with words.

    ¡°...¡±

    The man¡¯s gaze shifted to the silent Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°If only I had known that this was how I would meet theuded League Guild Master¡­ Guild Master Yeo¡­¡±

    His eyes then shifted again towards Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The rumors must be true then; you really are acquainted with the rumored Super Rookie?¡±

    The man must have figured out that Lee Jun-Kyeong was the widely reported super rookie from the newspapers. While Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu stayed silent, the man reached his hand out forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Guild Master of the Northern Army Guild,¡± he said with a smiling face as his hand nonchntly hung in the air.

    ¡°The name is Choi Yeong-Seong.¡±

    It was a name that hadter been recorded as a Hero who was renowned as a servant of the twelve heroes. However, to themon people, he was a mass murderer and a tyrant.

    <i>¡®The War King, Gunther.¡¯</i>

    That was Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s true identity.

    After his self-introduction, something unexpected happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu shook the hand that Choi Yeong-Seong had held out, a cold smile appearing on his face.

    ¡°But I have to warn you. Unless you want to make an enemy out of the renowned League Guild and the Super Rookie, it would be good to settle down.¡±

    It was aplete dismissal. Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s previously smug and rxed face suddenly distorted. But Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. After all, you¡¯re not even worth considering as an enemy¡­ Watch how you f*cking speak and act. If you don¡¯t want to get f*ked, I mean.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s hands were still gripped together, but interestingly enough, Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s hands were turning a shade of blue.

    1. While I¡¯m hesitant to curse this badly, there are so many levels of disrespect and outright taunting here, both in thenguage itself and the manner of speech that I¡¯m not confident getting the same impact without using curse words. He first startspletely dismissing him, saying let me correct what I¡¯m saying. Then he¡¯s like you don¡¯t even qualify to be on the other side from me. Then, ??? is a colloquial way to say the word for mouth, but is generally used in a very very negative connotation. It¡¯s normally used in the statement, ??? ?? which directly trantes to shut your f*kn mouth. Finally, as you may have read in some of the Chinese novels, ?? means to turn or to roll, but it¡¯s moremonly used as an expression of getting f*ckd or dying(in a very negative context.)

 Chapter 15: Northern Army Guild Pt. 1

    <h4>Chapter 15: Northern Army Guild Pt. 1</h4>

    It had already been a few days since Lee Jun-Kyeong had met Gunther. In that time, Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone through a few more dungeons and leveled up once. He looked at the blue window that had appeared in front of him.

    [Level: 11, Strength: 30, Agility: 33, Stamina: 27, Mana: 37]

    Level 11. It came with a dramatic increase in ability. In terms of overall power, it wasparable to a C-Rank Hunter. StandardC-Rank Hunter had around 120 total stat values. It was an incredible growth ratepared to the time invested.

    <i>¡®The yer ability really is amazing¡­¡¯</i>

    Having experienced it for himself, he could finally believe in its power: to hunt monsters and grow. Unlike other Hunters, who had to hunt blindly while waiting for the interest of the Sponsors, Lee Jun-Kyeong was visibly growing just by hunting monsters. He was improving at speed iparable to that of a regr Hunter, to the point that everyone was paying attention to him. Still, there was one problem.

    <i>¡®The higher I level up, the slower my growth will get.¡¯</i>

    While it was okay for now, it was a problem that even the Demon King had also experienced. The stronger he grew, the subsequent amount of experience required to grow stronger increased exponentially. So while he was currently at a point where his level would increase even if he only hunted goblins, at some point, it would be for him to figure out how many monsters he had to hunt and how strong they¡¯d have to be in order for him to get stronger.

    It was only natural. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for this problem, then there would have been no way that the Demon King would have died. It couldn¡¯t have been a possibility. Still, he had hope because he could grow by putting in the effort. In his past life, all he ever wanted was to have that chance to improve if he worked hard. It was all Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted for his entire life.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then observed the bracelet that was wrapped around his wrist, thinking to himself that it was still the same. It was the iron bracelet with the hanging skull, the Familiar he had obtained when he used the summon given to him by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. He had been hard at work, hunting monsters, as it had said he couldn¡¯t activate it because it didn¡¯t contain a soul. He had hunted, expecting that it would be filled with the soul of a monster, and continued on to hunt the boss.

    Still, even after taking down the boss, nothing had changed. He thought to himself that there must be some sort of special ritual or a special type of soul needed. Furthermore, he had a hunch that there was one additional thing he needed to truly activate the soul-containing skull. If he managed to find the correct method, the Familiar would be a great source of strength. However, if his hunch failed, then he wouldn¡¯t know how long it would take to activate it.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to end up having to make a choice.¡¯</i>

    The changes that had urred to him after bing a Hunter didn¡¯t end there. He still had a few more lines to check in his status window, and they hadn¡¯t been there thest time he had checked.

    <i>¡®It was an ability I got haphazardly, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the second power gifted to him by his Sponsor, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, after it had sensed his dissatisfaction.

    [Authority]

    The Authority wasn¡¯t an ordinary power. Most Sponsors gifted their Hunters with skills. While these skills were not only powerful but also essential to being a Hunter, they were qualitatively different from Authorities. For example, it was the difference between one form and endless transformations. While the given skills may differ based on the Sponsor, in reality, there wasn¡¯t much different about them other than the name. In most cases, the types and the effects were simr. In addition,pared to an Authority, skills were often much weaker and incapable of further growth.

    <i>Crackle.</i>

    A me rose in Lee Jun-Kyeong''s empty right hand. It was the power granted by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    [Reign of Fire Lv 1]

    While it had a short description without any exnation, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew what it was as it was the power that had been possessed by the Demon King.

    <i>¡®This power became the foundation for the Demon King along with the yer ability.¡¯</i>

    The Authority, the Reign of Fire, was able to grow infinitely separate from the support of the Sponsor. Furthermore, it was a skill only the yer could directly nurture. The faster one had obtained it, the earlier one could strengthen it. It was a power that would be more supportive in the future.

    An Authority.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the mes fluttering in his palm for a long time.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    He clenched his fist and put out the me.

    ***

    The Northern Army Guild had been expanding at an unprecedented rate, which had been driven through the monopolization of dungeon gates. However, its momentum had been slowed slightly due to the case involving Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The two involved guild members of the Northern Army Guild had ended up punished, but rather than being expelled from the guild, they were only subject to probation. It was another unprecedented decision in a time when there was strict punishment for Hunters who had harmed ordinary people.

    ¡°This isplete nonsense!¡± raged Kim Su-Yeong angrily.

    ¡°What¡¯s suchplete nonsense?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as he was drinking a frozen hot chocte and gazing uninterestedly at him. He had gone to a dungeon today as well; his initially quickly rising levels had stagnated at 11.

    ¡°To think it ended with just a fine¡­ isn¡¯t thatplete nonsense?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong seemed to have been speaking about the incident.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°You seem to be a very unique person, Hunter Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared back at Kim Su-Yeong with his eyes full of doubt.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong rified, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who saved that grandfather, Hunter Lee? Because of that, I had initially assumed that you were a man with a strong sense of justice, but it doesn¡¯t seem to explicitly be the case at all from the way you¡¯re reacting.¡±

    While Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s words were quite probing, there was no malice on his face. He just seemed genuinely curious.

    "Just¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a moment to think. Why was he so numb to the entire situation? If it were the him from before, he would have been riled up alongside Kim Su-Yeong- no, he would have been even angrier. But for some reason, he wasn¡¯t having that sort of reaction.

    <i>¡®Grandpa¡­¡¯</i>

    Was it because he was sure the Northern Army Guild wouldn¡¯t harm the elderly man any further? Or was it because he had seen the new appearance of Yeo Seong-Gu?

    Deep inside, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew the answer.

    <i>¡®My rage from this incident is finally settling a bit.¡¯</i>

    Erupting into a fit of anger while he was unprepared would only end up hurting himself more. While he wasn¡¯t sure if it would have ended up being a fatal wound or a small scratch, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already decided it would be better to curl up and hide his rage.

    ¡°What happened to that grandpa?¡±

    "That¡­"

    Kim Soo-young muttered for a while and then said, "It ended up as a disciplinary warning."

    "Disciplinary warning?"

    The elderly man hadmitted the crime of perjury. More importantly, a crime of perjury against a Hunter. But to think it ended with just a disciplinary warning. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if the Association had be aware of the situation and didn¡¯t want to bring further attention to the incident.

    <i>¡®Or Hyung could have gotten involved too.¡¯</i>

    It was possible that the guild master of the League Guild, an up-anding influential guild, had gotten himself involved. It was a good result.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also ask for mercy, Hunter Lee? Furthermore, the Northern Army Guild also admitted their own wrongdoing. But, of course, they insisted it was a request, not a threat.¡±

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong could have also made an effort as well. Regardless, it was a happy ending. It wasn¡¯t a hopeless, bad ending like before, but rather a bittersweet, happy ending. Lee Jun-Kyeong took a second to ponder some more.

    <i>¡®This sort of stuff must still be umon in this world.¡¯</i>

    This was only the beginning of people starting to ride on the strength of their own fist. Those who possessed power would begin to persecute those who had none. Because, to them, their misuse of power would seem like it was the natural order of things to them. It was the Hunter Association¡¯s job to manage and monitor them.

    <i>¡®But they¡¯ll still end up doing whatever they want.¡¯</i>

    If it helped them, they would ignore it, and if it didn¡¯t, they would throw it to the side. Based on what he knew, that was the truth of the Association. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts had gone elsewhere. He was thinking about the fact that his original attempt at helping the elderly man didn¡¯t actually end up leading to an ideal result.<i>¡®Was it?hypocritical?of me to reach out without making sure the end would be alright?¡¯</i>

    Originally, he hadn¡¯t made much effort to ensure justice because he had thought that there would have been no further damage to the elderly man, and that the elderly man would have been able to avoid punishment. But, because of his help, both of them ended up harmed instead. So, he wondered, was it just hypocritical to have helped? Should he have seen it through the very end?

    No.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s just arrogance.¡¯</i>

    At least at this point, the power he held wasn¡¯t strong enough to depend on. Whether it was the Association or evenrger organizations, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to survive against the stronger Hunters. At least not for now. After returning to the past, he had inherited the power of and was following the life of the previous Demon King. However, the path he was taking wasn¡¯t exactly the same. He had been trying only to follow the necessary parts, and the major events he had to endure had not yet urred.

    ¡°For some reason¡­ it seems like things are still going in the same direction,¡± he muttered.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just talking to myself.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong slurped his frozen hot chocte and asked Kim Su-Yeong, ¡°How is the Northern Army doing these days?¡±

    He was curious about the status of the Northern Army Guild. If it was the Northern Army Guild that he knew¡­ no.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s Gunther¡­¡¯</i>

    There was no way it would end like this.

    ¡°They have been quiet,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t believe it. It wouldn''t be much longer.

    Gunther was a hero who would eventually be known as the King of War. He had a decisive and cold personality, even going so far as to have been called a tyrannical yer by ordinary people. His beliefs were to give back what he had received no matter what and not to spare anyone who touched his pride.

    ¡°Could you continue to look into the movements of the Northern Army Guild?¡±

    If Gunther had suffered a loss due to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s actions, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he shouldn¡¯t just forget about them without reason. It wasn¡¯t just because he should be prepared for anything.

    <i>¡®One should return everything they have to endure.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had the same belief as Gunther.

    He then got up from his seat and said to Kim Su-Yeong, ¡°Please reserve an E-graded gate as well.¡±

    ***

    It was time for him to increase the difficulty one step further. The strength of gates differed significantly each time one increased the level of the gate. The higher the grade of the gate, the more severe the difference. There were many reasons for this difference, such as the type, strength, and intelligence of the monsters, or the actual size of the dungeon. Many Hunters still attempted to attack higher-graded gates because it was easier to grab the Sponsors¡¯ attention in more difficult areas.

    A Hunter grew through the support of a Sponsor. The more support a Hunter gained, and the more Sponsors a Hunter gained, the better the growth. Of course, there also were other rewards rted to the attack on the gate itself.

    <i>¡®Right now¡­¡¯</i>

    It was time for Lee Jun-Kyeong to go one step further. He had gotten rtively used to Hunting monsters. As much as the ughtered goblins provided Lee Jun-Kyeong with experience points for levels, they also provided him with more battle experience. He was sure he had enough skills to not die instantaneously after entering an E-level gate.

    <i>¡®Not only have I gained the Authority¡­¡¯</i>

    He had also gained quite a bit of confidence in his abilities. He could now control the shield and spear-like extensions of his own limbs. There was no reason to dy it anymore. After all, Gunther, Choi Yeong-Seong, the Guild Master of the Northern Army Guild, would make his move soon. Nothing was more foolish than regretting it when the War King made his move. The most important thing was for Lee Jun-Kyeong to prepare in advance.

    ¡°Is this the first time you¡¯re attacking a gate with someone other than the Tutorial?¡± asked Yeo Seong-Gu.

    No matter how confident he was, attacking a higher-level dungeon gate was risky; therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong chose the safe path.

    ¡°It seems so. Please take care of me.¡±

    It was safer and more reliable to attack the gate with the League Guild led by Yeo Seong-Gu rather than attempting to solo an E-Grade gate that he had never experienced before. He wanted an excursion, a field trip.

    "It''s an honor,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Is this the famous Super Rookie?¡±

    Members of the League Guild began arriving as Yeo Seong-Gu wasughing and shaking hands with Lee Jun-Kyeong with a smile.

    "It¡¯s an honor to be able to attack the dungeon with the Super Rookie."

    They each individually greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong with expressions of wee. Furthermore, two men spoke with bright smiles on their faces.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know we would be fated to end up meeting the person we had saved before.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu introduced the two of them to Lee Jun-Kyeong, saying that they had saved him from the dungeon he had woken up in, where he had met the goblins.

    ¡°It¡¯s also great to meet you. My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    Seeing their kind expressions, Lee Jun-Kyeong extended his right hand and introduced himself.

    "Nice to meet you as well. My name is Choi Cheol-Yong."

    "My name is Lee Han-Seong."

    The two said their names and shook hands with him. Lee Jun-Kyeong not only interacted with them but also everyone else in the League Guild.

    ¡°...¡±

    He looked around, wondering if there was anyone that he remembered. His eyes moved quickly, examining everyone. He was trying to decide if there was anyone who would be apanion or even an enemy.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s none.¡¯</i>

    Whether it was a name or a face, there was no one he could remember. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t know much about the League Guild other than that it was Heimdall¡¯s guild. Everything that pertained to Heimdall had been erased in the future, including information about the League Guild. There wasn¡¯t even an explicit mention of the League Guild within the book. After examining everyone, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to maintain his equipment. He was going to enter an E-Grade gate for the first time. While the League Guild was a great power, no one could guarantee his life within a gate. It was good to be prepared. He had a spear and shield that was of slightly better quality than what had been provided by the Association. He had even prepared armor. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that he had invested most of the money he had earned into his equipment.

    ¡°That¡¯s exceptional.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked over Lee Jun-Kyeong and evaluated him after he finished his maintenance. No one knew how many dungeons the younger man had ovee nor what sort of life he had lived more than Yeo Seong-Gu. In his eyes, Lee Jun-Kyeong was an exceptional Hunter. He felt as though the younger man was a hunter who knew that his life was more precious than anything, including luxuries. Basically, he was a Hunter who knew that his weapons were his most valuable possessions. To Yeo Seong-Gu, Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone he liked the more he looked at him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set off towards the E-Grade Gate! We¡¯ll begin the attack on the Goblin Mage Dungeon!¡±

    The Hunters began to move towards the slightly trembling gate as they finished their preparations.

    1. The method hasn¡¯t been specified yet or exined.

    2. This is a type of punishment in Korea in which you don¡¯t get any written record of crime or actual punishment/jail time.

 Chapter 16: Northern Army Guild Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 16: Northern Army Guild Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Are you going to let things end like this? We just started expanding properly¡­¡± someone raged angrily.

    A calm and cold voice responded, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more important to strengthen our internal stability than focus on expansion or growth? Haven¡¯t you seen it from the incident this time? This kind of situation only happened because the management of our guild members is a mess.¡±

    The first person snarled, ¡°What bullshit! Those punks did nothing wrong. To think they¡¯re telling me that I have to bow my head to themon person, bugs who live bytching onto Hunters.¡±

    It was a viewpoint more appropriate for the future, but something that didn¡¯t fit within the present day. So much so that themunity would have widely discussed it if anyone had heard it.

    Still, their guild master, Choi Yeong-Seong, stood quietly. The three who were gathered in the room were the heads of the Northern Army Guild, which was a guild that would grow immensely from this point on.

    ¡°That''s too drastic of a viewpoint,¡± said the cold voice.

    Jeong In-Chang, one of the two deputy guild masters of the Northern Army Guild, was the one responding now, and this person was the one who wanted to strengthen the guild¡¯s internal stability.

    ¡°While they may not have the strength of Hunters, the people are also humans like us¡­¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang¡¯s volume began to rise a little, the taciturn Choi Yeong-Seong opened his mouth.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    He was a man who always had a smile on his lips, a vicious smile full of cruelty.

    ¡°Yong-Su is right.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong was referring to the other deputy guild master of the Northern Army Guild who had been raging earlier, Choi Yong-Su.

    ¡°Hyung!¡± eximed Choi Yong-Su happily, his anger fading away.

    During meetings between the masters of the Northern Army Guild, Choi Yong-Su¡¯s opinions held more significant weight than Jeong In-Chang''s, as he was Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s younger brother.

    ¡°They should pay the proper price fortching onto our ankles. Not only that, but I¡¯m also curious to see how it would turn out,¡± continued the guild master.

    "Guild Master!"

    When Jeong In-Chang eximed in response, Choi Yeong-Seong raised his hand to interrupt the outburst. For him, rather than the guild¡¯s setback or his personal curiosity¡­

    <i>¡®They¡¯ve trampled on my face.¡¯</i>

    ¡­his face was more important. But he hid this part of his reasoning as it differed from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s viewpoint.

    ¡°Moreover, <i>that person?</i>also said the same thing I did.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°..."

    As soon as <i>that person</i> was mentioned, the conference room suddenly became silent. Everyone knew who he was referring to: the person who had been sponsoring the Northern Army Guild. It was a person essential to the future growth of the guild, a person with immense power. This person was the backing behind the sudden expansion of the previously insignificant Northern Army Guild.

    ¡°It seems like <i>that person</i> is also a bit curious about that cheeky bastard as well.¡±

    The smirk on Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s lips grew more apparent.

    ¡°<i>That person?</i>said they would create the game, so make sure everyone is prepared. Don¡¯t end up dropping the ball,¡± he said.

    There was a saying, ¡°The Northern Army cannot tolerate a single defeat.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s smile soon contained a hint of something that couldn¡¯t be felt before: a killing aura, disgusting and unpleasant.

    ***

    They were in the E-Grade Goblin Mage dungeon. It was an excellent gate for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Though the rank had increased by one level, the Gate mostly had goblins, which were the monsters that he had gotten used to hunting up until now. Furthermore, while the goblins in this gate were goblins that the goblin mage had strengthened, their overall level wasn¡¯t much different from the ones from before. Instead, there was a different problem.

    ¡°Clear. There should be no problem continuing.¡±

    The gate was apleted dungeon type. The gate wasn¡¯t a forest or the outdoors, but instead, it was an undergroundbyrinth. Therefore, the goblin mage had installed traps in it, and they frequently appeared.

    ¡°Go ahead!¡± eximed Yeo Seong-Gu loudly.

    A League Guild member with the Sponsor, <The One Who Sees That Which Cannot Be Seen>, had disabled the trap, and the group began to walk forward again.

    <i>¡®Traps¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong watched and memorized everything that urred while he attacked the gate with the League Guild, recording everything he felt hecked.

    <i>¡®So this is the ability of a Hunter.¡¯</i>

    While he had read and heard about it often, he had little real experience in seeing the abilities of other Hunters. Unlike the Hunters from the Tutorial, who hadn¡¯t yet learned skills, the League Guild members were different.

    ¡°Earth Wall!¡±

    ¡°Fireball!¡±

    The guild was a reputable one that had already grown to some extent and had often attacked gates of reasonably high grades. Needless to say, most of the League Guild¡¯s Hunters had already learned skills.

    <i>Shwick.</i>

    Furthermore, Yeo Seong-Gu was quite outstanding. He had been whirling around a longsword this entire time. By the time Lee Jun-Kyeong had stopped musing and returned to reality, the monsters had already been taken care of.

    "You¡¯re all incredible," he said sincerely. He had truly been amazed by the impression they had made on him while he had been watching real Hunters hunt.

    "Thank you,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded with a smile. To be honest, the League Guild was a guild that was way beyond attacking E-Graded Gates. Instead, it could be described as an upper-middle-ss guild that usually attacked much higher-graded gates. But they still hade to the E-Graded Gate because of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s request.

    ¡°No, if anything, I should be the grateful one. I was the one who requested youe here.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to see the League Guild¡¯s, no, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s current power. While his personal safety and other reasons were also important, they were only supplementary to his main purpose. He had a strong desire to see just how powerful Yeo Seong-Gu was.

    Then, Yeo Seong-Gu said, ¡°It would be great if you could say what you really wanted.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to see my strength?¡±

    Apparently, Yeo Seong-Gu had be aware of his actual intentions. Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intentions of deceiving him, though.

    ¡°I told you, you¡¯re amazing,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°While the League Guild is also amazing, I think the really awe-inspiring one is you, Hyung.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke honestly without any hesitation to Yeo Seong-Gu, who had be like a brother to him once again.

    ¡°And¡­ it feels as though you will get even stronger, Hyung.¡±

    It was a statement based on what he had just seen and the knowledge he had of the future. Yeo Seong-Gu seemed sincerely satisfied.

    ¡°While that¡¯s that, we would also like to see the skills of the Super Rookie,¡± said Lee Han-Seong, one of the League Guild Members who had saved him. The man approached him with a humorous smile. Though the gate attack had progressed quite a bit, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t gone out to fight properly yet. While part of it was because the League Guild had attacked first, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also not gone out deliberately to better understand the League Guild¡¯s skills.

    Yeo Seong-Gu also interjected, ¡°I would like to see it once as well.¡±

    At that point, Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized that as much as he had not seen Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s skills until now, Yeo Seong-Gu had also never seen his own abilities either. Since this wasn¡¯t a one-way street, Lee Jun-Kyeong agreed and stepped forward. While the goblins in front of them had already been cleared, they could hear footsteps ahead.

    <i>Thud thud thud.</i>

    Completed dungeon-type gates had this drawback: the dungeon¡¯s boss had the ability to see everything and control its troops in order to pressure the Hunters.

    <i>¡®There are about twelve of them.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes for a moment and counted the number of the approaching monsters while feeling for their presence.

    <i>Thud thud thud!</i>

    After a while, the footsteps grew louder.

    "They¡¯reing!"

    By this point, even the naked eye could see that the monsters wereing.. They weren¡¯t the normal F-Rank goblins he was used to hunting daily. Instead, they were E-Rank goblins strengthened by the goblin mage. Lee Jun-Kyeong raised the shield in his left hand and aimed his spear.

    Furthermore, it was time for him to use his new Authority.

    <i>¡®Reign of Fire.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Is that¡­¡±

    He could hear the surprised voices of the guild members.. Skills were often only able to be activated by shouting their names. If, by chance, he had activated a skill without any trigger words¡­

    ¡°Have you already learned an upper-level skill? He really is a super rookie¡­¡±

    In fact, it could have been something of an even higher grade.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s an Authority.¡¯</i>

    Only Yeo Seong-Gu had noticed what power Lee Jun-Kyeong was using. The mes that he had evoked weren¡¯t just limited to his spear. Rather¡­

    ¡°To think he could also control it to form a ming shield¡­¡±

    The shield in his left hand was flickering with mes. The goblins were racing towards him quickly. Within the F-Grade Gates, he had generally waited for the goblins to rush in.

    <i>Swoop.</i>

    However, it was different this time. Lee Jun-Kyeong began to advance with his ming shield in the front.

    ***

    [You have cleared the Goblin Mage¡¯s Dungeon.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> supports you.]

    [Your experience points have increased slightly.]

    A voice notified the group that the dungeon had been sessfully cleared.

    ¡°Wow, he was pretty incredible, no?¡± someone marveled.

    The background began to change, shifting from the dark and dull dungeon to the ce where they had entered. Upon their exit, all of the League Guild members stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Anothermented, ¡°Looks like they don¡¯t call him the Super Rookie for nothing.¡±

    A third interjected, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Guild Master at that level back then too?¡±

    The League Guild members were conversing back and forth about him, the sincere kindness in their voices apparent. They had observed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s performance starting from the middle dungeon onward, and they had been thoroughly impressed by his skills. One of the men who had saved him, Choi Cheol-Yong, grimaced andined to Yeo Seong-Gu. ¡°Guild Master? What the hell are you doing?¡±

    Suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold after hisint dropped. I

    ¡°What are you doing, not recruiting someone with this much talent?¡± Choi Cheol-Yong quickly rified while smiling.

    Another member mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, doesn¡¯t that bastard really have a knack for killing the mood?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to mess around, do it properly!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not funny.¡±

    The other League Guild members booed at Choi Cheol-Yong. This was their way of relieving pressure after clearing a dungeon, so the members all enjoyed this moment ofughter.

    Furthermore, Yeo Seong-Gu had once again made an attempt to recruit Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "The offer is still valid. As you can see, our guild is strong, and we¡¯ll be even stronger in the future"

    Yeo Seong-Gu was right. After having seen it in person, Lee Jun-Kyeong had confirmed they were strong. But more so than the guild, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s strength was the most impressive.

    ¡°From my perspective¡­¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu with a worried face. ¡°It looks like you have a pretty tough road ahead of you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression stiffened. Among all of the abilities of Heimdall that he knew of, there had been no mention of anything like the power of prophecy. But somehow, the guild master¡¯s words had pierced him to the core and gave rise to a strange sort of feeling. Could his disposition and goals already have been figured out? Considering the guild master¡¯s insight, it was quite possible.

    ¡°There is no way that those Northern Army Guild punks would stay still now. I did some research on them as well. But there is no way for them to touch you if you stay with us,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu.

    He was right. While the Northern Army Guild had been expanding quickly, it stillcked quite a bitpared to the League Guild. If Lee Jun-Kyeong joined the League Guild, it might be easier for him to fulfill his ns.

    Yeo Seong-Gu then dropped a bomb, ¡°Join the League Guild, and I¡¯ll give you the deputy guild master position.¡±

    ¡°Guild Master!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    The League Guild members became more and more astonished after hearing what Yeo Seong-Gu just offered. Even if he really liked Lee Jun-Kyeong, it became an entirely different matter when the deputy guild master position was involved. While the guild was fairlyrge, its deputy position was still vacant. There were a lot of Hunters who had been vying for that position.

    <i>¡®To think he¡¯d suddenly offer the deputy guild master position¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea that the guild master would make such an offer. While Yeo Seong-Gu had already known about his frightening growth rate and talent, it was still unexpected. Still, amid a whirlwind of surprise and worry, Lee Jun-Kyeong gave the same answer as before, ¡°I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡±

    ***

    <i>¡®That should be the right decision.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was well aware of Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s personality. This proposal would be thest. He wouldn¡¯t extend an invitation to join the League Guild anymore unless Lee Jun-Kyeong was the one to request it first. However, Yeo Seong-Gu or the guild members didn¡¯t take the rejection as an offense as they were as easygoing as Lee Jun-Kyeong was.

    ¡°This was a good decision.¡±

    All of his worries had gone away, whether it was about the League Guild or the punks in the Northern Army Guild.

    <i>¡®Gunther, no, Choi Yeong-Seong is definitely going to make a move.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t the type of person to leave Lee Jun-Kyeong, the person who had interfered with his growth, alone. Furthermore, there was also Choi Yong-Su, the younger brother of Choi Yeong-Seong. While he was weaker than his older brother, he was a hero in his own right. Knowing the inclinations of the brothers, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that the Northern Army Guild would create some sort of problem.

    <i>Ring.</i>

    Just then, his phone happened to ring.

    -The Northern Army Guild has started to attack dungeons again.

    Kim Su-Yeong was updating him regarding his request as he had been diligently working to uncover the movements of the Northern Army Guild. They had begun to advance again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nned on moving first, before the swords of those punks came even close to his throat. He sent a text to Kim Su-Yeong.

    [Jeong In-Chang. I would like to get the contact information of the deputy guild master of the Northern Army Guild.]

    1. The Korean for sponsor here is the same as the entity Sponsor. This is a slight hint for the future but isn¡¯t really exined explicitlyter.

    2. This dungeon refers to a dungeon in a castle

 Chapter 17: Northern Army Guild Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 17: Northern Army Guild Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped reserving F-Grade Gates for his dungeon raid, focusing on E and D-Grade gates. Furthermore¡­

    [Congrattions on bing a C-Rank Hunter.]

    In recognition of his achievements so far, he had received a notice from the Association detailing his promotion to C-Rank. While ranks were usually granted by measuring a Hunter¡¯s magic power, they could also be given for their achievements.

    After raiding E and D-Grade Gates, he had be a C-Rank Hunter. As it hadn¡¯t been that long since Hunters had appeared, there were still various convoluted ways and loopholes in earning designations, such as the ranking measurements.

    <i>¡®Still, it¡¯s urate in its own way.¡¯</i>

    As the world changed ording to the times, thergest change would actually be¡­

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s jaw dropped as he stared at his bankbook. It had been stamped with a sum he had never been able to see before. Even though he had known that he had made a lot of money from the F-Grade Gates, it was still a nearlyical sum. He now realized why so many people risked their lives to be Hunters.

    Being a Hunter meant getting ridiculous profits. The higher the rating, the higher the risk, and the higher the reward. It was a reward for not only being willing to risk one¡¯s life at any time but also doing so in the name of saving people. When he thought of it in that context¡­

    ¡°Is this not arge sum, then¡­¡± he muttered.

    He thought that he understood what it really meant to have the job of a Hunter after actually bing one himself. In reality, many Hunters lost their lives every day within the Gates. Since they never knew when they would die, most would waste their money on entertainment. He now understood why they lived like that and why they looked down upon ordinary people¡­

    Those Hunters thought of normal people as leeches, livingfortably as if nothing was wrong on a foundation built from their sacrifices. Even after the Hunters risked their lives for the people, somehow, the people wouldin about the excessive treatment the Hunters received, demanding higher tax rates for the Hunters.

    In turn, the Hunters¡¯ hate toward ordinary people would grow greater and greater because of the actions of the protesters. It would then develop into a victim mentality for the Hunters. It was a vicious cycle that led to the ending that Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew about. The future he had lived in¡ªan era in which the Hunters ruled and the people had no rights.

    He vowed to himself, ¡°I have to ensure things don¡¯t turn out the same way.¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if one side was correct and the other side wrong. Instead, both sides would have to understand each other, and both sides would have to make an effort.

    <i>¡®If they refuse¡­¡¯</i>

    Or Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ns could seed and make the matter moot. Of course, it was still all just an enormous dream, but he honestly wanted to make it possible someday.

    <i>Rip-</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened the mail he had received.

    He mumbled to himself, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be able to move once this is over.¡±

    Sure enough, the letter had been sent by the Association. He had already expected it and was slowly preparing for what it entailed.

    [We need your aid for the gate attack!]

    For some reason, they had sent him a notice with some sort of hopeful cheesy title, but the notice¡¯s real meaning was much heavier and more brutal.

    It was a Hunter Mobilization Order.

    The Hunter Mobilization Order was a notice that the Association would send to mobilize registered Hunters for gates with urgent attack ns. If a Hunter ever refused this order, they wouldn¡¯t be able to expect any more support from the Association. While the Association wouldn¡¯tpletely cut the Hunter off, the person in question would generally end up pushed to the back of the priorities.

    While he didn¡¯t know for how long it would matter, for now, the support of the Association was still essential. This was one of the fewpulsory orders the Association could give the Hunters. If any gate was judged to be difficult to attack or if there was a call for reinforcements, they would mobilize the Hunters as needed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked more closely at the notice. It called for both guilds and solo Hunters, and this sort of mobilization order wasn¡¯t something normal. His eyes suddenly stopped, focusing on one of the names written on the notice.

    [Northern Army Guild]

    That name stood out the most. Those punks were beginning to move using the Association. It was perfect timing.

    <i>Ring</i>.

    His cell phone rang again.

    ***

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know how many days had passed since the thoughts and concerns had arisen.

    <i>¡®When did things begin to change like this?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had worked hard as the deputy guild master of the Northern Army Guild. The guild had initially begun as a simple social gathering between Choi Yong-Su, a close friend from childhood; Choi Yeong-Seong, Yong-Su¡¯s older brother; and Jeong In-Chang. The three had founded the guild when they all had be Hunters, naming it the Northern Army Guild, in order to find people to attack gates. Slowly, however, the guild had begun to morph.

    <i>¡®Everything changed after we met that person.¡¯</i>

    At first, Jeong In-Chang had weed that person warmly and cheerfully, as that person was great and powerful enough to be well known. However, there was something off about someone that high up wanting to support the Northern Army Guild, which had been a simple social gathering guild. Jeong In-Chang had found it strange and had tried to refuse.

    However, Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su were different. They were greedy: greedy for more strength as Hunters and greedy for more growth as a guild. The two brothers decided to ept the sponsorship out of overwhelming avarice, and the Northern Army Guild began to grow beyond its humble roots, leading to a lot of changes.

    Choi Yong-Su, who had been aggressive but warm, no longer saw ordinary people as humans. His older brother, Choi Yeong-Seong, took things one step further and started to see everyone, Hunter or not, as lesser beings. The Northern Army Guild had begun to change, and while Jeong In-Chang sensed that things had be strange, there was no surefire way to interfere with it.

    It was difficult for Jeong In-Chang to consider withdrawing from the guild. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s personality made it difficult to even consider escaping alone and leaving two close friends behind in this situation. Somehow, it had continued like this until now, and things had developed, just as predicted, to the point where it was impossible to recover.

    Choi Yeong-Seong had wanted to kill a Hunter for getting in the way of the Northern Army Guild¡¯s ns. For him to even consider that put his humanity into question.

    <i>¡®He can¡¯t do that.¡¯</i>

    Just like everyone else, Jeong In-Chang hade to a crossroad. The Northern Army had be rotten. Would this be some sort of breakthrough or solution? Would they at least be able to atone?

    Jeong In-Chang opened the cell phone.

    [I would like to speak with you.]

    The message had been sent a while ago. Surprisingly, it hade from the Hunter that the Northern Army Guild had been targeting. Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t notified anyone in the guild about it. Instead, the deputy guild master had mused over the message multiple times. Replying to this message would earn him thebel of a traitor, regardless of the reason. After all, Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su had already changed significantly, so they would definitely decide that it would be a betrayal and desire punishment.

    Was it justice? Was it brotherhood? Jeong In-Chang wondered which one was right for him to follow.

    After pondering for a while, he finally pressed a button on the phone.

    [Let¡¯s meet]

    The message was sent to Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunter that the Northern Army was targeting.

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    It was the first time Jeong In-Chang had met Lee Jun-Kyeong. Naturally, the deputy guild master had seen Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face and learned of his identity through the documents discovered by the guild¡¯s informants.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s different.¡¯</i>

    However, there was an aura being emitted by Lee Jun-Kyeong that couldn¡¯t be felt through documents. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt like a de being sharpened, a person with great potential. Jeong In-Chang had never felt this way before.

    ¡°The introduction¡­ I¡¯ll skip it.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang ended the greeting as if something about it was ufortable.

    ¡°The location¡­¡± said Jeong In-Chang, looking around. As it was a meeting with the enemy, there was no choice but to meet secretly. There was some apprehension as the location selection was critical, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided on the meeting ce.

    "This is my home. There are no traps, so you can be at ease."

    Jeong In-Chang almostughed, wondering how the Hunter had such guts. Jeong In-Chang, the deputy guild master of the Northern Army Guild, was a B-Rank Hunter, the same grade as Bae Sang-Su, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s previous Tutorial Guide.

    Basically, they were both at a level where people would dere them as Senior Hunters. Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong dering that there were no traps as a newly minted C-Rank Hunter felt a bit ridiculous. While his growth rate was astonishing, the difference in strength between two consecutive ranks was something impossible to ignore. Nevertheless, Jeong In-Chang frowned.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s something different about him.¡¯</i>

    A strange aura could be felt from Lee Jun-Kyeong, which made Jeong In-Chang nervous. The deputy guild master suppressed the uneasy feeling and said, ¡°I won¡¯t speak with regards to anything else.¡±

    While it was impossible to know what Choi Yeong-Seong or Choi Yong-Su thought, Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯te with a desire to betray the guild. Instead, the deputy guild master had only nned to say what was needed and then leave.

    ¡°You should have received the Hunter Mobilization Order from the Association. Please decline it,¡± said Jeong In-Chang in an authoritative manner.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded with a slight smile. "Why is that?"

    The deputy guild master blinked. "¡­? Did you not see the name of our guild on the list of the guilds mobilized?¡±

    ¡°While I saw it¡­¡±

    "Wow."

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang dropped all formalities after seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s attitude, as the young man was speaking quite casually.

    ¡°You may not know, as you haven¡¯t been a Hunter for all that long¡­ Hunters are crueler and more heartless than you may think. Especially our guild master¡­ He¡¯s not that good of a person. It''s dangerous to even meet him on the street¡­ let alone enter a Gate together with him¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang struggled to speak.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer was simple and straightforward. ¡°Are you saying you have no idea what he would do?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang frowned. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to smirk. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to meet on the street¡­ it¡¯s dangerous to enter a gate together¡­ the Northern Army Guild¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s smirk deepened even further. ¡°Is it a chaos guild?¡±

    The term ¡®chaos guild¡¯ was nothing more than a pretty name for a group of criminals. Among the Sponsors, there were some who could be described as atrocious. Basically, those types of Sponsors would give missions like killing humans ormitting massacres. A so-called chaos guild was a guild created by Hunters sponsored by these atrocious Sponsors.

    "What are you saying¡­?!" eximed Jeong In-Chang, starting to rise from the seat with an angry expression.

    "Isn''t that what you just said to me, Deputy Guild Master Jeong In-Chang? There wouldn¡¯t be much reason to warn me about it if it weren''t for that."

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pressed further as Jeong In-Chang trembled.

    ¡°Well, it''s not like you would have much to say even if I did call you guys a chaos guild. The way the Northern Army Guild conducts itself is like that anyway.¡±

    "You motherfucker! Don''t you dare insult our guild anymore!" shouted Jeong In-Chang, riled up. The deputy guild master had clenched fists at this point. No matter how corrupt the guild had gotten, it was a guild built with effort and affection. It was impossible for Jeong In-Chang to stomach such a direct insult. In fact, it couldn¡¯t be allowed to slide. If this insult were to be endured, it would be the same as admitting all of the guild¡¯s faults.

    Jeong In-Chang had been standing and shouting, but blushed when that dilemma became apparent.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s right. This man, out of all people, has the right to say this.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had realized that shouting at Lee Jun-Kyeong had been wrong. It was perfectly reasonable for him to think that way.

    ¡°No. This is something you should already know.¡±

    For some reason, Jeong In-Chang took a step back after hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cold response.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild is rotten. The people that you punks follow¡­ and trust so much, Guild Master Choi Yeong-Seong and Deputy Guild Master Choi Yong-Su. And the person you take instructions from¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s heart beat violently. It couldn¡¯t be. They had definitely investigated Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity. It had only been a month since he had be a Hunter. It was said that his growth had been terrifying, absurd even.

    ¡°To think everything happened after you met that person.¡±

    Somehow, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew about <i>that person</i>. It was unbelievable.

    ***

    <i>ze.</i>

    A zing me engulfed the monster.

    "Keuaghhhh!"

    The monster screamed in pain, soon turning to ashes that scattered on the floor.

    [Reign of Fire has reached Lv 2.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself after hearing that voice, ¡°Finally.¡±

    The mostmon method to grow an Authority was to use it frequently. While there were many other ways to develop an Authority, this was the most straightforward and obvious way. Lee Jun-Kyeong was therefore using his Authority whenever possible.

    After the meeting with Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t take any other breaks. Instead, he reserved many gates and repeated many hunts. While the umting bnce in the bankbook was already terrifying, he had no time to spend any of it as he was on a frantic hunting spree.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to grow stronger. Everything had to be prepared for the uing mobilization. Because the Association typically notified Hunters a month in advance for mobilization, there was still plenty of time before the actual event, but he still had to prepare a lot before then. Furthermore¡­

    He mused, ¡°Looks like they haven¡¯t reached out just yet.¡±

    His meeting with Jeong In-Chang had popped up again. When he heard the name the Northern Army Guild, if the first name that came to mind was Choi Yeong-Seong or Gunther, then the second was Jeong In-Chang. In fact, some could say that Jeong In-Chang was more famous than Choi Yeong-Seong. He was known as a hero with bad luck who had died sacrificing himself for the guild in arge battle. But the truth was a different story.

    <i>¡®Jeong In-Chang¡¯s death was at the hands of Choi Yeong-Yeong.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong, the guild master, had be jealous of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s growing reputation and had his deputy guild master killed. While it had been portrayed in a beautiful manner, the reality was much less satisfying. Most people had been unaware of the truth.

    <i>¡®The Demon King knew.¡¯</i>

    As the Demon King was the enemy in the battle where Jeong In-Chang was sacrificed, even though Choi Yeong-Seong actually killed Jeong In-Chang, the Demon King became the scapegoat instead.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew this, but while he knew the truth¡­

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way for me to use this information.¡¯</i>

    It was something that hadn¡¯t even happened yet, so there was no way he could ask Jeong In-Chang to help him by iming: ¡®Choi Yeong-Seong will kill you in the future.¡¯

    <i>¡®In any case, there are too many baits.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang should eventually help him. No, he would make sure of it. Lee Jun-Kyeong was different from the Demon King. While he did not have as much talent as the Demon King, he had much more information than thetter. Moreover, it was information about the future.

    It was impossible for someone to reach the end alone. He had only met Kim Su-Yeong or Yeo Seong-Gu through some unavoidable circumstances, but it was now time for Lee Jun-Kyeong to form a group and reach out to others. As the first target, Jeong In-Chang made for a very attractive person to recruit.

    <i>¡®The Dragon Killer.¡¯</i>

    The Hero, Siegfried, which was another nickname for Jeong In-Chang.

 Chapter 18: Preparation

    <h4>Chapter 18: Preparation</h4>

    Jeong In-Chang, the Dragon yer, or more famously, the Immortal Siegfried.

    His rise to fame was intricately tied with the Demon King as he was the man who killed the Bone Dragon, one of the Demon King¡¯s familiars and an infamous monster. Having impressed his Sponsor after ying the Bone Dragon, he was gifted with the fraudulent Authority, Immortality.

    However, in this cold and contemptuous world, there was no such thing as the perfect ability. He was a hero of misfortune, murdered by his close friend, Choi Yong-Su, at the orders of Choi Yeong-Seong during ater battle against the Demon King.

    <i>¡®I have to make sure he joins my side.¡¯</i>

    While he had impressive strength and ability, his character was what made him an attractive ally more than anything else. He was the type of person who still continued to protect the core values of the rotting Northern Army Guild.

    He had no interest in fame or growth, but he continued to pursue both for one reason only: to correct the path of the Northern Army Guild and save his childhood friends, Choi Yong-Su and his elder brother Choi Yeong-Seong. Like most martyrs, his end was tragic, so much so that he had received sympathy from even his enemies on the battlefield. He had died at the hands of the guild and the close friends he had wanted to protect. If Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to keep him firmly on his side¡­

    <i>¡®He would be of great help.¡¯</i>

    In fact, some people even believed that if Jeong In-Chang had managed to survive until the end, he might have been able to match the Twelve Heroes. However, that reality was still a long way off. Currently, he wouldn¡¯t consider betraying his guild easily as he was extremely loyal, which ironically was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong needed him. But today¡­

    ¨C I¡¯ll think about it.

    Finally, Jeong In-Chang responded. Regardless of how the other man had interpreted his request, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t looking for him to actually betray his guild or his close friends.

    Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong only required him to be a bystander. However, the deputy guild master had responded that he would think about it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured to himself, ¡°As expected¡­ I am a fan of his character.¡±

    In any case, this was enough in regards to Jeong In-Chang, as there were still a few more pieces of bait Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared to lure him in. But, more importantly, there were other things to prepare.

    <i>¡®The gate in the mobilization order is a B-Grade Gate¡­¡¯</i>

    If the difficulty was the only thing he had to worry about, it could have still been feasible, but this gate conquest had many more issues. That was why so many Hunters, including the Northern Army Guild, had been mobilized simultaneously. But it was ironic to think that he, who had only just be C-Rank, had been mobilized for a B-Grade Gate conquest.

    .

    <i>¡®It must have been the influence of that person the punks were talking about.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of avoiding the inevitable. In fact, he could use this situation to his own advantage. However, he knew that he was stillcking in many ways. First, he had to continue to clear dungeons and grow, which was what he had been doingtely.

    [You have cleared the Land of the Deceased.]

    This D-Grade Gate had zombies that would endlessly appear.

    <i>¡®<The Sky of the Apocalypse> really is a miser.¡¯</i>

    He was thinking uncharitable thoughts about his Sponsor because he had not gotten any support after receiving an Authority. All the Sponsor had given him was an Authority and a useless familiar. He hadn¡¯t received a single skill so far.

    <i>¡®My Sponsor won¡¯t even listen to myints anymore.¡¯</i>

    He had tried to express his dissatisfaction like he hadst time, on the off chance there might have been a response, but it didn¡¯t result in anything. There was nothing more he could do. It wasn¡¯t even as if he didn¡¯t know anything about <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. Either way, it wasn¡¯t a problem, as he had to clear dungeons regardless of how long it took to get a response from his Sponsor.

    The second issue was the problem that he had yet to solve.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    The cleared gate was dissolving around him. Before long, Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing back on the asphalt as usual, the spear in his right hand broken. It had reached the end of its life. He had already invested in and reced his weapon several times. Though he had spent quite a lot of money on his weapons, his clear speed was so fast that his weapons still couldn¡¯t endure it. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a party or a guild to rely on either.

    He suddenly said aloud, ¡°A weapon.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Kim Su-Yeong looked confused at that unexpected remark.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated, ¡°I need weapons.¡±

    This was the second thing that needed to be prepared before the mobilization.

    ***

    [Reign of Fire] was the Authority the Demon King controlled, and it was an ability that made the world, Hunters, and even the Twelve Heroes tremble in fear. Of course, while the [Reign of Fire] used by Lee Jun-Kyeong was nowhere close to bingparable to even a single finger flick from the Demon King¡­

    <i>¡®Is it easy to control because it''s an Authority?¡¯</i>

    In fact, the difficulty was proportional to the power it provided. This was more noticeable once [Reign of Fire] had grown to Lv. 2. Although it was a power that dealt with mes, [Reign of Fire] wasn¡¯t able to directly attack targets at Lv. 1. So while it was possible to ovey the mes over a spear or a shield, there weren¡¯t many offensive uses for it otherwise.

    <i>¡®It needs weapons with higher durability.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t easy for the weapons or armor to endure the Authority either, nor was it easy to get weapons of that caliber just yet. Since it would engulf the enemy in mes when he hit a critical strike, he used it often. Naturally, the funds needed to rece his spears and shields were very high.

    The problem only got worse as [Reign of Fire] got stronger. After all, the efficiency and performance doubled once the Authority had increased in level. Unlike previously at Lv. 1, when his weapons had only been enveloped in mes, the weapons themselves began to hold the power of fire.

    Needless to say, this only elerated the breakdown of his weapons. He thought to himself that it was time to seriously consider recing his weapons and armor; he had dyed the inevitable for too long. His concern about the money needed to maintain his growth had also be another problem.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Would it really happen?

    <i>Knock knock.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he knocked on the door, <i>¡®Will I be able to convince him?¡¯</i>

    While it wasn¡¯t widely known to the world as of yet, some of the best cksmiths since Hunters came into existence were alive in this era. They were masters with such skill that everyone would want to requestmissions after a little more time had passed. However, they currently had arge issue.

    ¡°Come in!¡± a voice roughly greeted from beyond the door. It was obvious that the speaker had replied without even knowing who the outsider was. Even though many Hunters would eventually find out that these people were master cksmiths, they would still be reluctant to visit them. Although they had some of the best smithing skills in the world, they would soon be equally as well known for their entric personalities.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong entered the room after widening the gap between the open doors. A dizzying smell and smoke filled the room, and the smell of iron and various chemicals stung the tip of his nose. Through the hazy smoke¡­

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m still working!¡±

    ¡­a fifteen-year-old boy yelled at Lee Jun-Kyeong. His hair was like a bird''s nest, and the muscles on his shirtless chestpletely contrasted with his youthful face. He looked quite bizarre, but Lee Jun-Kyeong waited silently for him as his age wasn¡¯t indicative of his true skills.

    <i>¡®He said he had changed after bing a Hunter.¡¯</i>

    That person had changed after bing a Hunter. In fact, that man was actually an adult, but his body had morphed after entering a gate. As an adult, that man wasn¡¯t any younger than himself. Lee Jun-Kyeong silently sat on the chair and looked around, feeling like he was in a dream.

    <i>ng! ng!</i>

    He had never even dreamed that he would have been able to see that boy who was hammering without a break. It felt like a st to the past, and it sharply reminded him that he had been given a chance again. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the boy whose identity was still unknown to the world; a boy who had been changed by the side effects of a gate.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a Dvergr.¡¯</i>

    Dvergr were the best artisans. While the boy still believed that he was human, the reality was different. The physical change the boy had suffered from the gate wasn¡¯t an illness.

    <i>¡®It was a racial transformation.¡¯</i>

    Dvergr were a race from another world, and many of the races of different worlds had a form of intelligence. However, these races had all died out. The information from the book of the Demon King also confirmed that these races had gone extinct.

    Nheless, the gates contained them, and sometimes people transformed into these long-dead races after being injected with these genes from a Gate. This would ur to preserve the legacy of the races, or at least that was one of the hypotheses that the Demon King wrote about. So it wasn¡¯t a proven truth.

    Another theory was that the Sponsors were the gods of these races, and, to preserve their destroyed believers, they would change their chosen Hunter¡¯s race to match the race of the Sponsor.

    <i>¡®As for the boy¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suspected the second theory applied to this case. The boy had transformed into the cksmith¡¯s race, Dvergr. In other words, he had be a dwarf. He was one of the few who had be a different race. However, he was even more special. After all, he would be the greatest and most masterful cksmith.

    He was the cksmith Hero.

    <i>¡®Brook.¡¯</i>

    The hammering sound droned on like a luby, and as Lee Jun-Kyeong began to rx and drift away to sleep¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ve waited a while.¡±

    ¡­he woke up to the sound of the boy¡¯s voice. The boy roughly wiped away his sweaty upper body with a towel as he asked Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°By the way, who are you?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong checked his watch. It had been over four hours since he had entered the workshop, and the boy was finally getting around to asking his identity.

    Just as expected.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s entric.¡¯</i>

    ***

    <i>¡®Is he not here?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around the workshop¡­

    ¡°Why are you looking around like that? Are you looking for something in particr?¡±

    ¡­but the only person he saw was the boy. Regardless of his future identity, the boy currently went by Park Jae-Hyun. Lee Jun-Kyeong carefully asked, ¡°Are you using the studio by yourself?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s face hardened. Following a short interval, he snapped at Lee Jun-Kyeong in a slightly hostile manner, ¡°Who do you think you are? You came all this way to me, an unnamed cksmith, and don¡¯t evenmission any equipment. You obviously already knew that I have a shitty personality, but you continued talking to me¡­ and now you''re asking if I¡¯m working here alone?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t taken aback by the situation. Instead, he continued, ¡°Excuse me¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun stared at the point Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed his finger at.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified, ¡°I asked because the hammer seemed different.¡±

    He was pointing at the hammer Park Jae-Hyun had recently used. Furthermore, there was a hammer that differed in shape and length from the rest of the hammers in the workshop. One could tell their owners were different from just a nce.

    ¡°You have good eyesight,¡± said Park Jae-Hyun while nodding. ¡°While there is another punk who uses this workshop¡­ it¡¯s not important.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong restrained a sudden urge to thrash the boy. He had a personality that usually didn¡¯t judge people recklessly, and he also tried to be polite to everyone. However, it was difficult for even someone like him to please Park Jae-Hyun, who irritated people because his boyish appearance contrasted sharply with his unforgiving tongue. If Lee Jun-Kyeong managed to form a rapport with this cksmith and maintain a strong rtionship with him¡­

    <i>¡®Someday¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡­he would beat him. Lee Jun-Kyeong promised himself at that moment.

    ¡°So what do you want? What¡¯s with that insidious expression? Whatever¡­¡± said Park Jae-Hyun as he picked up and threw a hammer.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A loud ringing sound exploded the moment it collided, implying that the hammer was much heavier than it actually looked.

    <i>¡®Looks like hisbat power is as I thought it would be.¡¯</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong was evaluating Park Jae-Hyun silently, Park Jae-Hyun grumbled again, ¡°Why did youe looking for me? I haven¡¯t properly crafted a piece of equipment yet. This is just me messing around. Why. Did. You. Decide. To. Come. All. The. Way. Here?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored the boy¡¯s odd pronunciation and whipped out the speech he had prepared in advance, ¡°Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Park Jae-Hyun looked at him oddly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified, ¡°My Sponsor told me toe to find you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The agitation on Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s face was clearly visible.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me your Sponsor is involving itself that directly¡­? That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if the dwarf could ignore it, though.

    <i>¡®Because you also feel the intervention of your Sponsor greatly.¡¯</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun was, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had assumed before, a Hunter who had inherited the legacy of the fallen Dvergr. His Sponsor was most likely the Dvergr Ancestor, assumed to most likely be the first of the Dvergr race. Brook had inherited not only the legacy of this Ancestor but also had incredible talent as a cksmith.

    <i>¡®They had said his Sponsor liked him enough even to interfere directly.¡¯</i>

    It was enough to be favored to the point that his Sponsor wouldn¡¯t hesitate to intervene directly. There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong knew so much about the cksmith.

    <i>¡®Park Jae-Hyun was the one who made weapons for the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    However, the rtionship between Park Jae-Hyun and the Demon King began to warp as time passed. Due to the maniption of the Twelve Heroes, the cksmith began to feel an indelible sense of betrayal and rage toward the Demon King. In the end, Park Jae-Hyun ended up utterly breaking things off with the Demon King, and eventually supplied his weapons only to the Twelve Heroes. The Demon King had even written about him in his book.

    [If Park Jae-Hyun, if that punk had helped me to the end¡­]

    His evaluation of Park Jae-Hyun was so great that he even said that the end results may have been different with the cksmith by his side.

    ¡°Well, the very existence of a Sponsor is so bizarre that there would be no reason not to believe it¡­¡±

    Just like Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought, Park Jae-Hyun seemed to believe his words.

    However¡­

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to make you your equipment.¡±

    ¡­he still refused Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯smission request.

    ¡°What is the reason?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. This was the era in which Park Jae-Hyun should have especially wanted to create equipment. As he had said before, no one had ever looked for him. A cksmith that no one would look for was a cksmith with no value. He was sure that Park Jae-Hyun would want to prove his own worth.

    <i>¡®Is it because of his temper?¡¯</i>

    It was difficult to get a read on him. However¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you¡¯re probably thinking.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s response was different from what he had originally expected.

    ¡°I simply don¡¯t like the fire here. That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t taken any customers until now.¡±

    The fire¡­

    Wait, the fire? Lee Jun-Kyeong was relieved that the problem was this simple and crossed his arms. He was about to bring out one of the many different things he had prepared to convince Park Jae-Hyun, but then paused for a moment and pulled out his hand.

    ¡°What is it? I thought you¡¯d bring out something great to convince me?¡± Park Jae-Hyun said, making fun of him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°Let¡¯s make the fire you want.¡±

    All of a sudden, a small spark was dancing in his palm.

    1. The Korean refers to the original Norse word for Dwarf, the old Norse ¡®Dvergr¡¯. Generally speaking, the word Dwarf is written as ??? or little one.

 Chapter 19: Preparation Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 19: Preparation Pt. 2</h4>

    The reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it would have been difficult to convince Park Jae-Hyun wasn¡¯t just because the Dvergr was slightly entric. The stories about Park Jae-Hyun and the other heroes of the time were high-quality information that wasn¡¯t easily essible, but he had ess to them through the book that had been passed down to him. However, the problem stemmed from the fact that his information hade solely from the book.

    <i>¡®You can only put so much content into a thin book.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t as if the book was as thick as an encyclopedia; it was just a little thicker than a typical novel. While a lot of content was contained within it, it wasn¡¯t as if Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able to memorize it word for word either. The content regarding Park Jae-Hyun was quite sparse.

    <i>¡®The Demon King had persuaded Park Jae-Hyun.¡¯</i>

    There were two cksmiths, the entric Park Jae-Hyun and another, who were already famous by the time the Demon King had risen in fame. They were so renowned that they did not need to provide equipment to the Demon King. Since the Demon King needed their help, he exerted great effort to convince them.

    <i>¡®But I don¡¯t know how he did it.¡¯</i>

    The process wasn¡¯t mentioned in detail in the book. Therefore, although Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared as much as possible with the information he knew about Park Jae-Hyun, he wasn¡¯t confident in obtaining results.

    <i>¡®To think he would say he needed a better fire.¡¯</i>

    Still, he wondered to himself why he couldn¡¯t think of something that simple.

    <i>¡®The most important thing a smith needs is a good fire.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared some of the things of the future that the cksmiths would like, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t need to use them immediately. If anything, it seemed as though he would be able to use them in a more meaningful way.

    Because all Park Jae-Hyun wanted currently was simply a fire that he approved of.

    ¡°You want to make a fire?¡±

    By this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of the reason why the Demon King didn¡¯t make a big deal about convincing Park Jae-Hyun and the other cksmith¡­

    <i>¡®Because all he needed was his fire.¡¯</i>

    It was a power possessed by the Demon King and the ability that Lee Jun-Kyeong had now.

    ¡°What do you know about abilities that can control fire?¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, the smirk on his lips as lively as the fire in the smithy.

    ¡°Are you trying to show me that you can control fire with that little dancing spark in your palm? You¡¯re funny,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said as he snorted and stretched out his palm. ¡°As long as someone has intimacy with fire¡­ even a cksmith like me can do that much¡­¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ¡°Huh?¡± Astonishment appeared on the Dvergr¡¯s face

    The flickering mes within the smithy suddenly shifted. Park Jae-Hyun was a natural cksmith; there was no way for him not to know the temperature of the burning mes within his furnace.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    It shifted again.

    ¡°How¡­?¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun turned around, his eyes staring at the same spot as Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Roar.</i>

    Blue mespletely filled the furnace.

    ¡°I have the power to control mes. It¡¯s not that I can just manipte it. This is true¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongughed again. "Domination."

    ***

    It was impossible to separate Hunters from their equipment as they were synonymous with each other. Their equipment were essential tools for survival and hunting. Of course, while some unique ns hunted monsters without any equipment, they were, as their description entailed, very unique amongst themselves.

    For most Hunters, their equipment was precious, equal in importance to their own lives. That was why famous Hunters would put so much on the line to obtain better equipment. While Sponsors would also asionally give equipment to Hunters as a gift, it almost never happened.

    <i>¡®Getting equipment is rarer than getting a summon opportunity for Familiar Summons.¡¯</i>

    Maybe it was because it could be a big risk for Sponsors to give physical objects directly, but it was a type of sponsorship that didn¡¯t happen frequently. Naturally, the equipment obtained this way had overpowered effects and abilities, but there were very few idiots who would wait forever for sponsored equipment.

    The same applied to hunting monsters to obtain items. Items dropped by monsters could be pretty useful, but there were cases where the items weren¡¯t suitable for human use, even going so far as to lower the user''s ability. Finding good items through hunting was just as difficult as being gifted an item through sponsorship.

    That was why cksmiths were so important. They were Hunters who could make equipment for other Hunters, and the quality of the weapons they made was uniform and powerful. Hunters frantically sought after great cksmiths, and Park Jae-Hyun could be said to be the best among the cksmiths, even if he hadn¡¯t awakened all of his potential yet.

    <i>''Damn.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought the other man looked cool even though he was basically an entric boy with a hammer. He hadn¡¯t asked how old the Dvergr was, but he knew the cksmith was older than him. However, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience to be continuously insulted by someone who still looked like a little boy.

    <i>¡®It would have been nice to have the other cksmith here¡­¡¯</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun had not be famous alone. There had been another cksmith that always stayed with him. However, at this point, they most likely weren¡¯t all that close just yet. Unfortunately, he most likely could have gotten a more impressive and sturdy item if that person was here¡­

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not going to be using this weapon till the end anyway.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong already had something he had been considering. He would have to end up using <i>it</i> in the future anyway, which was something that even the Demon King wasn¡¯t able to obtain. Since he had decided to acquire <i>it</i>, any other weapon would be a temporary ceholder. In fact, it didn¡¯t matter how excellent a cksmith Park Jae-Hyun was as any weapon he made would still be put away in the future.

    Nevertheless¡­

    ¡°Amazing,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually. Park Jae-Hyun made him work for three days to find the fire he had wanted. It had been such a difficult task that his Authority level had also risen.

    [Reign of Fire Lv 3]

    <i>ze!</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun was staring at the me that was the end result of their efforts together. He started working immediately while expressing his immense joy by working continuously for three days. Consequently, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been unable to leave the smithy for six days.

    The Dvergr suddenly screamed, ¡°The fire is going out! You idiot!¡±

    He was unable to leave because of that, so it was obvious he couldn¡¯t even go hunting, either.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    As it was a fire created through Reign of Fire, it would lose its strength over time. Therefore, when the fire began to dim, he had to rekindle it. He silently regretted that he had felt Park Jae-Hyun was cool for even a minute.

    Lee Jun-Kyong muttered, ¡°I¡¯m going to beat the shit out of him. I¡¯m definitely going to beat the shit out of him.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun then yelled, ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided that he had to get a weapon first before he made any rash moves.

    ***

    "Damn it. If only that punk were here too..." Park Jae-Hyun mumbled as if he was dissatisfied. However, it was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t hear a single word. His full attention had been taken up by one thing.

    <i>¡®This is insane.¡¯</i>

    The only thing he could see was the spear held in his hand.

    Park Jae-Hyun nodded. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s to your liking¡­ I can¡¯t craft the shield you mentioned earlier. Like I had said before¡­ It¡¯s not something that can be crafted alone.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t answer, Park Jae-Hyun continued to speak, ¡°I still paid a lot of attention to ¡®that thing¡¯ you wanted specifically for the spear. Though there aren¡¯t any other abilities¡­ it¡¯s as you had wanted.¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    The mes were dancing, suddenly shifting towards the spear in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand. The embers spreading out from the brazier permeated the air as the weapon began spurting bouts of mes.

    Park Jae-Hyunmented, ¡°I tried my best to match the level of the fire with my skills. Considering the materials you had¡­ While I hate to admit it, that¡¯s the limit of my abilities.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong extinguished the mes on the spear and looked at the smith. To think that the other man was saying that this was his limit. Although he had never had a chance to see something like this in the past, he could still tell at a nce that this was a masterpiece for something at this level. It was a luxury item to the point that anyone would be jealous. A blue window appeared in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, showing the details of the spear he was currently holding.

    [Muspel''s Spear]

    As he read through the blue window, his smile widened.

    [Unique]

    The fact that it was a unique grade meant a lot. The weapons that asionally would appear in dungeons were generally rated normal or rare. Even the weapons made by the currently famous cksmith Hunters were only rare or, at best, super rare. Unique grade was above all of those.

    <i>¡®This is enough to bepared to the sponsored items from the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    Even if someone wanted to be picky, they would have no choice but to be satisfied by this weapon. How many Hunters could have unique-graded weapons at this point? Likely no more than the fingers on one hand. Furthermore, the description written under the grade was even more impressive.

    [Increases the power of Reign of Fire.]

    [Increases Fire Resistance by 30%.]

    The most impressive thing was...

    [The weapon will grow as it is exposed to fire.]

    ¡­it was a growth-type weapon.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had lived in the distant future, but even he knew of very few growth-type weapons. It was to the point that even the Twelve Heroes didn¡¯t have very many of them. But in front of him, on thest line, was a description that cemented the fact that it was a growth-type weapon.

    [Lv 1]

    He couldn''t believe it. From this point on, Muspel¡¯s Spear would grow with him. As he grew stronger, its ability to grow stronger would further increase his power. It was amazing, to the point where he was dumbfounded.

    He felt as though he wouldn¡¯t have to find another weapon until he had found the one he had nned on. Or maybe this spear might be able to ovee <i>that</i> weapon as well. He couldn¡¯t be sure as of yet, as regardless of whether he would use it or not, he would have to get it anyway.

    "It''s not finished yet," Park Jae-Hyun remarked.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong found thatstment so absurd that he forgot to speak politely. However, Park Jae-Hyun didn¡¯t seem to care about that.

    The smith merely said, ¡°Come backter. That person isn¡¯t here either, nor do I have the materials, nor is your ability up to par¡­ That weapon is at a lower level because it matches the level of fire you can produce. Don¡¯te too often¡­ but if youe from time to time, I¡¯ll strengthen your weapon.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong took out the things he had prepared. They were the materials he had prepared to convince Park Jae-Hyun, but he hadn¡¯t needed to bring them out during the previous six days.

    Park Jae-Hyun sputtered, ¡°What¡­ What are these things?¡±

    Living up to his name as the best of the cksmiths, the Dvergr had immediately recognized the materials.

    ¡°Not only did you bring materials that could make stronger mes¡­ but even different materials to synthesize several types of different metals¡­ this is making me crazy. What in the hell are you? To think making the fire that I had wanted wasn¡¯t enough for you¡­¡± Park Jae-Hyun was inspecting the materials he had received and then looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a gazepletely filled with skepticism and suspicion.

    ¡°Please take care of me from this point on.¡±

    This was the day that Lee Jun-Kyeong had be close with the cksmith, Park Jae-Hyun, who would make the world cry in the future.

    ¡°Good,¡± responded Park Jae-Hyun with a smile full of sincerity. As Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around and was about to leave,pletely satisfied without anyints, he heard a chirping voice, "Don''t forget to pay."

    ***

    <i>¡®That bracelet on your wrist¡­ While I can¡¯t tell for sure, it gives me an ominous feeling.¡¯</i>

    Right before he left the smith¡¯s workshop, Park Jae-Hyun had said something that bothered him. The smith had referred to the bracelet that had been summoned at the first Familiar Summon chance gifted by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. Its use was still unclear, but Park Jae-Hyun seemed to have felt something from it since it was in the form of a piece of equipment.

    <i>¡®The way to use it seems really shitty.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, that was all the smith had to say on the matter, but Lee Jun-Kyeong understood what he was saying. From what the smith was insinuating, he now knew that his guess on how to use the bracelet was likely right.

    "It most likely is going to be shitty," he said aloud.

    The Demon King had once said that <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was not a normal Sponsor by any means. He had said that if it had been a human¡­

    <i>¡®That he would have killed him without any hesitation.¡¯</i>

    As he was thinking, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly heard a voice boom out in a terrifying manner.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you.]

    He wondered if he had just imagined the sound ofughter. Lee Jun-Kyeong soon shook his head and focused on the red spear in his hand. He had been able to obtain much more than what he had initially expected. Of course, the price had beenparablyrger than expected, but it was cheap whenpared to the weapon he had received. He had been thinking about moving to a new ce, but most likely, he would have to dy it a bit.

    <i>¡®The final thing to prepare¡­¡¯</i>

    He had three things to prepare before going to the Gate Mobilization with the Northern Army Guild. The first was growth, the second was equipment, and the third was the bracelet in question, the familiar that had been summoned, the Skull that Contains Souls. He thought his sess rate would increase even further if the familiar could be used.

    However, the method to use it wasn¡¯t clear yet, and even if it was, it was something that needed consideration. For now, he knew it was sufficient to focus on preparing two of the three things he originally had nned. He still had some growth potential remaining, and the weapon he had procured had a better performance than he had been expecting. Most likely, he would have a fairly high chance of winning in the fight that would take ce soon.

    <i>¡®It would have been great if Jeong In-Chang was definitely on my side, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Getting the deputy guild leader to definitively be on his side looked difficult for now, but he was sure that it wouldn¡¯t take much longer. Even at this very moment, that man was suffering as he saw his guild decay.

    It had been a satisfying week for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Now, there were a little more than two weeks left until the Gate Mobilization. Until then, without even taking time to sleep, Lee Jun-Keyong threw himself at the gates.

    ¡°We hunt.¡±

 Chapter 20: Preparation Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 20: Preparation Pt. 3</h4>

    Hunters lived one day at a time with their lives on the line, so time passed incredibly quickly for them. They would attack dungeons, risking their lives, and before they knew it, the calendar pages would progress one by one.

    <i>Rip.</i>

    That was true for any Hunter, even the Northern Army Guild.

    Choi Yeong-Seong tore a page out of the calendar on the desk in his office and turned to the next page, signaling the change to the next month.

    The Northern Army Guild had always been loyal to their Hunters, who would raid the dungeons. They even went as far as to devote even more resources to dungeon conquests to erase the regretful incident that had happened a little while ago. Alongside the association''s continuing help, they continued with the never-ending dungeon reservations. A vastly growing number of Northern Army Guild members took turns attacking dungeons, growing at a rate that was impossible to ignore.

    [<The Ruler of the Riverside> is watching you.]

    As Choi Yeong-Seong grew stronger, his Sponsor, <The Ruler of the Riverside>, started to keep an eye on him even outside the dungeon. It was the mark of being favored. Many Hunters didn¡¯t know this yet, but being favored by a Sponsor was a prerequisite for bing an apex Hunter.

    <i>¡®Just wait a little longer,¡¯</i> Choi Yeong-Seong thought as if he was talking to his Sponsor. <i>¡®I¡¯ll show you the ughter you love so much.¡¯</i>

    Contrary to its unremarkable name, it was easy to see how destructive the Guild Master¡¯s Sponsor was by seeing the actions of the person it sponsored. It was to the point that it could be thought that the riverside it ruled was most likely the bank of a river made of blood.

    "Whew..."

    Choi Yeong-Seong had also grown in strength like the rest of his guild. Unlike the other guild members, who had been taking turns and resting between attacking gates, he took part in all of the gate attacks. He actually reduced his rest time to make them. Through his effort,bined with the favor of the Sponsor, he had be an A-Rank Hunter, and could be said to have entered the highest echelons of the Hunters.

    There weren¡¯t many known A-Rank Hunters in Korea, and even if one searched throughout the whole world, there weren¡¯t many Hunters of A-Rank or higher. For Heroes, the minimum rank to qualify was to be an A-Rank. He had finally finished all of his preparations. This wasn¡¯t something he had just prepared to take down one punk.

    <i>¡®After today, the Northern Army Guild¡¯s name will be widespread.¡¯</i>

    South Korea, no, the entire world would learn of his guild. All of these preparations were made for this image, a picture he had conceived when he had met that person. Finally, the day wasing when his painting would beplete.

    ***

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong opened the door to his office and walked out into the dark hallway. Although it was still daytime, theck of windows contributed to the absence of light. He passed through the hallway and headed toward the auditorium, which was where the Northern Army guild members had gathered.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, sir.¡±

    Just like always, the two pirs who held up the Northern Army Guild alongside him, Choi Yong-Su and Jeong In-Chang, were waiting with the door open to the auditorium.

    ¡°Let''s go in,¡± Choi Yeong-Seong said and entered the auditorium. It was filled with their guild members, and the three of them moved forward through the path set aside by the guild members. He went first, nked by Choi Yeong-Seong and Jeong In-Chang, eventually standing on the stage.

    He looked down at the guild members and thought with satisfaction that these were his guild members and his own castle he had built with his own strength. When he had been just a boy, when he had known absolutely nothing, Choi Yeong-Seong had a dream. It was a dream that everyone hadughed at.

    <i>¡®I will be a king.¡¯</i>

    He had wanted to be an almighty king who could control the lives of the people with a single word and could move mountains and rivers ording to his will. That had been his desire as a child. It had been a vain childhood wish, but before he knew it, when he opened his eyes, it was a power he held in the palm of his hand. While he wasn¡¯t the king of the world¡­

    ¡°Northern Army Guild¡­¡±

    ¡­at least in the castle that he had built, he was the King.

    ¡°The day has finally arrived.¡± Choi Yeong-Seong spoke to the guild members with his characteristic smile. Just as he was trembling in anticipation, his guild members were also shaking with excitement.¡°The world will tremble at the name of the Northern Army Guild.¡±

    It was the day. The day of the Hunter Mobilization Order, the day he would take the title of King.

    ***

    "It looks like it is today,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong.

    Just like Choi Yeong-Seong and the Northern Army, others had also been anticipating the day. Namely, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong and one other person.

    ¡°It seems like it is,¡± answered Lee Jun-Kyeong in an uninterested tone.

    ¡°What could you possibly be thinking about?¡± said Kim Su-Yeong in a frustrated manner. It was the day of the Hunter Mobilization Order. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been growing stronger by attacking numerous dungeons up until thest moment, growing to such an extent that everyone, including himself, found it hard to believe. After all, he had only be a Hunter less than two months ago.

    <i>¡®To think that I have risen to a B-Rank Hunter. It¡¯s unbelievable.¡¯</i>

    Among the Hunters known to the world as of this point, the highest-ranking Hunter was an S-Rank. While there had been talks about creating a new grade above that ssification, it was still a long way from being necessary.

    In fact, there was still debate centered around whether or not there existed a strength that could surpass the S-Rank. However, for Lee Jun-Kyeong, subjectively or objectively, he had still reached a strength that could easily fit among the advanced level of Hunters.

    The Super Rookie.

    <i>''Is there anyone more suitable for that title?¡¯</i>

    Though, it was difficult to continue calling him a Super Rookie, as his growth was so incredible that the term ¡®rookie¡¯ didn¡¯t fit as well anymore. Despite all his effort, it was still mostly his rate of growth that astonished people. He hadn¡¯t reached the pinnacle yet.

    ¡°You could die. Didn¡¯t we tell you about the punks from the Northern Army Guild? They are far more dangerous than you think.¡± said Kim Su-Yeong in an even more worried tone. Today, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to attack the gate that was causing the Association issues alongside the Northern Army Guild. However, the problem was that the Northern Army Guild never had any good intentions.

    Kim Su-Yeong continued, "Didn''t you say that other guilds that had previously entered a gate with the Northern Army Guild were annihted? Of course, while there is no evidence that they were the ones who caused it¡­¡±

    ¡°Most likely, they were the ones who destroyed them,¡± responded Lee Jun-Kyeong as he began to prepare quickly. There wasn¡¯t much for him to get ready. Simr to all the other times he prepped for a Gate, all he did was eat a good breakfast and check his equipment.

    Kim Su-Yeong raised his voice, ¡°Even after that, you¡¯re still going? While I understand that there will be problems if you refuse to attend¡­ but if it¡¯s you, Mr. Lee, there may not be many issues! You¡¯re already such a great resource for the Association. They shouldn¡¯t be very offended if you refuse to attend this mobilization¡­¡±

    He ended somewhat shrilly, "There is nothing more precious than your life!"

    Kim Su-Yeong thought back to the past for a moment. Although the time he had known Lee Jun-Kyeong could be considered either long or short depending on the perspective, he had grown of the astonishing young Hunter.

    Whether it was his charismatic figure, his humble eptance of the power of a Hunter, or even that he hadn¡¯t be full of himself with the title of Super Rookie, he believed Lee Jun-Kyeong could be described as a True Hunter. In fact, he thought that the younger man was the only one who could be described that way. Was there anyone who wouldn¡¯t be fond of someone who was sincere and respectful? Kim Su-Yeong felt quite distressed now.

    He begged quietly, "Please¡­ Do not go."

    He thought Lee Jun-Kyeong would die. He honestly believed that he would never see Lee Jun-Kyeong again after today. However¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stated firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    "Hunter Lee!" Kim Su-Yeong shrieked.

    "Mr. Kim Su-Yeong." Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Kim Su-Yeong as he stood in the hallway, putting on his shoes.

    "Yes¡­ ?" asked Kim Su-Yeong, lowering his tone for a moment at the suddenly stern voice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, "Did you say that life is the most precious thing?"

    "Yes¡­"

    The young Hunter then grinned. "I know."

    Kim Su-Yeong felt it then. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t participating in the mobilization with a mindset of letting whatever happened to happen as things would ur.

    It was the exact opposite.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly announced, ¡°And now those punks will also know that life is precious too.¡±

    He could feel it, a feeling of something dominating the entire situation¡­

    The spirit of a King.

    ***

    Countless people, either armed Hunters or Association personnel, had gathered to control the surroundings. A single nce was enough to notice that hundreds of Hunters were crowded in one ce. Thisrge number implied that the attack would be difficult. Hence, they were receiving a lot of outside attention.

    ¡°Why did youe?¡±

    Among the armed Hunters were Yeo Seong-Gu and the League Guild. However, they had not been mobilized to attack the gate this time. They had wanted to participate, but the Association had rejected them and instead requested them to aid in attacking other gates. The reason why Yeo Seong-Gu and the League Guild hade was¡­

    ¡°We have dered that the Northern Army Guild is an enemy¡­¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu.¡°And that the Super Rookie is our friend. There is no way we wouldn¡¯t havee here.¡±

    As Yeo Seong-Gu spoke, he looked over at Choi Yeong-Seong, who was maintaining the Northern Army Guild from afar. For a moment, their eyes met. Although they were far apart, it felt as though the battle between them could have been felt by everyone. In the end, Choi Yeong-Seong broke eye contact first. Yeo Seong-Gu looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong again and said, ¡°You still n on going even if we try to convince you not to, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. But it wasn¡¯t as if you had any ns to convince me anyway?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded mischievously.

    Yeo Seong-Guburst intoughter for a moment. He caught his breath and continued seriously, ¡°That punk is stronger than you think.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu chided the other Hunter, ¡°You may already know this, but I¡¯m reminding you again.¡±

    As expected, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have felt the change in Choi Yeong-Seong. While Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s power was officially listed in the Association as a B-Rank¡­

    ¡°It feels as though he has be an A-Rank,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, voicing out the other man¡¯s thoughts out loud.

    Yeo Seong-Gu grimaced slightly. ¡°As expected, you could feel it too.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it. Choi Yeong-Seong had grown stronger.

    ¡°Well¡­ your growth is honestly more surprising to me.¡± In fact, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to be more surprised by Lee Jun-Kyeong, who he had not seen in a long time, than Choi Yeong-Seong. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. There was a significant difference between raising one rank versus three ranks in one month. It was a type of advancement that no one would believe.

    ¡°You must have your own ns. Whatever happens¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face was no longer filled with worry. Instead, anticipation overflowed from his expression. "I want to see you grow. We¡¯ll stay here until youe out."

    ¡°Why would you go out of your way like that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong teased Yeo Seong-Gu, whom he had be friends with again. But unlike his yful tone, he was quite thankful for the support.

    "If, by chance, you don¡¯te out and only the Northern Army Guild does¡­" said Yeo Seong-Gu with an intensely murderous look. "I will not let the Northern Army Guild survive."

    It was crazy for Yeo Seong-Gu to say he would annihte an entire guild. While some might think it was conceit or arrogance¡­

    <i>¡®You¡¯ve grown too, Hyung.¡¯</i>

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong thought differently. Yeo Seong-Gu had also improved, and the League Guild as well. It was to the point that even Lee Jun-Kyeong was surprised. But, unlike how he hadpletely filled up his time by using the information he had from the future, all they had was the present. They must have gone through many days of backbreaking work in order to advance so much.

    <i>¡®The current League Guild is¡­¡¯</i>

    They seemed to have grown more than the League Guild he had known. He wondered if this was all influenced by his return to the past. He thought about it for a moment.

    "And this¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu took out something and ced it in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t even have any time to check what it was.

    "The attack will start soon!"

    He heard a voice calling the Hunters that were to be mobilized for this attack.

    "It should be of help,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, leaving before he could respond.

    ¡°Then I should go too,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong, leaving alongside the League Guild and Yeo Seong-Gu. There was no one left among the many Hunters that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew. From this point on, he would have to fight alone.

    "Please gather around once you have finished your maintenance!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had alreadypleted his maintenance, so he proceeded confidently toward the front of the line of waiting Hunters. He stood in front of the other Hunters, directly next to the Northern Army Guild. Opposing him¡­

    ¡°Nice to see you again.¡±

    ¡­was Choi Yeong-Seong, the Guild Master of the Northern Army, and Choi Yong-Su, who exuded a killing aura.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stood with an unknown expression. Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a long breath, ignoring them.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    It was a B-Grade Gate, a great power gathering towards a single ce. The group had confidence in being able to attack that level of power. However, the reality was different from their feelings. The reason the Association had summoned and mobilized them was...

    <i>¡®Wave-Type Gate.¡¯</i>

    ¡­because this gate had many unusual points. While the measured value of the gate¡¯s magic power was B-Grade, it was clear that the estimated grade was a delusion when one actually entered it. Most importantly, wave-type gates were a unique type of grade that was raided only by surviving till the end of the repeated waves of monsters. That was why they had mobilized so much manpower. Lee Jun-Kyeong already had a lot of information about this gate as this gate had been famous.

    <i>¡®This was where you earned the name Gunther.¡¯</i>

    This was the ce where the Northern Army Guild Master, Choi Yeong-Seong, had been reborn as the Hero, Gunther.

    The ce where he and the Northern Army Guild would cement their ce in Korea and the world.

    The ce where Choi Yeong-Seong would start to be called the War King.

    The ce where an uncountable amount of Hunters would die.

    There were a vast amount of facts that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew about the gate, and he made a conviction to himself.

    <i>''While this will be someone¡¯s victory.''</i>

    The winner wouldn¡¯t be Choi Yeong-Seong. This gate, that had been the very gate that Choi Yeong-Seong had be a hero¡­

    <i>¡®But.¡¯</i>

    ¡­would have its history changed.

    "We will be entering the Rhine River Gate!"

    It was the Rhine River Gate, where the victor would be the one who held all the glory in his hands.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s going to be me.¡¯</i>

    This was the first event that Lee Jun-Kyeong would change after he had returned to the past.

 Chapter 21: The Battle of the Rhine River

    <h4>Chapter 21: The Battle of the Rhine River</h4>

    About fifty people had been mobilized from the Northern Army Guild, including Choi Yeong-Seong, Choi Yong-Su, and Jeong In-Chang. Roughly sixty more were drafted from the other small and medium-sized guilds as well as individual Hunters. Including Lee Jun-Kyeong, a total of one hundred and eleven Hunters had entered the Rhine River Gate.

    <i>¡®The Rhine River Gate.¡¯</i>

    As the dungeon that had given birth to the Hero Gunther, people talked about the Rhine River Gate quite frequently in the future. Like it was mentioned before, the gate had been measured as a B-Grade. However¡­

    [Due to the Gate¡¯s characteristics, the Gate¡¯s mana measurement has changed.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What did it just say?¡±

    "Damn it!"

    ¡°I was never told about this!¡±

    Numerous Hunters who had already entered the Rhine River Gate began to raise their voices at the sudden announcement.

    Someone shrieked, ¡°This is impossible! The numbers¡­ it has turned into a B+ Grade!¡±

    Another gasped, ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Fortunately, some Hunters must have entered the gate with a Gate Grader. The gate had changed its mana rating as soon as they had entered into a B+. As a gate that had increased in power to contain a +, it was a given that it had a much higher level of difficulty than a B-Grade. The higher the grade, the more the difficulty wouldpound, even more exponentially, as the level rose. So naturally, confusion began to spread amongst the Hunters.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a little early to fall into despair¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the Hunters, who were panicking. There was no way that the viciousness of the Rhine Gate would only amount to this. It was too early to be surprised and distressed.

    [The gate¡¯s trait has been activated.]

    [The entrance to the gate has been blocked.]

    No Hunters, regardless of who they were, could enter the Rhine Gate anymore.

    ¡°This is insane¡­ we can¡¯t leave at all?¡±

    Just as the bewildered Hunter had said, they weren¡¯t allowed to leave either. It was impossible for the group to get any extra aid or escape. There were only two options.

    Attack or die.

    But even this wasn¡¯t the end.

    [Arge number of Incarnations have gathered into one ce.]

    [The Sponsors are avidly engrossed.]

    Incarnation was the word the Sponsors used to refer to their chosen Hunters. They had be the focus of the Sponsors¡¯ attention.

    "Why is it like this¡­!"

    "My body¡­"

    "It''s hot!"

    It was a sign that the mana density had increased. The reason that the Sponsors¡¯ attention had mainly been attracted within gates was that there was no interference of mana there. As gates were rich in mana, Sponsors would be able to watch their Incarnationsfortably, and when there was this much of a concentration of attention¡­

    [The mana density has increased further.]

    "The gate measurement just increased further¡­"

    "No!"

    ¡­it would result in something like this.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like they wouldn¡¯t know.¡¯</i>

    The Association should have anticipated all of this. Even if the Association wasn''t the true culprit and it was that person instead, they still should have known that this would have happened. Despite that foreknowledge, they let it continue.

    <i>¡®Well, it makes sense that they would be flustered.¡¯</i>

    Just because the Association had known didn¡¯t mean that the Hunters would have as well. Most Hunters in this era likely would not have encountered this before as it was rare for an attack force of this size to be mobilized.

    However, it was fortunate that the increase in mana density due to the attention of the Sponsors didn¡¯t only affect the monsters. The source of the powers of the Hunters was the very issue at hand, mana. This increase in density meant that the overall abilities of the Hunters would also increase. But, of course, it was a different matter as it depended on whether the Hunters could utilize the sudden increase in mana or be consumed by it.

    Finally¡­

    [The Incarnations have entered a special gate.]

    [The interest of the Sponsors has risen even further.]

    [The mana density has increased.]

    The attention was focused again, giving birth to a terrifying result.

    ¡°A Grade¡­¡± someone gasped.

    Another hollered, ¡°Wait a minute, what did it say?¡±

    ¡°It said that the gate is now an A Grade, you bastard!¡± desperately shouted an already desperate hunter.

    A dreary silence had set around them. A gate they had expected to be B-Grade as they entered had suddenly transformed into an A-Grade, a grade that couldn¡¯t be conquered with arge force, even to this day. It was a grade that was said to be impossible to attack without a Hero-grade Hunter. Their reaction was natural. While they had known it would have been dangerous, they had almost been certain that they would survive before.

    But suddenly, that gate had be a cemetery. The Hunters were unable to pay attention to anything else due to the sudden rise of the gate¡¯s grade. Some were even unable to show a change in their expressions even when faced with the dire situation.

    Of course, one of them had already anticipated everything and prepared ordingly. It was true that he was nervous, but he wasn¡¯t ovee by despair like the others. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the only one who hadn¡¯t sumbed to fear. No one else had noticed though.

    <i>¡®But it seems like most of them already knew as well.¡¯</i>

    The Northern Army Guild was also watching the situation without any changing expressions; they most likely already had prior knowledge, as this was most likely a dish that had been set up for them.

    "Whew¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly took a breath and waited for the situation to calm down. The Hunters would have toe to their senses quickly. If they couldn¡¯t feel the strange sensation and dy any further, they would die in theing chaos.

    [The wave will begin momentarily.]

    ***

    Everyone understood why the Hunters were so confused now. They had been mobilized at the request of the Association, and it was the Association that considered them the most valuable resource.

    ¡°Did the Association betray us?¡± someone asked.

    Another screamed, ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡±

    All the Hunters who had been in the dark until now were feeling betrayed. Usually, when the Association would mobilize Hunters, it meant that they had already thoroughly verified the gate. This was because they wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with the possible consequences that could have urred by ordering Hunters to raid an improperly verified gate.

    However, this scenario was different. That was one of the biggest reasons the Hunters were confused. The fact that the Association had thrown them into a ce where they would die was an impossible fact to ept.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®It is a betrayal.¡¯</i>

    The Association, no, the person that the Northern Army Guild had spoken of, must have already known everything. This was the picture that man had drawn, bringing the Hunters into this pit of hell. The reasoning was simple.

    <i>¡®Storytelling.¡¯</i>

    The man ordering the Northern Army Guild had one simple purpose. By creating a hero from this gate, that person would be able to create a hero indebted to and increase the chess pieces at their disposal. Heroes were not easily created. Instead, they were like a single flower that would bloom in the midst of hardship. While surviving a great ordeal and getting the recognition of the Sponsors was an essential part of it, a story that could be widely publicized everywhere was also necessary.

    <i>¡®The people must think of a Hunter as a Hero for that Hunter to be a true Hero.¡¯</i>

    They needed a fatalistic story. It was easily imagined. To protect the people, the Association ordered the Hunters to risk their lives with the mobilization order. The Hunters responded to it and valiantly entered the B-Grade Gate. However, in reality, the gate wasn¡¯t a B-Grade, but an A-Grade.

    It had been a gate that only a Hero-Level Hunter could have raided. They must have already been broadcasting it externally as an ident, something that could even be described as a disaster. Rather than hide the current situation, it was clear that the Association would make it known more widely. The reason was straightforward.

    <i>''To make the Northern Army Guild, and especially Choi Yeong-Seong, into a true Hero.''</i>

    Having entered the wrong gate, into a horrifying ident where everyone had been sacrificed, they would have been the Hunters who rescued the others and raided the A-Grade Gate.

    <i>¡®It doesn''t matter how many victims there are.''</i>

    After all,pleting the raid itself was already an achievement enough to overturn everything. It was what that person, the Northern Army Guild, and Choi Yeong-Seong had been aiming for.

    <i>¡®Look at him. He¡¯s like a dog.¡¯?</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gazed at Choi Yeong-Seong, who was standing there with a triumphant smile. The other Hunters would have to calm themselves down and hurry up and inspect the surrounding terrain. Only with that would their chances of survival increase just a little.

    Right then, a loud, despicable voice shouted, "Everyone, calm down!"

    Choi Yeong-Seong was shouting at the Hunters while using mana to amplify his voice. "I understand your confusion! We are also confused¡­ as to how a bad situation like this has urred¡­"

    Everyone¡¯s attention was now focused on the Northern Army Guild Master, Choi Yeong-Seong. The Hunters, who had been trembling in despair, looked towards him one by one. Among the Hunters who had gathered here, there was no one as strong as Choi Yeong-Seong, nor anyone who led as strong of a force.

    ¡°There was no way the Association would have known! We all know that these types of idents happen from time to time at these gates, don''t we?¡± he shouted.

    "What kind of¡­"

    "That¡¯s impossible!"

    A few Hunters had voiced distrust after hearing his remark. "That¡¯s right! There is no way the Association would betray us."

    "Of course!"

    However, they were soon buried by other voices.

    Most likely¡­

    <i>¡®They¡¯re most likely nted provocateurs.¡¯</i>

    Even if it weren¡¯t the work of the Northern Army Guild, someone with that person¡¯s level of abilities would be able to insert any number of hunters they wanted. But that wouldn¡¯t have been the end of it. It had been a while since he had expected something like this. Lee Jun-Kyeong observed the third-rate drama carefully.

    Choi Yeong-Seong raised his voice even more, ¡°What is the most important thing right now?!¡±

    All of a sudden, everyone had focused on Choi Yeong-Seong, as if they had thought that listening to the words of the strongest Hunter was the best way to survive.

    The guild master continued, ¡°Is it finding fault with the Association? Is it falling to despair?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself, <i>¡®Did that person seriously write such ridiculous lines?¡¯</i>

    If that were the case, he definitely would have to reevaluate his thoughts on that person. As he was thinking about it¡­

    ¡°No, it¡¯s survival! Shouldn¡¯t we live past this? As long as we can survive this situation, we can worry about whether or not it''s the fault of the Association¡­¡±

    Still, theposition was good.

    ¡°We¡¯ll receive arge reward!¡±

    He had inserted a ray of hope in the midst of their despair, a hope that was even a fantasy within their dreams.

    Suddenly¡­

    "Yeah, he¡¯s right. Isn¡¯t the first thing to live?"

    "First, survey the terrain!"

    "The wave? When does the wave start?"

    The hunters had caught on to hope and began to move, which was a shocking development for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®To think they would fall for this cheap of a y.¡¯</i>

    He reviewed it with an objective mindset. Since he suspected everything, he instantly tell that the Northern Army Guild had suspicious intentions. However, the Hunters were moving as if they had no brains and had been instigated without any suspicions. Again, though, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t curse at them but rather understood them.

    [<The Ruler of the Riverside> tries to dominate the riverside.]

    [Under the influence of <Sky of the Apocalypse>, you have resisted incitement and coerced leadership.]

    [Achievement]

    [You have achieved ¡®The One Who Cannot Be Taken Advantage Of.¡¯]

    [Mental Resistance has increased slightly.]

    It was because they weren¡¯t strong enough to face a strong Authority.

    ***

    ¡°Regardless of whether or not they are at fault, the Association will still grant us great rewards!¡±

    In the ears of the screaming Choi Yeong-Seong¡­

    [The Authority, Rule of the Riverside is activated.]

    ¡­the sound of the activation of an Authority could be heard. Rule of the Riverside was an Authority that had been gifted to him by his Sponsor after he had recently risen in rank. It was an authority that only the chosen ones among the sponsored Hunters could have. Its effect was obvious.

    ¡°Go survey the terrain!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it!¡±

    The screaming Hunters were overflowing with hope. They had been engulfed by the effect of the Authority, Rule of the Riverside.

    [Rule of the Riverside.]

    ¡®<i>In ces with a river, the ability to incite and coerce leadership is increased by at least three times. In addition, it is possible to enforce one¡¯smands randomly.</i>¡¯

    It was a skill true to what its name suggested. He already had a reasonably high ability to incite and coerce others such that they took his lead. Whenbined with the Authority, it was a piece of cake to subject the low-ranking Hunters to his powers, especially as he had now be an A-Grade.

    When the Hunters began to set out, his brother Choi Yong-Su approached and asked, ¡°Hyung, should we start to prepare as well?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Choi Yeong-Seong while shaking his head. ¡°That person said the waves at this gate wouldst a long time.¡±

    It was an A-Grade Gate. The longer the waves continued, the stronger the monsters that appeared. ording to that person, there could be up to ten levels of waves¡­

    He finally said, ¡°The Northern Army Guild will conserve as much power as possible.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± his brother shouted.

    "As I said before, we will proceed as nned,¡± Choi Yeong-Seong said, looking at Choi Yong-Su with a cruel and solemn smirk on the corner of his lips. ¡°The Northern Army Guild will conserve as much power as possible. We¡¯ll survive by using those stupid Hunters.¡±

    ¡°You mean you¡¯ll let them all die¡­?¡± Choi Yong-Su had thought he was as cruel as Choi Yeong-Seong, but his older brother had already exceeded expectations.

    The guild master shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t let all of them die.¡±

    Numerous shadows reflected within Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s eyes, the shadows of the countless Hunters that were somehow moving their bodies in order to live. Looking at them, Choi Yeong-Seong said, ¡°We¡¯ll need a few storytellers¡­ until I give the orders, the Northern Army will only focus on conserving power.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s feasible?¡± Choi Yong-Su asked.

    The Hunters were not idiots. While they were currently in a state of being incited by the Authority, they would eventually notice if the Northern Army was hiding behind them.

    ¡°I told you as much as possible,¡± his older brother responded.

    Choi Yong-Su blinked. ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    To say to conserve as much of the Northern Army Guild¡¯s power had meant they wouldn¡¯t conserve <i>all</i> of it.

    Basically¡­

    <i>¡®Is he going to sacrifice even the guild members?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yong-Su trembled, thinking to himself that his Hyung had be crueler than he had thought. It was to the extent that he would abandon the guild members that he had cherished and nurtured for his ns.

    ording to that person¡¯s judgment, Choi Yeong-Seong was nning on shedding suspicions by abandoning the useless Northern Army Guild members. Or rather, he intended to instigate the Hunters by sacrificing those members. Choi Yong-Su set off to avoid Choi Yeong-Seong, who seemed to be immersed in his own thoughts.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    As Choi Yong-Su left, Choi Yeong-Seong thought more deeply. There was only one thing that was on his mind.

    <i>¡®How much could that person know?¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t show it, but from the moment he had entered the gate, goosebumps had appeared on Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s forearms. Everything had gone like that person had said, and not a single thing had deviated from that person¡¯s expectations. So what kind of person would have this sort of ability?

    Choi Yeong-Seong shook his head.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll follow, then.¡¯</i>

    He may have been a king, but that person was a monarch. No, that person could be even higher than a monarch. Then, as someone who was just a king, it was only fitting for him to follow that person. Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s gaze shifted, feeling a little refreshed. There was still one punk who was irritating to the eyes.

    He muttered, ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    He wondered what that punk was thinking. He had already uncovered that the punk was exhibiting an astonishing growth rate. But, as Choi Yeong-Seong looked at him, he called his trustworthy guy, the other deputy guild meader. While he hadn¡¯t shared much of his ns with him due to the man¡¯s good-natured disposition, alongside his skills¡­

    <i>¡®This punk is a faithful dog.¡¯</i>

    ¡­his loyalty was unquestionable. He was someone who could be trusted, with devotionparable to Choi Yong-Su.

    "Jeong In-Chang!" Choi Yeong-Seong called his name. Jeong In-Chang had been checking the condition of the Northern Army Guild members, but he came over quickly.

    ¡°Go continuously monitor that punk. And if you get the chance¡­¡± ordered Choi Yeong-Seong in a quiet voice. ¡°Kill him.¡±

    He pointed a finger at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression hardened like a rock.

    But, as if he had felt it, Choi Yeong-Seong tapped Jeong In-Chang on the shoulder and continued with a smirk, ¡°It¡¯s for us brothers, no, it¡¯s for the Northern Army Guild.¡±

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang nodded. At that moment¡­

    [The wave will begin.]

    The water of the Rhine River began to churn. Though the Hunters hadn¡¯t even been able to take their ces properly, hideous blue-skinned fishmen and mermen emerged from the river and began to run outward¡­

    "<i>Ke-e-e-e!</i>"

 Chapter 22: The Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 2</h4>

    Fortunately, the mermen were not very strong. They were monsters that generally appeared in C and D-Grade Gates and were easily taken care of by C-Rank Hunters or even D+-Rank Hunters who had been aiming for C-Grade Gates. Furthermore, none of the Hunters who had entered the Rhine River Gate were D+ or lower. They were all more than capable of hunting them, even more so now that the Hunters had been strengthened due to the increased concentration of mana.

    ¡°It¡¯s mermen!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief!¡±

    As expected, the Hunters sang with joy and prepared for battle. Gaining confidence, they began preparing for battle without even organizing their formations. While their confidence was evident, it was a tale in which one would know but two would not.

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡°Keheeek!¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    They were next to the water, and mermen were known to get stronger if there was water nearby. The mermen werepletely drenched in water. Withrge numbers, they rushed in with a speed that exceeded the Hunters¡¯ expectations.

    "Damn it! Kill them first!"

    The Hunters and mermen collided. The Hunters had stood confidently in the front row and tried to counterattack the first few times by blocking the long thorns the mermen held.

    ¡°Kyaaak!¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    Due to their inattentiveness from their overconfidence, injuries began to appear among the Hunters, one after another. Furthermore, they had still not fully realized that the increased mana had bolstered their strength. This had all urred only five minutes after the wave had started. As the number of those wounded by the mermen began to rise, the situation began to shift once more.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Hunters had begun to be aware of the situation, while the Hunters in the front row started to retreat little by little, waiting for someone else to step in instead. It had devolved into a total mess. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood by, just watching it all happen.

    <i>¡®Not yet.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t time for him to get involved yet. In order to survive the A-Grade Gate, he would have to move precisely ording to the n. The Hunters would have to take a little more damage so that they could have some awareness of the current situation knocked into their heads. However¡­

    ¡°Northern Army Guild! Annihte your enemies!"

    ¡­someone had stepped out. It was the Northern Army Guild.

    At Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s cry, the guild members of the Northern Army Guild began to charge.

    <i>¡®Wait, he¡¯s using his guild members¡­?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected situation. He had predicted that the Northern Army Guild would have preserved their guild members as much as possible, only setting out when the Hunters¡¯ sacrifices had be severe. But to think he would move the guild members starting from the first wave. With a confused gaze, Lee Jun-Kyeong watched the Northern Army Guild members that had started a battle with the mermen.

    "Let''s help too!"

    "We can win!"

    "Even if the mermen are a little strange, they¡¯re still just mermen!"

    The Hunters had gained strength from the rising momentum, so they also began to join the battle.

    <i>¡®So that¡¯s why.¡¯</i>

    Only then did Lee Jun-Kyeong understand the situation. He had already investigated the power of the Northern Army Guild. Those who were stepping forward to deal with the mermen were just barely strong enough to keep up with the strengthened monsters. It was easy to see that they were the lowest grunts among the Northern Army Guild.

    ¡°Keughk!¡±

    ¡°Heal me! Heal me!¡±

    <i>¡®Is he using them as sacrificialmbs?¡¯</i>

    He had finally grasped the situation. They were just consumables used to reassure the other Hunters and incite them. Choi Yeong-Seong had made up his mind to use his own men as disposable. Lee Jun-Kyeong understood the situation and further confirmed their ns.

    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t a problem.¡¯</i>

    If anything, this was an even better result.

    Finally¡­

    <i>Step.</i>

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong began to move.

    ***

    <i>''He¡¯s starting to move.''</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was watching over Lee Jun-Kyeong as ordered by Choi Yeong-Seong. Lee Jun-Kyeong had not moved even after the mermen attacked, but he had finally begun to move. However, Jeong In-Chang felt conflicted as he watched all of this. The Hunter had suggested that the Northern Army Guild was rotting¡­

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not wrong.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang averted his eyes from Lee Jun-Kyeong for a moment. The mermen were getting injured one by one, and the Hunters and the weaker guild members of the Northern Army Guild would eventually ovee them¡­

    <i>¡®There¡¯s bound to be some deaths.¡¯</i>

    The senior guild members of the Northern Army Guild, including Choi Yeong-Seong, only had patronizing attitudes towards thosebating the approaching mermen. He thought he finally understood what Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s thoughts and ns were. While he had not been informed of the n, he wasn¡¯t so stupid as not to have figured at least that much so far. He wondered if this was how Choi Yeong-Seong had evaluated him.

    <i>¡®If things continue like this¡­¡¯</i>

    Many Hunters and Northern Army Guild members would die. He didn¡¯t want to see that result, so he wanted to move out immediately. Even if he only joined the ranks and fought the mermen, they would be able to reduce the number of victims.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®I believe in your allegiance and your loyalty.¡¯</i>

    Those words were like shackles, preventing Jeong In-Chang from taking a step further. Even though he had known it was rotting, he was unable to cut it out. Jeong In-Chang, with a burdened heart, finally shook his head and gave up.

    <i>¡®He has to have a n.¡¯</i>

    If it was the Choi Yeong-Seong he knew before, there was no way he would just be this cruel. He had a glimmer of hope, and even if he knew it was only a fleeting hope, Jeong In-Chang was unable to let it go. When he suddenly raised his head, he heard a sudden roar.

    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡±

    <i>¡®What is that?¡¯</i>

    Forgetting his duty of monitoring Lee Jun-Kyeong once again, Jeong In-Chang focused his attention on the source of the noise.

    ¡°What is that? That punk!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t interested in the voices of the Hunters who were shouting against the evil tides in order to live. Instead, his focus had been drawn to the roar that had exuded an enduring hope and dependability.

    <i>¡®What is that? And where is Lee Jun-Kyeong?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was torn between his curiosity about the shouting versus his need to find Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, this worry was meaningless, as the uproar and Lee Jun-Kyeong were one and the same.

    "Who the hell is that Hunter? Was this mobilization supposed to have a Hunter of that level?"

    "What¡¯s his name?"

    "I definitely memorized all the names of the famous Hunters!¡±

    In the very front, numerous mermen were chasing after one Hunter. Even with just a quick nce, it was obvious that the Hunter was dealing with more than ten drenched mermen, using a long red spear to pierce the enemy like a skewer.

    <i>Puhaak!</i>

    <i>Spurt!</i>

    Someone eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone use a shield like that!¡±

    ¡°Is he a C+-Rank? I mean, what level of Hunter are you?!¡± another shouted.

    A third opined, ¡°Is that what¡¯s important right now? A shield¡­ how in the hell does someone use a shield like that?¡±

    The Hunter in question rammed into and destroyed the nearby mermen with a round shield. Any mermen at a distance were pierced by the red spear and were torn apart by the shield if they got close. Somehow, the mermen were falling victim to the shield and spearbo. At this point, they weren¡¯t monsters anymore. They were just prey, waiting to be hunted.

    Jeong In-Chang watched the scene with a nk expression, just as shocked as the others.

    <i>¡®He grew that much¡­?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was dealing with the mermen with ease, and his growth was so incredible that it was unbelievable. It didn''t seem like he was using a particr skill or anything. Although his weapon looked amazing at first nce, the skill with which it was being used was more important. His movements made it easy to tell that he was already an advanced Hunter. If anything, he might have already exceeded that as well. A voice rang out in the mind of Jeong In-Chang, who was watching the scene as if possessed.

    [The wave has ended.]

    [A short break shall be granted.]

    [Some Sponsors desire to grant rewards to their Incarnations.]

    ***

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is delighted by your performance.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    [You havepleted the ¡®Merman Hunter¡¯ achievement.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    [Your level has risen.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    Out of all of the Hunters, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the most notifications. Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t the end of the voices that he heard.

    [<The Guardian of the Long Spear> is showing interest in you.]

    [<The Symbol of Round Things> is showing interest in you.]

    [<The King of the Drenched> expresses hostility toward you.]

    There were more voices, voices that he had never experienced before.

    <i>¡®It looks like there are a lot of Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also surprised by the situation. Even in the many gates that he had hunted while sacrificing sleep, he hadn¡¯t received any attention from other Sponsors.

    <i>¡®Multiple Sponsorship.¡¯</i>

    He wondered if someday he, too, would be able to receive that which real Heroes would receive. He somewhat anticipated it, but then an obstruction appeared.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> expresses its displeasure.]

    [The Sponsors that have disyed interest in you have withdrawn.]

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked bbergasted, the Hunters gathered around him as the wave ended.

    "Thank you, Mr. Hunter!" one enthusiastically said.

    Another asked curiously, "Seriously, who are you?"

    "Where did youe from? Do you have a Guild?"

    It was natural for them to be interested in Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had shown overwhelming force.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. There are quite a few waves left.¡± They had approached with hope but hesitated momentarily at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cold tone. "Everyone, prepare quickly. The grade of the gate now is a colossal A-Grade. So we have to get ready to survive."

    However, the Hunters soon realized that Lee Jun-Kyeong was worried about them rather than looking down on them.

    "All right!"

    "Let''s prepare properly this time!"

    "I don''t know how long it will take¡­ but we have to survive."

    "Everyone, let''s start with the maintenance!"

    Once again, they began to encourage each other with voices full of hope. Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his gaze to a man beyond them.

    ¡°...¡±

    He almost burst outughing when he saw that face. Choi Yeong-Seong was standing there, looking like he swallowed some shit. He, along with the leaders of the Northern Army Guild, looked at him with disdain.

    <i>¡®While I know what your ns are¡­¡¯</i>

    Those ns would go awry as more time passed. The guild master must have plotted to control the Hunters here and suddenly appear at the critical moment, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of letting Choi Yeong-Seong do that. Instead, he would thoroughly shatter the other man¡¯s ns.

    As time passed, he would bring the Hunters to his side. In the first ce, as their purposes were different, time would show how they would take Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side. He then turned his gaze away from Choi Yeong-Seong and looked elsewhere.

    <i>¡®Hopefully, your choice won''t be toote.¡¯</i>

    He was already aware of the person who had been watching him, Jeong In-Chang. Though the deputy guild master was shaken as he had watched him, Jeong In-Chang had also tried not to pay him any attention. Lee Jun-Kyeong chose not to force him any further, as Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t be forced through coercion.

    Currently, Lee Jun-Kyeong was only focused on his own growth.

    <i>¡®Status Window.¡¯</i>

    A blue window that only Lee Jun-Kyeong could see appeared, having changed significantly from before. The most eye-catching part was¡­

    [Level: 24]

    ¡­was an overwhelmingly rising level. Laughter bubbled up out of him out of nowhere. The increased abilities that had risen as much as his level gave him a great sense of fulfillment.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll pass level 30 here.¡¯</i>

    This atrocious gate would be the foundation for his growth, a foundation for leveling that hadn¡¯t progressed much since he had passed level 20. Although he would be hunting for growth, he wouldn¡¯t give up any of the coteral things.

    <i>¡®The Hunters would eventually follow me.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s ns would nevere true.

    ***

    The second wave consisted of even more mermen. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s performance ended the second wave without a single victim.

    A new monster began to appear from the third wave. It wasn¡¯t all that varied from what had happened before. They were higher species of mermen, such as merman warriors or merman mages. No matter how active he was, it was difficult for him to prevent everyone from falling victim to the new monsters. However, he moved even more earnestly, preventing fatalities by working harder through the repeated waves.

    From the fourth wave on, there were no longer just mermen. The river serpentors had appeared alongside them. They were in the shape of monstrous fish and were a subspecies of the sea serpentor, a higher-level sea monster. As the fourth wave ended¡­

    "Damn it¡­" one Hunter cursed.

    Another sighed. "Will we really be able to survive?"

    Finally, the deaths began to appear. While he had been surprised that it took this long, he didn¡¯t feel as though the waves would end, and it was enough to make the other Hunters feel despair.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the dead, feeling conflicted. He had wanted to create a result in which no one had died, but he had known that it would have been impossible with his strength. However, that result hadn¡¯t been a totally impossible one at all.

    "Why in the hell?! Why is the Northern Army Guild not fighting properly!" Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, raising his voice for the first time.

    ¡°What do you¡­?!¡± responded the bewildered Northern Army Guild members.

    He snapped, "Do you really think we are fools? Everyone here knows that your main force is only concerned with conserving power from behind!"

    After Lee Jun-Kyeong''s cry, others began to condemn them.

    "Right! Come to think of it, that''s true!" someone gasped.

    Anothermented, "Not a single member of the Northern Army Guild has died."

    One Hunter gave the members a stink eye. "Look, they aren¡¯t even injured!"

    The Hunters began to be agitated. During his active involvement in the raid, Lee Jun-Kyeong focused especially on saving the lowest grunts of the Northern Army Guild. It had all been for this moment. The atmosphere that Choi Yeong-Seong had been cultivating so far¡­

    "Even if it''s only now, you have to take an active part in the battle! Are you going to just watch the Hunters sacrifice like this?"

    ¡­had started to crack. However, Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    1. This is referring to an East Asian saying that goes, after one is two, after two is three, after three is¡­ after xxx is¡­ all the way up to a value you don¡¯t know. It basically is a warning, telling you that there is always something thates after that you don¡¯t know, so you should always be prepared.

 Chapter 23: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 23: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Hyung, is it okay for things to progress like this?¡± Choi Yong-Su said to Choi Yeong-Seong worriedly. While he knew the way the situation progressed wasn¡¯t going to be okay, he thought that it might just maybe be part of that person¡¯s n. It was clear that he still held onto a glimmer of hope. However, Choi Yong-Su soon got his answer.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Choi Yeong-Seong cursed, biting his lip. Did he think this was okay? Not a chance. Everything was falling apart. Their ns were going wrong, no, the n itself was bing meaningless. Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s original scheme was to gradually let the useless guild members and mobilized Hunters be consumed by the waves, only leaving the necessary storytellers alive when he finally began the real attack.

    [<The Ruler of the Riverside> is beginning to doubt your skills.]

    But everything had gone wrong. To disy his strength, he needed to obtain the unconditional support of those inside the gates. Things couldn¡¯t be going this way for him to fully disy the Authority given by <The Ruler of the Riverside>, the Rule of the River.

    <i>¡®The guild members are also agitated.¡¯</i>

    Not all of the Northern Army Guild members were aware of Choi Yeong-Seong''s ns. He had only informed them of what they needed to know. Some of the Northern Army Guild members had already begun to look at him suspiciously.

    <i>¡®Did they notice I was using them as?disposables?¡¯</i>

    The ns that person had prepared for him were already bing a dish set for another bastard.

    <i>¡®That dog-like bastard.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Hyung!¡± said Choi Yong-Su, urging Choi Yeong-Seong for an answer.

    "Not yet¡­"

    However, Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t good enough to handle the unforeseen situation. His strategy so far had been to just follow along with that person¡¯s will.

    Still¡­he came to a decision. ¡°We¡¯ll continue like this. We have to observe a little longer.¡±

    He still had something left to believe in¡ªhis own power. Now that he was an A-Rank, he had faith in himself. There weren¡¯t very many A-Rank Hunters currently. No one in this ce knew the true extent of his strength, not even Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been raging at the forefront and annihting the monsters. Even if he did¡­

    <i>¡®The gap between us is huge. It looks like the B-Rank that punk registered with the Association was urate. I¡¯m already an A-Rank, so there¡¯s a huge difference between us.¡¯</i>

    He had already seen the extent of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skills. But, unlike himself, who had been hiding his abilities, that punk was demonstrating his power to the best of his abilities. He had judged Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ability to definitely be excellent, but, at least for now, the other man still wasn¡¯tparable to his level. Choi Yeong-Seong judged that it was still okay for now.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s a mistake.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was standing in the distance, looked up at Choi Yeong-Seong with his lips raised into a smirk. He could predict what the guild master was thinking and how he would move through the changes in his expression and his reaction.

    <i>¡®Rumors said that while Gunther¡¯sbat ability was outstanding, his ability to strategize wasckluster.¡¯</i>

    Since the Guild Master was acting the same as the one Lee Jun-Kyeong had read about in the book of the Demon King, he had thought maybe there might be something different he hadn¡¯t been noticing. However, it seemed as though the guild master trulycked the ability to analyze any unexpected variables.

    <i>¡®By this point, you probably think this is all I amount to.¡¯</i>

    It was another one of Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s misjudgments. Lee Jun-Kyeong had simply been relying on his superb body and high stats for the recent stats. He still hadn¡¯t used¡­

    <i>¡®The ability of Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡¯</i>

    Or the Authority, Reign of Fire; he basically had shown nothing yet.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles at your insidiousness.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored the voice in his head as the fifth wave would start soon. From now on, things would be different. Until now, the Rhine River Gate had not shown its true power. From the fifth wave on, it would begin to show why it deserved the rank of A-Grade.

    [The wave is starting.]

    [A mid-level boss has appeared.]

    [A Water Golem has emerged from the Rhine River.]

    As the wave from before wasing to an end, the calm waters of the Rhine River began to shake. The surface of the river began to seethe as if a volcano had erupted.

    ¡°A¡­ Water golem?¡±

    The hunters had never heard of such a monster before, so they turned back with pale faces, terrified.

    The golem was a powerful boss, regardless of what anyone in this era would say.

    Suddenly, a boulder rose from the edge of the river.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    It began to twist and stretch with a strange sound, forming into a blue golem that was an amalgam of water and stone.

    <i>Boom.</i>

    It began to move.

    Someone sensitive to mana noticed the strange flow and shouted, ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    However, it was already toote.

    <i>Shoot!</i>

    A massive st of water from the water golem¡¯s chest swept through the Hunters like a tsunami. For the Hunters, the water golem that was spewing water was like the grim reaper, but for Lee Jun-Kyeong, all it was was a huge chunk of experience and a loot box. It was no more, no less.

    ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    With a smirk, Lee Jun-Kyeong started running ahead with a shield and a spear.

    ***

    Everyone knew that the golem was a type of monster that had been created in a dimension where magic and magical engineering were extremely advanced. It was one of the most powerful monsters, and the weakest golems could match up to C-Rank Hunters easily. Among the different types, the water golem¡­

    <i>¡®You have to be at least a B+-Rank to even think about fighting one.¡¯</i>

    That was why it had appeared here as a mid-level boss. Unlike other golems that were made out of metal or other materials, water golems were extremely difficult to deal with.

    ¡°We can¡¯t strike it!¡± screamed a Hunter who had used all of his skills to attack the water golem with all his might. The weapons of the Hunters would pass through the water-like liquid.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted back, ¡°Mana! We have to imbue our weapons with mana when we attack!¡±

    However, there were only a few Hunters who had the skills to be able to follow hismand.

    ¡°You want me to imbue my mana into my weapon?¡±

    ¡°Damn it, how do you expect us to do that!¡±

    They were currently in an era where Hunters had just appeared. Imbuing a weapon with mana was an advanced concept that wasn¡¯t well known yet. It was hard to find a Hunter who understood how to channel mana into their weapons in the present time, before the cataclysm and before the reorganization of rankings.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°Is it like this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it before too!¡±

    ¡­a few talented Hunters seemed to be able to realize that ability on their own. The gate they were in was perfect for using advanced mana techniques as all of the Hunters had had their mana strengthened due to the increase in mana density. One by one, more and more Hunters were able to imbue their weapons with mana. These Hunters took the lead and faced the water golem.

    ¡°It¡¯s working! I¡¯m telling you, it works!¡±

    ¡°We can win!¡±

    They all shouted with joy. Unlike their previous ineffective attacks, the attacks made by weapons imbued with mana were effective.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®That¡¯s not all.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step back. He was someone who had the ability to face the water golem on his own. Still, he felt as though he had to give the other Hunters a role as well.

    <i>¡®If I leave things like this, everyone would die anyway.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who valued his own interests the most.

    <i>¡®Everyone will know the mana concepts after the cataclysm anyway.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t someone who gave out information without thinking. But that didn¡¯t mean he was cruel enough to just stand by while others died.

    <i>¡®I have the highest contribution anyway.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, it was clear that he had yed the most significant role in ying the water golem. He was sure of it, as it seemed as though the water golem had already decided to target him anyway. Since he was going to monopolize the experience points and the items regardless of what happened, he had to help them.

    ¡°The gate is currently packed with mana! Don¡¯t try to control the increased power, everyone. Just let it all explode!¡±

    As the waves repeated, the Hunters began to trust and rely on Lee Jun-Kyeong. Then, just as he had said, they gradually gave up control. The results were surprising. As if it would consume the Hunters, the amplified mana gathered together¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±

    -<i>Keuaghhhh!</i>

    ¡­and exploded onto the golem. The boss began to stumble for the first time, and a muchrger number of Hunters started to use their mana. However¡­

    -<i>Keuaghhhh!</i>

    The water golem attacked, replenishing its body with the river water again. As if they were cornered, the Hunters retreated while getting injured.

    <i>¡®The Hunters can¡¯t handle it anyway.¡¯</i>

    The attacks imbued with mana had only damaged the water golem. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t powerful enough to inflict fatal wounds or umte significant damage.

    <i>¡®The strategy to raid a water golem¡­¡¯</i>

    He already knew it. He always had a deep interest in magic engineering, having studied it for a long time as he wondered if ordinary people could also use it to gain strength. Therefore, he had also been interested in information about the monsters created using magic engineering. The best way to fight a water golem was to determine the location of the nucleus that controlled a golem and attack it. Furthermore, there was one more thing to remember.

    <i>¡®Attributes.¡¯</i>

    It was important to use the opposite attribute of the water golem to take it down. That was the most ideal and effective attack method. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back for a moment. The Northern Army Guild hadn¡¯t moved at all, even though the water golem had appeared.

    Those idiots.

    From this point on, he would lose all interest in them.

    -<i>Keuaghhhh!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the water golem. The Hunters were bing excited. Even though it was only a little, they were actually able to inflict damage against a water golem that would normally have been an unthinkable opponent. They had be incited after surviving against such a powerful enemy.

    <i>''This should be enough for now.''</i>

    Now, it was harvest time.

    <i>ze.</i>

    mes began to rise from the forearm that was holding a spear. They raced down his arms, spinning like a whirlwind.

    [Muspel''s Spear is absorbing fire.]

    His red spear absorbed the fire, beginning to take on a deeper crimson color. It became hot, and the heat was starting to rise.

    <i>ze.</i>

    As if refueling, mes raced down Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms once again. It was a continuous cycle of mes and absorption. Eventually¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s hot...¡±

    ¡°Why did it suddenly get so hot?¡±

    The space began to heat up, so much so that the surrounding Hunters could feel it.

    <i>¡®We already know where the nucleus is.¡¯</i>

    A blue gem was revealed when the Hunters began to attack the water golem with weapons imbued with mana. Compared to the size of the golem, it was quite miniscule, like a speck of dust. It was so noticeable that it could be distinguished even if no one knew it was the nucleus.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been so absorbed in huntingtely to the point that he skimped on sleep, but he hadn¡¯t been just simply leveling up by gaining experience. He had also focused on his martial technique and how to use his weapons and abilities effectively. It was something he most likely couldn¡¯t have done if he had to do it alone.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had memories from reading the book of the Demon King, who was a hero and a viin who had already shaken the world by maximizing the same skills Lee Jun-Kyeong had.

    [The Demon King''s spear was like lightning that pierced the world. Wherever the spear went was full of bright mes, and any enemies pierced by the spear didn¡¯t leave a corpse. It resembled lightning piercing the world and a meteorite falling from the sun.]

    It was a verse he had seen in the book of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s abilities had not yet reached that level. The Demon King was a true monster, a transcendent level monster that couldn¡¯t bepared with himself, who had only just be a B-Rank. Nevertheless¡­

    <i>Boom!</i>

    <i>¡®My strength is enough to handle a water golem.¡¯</i>

    After Muspel¡¯s Spear finallypressed and contained the heat, Lee Jun-Kyeong hurled it from his swollen forearm. It pierced through the air.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    His spear raced through the air. Molten-hot heat emanated from it and scattered mes through the space it passed by. The calcted throw avoided all of the other Hunters as it targeted only one spot: the water golem¡¯s weak point, its core, the location of the blue gem.

    <i>Bang.</i>

    It hit its mark.

    <i>Hissssss.</i>

    A strange sound rang out, resembling the sound of a boiling kettle or heated iron plunged into the water. Then, as the moisture hit the air and a thick fog filled the surroundings, he began to hear voices.

    [You have seeded in defeating the mid-level boss.]

    [The Sponsors are watching you.]

    [Some Sponsors show admiration.]

    [Sponsors are showing extreme interest in one Incarnation.]

    The fog began to withdraw, and it began around one particr person. That person was making the fog recede due to the still boiling temperaturesing off of him. He was the one who threw the red spear that defeated the water golem, the one who had saved the Hunters and helped them survive. He extended his hand, and the burning spear returned to it.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear had earned this ability a while ago after it had leveled up. The Hunters stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if nothing else was around them.

    At that point.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I remember him now¡­¡± someone started muttering as if they couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°What?¡± another asked.

    The first one rified, ¡°Those rumors. About the strange Hunter who used a spear and a shield.¡±

    These rumors had almost been forgotten as there had been so few updates.

    ¡°I had heard he was a D-Rank upon awakening and was getting close to C-Rank¡­¡±

    As expected, rumors never got things right. It wasn¡¯t C-Rank, but B-Rank.

    ¡°The monster rookie¡­ He¡¯s that Super Rookie!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched at his head in a bashful manner when he saw the man pointing at him.

    <i>Scritch.</i>

    1. Back to Ch. 1, Gehenna and the cataclysm.

 Chapter 24: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 24: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 4</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head while the notifications poured in.

    [Your level has risen.]

    [Rewards will be given ording to your contribution.]

    [You have acquired the Water Gem.]

    [You havepleted the ¡®One Who yed the Water Golem¡¯ achievement.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles upon you.]

    Then¡­

    [Other Sponsors have expressed interest in you.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> expresses its displeasure.]

    [The other Sponsors have withdrawn their interest.]

    He had missed out on another multi-sponsorship opportunity. Not only the Twelve Heroes but most of the other Hunters that had be famouster had also received multiple sponsorships from multiple Sponsors simultaneously. Even with the same level of attention and achievements, these Hunters would receive the same support from several Sponsors at the same time. It meant their efficiency skyrocketed, leading to an iparable growth rate.

    <i>''Damn.''</i>

    Right as he had felt joy from defeating the water golem, Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his dissatisfaction towards <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, who had once again barred him from the opportunity of multiple sponsorships. It would have been a different story if he had been given proper skills or even items.

    But this was a Sponsor who, after tossing over a useless Familiar Summons and a somewhat usable Authority, had done absolutely nothing to properly support him till now. To think it would go as far as to block the opportunities of the other Sponsors.

    <i>¡®Thank my lucky stars that the yer''s ability is so good.¡¯</i>

    The most significant merit of having <The Sky of the Apocalypse> as a sponsor was the yer ability. If it wasn¡¯t for that, he couldn¡¯t even have imagined how much he would resent this useless Sponsor.

    Of course¡­

    <i>¡®The Demon King didn¡¯t receive multiple sponsorships even till the end.¡¯</i>

    Even the book confirmed.

    <i>¡®The more I think about it, the more impressive it gets. To think he could get that strong without even receiving multiple sponsorships.¡¯</i>

    He had thought it was an intentional choice, but now he believed that it was forced.

    <i>¡®They did say that there was a penalty to having multiple Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    Although there wasn¡¯t exact information or a direct mention of it, it was said that there were as many penalties and problems as there were benefits and advantages to having multiple Sponsors.

    <i>''Most likely¡­ it should be a mission.''</i>

    Therefore, he wasn¡¯t too regretful at losing the opportunity for multi-sponsorship.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­ that¡¯s almost Hero-level¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he an A-Rank?¡±

    ¡°We can make it through this! I¡¯m telling you, we can!¡±

    ¡°We just have to follow and trust the Super Rookie!¡±

    He returned to his senses and saw the Hunters cheering for him. It was to be expected. He was the one who had faced and defeated the mighty water golem. It was no different than single-handedly saving their lives. In the midst of their attention, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Choi Yeong Seong.

    ***

    The guild master cursed, "Damn it."

    It was impossible. He wondered if there was anyone else who could say that they had worked as hard or had given as much effort as he did. Leading the up-anding Northern Army Army Guild required blood, sweat, and tears. He had raised his rank by breaking through the ¡®A-Rank Wall¡¯ that most Hunters couldn¡¯t even touch.

    ¡°What in the hell did he do to be that strong in that short time?¡± he snarled quietly.

    He had just seen something that was utterly unexinable throughmon sense. He had known that Lee Jun-Kyeong was getting stronger, but he had thought it had just been child¡¯s y. He should have only barely made it to B-Rank by now.

    But, what he had just seen was a growth rate that didn¡¯t make sense.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s nearing A-Rank.¡¯</i>

    "Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­" said Jeong In-Chang in disbelief after appearing near the guild master¡¯s side. The Northern Army Guild had begun to get agitated. It wasn¡¯t as if they had done anything wrong. It was only that this waspletely out of the ordinary.

    <i>¡®Is this some sort of miracle?¡¯</i>

    He heard nothing else but the uproar.

    ¡°Guild Master.¡±

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang, who had quietly been monitoring Lee Jun-Kyeong, opened his mouth and said with a firm expression as if he had made a decision, ¡°It may bete, but we must move now at the very least.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Choi-Yeong-Seong asked irritably.

    Jeong In-Chang continued, ¡°We can¡¯t just sit around like this anymore. Regardless of what you have nned¡­ was that in your ns too?¡±

    No, no, it wasn¡¯t. However, Choi Yeong-Seong couldn¡¯t answer due to his pride.

    ¡°If the n has gone wrong, then we should set a new course of action and set out. And¡­¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong remembered the first time he had met him when he met Jeong In-Chang¡¯s steely, steadfast gaze. It was the same gaze from when he was young, the eyes of the kid who had saved Choi Yong-Su, his younger brother, who had been bullied at the yground. It had been an unforgettable first meeting.

    ¡°Please let it go,¡± Jeong In-Chang suddenly said.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong didn¡¯t ask what he was supposed to give up.

    <i>¡®He must be telling me to give up on Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡¯</i>

    He may not have told Jeong In-Chang the ns, but apparently, he had found out anyway. The fact that he had made ns to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong inside this gate. He thought for a moment and made his decision.

    ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡±

    There was nowhere else to retreat anymore, nor did he have any reason to. Although he had really been impressed by the strength Lee Jun-Kyeong had shown, he refused to back down.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll lose?¡± he continued aggressively.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me. The one who raised the Northern Army Guild, someone who is bing a world-ss Hunter. Do you really think I would lose?¡±

    A strange madness shed in Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s eyes as Jeong In-Chang bit his lip. ¡°As you said, I guess we have to move now. However¡­¡±

    After pushing Jeong In-Chang aside, Choi Yeong-Seong pulled out his sword, which hadn¡¯t left his sheath until now. It was a jewel-like sword that had been given to him to ¡®Take over the Rhine River Gate and grow even further¡¯.

    ¡°Northern Army Guild,¡± Choi Yeong-Seong whispered softly to his guild members. "From now on, we will attack the gate with all our power."

    "Yes, sir."

    The Northern Army Guild Members who had been waiting until now were not the low-ranking members that had been brought in to be disposable. Instead, they were the elite of the elites that Choi Yeong-Seong had put his heart and soul into.

    These members pulled out their weapons and started marching toward the bank. It was as if the lower-ranked members had been abandoned to be a part of the other Hunters and Lee Jun-Kyeong as they were not even being given a spot in the formation of the Northern Army Guild.

    Choi Yeong-Seong stood before the mobilized troops next to Choi Yong-Su and looked back. Jeong In-Chang was still looking at him, not having moved from his position. Regardless of whether or not he had heard him, Choi Yeong-Seong continued in an ambiguous voice, ¡°A King¡¯s pride never falters.¡±

    That was Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s resolve. Jeong In-Chang began to move, but he wasn¡¯t going toward his spot behind Choi Yeong-Seong. No, it was to the side of someone far ahead, a person who had gained the blind trust of the other Hunters who had entered the gate alongside them. To Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    An eerie sound came from within Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s mouth, the sound of teeth hitting teeth.

    "That bastard¡­"

    Choi Yong-Su began to move towards Jeong In-Chang. It was a betrayal, in and simple. However¡­

    ¡°Stop.¡± Unexpectedly, Choi Yeong-Seong stopped him.

    ¡°Hyung!¡± shouted Choi Yong-Su, in a bewildered voice.

    But Choi Yeong-Seong, whose eyes had be more frosty and venomous, responded, ¡°Not now.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong was also just as upset as his brother. To think that his faithful and trusted dog would turn around and bite its owner was uneptable to him. However¡­

    ¡°It looks like he found a ce to die on his own.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong had no intention of forgiving him in the first ce.

    ***

    The sixth wave had begun, with the monsters bing stronger and more varied. Another variability had also urred.

    "Ahhhh!"

    "Kill them!"

    "Let''s show the strength of the Northern Army!"

    "Northern Army! Northern Army!"

    Due to the Northern Army Guild finally beginning to act with full force, the formation of Hunters, which had clearly been pushed back before the fifth round, had changed. While they weren¡¯t overwhelming the enemy, they weren¡¯t being pushed back any further. The bnce that had been falling apart was restored.

    Nevertheless, the star was still Lee Jun-Kyeong, instead of the Northern Army Guild.

    "As expected from the Super Rookie!"

    ¡°Over here too! Help us!¡±

    As if ridiculing them, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved even faster, aiding those around him. But while the Northern Army Guild was biting their lips at his appearance, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a different motive for working so hard.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let them steal my experience.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t bothered by the actions of the Northern Army Guild. He just didn¡¯t want to lose any of the experience. For Hunters sponsored by the Sponsors, no matter how hard they hunted monsters, at the bottom of it all, it was just a pathetic gesture of asking for more support. But, it was different for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A merman warrior was hit in the chest by a round shield and fell to the floor, bleeding and unresponsive as if he had died instantly.

    [Your level has risen.]

    Unlike ordinary Hunters, whose hunts were pathetic begging gestures, every hunt he went on was fuel and experience that would make him stronger. He wouldn¡¯t lose out on this opportunity here. With that in mind, he increased his speed even further. Furthermore, something else had changed with the onset of the sixth wave.

    ¡°Behind you!¡± said a voice. Without looking, Lee Jun-Kyeong twirled his spear around and thrust deeply.

    ¡°<i>Kek</i>¡­¡±

    Another merman warrior died, and the person who had shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his side.

    ¡°It looks like the eyes in the back of your head need a little work,¡± Jeong In-Chang remarked with a bitter smile. He had wholly left the Northern Army Guild''s formation and joined Lee Jun-Kyeong on the battlefield. However¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as having eyes in the back of your head in the first ce.¡±

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong was still cold to him.

    <i>¡®It''s not there yet.¡¯</i>

    While Jeong In-Chang had betrayed the Northern Army Guild and joined him, it was just the first step. He was still a long way from breaking the egg. He hadn¡¯t truly betrayed the Northern Army Guild just yet. He had only moved due to his sense of justice, which could no longer stand by as the Hunters died.

    <i>¡®All of his affection towards the Northern Army, Choi Yeong-Seong, and Choi Yong-Su is still there.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t trust him easily. Work needed to be done in order to honestly believe in him, awaken his power, and ept him as apanion.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not there yet.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was determined to push him until he was sure that he could trust him.

    "¡­"

    The lonely smile hanging on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s lips grew even more despondent. He had interpreted Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts differently.

    <i>¡®You''ve been disappointed with me.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had evaluated Lee Jun-Kyeong as a person with a strong sense of justice, someone who would put people first. He had simr ideals that Jeong In-Chang himself held. Seeing him pushing his body beyond his limits just to save the Hunters gave Jeong In-Chang much to think about.

    Then¡­

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Without even a word of gratitude, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself at the next merman, and Jeong In-Chang made a decision.

    For Lee Jun-Kyeong, whom he had disappointed, he would silently pull out his sword and focus on saving the Hunters.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can.¡±

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°Thank you!¡±He would show Lee Jun-Kyeong the strength of his determination, no, the strength of his conviction and desire for justice.

    And so, another hero was found hiding within this gate.

    ***

    The seventh wave.

    The eighth wave.

    And finally¡­

    [The ninth wave will begin soon.]

    The end wasing. It was thest wave before the boss would appear. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around. The sand on the riverbank had already lost its original color, dyed by the blood of mermen, the countless monsters, and finally¡­

    "Damn it¡­ Wake up!"

    "Kyung-Soo! please... open your eyes..."

    "Does anyone have any potions left? I¡¯m begging you! If we survive this gate, I¡¯ll definitely pay you back!"

    "Please¡­ a healer! Any healer!"

    ¡­the blood of the Hunters. Even with Lee Jun-Kyeong and the increased mana density from the interest of the Sponsors, there were still limits. A gate they thought would be a B-Grade suddenly turned into an A-Grade, and the A-Grade gate was as difficult as rumors said.

    ¡°This is hell¡­¡±

    Everyone was exhausted. The duration of the waves had increased as the waves repeated. Lee Jun-Kyeong and the hundred and eleven, no, now they barely made up fifty, Hunters had already spent nearly a week within the gate. Everyone was bing exhausted, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was no exception.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯</i>

    He had thought that he had nurtured his stamina by raiding the numerous dungeons without sleeping. However, even he was beginning to sumb to his limits. Even though he still had some energy, the problem was that his mental strength couldn¡¯t keep up with his physical strength just yet.

    <i>¡®There are still two waves left.¡¯</i>

    The ninth wave, and after that, the tenth wave would appear, which was the boss battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes shifted.

    <i>¡®Choi Yeong-Seong¡­¡¯</i>

    The guild master and the Northern Army Guild were also exhausted, but they were in a much better state than himself. Furthermore, they still hadn¡¯t exposed their fangs yet.

    <i>¡®They¡¯ll begin to move soon.¡¯</i>

    They would definitelye after him soon. The Gunther that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, the Hero Gunther, the War King and cruel yer was not to let things go.

    <i>¡®He would never let anyone who hurt his pride walk away.¡¯</i>

    Of course, the same went for the person who had wounded the War King¡¯s pride even more severely than Lee Jun-Kyeong did.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    It was the same for the person who had been fighting alongside him in the repeated waves.

    Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>¡®Hurry. Expose your fangs.¡¯</i>

    <i>''Gunther.''</i>

    1. A euphemism for breaking off all ties, you can¡¯t reverse breaking an egg.

    2. This refers to the term crouching tiger, hidden dragon, or a ce full of hidden masters(Heroes). As with all things, hidden, eventually, they will be found.

 Chapter 25: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 25: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 5</h4>

    Even as the ninth wave ended, there had been no signs of Choi Yeong-Seong, Choi Yong-Su, or the Northern Army Guild making any moves toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. Instead, they just quietly endured the wave. Just as much as the other Hunters had sacrificed, their wounds had also increased.

    Even if they were the elites, the monsters they faced were powerful and numerous. The Northern Army Guild had been quite self-confident, but by now most had been wounded or, worse, killed.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°Healer! Someone heal the guild master quickly!¡±

    Even Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su had visible injuries. The ninth wave¡¯s damages didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°Are you really okay?¡±

    It had been just as difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang as they both looked exhausted.

    Still¡­

    ¡°I am okay. What about you?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was worse off than Lee Jun-Kyeong. Most likely, it was the difference between a Hunter''s characteristics versus a yer''s.

    <i>¡®Every time I level up, I recover a small amount.¡¯</i>

    Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, it didn¡¯t seem like the other man¡¯s Sponsor supported him much in the way of recovery. Jeong In-Chang was drained. He had consumed all the potions he had brought, and to make matters worse¡­

    ¡°Traitor.¡±

    ¡°Bitch.¡±

    ¡°<i>Spit.</i> You bastard, let¡¯s see if you survive until the end of the raid.¡±

    ¡­the Northern Army Guild members spat curses at him. Their reactions towards their former deputy guild master was quite extreme, even considering that he had gone against their ns and betrayed them. However, he understood them.

    <i>¡®The general personalities of the members of the Northern Army Guild are simr to Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s.¡¯</i>

    They were Hunters who had been continuously nurtured and incited by Choi Yeong-Seong. Furthermore, due to the guild master''s nature, it was obvious that he would have filled the guild with people simr to himself. Jeong In-Chang had been an exception.

    <i>¡®To them, Jeong In-Chang is a foreigner who deserves to be kicked out in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    After all, they had different inclinations. Jeong In-Chang had a sense of justice, so he must have been a thorn in the eyes of the Northern Army Guild, who had the same temperament as tyrants.

    At any rate, even if they had materials or Healers that could help, there was no way for Jeong In-Chang, who had been branded a traitor, to receive any support from the Northern Army Guild.

    ¡°Heal.¡±

    ¡°I have a few potions left over.¡±

    Then, among the surviving Hunters, the healers came by and gifted Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong with heals. Of course,pared to the elite members of the Northern Army Guild, their recovery was minuscule.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No, I would have already died if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±

    A look of pride shed across Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it¡¯s unfair?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, who was recovering. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the deputy guild master? You¡¯re just hunting monsters over on this side¡­ this isn¡¯t enough to be called betrayal, is it?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was right. In fact, it wasn¡¯t as if Jeong In-Chang had swung his sword at them or had done anything wrong to them. And if he hadmitted a sin¡­

    ¡°You had to turn your back on the people you had been close to because you fought together with me,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, looking at Jeong In-Chang.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to know how many eggs the man had broken when he left. He had wanted to test him, but Jeong In-Chang¡¯s answer waspletely unexpected.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°I had be close to them, and it was because I had thought¡­ they were precious to me that I hade to your side,¡± responded Jeong In-Chang. Lee Jun-Kyeong finally understood what Jeong In-Chang was going to say. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand here and watch them stray towards the wrong path any longer.¡±

    ¡°However,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected before pausing and closing his mouth again while frowning, as Jeong In-Chang had already inferred what Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say. What he had been about to say was...

    <i>¡®If you¡¯re not going to stand aside and watch anymore¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t just simple arguments or discipline anymore.

    <i>¡®Would you be able to kill them too?¡¯</i>

    Would he be able to take the lives of those he had once cherished? That was the egg that Jeong In-Chang would have to break. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head for a moment. It was getting close to the time when the other man would have to make a decision. All he had to do was see what he would do in that situation. There was no need to break his heart preemptively.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s frown had cleared up, and he said, ¡°They¡¯ll make their move soon.¡±

    Their eyes met, and Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, ¡°Looks like it.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong and his guild would make their move this time. It was the tenth wave, thest remaining one. If the boss battle began and was resolved without incident.

    <i>¡®The honor of Choi Yeong-Seong and the Northern Army Guild would be obliterated if that happened.¡¯</i>

    Due to the help of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, too many Hunters, the storytellers, had survived. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t spread what had happened inside if they were able to make it out alive.

    <i>¡®If things turned out that way, they would be contrary to that person¡¯s will.¡¯</i>

    The future of the Northern Army Guild and Choi Yeong-Seong was as clear as day if that happened because it would mean they had lost all usefulness. Even if it were because they were worried about their future, they would act.

    Jeong In-Chang cautioned, ¡°They¡¯ll make their move no matter what they have to do.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, straightening his back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Still squatting, Jeong In-Chang looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong, wondering what the rookie meant by saying he shouldn¡¯t worry. He then sighed and said, ¡°I have¡­ resolved myself.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bitterlyughed at his words. This person¡­

    <i>¡®He must have made up his mind.¡¯</i>

    ¡­had broken the egg. Jeong In-Chang also got up from his seat and replied, ¡°I have already chosen a side.¡±

    As his firm sincerity had touched Lee Jun-Kyeong, notification messages began to appear.

    [Thest wave will begin.]

    [The boss has appeared.]

    [The Sponsors are encouraging their Incarnations.]

    [The stats of the Incarnations will increase temporarily.]

    [Some Sponsors have sponsored the Incarnations in the face of terrible adversity.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> has begrudgingly epted the current situation.]

    At the same time, something unexpected had urred.

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    It was a refreshing feeling. Even though they weren¡¯t Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s direct Sponsors, the other Sponsors had supported him.

    [All health has been restored.]

    ¡°...¡±

    In contrast, Choi Yeong-Seong had to get healed through his guild members and supplies. In the end, the one who was smiling was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Just like that, the boss appeared.

    [Warning, warning.]

    [The Boss of the Rhine Gate...]

    [...¡®River Worm¡¯ has appeared.]

    They could see what it was without having to look far.

    "Wait, wait!"

    "This is¡­!"

    <i>THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP¡ª</i>

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the river rising?¡±

    The Rhine River was named after a real ce, and the river in the gate began to rise.

    <i>Roar.</i>

    As the water started crashing down¡­

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    ¡­a huge earthwormparable in size to the entire river emerged.

    ***

    Amongst the Hunters, there was a questionnaire that floated around asking them to select the most difficult monsters. There were a wide variety of candidates. The high-ranking undead that couldn¡¯t be killed without a divine weapon, disgusting and creepy-looking insect-type monsters, and doppelgangers that would rush in with a Hunter¡¯s appearance.

    Even unique monsters that would cycle through buffs and debuffs. However, out of all of the monsters that could be voted for, there was one type of monster that received an overwhelming number of votes.

    Giant Monsters.

    Someone muttered, ¡°This is insane¡­¡±

    The sun had been beating down upon them with harsh rays until now, but was now covered up. For the first time, it felt like night had encroached on the gate. A river worm had grown to such size that itpletely obscured the sun, and it was looking down upon the Hunters.

    ¡°This really is ridiculous¡­¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had never been afraid of monsters until now. But this time, there was a special feeling of overwhelming presence that washed over him. It was more awe than fear, as if a skyscraper had suddenly be an enemy.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild¡­ Yeong-Seong Hyung should have a way to kill the river worm,¡± said Jeong In-Chang. ¡°That person should have given him something. I¡¯m sure of it. Yeong-Seong Hyung definitely has a way of dealing with it. Yeong-Seong Hyung¡­ before hunting the river worm¡­ he¡¯ll make his move.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel people looking at him. He could tell it wasn¡¯t a single individual; instead, there were several. The Northern Army Guild, Choi Yong-Su, and Choi Yeong-Seong stared at him.

    ¡°They should be making their move now. They¡¯ll make sure to first deal with us, the biggest obstacles, before they can finish the raid. You should get ready.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang drew his sword, and to his side, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s arms shed into mes. He held Muspel¡¯s Spear in his right hand, and a shield in his left.

    <i>¡®My level is¡­¡¯</i>

    He quickly opened his status window.

    [Level 29]

    It was taking forever to increase. As if everything to this point had been a tutorial, the level experience rate began tog atrociously after reaching level 20. It wasn¡¯t only the leveling that was disappointing.

    <i>¡®If I could only just use this bracelet¡­¡¯</i>

    If the useless familiar could actually be used and be useful, then Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t have been so nervous. Even though the Hunters were all humans and theoretically on the same side, they would end up fighting each other in front of the literal giant enemy, the river worm. While it was tense¡­

    ¡°It looks like I¡¯m not afraid¡­¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong half to himself.

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jeong In-Chang with a darkened expression. ¡°I will ask onest time. They were colleagues you had been with up until now. They must have been your friends. Are you sure about this?¡±

    Jeong In-Changughed bitterly, but he still clearly raised his sword at the enemy.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Are the Hunters going to fight amongst themselves?¡±

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    The surrounding Hunters eximed in panic. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t attempt to persuade them or tell them why. That role was reserved for someone else.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild is using you! Didn¡¯t you feel that something was strange in the first ce? They n to kill us all and monopolize the raid! I, the Deputy Guild Master of the Northern Army Guild, Jeong In-Chang, am testifying! Hunter Lee was right! They n on killing us from this point on!¡± Jeong In-Chang yelled in a loud voice. It was his role, and he had definitely picked a side.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still making pointless moves!¡± shouted the faraway Choi Yeong-Seong with a face full of ridicule. ¡°Nothing has changed! Northern Army Guild, we will move as nned!¡±

    Finally, the banquet has begun.

    Jeong In-Chang raised his sword for thest time and shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe us, then just stay to the side! After we die, you guys will¡­be next.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had taken a perfect stance. Compared to when they had been hunting monsters, his rhythm had changed.

    <i>¡®Dragon Killer.¡¯</i>

    He was a Hunter who grew stronger as adversity approached, and his special ability started to shine at this very moment.

    As the Northern Army began to race towards them, the river worm blew a breath towards the sky as if its pride had been hurt from being treated as a bridesmaid.

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    Waves from the Rhine River had been crashing vigorously up until a moment ago. Now, water began to spew through the mouth of the river worm, and these waters were mixed with the blood of monsters and Hunters.

    <i>Pitter patter.</i>

    Suddenly, it began to rain.

    ***

    Fortunately, the Hunters hadn¡¯t made any rash decisions. It may have been because they hadn¡¯t forgotten their resentment to Choi Yeong-Seong and his guild yet, but they didn¡¯t make any foolish decisions. Instead, they felt the peculiarities of the situation and the sincerity behind Jeong In-Chang¡¯s speech.

    One of them swore, ¡°Damn it¡­ If we¡¯re going to die either way, we might as well try!¡±

    They drew their swords against the Northern Army Guild. It would have been regretful and a pity if they had died ignorant of the situation, but fortunately, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were there.

    At that point, an unexpected and lucky urrence appeared.

    [The River Worm has stopped moving due to an unknown force.]

    [The time remaining¡­]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that there was nothing more arrogant than for these Hunters to be infighting in front of such a great enemy as the river worm. However, the river worm had stopped moving due to someone¡¯s will. It was apparent who had affected it.

    <i>¡®We can¡¯t take too long for this.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong had used the device that person had given him, and the river worm had stopped moving.

    <i>¡®That bastard.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t finish his thought. Because he was¡­

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡­in the middle of fighting Choi Yeong-Seong. The guild master was an A-Rank Hunter, and was someone who would be another Hero born in this era as long as this gate was conquered. And now, Lee Jun-Kyeong was dealing with such an enemy.

    ¡°Your fire seems special,¡± Choi Yeong-Seongmented as he smirked while looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s weapon. Even the water the river worm had sprayed that turned into rain couldn¡¯t put out Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    His fire intensified, the scorching heat pushing Choi Yeong-Seong back.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t seem to know anything,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡± Choi Yeong-Seong shouted in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s provocation. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself that the guild master was absurd. There were too many things he was clueless about.

    <i>¡®There are opposites within attributes.¡¯</i>

    For example, fire and water, light and darkness were opposites of each other. Thus, people blindly believed in the attributes in front of them and were prone to mistakenly believing in what they thought of as truths. However, those rules only applied in the <i>¡®realm of themon people.¡¯</i>

    In the world of Hunters, while opposite attributes indeed existed, things were more intuitive and straightforward. Whatever was stronger would win. Attributes wielded by the strong would consume others, even those of the opposing attribute. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes couldn¡¯t be extinguished.

    ¡°<i>Keheuk¡­</i> What in the world are you using?" said Choi Yeong-Seong while staring at him. They had been exchanging blows this entire time. The guild master had been silently wielding his sword, and he now had an unpleasant and desperate expression as he fought against Lee Jun-Kyeong. The reason was simple.

    "How¡­ How can you have gotten this strong?" Choi Young-Seong''s sword swung down again at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Just as the name implied, the powers that <The Ruler of the Riverside> was supplying were more potent here than usual. However¡­

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡­there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s me-infused shield.

    ¡°I tried my best. I put everything on the line¡­ I did exactly what that person said¡­ I only focused on getting stronger¡­¡± the guild master muttered.

    It must have been a shock for Choi Yeong-Seong to see that Lee Jun-Kyeong had be so strong, as he couldn¡¯t stop talking in the midst of battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to take a moment to humor his opponent. As he backed up and created space, he replied, ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°When I had first entered this gate, I was definitely weaker than you.¡±

    In shock, Choi Yeong-Seong responded, ¡°W¡­What¡­ Even if your Sponsor has just bombarded you with sponsorships¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped him with a smile on his lips. He had pulled it off. He was strong enough to match a Hero, no, it was someone who was not yet at the level of a hero but was still close to it. Even though his enemy was an A-Rank and he was still a B, he realized again that the special ability of the yer had given him a different strength than that of an ordinary Hunter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong basked in his overflowing power and continued, ¡°I¡¯m saying that while you were turtling up in order to conserve your strength, I got stronger by hunting the monsters.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Choi Yeong-Seong sputtered.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t understand.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something that ordinary Hunters would have been able to understand, anyway. Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed his spear at him, a crimson me erupting from the spear''s point.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. I was just saying.¡±

    The spear engulfed in mes, pierced toward Choi Yeong-Seong.

    1. The author has been pushing the meal analogy for a while now, and finally, someone will eat.

    2. Being treated as a bridesmaid is (at least in Korea) a term that means to be ignored for the main attraction.

 Chapter 26: To Become a Hero

    <h4>Chapter 26: To Be a Hero</h4>

    A spear wholly engulfed in mes flew towards Choi Yeong-Seong. While its intensity was less than the one that had been fired at the water golem previously in the fifth wave, it contained all the mes Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to gather immediately.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong could feel the mana that filled up the spear, and it flustered him. All he had tobat it was a sword. Even if he were able to block it in his exhausted state, there wouldn¡¯t be a bright future for him.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong made a sound of disapproval, water began to fall. A massive amount of water came crashing down from the sky, almost like a waterfall. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly reached out and retrieved Muspel¡¯s Spear, pulling himself back. He had a feeling that the amount of falling water and the subsequent pressure would drain him of his recovered stamina.

    <i>Crash.</i>

    As Muspel¡¯s Spear returned, the mes surrounding the spear suddenly vanished as if they were never there. The amount of mes that Muspel¡¯s Spear had contained was enormous. As he had said before¡­

    <i>¡®This is absolute oppression.¡¯</i>

    An attribute with enough power had the ability to oppress its opposite attributepletely. Within this space, only one thing had enough power to extinguish the mes fueled by Reign of Fire.

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    The river worm. Specifically, the river worm had fired its concentrated breath into the space where he and Choi Yeong-Seong had been fighting. There was a specific reason why the river worm had suddenly appeared right in this spot amid so many Hunters.

    Choi Yeong-Seong gasped, ¡°It¡¯s a sess¡­ I¡¯ve seeded¡­¡±

    As the river worm¡¯s breath began to lose its power and the powerful waterfall began to thin down, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see Choi Yeong-Seong with a greasy-looking smile on the other side.

    ¡°That person did not lie to me!¡± Choi Yeong-Seong eximed in a trembling voice as if had been ovee by a sense of ecstasy. However, there was no significant change in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression. He just stood there, watching Choi Yeong-Seong from afar.

    ¡°You bastard. Soon, you¡¯re going to cry and tremble in fear,¡± spat the guild master after failing to get a reaction out of his target. Choi Yeong-Seong became even more furious while staring at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s nk expression. But rather than raising his voice even more at him, Choi Yeong-Seongmanded the river worm instead.

    ¡°River worm! Protect me!¡±

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    In the midst of his fight with Lee Jun-Kyeong, Choi Yeong-Seong had taken control of the river worm using the wondrous sword given to him by <i>that person.</i>

    <i>Rumble</i>.

    The colossal river worm began to move, approaching closer to Choi Yeong-Seong. It was as if the ground itself was shifting.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    The river worm shifted its head toward the slyly smiling guild master. Throughout this entire spectacle, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t take any action. It was to the point that Choi Yeong-Seong had thought that his target was showing that it was futile to struggle any longer.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally began to make a move, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

    <i>¡®It looks like things are going as expected.¡¯</i>

    The screams and shouts of the Hunters could be heard from afar. Compared to the elites of the Northern Army Guild, the other Hunters were getting pushed back. It was natural. To be frank, it was admirable that the Hunters, who had a marked difference in skill level, had been able to endure the attacks of the Northern Army Guild for so long.

    Unfortunately, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the time nor the resources to save them. Instead, his eyes shifted again to another ce, where he could hear a roar.

    <i>ng! ng!</i>

    ¡°How the hell could you¡­! It¡¯s still not toote! Even now, if you get on your knees and beg, Hyung might forgive you! I¡¯m telling you, Hyung is going to conquer this gate no matter what!¡±

    The two most powerful Hunters, aside from Choi Yeong-Seong and Lee Jun-Kyeong, were fighting. It was Choi Yong-Su¡­ and the silent sword-wielding Jeong In-Chang. The oue was overwhelmingly in favor of the previous deputy guild master.

    <i>¡®Looks like it¡¯s one-sided.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yong-Su didn¡¯t have the skills to back up his violent and warlike personality. On the other hand, Jeong In-Chang had finally epted his righteous mindset and was wielding his sword in a determined manner, showcasing his eptance of his ideals.

    Most likely, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Sponsor, who had a name so odd that it was embarrassing to say out loud, was satisfied with the change in Jeong In-Chang and supported him. The former deputy guild master had grown further just by choosing a new side.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was relieved to see Jeong In-Chang overpowering Choi Yong-Su. The ex-deputy guild master would soon subdue Choi Yong-Su and move to help the other Hunters. When that happened, the battlefield would be more bnced.

    The issue was that the boss, the river worm, was opening its mouth.

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    In fact, it was trying to eat Choi Yeong-Seong, which was the method worms thought was protection. Since Choi Yeong-Seong seemed confused, Lee Jun-Kyeong raced ahead.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    He had no intention of letting Choi Yeong-Seong go. The guild master didn¡¯t seem to notice it, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had been waiting for this very moment.

    ¡°Just you wait! Because soon, the river worm willpletely crush you!¡± screamed Choi Yeong-Seong. It was funny.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took another step.

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    The river worm finally put Choi Yeong-Seong in its mouth and began to close it. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s calves and thighs swelled as if they were about to explode. All of his physical strength, which was at B-Rank, no, theparably A-Rank muscr strength was concentrated in his two legs.

    <i>Boom.</i>

    The ground under Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feet sank as if it were being crushed, and he kicked off the floor to race toward them.

    ¡°W¡­ What!¡± Choi Yeong-Seong screamed in bewilderment.

    In the blink of an eye, both of them were swallowed up, and the gigantic river worm¡¯s mouth closed.

    ***

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    The sound of a breeze echoed throughout the space. It wasn¡¯t wrong to call the ce Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing in a cave. In fact, it might even be a cavern evenrger than a cave.

    They were actually inside the mouth of the river worm.

    "You crazy bastard. To think you¡¯d jump straight into the mouth of a river worm¡­"

    Choi Yeong-Seong couldn¡¯t hide his surprise from Lee Jun-Kyeong. After all, even imagining that someone would have the guts to jump into a monster¡¯s mouth was a bit out there. In fact, unless someone knew the unique characteristics of a worm monster, no one would ever try to do this.

    ¡°What are you talking about? I aimed for this moment from the very beginning,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°W¡­ what are you saying¡­¡± Choi Yeong-Seong sputtered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for the river worm to swallow you.¡±

    Choi Yeong-Seong was flustered by the situation, while Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to talk, as if he was lecturing at someone. ¡°Anyone with a functioning brain would think something was off when the boss monster, the river worm, suddenly stopped moving.¡±

    "Well, there¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bulldozed on, ¡°It¡¯s not as if it¡¯s a spectator. Do you really think it made sense that the boss monster would just sit there watching us?¡±

    A smile spread across Lee Jun-Kyeong''s lips. It had happened.

    <i>Quiver.</i>

    The sword in Choi Yeong-Seong''s hand had shaken ever so subtly, almost unnoticeably. It was as if it had an ego and was listening to the conversation. Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s sword was a unique grade weapon that had withstood an onught by a fully charged Muspel¡¯s Spear, and the mes that had been consumed were under the control of Reign of Fire.

    It was an unusual item, noticeable with just a nce. An unusual device that was most likely given to Choi Yeong-Seong by <i>that person.</i> While it was in the form of a sword, it was actually <i>something</i> different from that.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked, ¡°I had thought it was your doing. Everyone with you was acting in the most suspicious way when we entered the gate. It was like you all had at least one trump card hidden away. There was no way you were depending on your skills either.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Above all, you said it too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a voice that seemed to be about to burst intoughter at any moment.

    ¡°River worm! Protect me!¡± mocked Lee Jun-Kyeong, going so far as to mimic Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s expression. Eventually¡­

    <i>Grind.</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong ground his teeth and raised his sword, but something made him flustered again. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong burst outughing. ¡°Puhahaha. You really are an idiot, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing there with a shield and spear in his hands, ready for battle.

    ¡°The insides of all worms, regardless of type¡­¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    mes erupted from Muspel¡¯s Spear again, and slowly they began to spread as if they were seeping into the ground and walls.

    ¡°...are all really dry.¡±

    Basically, the environment had changed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned viciously. ¡°To think you still don¡¯t understand¡­ It looks like I have to exin it to you in a manner you¡¯ll understand. As someone who is sponsored by <The Ruler of the Riverside>, by being in the exceedingly dry stomach of a worm, your abilities are halved¡­ while me, on the other hand, because I deal with mes¡­¡±

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The mes just seemed to keep spreading, and as if the wall and the ground had absorbed them, it all started to burn. Of course, the ground wasn¡¯t actually the ground outside, but instead the worm¡¯s stomach.

    And just like that¡­

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    The river worm screamed as if in burning pain.

    ¡°I¡¯m basically telling you I¡¯m stronger than before. And here, alongside the river worm¡­¡±

    <i>Boom.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shot toward Choi Yeong-Seong with his spear in hand. In the blink of an eye, the head of the spear had reached Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s chest.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong had barely been able to block it, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly pivoted and mmed the other man with his shield before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you in one sitting.¡±

    <i>Puheok!</i>

    Finally, cracks began to form in the sturdy and reliable armor that had protected Choi Yeong-Seong all this time¡­

    ***

    [Muspel''s Spear has absorbed mes.]

    [Your fire resistance has increased by an additional amount temporarily.]

    [Your attack power has increased temporarily.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear the constant notification messages telling him that he had been strengthened.

    <i>ng! Crash!</i>

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Choi Yeong-Seong was overwhelmed, entirely surrounded by fire.

    -<i>KEUGAHHHHHHHHHH!</i>

    The pain-filled roar of the worm vibrated to where they were standing inside. As a result, the trembling mes scattered like the scales on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s armor.

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other side, Choi Yeong-Seong looked horrible. As he had no resistance to fire, his hair had already been burnt off, and he had suffered severe burns to his face.

    ¡°<i>Keughhhk¡­</i>¡±

    He moaned in pain from his superheated iron armor. Everything about him was in the worst condition,pletely opposite of how Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing. Although he was apletely overwhelming A-Rank Hunter, he wasn¡¯t able to use any of his power. Even though he had been able to turn the boss of the A-Grade Gate, the giant river worm, into his minion, he wasn¡¯t able to block the spear that pierced between his shoulder des.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    "<i>Heok¡­ heok¡­</i>"

    Whether it was the shouts distorted by anger or the provocations out of rage, Choi Yeong-Seong was no longer able to react in any way. He wasn¡¯t even able to beg for mercy. It was as if his vocal cords had melted.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put a little strength into his hand that was holding the spear and raised the guild master up. The guild master resembled a piece of skewered meat as he rose into the air and stared down at Lee Jun-Kyeong. The light was fading from his eyes. In the end, he opened his mouth, ¡°Everything¡­ was¡­ it was perfect¡­¡±

    It sounded like he had given up on everything, but even in the midst of the guild master''s final speech, Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear a hint of rage.

    ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­ are you¡­¡± Choi Yeong-Seong questioned Lee Jun-Kyeong, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to answer him.

    <i>''Now¡­''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was distracted, thinking of something else. Although it couldn¡¯t be considered a perfect victory, he was already very close to winning against an A-Rank Hunter. Even if he did nothing else, the guild master¡¯s death was all but inevitable.

    It was time for him to make a choice. He had returned to the past, be a Hunter, gained the power of the yer that only the Demon King had, and vowed to change the future. In fact, he had be stronger, strong enough to control the life and death of the Hero Gunther, the War King. Now. he hade to a crossroads.

    <i>¡®I have to make a choice.¡¯</i>

    It was a choice that would decide everything, such as the next steps he would take and how the world would change by his decisions. He had to decide at this very moment.

    ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­ are¡­¡±

    -<i>Keugah</i>.

    Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s voice gradually faded away, coinciding with the river worm¡¯sst breath.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to give an answer at that moment. ¡°I¡­¡±

    <i>Flicker, flicker.</i>

    The mes surrounding Lee Jun-Kyeong began to undte as if they were dancing, eventually approaching Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s right arm as if they were being absorbed before crawling toward Muspel¡¯s Spear. He closed his eyes for a moment.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s corpse burning up in the mes while it was still hanging off of Muspel¡¯s Spear. The answer that Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of to thest question Choi Yeong-Seong had asked before he died was: ¡°The Devil.¡±

    He would surpass the Demon King and be The Devil.

    1. He didn¡¯t actually say this before word for word. He said whatever was stronger between the two would win. Therefore, this term will now be called Absolute Oppression.

 Chapter 27: To Become a Hero Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 27: To Be a Hero Pt. 2</h4>

    The excitement in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes gradually faded.

    Instead of a monster, he had killed a Hunter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had made his choice, not to take the path of tolerance but the path of an overlord. No, the path of the Devil. Furthermore, beyond thaty another path. It was the only way he could change the world. That was the conclusion he had reached.

    The world wouldn¡¯t change that easily. Moreover, he had neither the brains nor the strategic ability to change the world without resorting to force or violence. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that both his knowledge and skills alone weren¡¯t enough to do things like monopolizing the Authorities or sweeping out wealth.

    <i>¡®All I can do is¡­¡¯</i>

    All he could do was hunt monsters and be stronger using the book and the information he knew from the future as the foundation. He would strive to change it all with his strength, cing the burden of sin on his back alone.

    <i>¡®As long as I can change the future I lived in¡­¡¯</i>

    He would bear it no matter the stigma or sin. He had resolved to do that after returning to the past.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> supports your choice.]

    It was a path that would be traveled by stepping over the backs of others, one passing through countless rivers of blood, traversing on a path built of flesh.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have any intention of epting this sort of support.¡¯</i>

    Just as he had that thought, something happened.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has absorbed the soul of the Hero.]

    Finally, the useless Familiar he had been given, began to vibrate.

    <i>''Damn.''</i>

    His initial hunch about the method to activate it was right. It wasn¡¯t that it needed the soul of a monster. Instead, it required the soul of a strong person. Basically, someone who had be a hero or was about to be a hero through repeated growth was the perfect seed.

    There would be no further surprises if that was all to it, since he had expected that much. However, a little whileter, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. It was absolutely unbelievable, and it was something that even he, who hade from the future, had never seen before. It was something that wasn¡¯t even written in the Demon King¡¯s book.

    The impossible had happened.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is¡­]

    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>

    The sound of an anxious heartbeat rang out, and Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for the voice to finish speaking while he listened to the heartbeat.

    [<The Ruler of the Riverside> has been recorded in the Apocalypse.]

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    [All sponsorships given by <The Ruler of the Riverside> will be terminated.]

    It was ridiculous.

    He sputtered, ¡°What th¡­¡±

    That wasn¡¯t even the end of it.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles at you.]

    "¡­"

    Stunned, Lee Jun-Kyeong was dumbfounded for a moment, standing there with trembling eyes

    <i>¡®Did a Sponsor just perish¡­?¡¯</i>

    Moreover, he couldn¡¯t understand what reason his Sponsor, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, had for its actions. It was widely believed that Sponsors could never die and that sponsorships for the Incarnations wouldn¡¯t end unless the Hunters died. It was the truth. This was something unheard of anywhere.

    ¡°When the Incarnation died¡­ the Sponsors would die as well¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he stared at the stomach lining of the burning river worm. He shook his head. He didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the matter.

    -<i>Keugahh!</i>

    The river worm would die soon, and the fight was still ongoing.

    <i>Shiver.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the beautiful sword lying on the spot where Choi Yeong-Seong had died. The device had been used to control the river worm, but it was useless at this point as the river worm was on its deathbed. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly approached it, intending to pick it up.

    Just as Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to ce his hand around the sword that was gifted by <i>that person</i>, something urred.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    ck light began to emanate from the sword. Lee Jun-Kyeong watched without panicking. The light from the sword wasn¡¯t something that could ever hurt him. Instead, it was a side effect that urred when the sword was returning to its original form.

    [<i>Kyaak!</i>]

    Suddenly, the sword vanished. Instead, a blue and ck crow was haughtily looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong while it strolled around the burning space. After briefly staring down at him, it muttered in human speech.

    [I''ll watch you for a little longer. What you¡¯ve said is interesting.]

    <i>Crackle.</i>

    After it spoke, a ck portal appeared, tearing through space. The crow threw itself into the portal and disappeared. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t attempt to suppress or catch it. It would have been futile anyways because he didn''t currently have the power to do so. That was one of the powers that person possessed, the All-Seeing Ethereal Eye.

    <i>''Huginn.''</i>

    Furthermore, Choi Yeong-Seong would have passed on what he had seen and heard anyway as he had be that person¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Make sure you tell your master what you saw and heard,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered towards the vanished Huginn. This wasn¡¯t the time for him to be like this. Just then¡­

    [The Boss of the Rhine River Gate.]

    [The River Worm is dead.]

    The worm had been engulfed by mes that had spread inside of it.

    [You have earned the highest contribution.]

    [You have acquired the Essence of Water.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Hunted the River Worm¡¯ achievement.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Conquered the River¡¯ achievement.]

    <i>¡®The one who conquered the river?¡¯</i>

    That wasn¡¯t the end of the notifications.

    [All of the Sponsors who had been observing the space admire your feat.]

    [Some Sponsors wish to support you.]

    [<The Guardian of the Long Spear> has¡­]

    [<The Symbol of Round Things> is¡­]

    [<The Eternal me> is¡­]

    Multi-sponsorship! But then¡­

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> bares its bloody teeth.]

    [The Sponsors have given up on sponsoring you.]

    "¡­Damn it¡­"

    Like always, it ended with the level-up notifications.

    [Your level has risen.]

    [Your level has risen.]

    Following that, the river worm began to topple slowly.

    ***

    The copsed river worm was charred inside and out, almost like a giant lump of charcoal.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Noises began to emerge from within the copsed lump of charcoal.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Finally, someone walked out from the carcass like the heroes who were rumored to have broken open a shell to emerge in the world.

    ¡°Hunter Lee!¡± shouted Jeong In-Chang as he ran towards Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked out and brushed off hispletely scorched and burnt armor.

    ¡°...¡±

    He blinked as he stared at the scene in front of him. The other Hunters were silently staring at Jeong In-Chang and the river worm in session before finally looking at the Northern Army Guild.

    <i>¡®What about Choi Yong-Su?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly found that person in question. The two most dangerous issues at this gate, the river worm and Choi Yeong-Seong, had been dealt with. However, that didn¡¯t mean that all the dangers had disappeared. He had exhausted his mana and stamina from the fight. Though he had recovered his stamina somewhat through leveling up, he had lost so much health that it barely made a difference.

    If, by chance, Choi Yong-Su was still alive, it would not be easy. After all, Choi Yong-Su was also a strong Hunter. If that punk came after him in full health, then he¡¯d be in trouble.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± said Jeong In-Chang, having shown up before Lee Jun-Kyeong could register it. He had noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s anxiety and said while pointing, ¡°Yong-Su has been properly suppressed.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    However, there was nothing there. Neither of them were able to hide their flustered reactions.

    Jeong In-Chang sputtered, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ I was sure I had suppressed him and tied him up¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong did his best to spot the punk, but as he began to think that he couldn¡¯t find him anywhere, a scream broke his concentration.

    ¡°You bastard¡ª!¡±

    As if out of the blue, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a hoarse voice behind him. It was Choi Yong-Su. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly turned around with his shield in ce in front of him.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Choi Yong-Su¡¯s greatsword mmed into the shield.

    "<i>Ugh</i>."

    Due to his exhausted stamina, his shield arm constantly shook, and as a result, he wasn¡¯t able topletely block the blow. As the shield dropped to the floor, Lee Jun-Kyeong aimed Muspel¡¯s Spear at him.

    Choi Yong-Su shrieked, ¡°What the hell do you do to my Hyung?! Everything was ruined because of you punks-! Die-!¡±

    The crazed man¡¯s greatsword had already appeared right above Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head. It was a desperate crisis. At that moment, something incredible urred.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    A beautiful blow from a sword produced a powerful cutting sound.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked upward in silence.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Choi Yong-Su had been in the middle of shing down his greatsword, but his head fell off first.

    <i>Gurgle!</i>

    Hot liquid poured out of his decapitated body like a fountain.

    ¡°I¡­ guess I didn¡¯t have to make a move¡­¡± said Jeong In-Chang bitterly. The shield had fallen off Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s left hand, but his hand was now on Choi Yong-Su¡¯s chest. Even if Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t killed Choi Yong-Su, it wouldn¡¯t have ended with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s death. The worst oue would have been avoided.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Just like his head, the rest of Choi Yong-Su¡¯s body copsed onto the ground.

    <i>Shaaa.</i>

    Something came out of Choi Yong-Su¡¯s body and flowed into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bracelet.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has absorbed the soul of another Hero.]

    It was as if the skull had eaten Choi Yong-Su¡¯s soul. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to analyze what had happened or help tofort Jeong In-Chang because the other man¡¯s eyes were shaking in an indescribable way. Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, the surviving Northern Army Guild members and the other Hunters were all stunned by what had happened.

    [The gate has been conquered.]

    A voice rang out in their mind.

    ***

    The Rhine River Gate was supposed to have been a B-Grade Gate, but in reality, it had be an A-Grade.

    <i>Click click click click!</i>

    As soon as the gate disappeared, they were met with a baptism of shes, just as what Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected. When the Hunters covered their faces in response, the camera sounds increased in intensity.

    <i>Click click click click!</i>

    "Stand back!"

    ¡°These are the people who have emerged after raiding the gate!¡±

    "Please refrain from excessive filming!"

    The Hunter Association members had finally appeared. Fortunately, the shes had also finally stopped, allowing them to see again.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    One of the members reacted in a flustered way, revealing his true feelings about the appearance of the group.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t the Northern Army Guild¡­?¡± someone whispered.

    ¡°Wait, Choi Yeong-Seong isn¡¯t here?¡±

    ¡°Neither is Choi Yong-Su!¡±

    As if they heard something prior to the survivorsing back, the Hunter Association members started shouting like they had been taken aback. After all, most of the Hunters there didn¡¯t have the guild pattern of the striped shield, which they definitely were supposed to have. In addition, there was a man whose face they had never seen before standing in the middle staring back at them.

    "What is this?!"

    "Take the photo! I¡¯m telling you to take it!"

    The reporters had refrained from shooting due to the interference of the Hunter Association staff, but once again began to press the shutter of the camera even more rapidly than they had been They had keenly sensed that something was off. shes of light peppered the Hunters.

    ¡°Who are you!?¡±

    ¡°What happened inside?¡±

    "What is your identity?"

    "Or your name!"

    Anyone who was looking at the situation could tell that the man in the middle of everything, with even the surviving Northern Army Guild members standing behind him, was the Hunter who contributed the most to closing the A-Grade Gate, the Rhine River Gate. Moreover, he was a rookie whose name they didn¡¯t know, let alone his face.

    <i>¡®This is amazing.¡¯</i>

    Every journalist''s dream wasing true at this moment. While it still would have been a big hit if Choi Yeong-Seong of the Northern Army Guild had returned alive and had a dignified interview with them, it was a more exciting and interesting subject to have a rookie Hunter, whose name and face was unknown, be the one who was responsible for raiding the A-Grade Gate.

    A never-ending baptism of camera shes spilled onto them. It seemed as though the Hunter Association members were equally as perplexed. In the midst of their confusion, where they were confused as to how to proceed, a familiar voice could be heard.

    ¡°That man is-!¡±

    ¡°He is the widely rumored Super Rookie who had an Awakening Rank of D!¡±

    "What?!" one journalist yelped.

    Another shrieked, "What did you say?"

    "Super Rookie?"

    The reporters shouted in unison as they quickly turned their cameras toward the source of the voice. It was the man who had revealed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity.

    <i>sh.</i>

    ¡°That person is¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the League Guild¡¯s Yeo Seong-Gu!¡±

    ¡°They must know each other!¡±

    It was a tall and attractive bald man.

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    1. This literally trantes to ¡°The end of <The Ruler of the Riverside> has been acknowledged.¡± However, because of the entire theme of gods, Eden, Christianity, and the fact that the ?? here is the same ?? in The Sky of the Apocalypse, we are going to continue with the Book of Revtions-esque Apocalypse.

    2. This is a reference to Odin, the All-Father and the eye he had sacrificed to gain omniscient knowledge.

    3. ¡¯Thought¡¯ in old Norse, one of Odin¡¯s two ravens.

    4. The literal sentence is like the heroes said to have broken the egg and be birthed to this ground, but I am not sure what myth it¡¯s referencing.

 Chapter 28: To Become a Hero Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 28: To Be a Hero Pt. 3</h4>

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s words caused a sudden uproar, and the fire in the reporters zed even further. Other than Lee Jun-Kyeong, the other Hunters were bewildered by the situation and had tired expressions.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ I want to rest¡­¡± one Hunter murmured.

    These poor, hapless Hunters couldn¡¯t even rest immediately after they risked their lives and returned from the gate. As for the Hunter Association, they seemed utterly taken aback, as if it was totally unexpected.

    <i>¡®Looks like they still have yet to process the entire situation.¡¯</i>

    The side characters had returned alive, and the expected main characters had died. They were confused as to how to act in response to the orders they had been given.

    <i>¡®Looks like this confirms it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was now sure the Hunter Association had nned all of this. There was no reason for him to doubt himself. After all, this was something he had seen in the Demon King¡¯s book.

    At that time, again, Yeo Seong-Gu had gotten involved.

    ¡°The Hunters have returned after raiding a hell-like special gate!¡±

    The bald man continued, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we give them time to breathe? While you and the public all have a right to know what happened, there is still time. For now¡­¡±

    He looked at the Hunters. They were exhausted, and there wasn¡¯t a single Hunter who was uninjured.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give a word of encouragement to the heroes who came back alive.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s sincere speech had ended. Someone began to apud.

    It was followed by louder apuse. Yeo Seong-Gu was right. No matter what had happened inside, they were still Heroes. In fact, they were Heroes who had returned from a hell-like special gate, where survival had seemed impossible.

    <i>Click, click, click, click!</i>

    The camera shes went off again, but it was different from before. The expressions of the Hunters had also changed. The reporters were no longer focused on the ¡®single Hunter¡¯ who had raided the special gate. They were now congratting all of the Hunters who had survived.

    ¡°AHHHHHH!! We came back alive!¡± roared one Hunter who had encouraged the Hunters even while inside the gate.

    "Congrattions!"

    "Thank you!"

    "Let''s all let the Hunters rest!"

    Finally, the gate attack had ended.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to have a conversation with Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t because he was offended or angry by what the bald man had done. Yeo Seong-Gu had corralled the reporters together and revealed his identity at the same time. Lee Jun-Kyeong was mystified by Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s thought process.

    He muttered to himself, ¡°How did he know my intentions?¡±

    After all, the older man¡¯s actions had helped him a lot. Lee Jun-Kyeong had nned it all out. He was going to snatch the role of the protagonist of the ¡®Making of a Hero¡¯ event that the Hunter Association had publicized.

    The original screeny had chosen Choi Yeong-Seong as the main character, but after Lee Jun-Kyeong had seeded in killing Choi Yeong-Seong, he became sessfully reborn as the main character who had defeated the river worm.

    It was possible that Yeo Seong-Gu hadn¡¯t known the n and just did it to help him obtain the recognition and the reward.

    <i>¡®Apparently, I had forgotten about Heimdall¡¯s true strength.¡¯</i>

    But it was as if Yeo Seong-Gu had known of his n from the very beginning. The bald man had all the fame toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, which made his existence more prominent. Lee Jun-Kyeong now remembered a passage he had seen in the Demon King¡¯s book.

    [Heimdal''s true worth was not his power. What was better than his power, which could be rated at the top of the world¡­]

    He was said to be a master tactician, a strategist superior to the genius Demon King. Simply put, it meant that he was smart. Perhaps it was because Lee Jun-Kyeong was being influenced by his memories of the future Heimdall, who had been acting as the normal Yeo Seong-Gu for too long, but he had forgotten that Heimdall was intelligent.

    <i>¡®Damn, it¡¯s not like you can just look at Hyung and realize that he¡¯s a genius.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been looking down on the older man. The Yeo Seong-Gu he had been ustomed to was iparable with the word genius, even to the point that it was difficult to call him an average person.

    After all, this was the man who couldn¡¯t even calcte the prices of goods at his own convenience store and even reduced his earnings in order to give Lee Jun-Kyeong an extra sry by increasing his working hours. Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to equate the image of his Boss rubbing his shiny bald head while struggling to count with the image of a genius.

    <i>¡®Thinking back on it, could that just have been his way of making it easier for me?¡¯</i>

    Had his Hyung been trying to give him more money in a sly way? No, he couldn¡¯t be sure of anything.

    <i>¡®I could have been manipted like a fool for some ns that I wasn¡¯t even a part of.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall was clearly not someone who was stupid or brain-dead. Either way, Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to have a discussion about what had just happened. However, Yeo Seong-Gu had drawn the attention of the crowd of reporters to himself and stepped forward as a spokesperson. It was to help the Hunters, no, to help him escape from that ce. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to speak with Yeo Seong-Gu because of that.

    ¨CLet¡¯s meet tomorrow.

    A text had already arrived from Yeo Seong-Gu asking to meet tomorrow.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s handled then.¡¯</i>

    For the first time in a long while, Lee Jun-Kyeongy in his soft bed. Then, as he sunk deeper into the luxurious bed, he began to think.

    ¡°Who are you, really?¡± he said while looking at the ceiling that was only lit by the light of the light bulbs. Of course, he was talking to <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    But still, he did not receive any answer. The way that <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had acted at the Rhine Gate was nothing but shock and horror itself.

    <i>¡®To think it was able to¡­¡¯</i>

    It had murdered a Sponsor, which was basically the only way he was able to express what had happened in human terms, even though it sounded crude. It may have been something much moreplex or different for the Sponsors, who were thought to be something beyond humans.

    <i>¡®<The Ruler of the Riverside> can no longer support Hunters.¡¯</i>

    That waspletely unheard of, so much so that Lee Jun-Kyeong really thought that it might have meant the death of the Sponsor. Just as the term Sponsor entailed, sponsoring someone could be seen as proof that the Sponsors were alive. Furthermore, he had only gotten that notification after he had killed Choi Yeong-Seong.

    No one had ever heard of a Sponsor¡¯s death before. Very few people even believed that the concept of death applied to them as the Sponsors were widely thought to be transcendent. But he had seen it, felt it, and even heard it.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered what <The Sky of the Apocalypse> really was, and, as if by fate, a voice spoke to him.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles at you.]

    ***

    There were piles of documents in the room. A man¡¯s hands and eyes were scanning through the piled documents as fast as they could reach them. But he wasn¡¯t just fast.

    <i>Scritch-scratch.</i>

    He signed consistently, and every signature was ced in the exact same spot. The man seemed to grasp the entire contents of the documents with just a single scan, even with only one eye. His single eye was moving as if it needed but a moment to capture everything.

    <i>Scritch-scratch.</i>

    By the time he had signed an incredible amount of documents, he heard something outside his window.

    <i>Knock knock.</i>

    As he turned his head, something pping its wings from outside jumped and entered the room. It was as ck as the night sky.

    ¡°Huginn.¡±

    It was a crow.

    "You¡¯rete."

    The man greeted the crow with a sagely benevolent smile. Then, as if bursting with joy, the crow sat on the man¡¯s shoulder and ced its beak by the man¡¯s ear.

    "Hmm..."

    Though there was no sound, the man nodded as if he was listening to the crow, at times his brow furrowing.

    <i>Poof.</i>

    As if the jet-ck crow had burst open, it soon disappeared, leaving only ck feathers. The ck feathers turned into ck liquid, flowing from the bottom of the man¡¯s feet and seeping into his chest. Within the blink of an eye, the man was alone in the room again observing the documents.

    However, he was smiling this time.

    ¡°He¡¯s entertaining. He knew that I could control the river worm, but to think he also knew about the ¡®Making a Hero¡¯ script,¡± the man muttered to himself after organizing the paperwork.

    The crow had added additional information to the report he had already heard. Just the fact that ¡®that punk¡¯ had defeated Choi Yeong-Seong, killed the river worm and even repelled the Northern Army Guild while raiding the gate was enough to draw his interest. But, the information Huginn brought only served to excite him further.

    ¡°To think he can grow stronger by hunting monsters¡­¡±

    That punk had spoken as if he was speaking directly to the man. He must have known who the man behind the crow was, calling out to him. He was a provocative little punk.

    The man smirked. "Looks like I¡¯ll have to meet him soon.¡±

    Just like what Huginn had said to the punk while acting ording to the one-eyed man¡¯s will, the man really hoped to meet him soon. Wait.

    <i>Knock knock.</i>

    ¡°Come in.¡± The man who had opened the door bowed deeply and said, ¡°Association President, about the Rhine River Gate¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, perfect timing. I had something to tell you about that as well,¡± replied the Association President. The man raised his head in surprise. The Association President smiled in a lively manner.

    ¡°It looks like it''s time for me to meet the survivors.¡±

    The man immediately nodded. Even without any other interference, the media¡¯s interest exceeded all expectations due to the events that had urred. Once the news got involved, the situation would explode even further. For something of this magnitude, it needed to be handled by at least a high-ranking official from the Association, if not the president himself.

    ¡°Ah, by the way¡­¡± the Association President hadn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°You got the information on the crimesmitted by the Northern Army Guild members, correct?¡± he said with a sinister smile. The Association President had issued another death sentence for the already deceased.

    ***

    "¡­"

    A slightly skinny man was standing in front of a building with the words [Northern Army Guild] written on it, signifying that the building was the office of the Northern Army Guild.

    "¡­"

    However, like the man who stood there silently, the building was also devoid of noise. In the past, the always boisterous voices of the guild members or even the loud stomping that always apanied their footsteps could always be heard. But now, he couldn¡¯t hear a single thing. He didn¡¯t have hearing problems. After all, Hunters had sensitive ears, and his hearing had grown exceptionally sensitive from the opportunities he had earned in the dungeon. The building was actually empty.

    Completely empty.

    "I..."

    Finally, the man who was looking at the building muttered to himself.

    ¡°Did I make the right choice¡­¡±

    The man was Jeong In-Chang, who had a fitting title: traitor. He had led the Northern Army Guild to defeat. Not only that, but he had even killed Choi Yong-Su, an old friend of his and a fellow deputy guild master, with his own hands. The sight of his fallen friend was stuck in his head. His eyes shook whenever he recalled it. "<i>Ha¡­</i>"

    He let out a sigh. They had raided the gate and received a lot of support from the Sponsors. Thepensation from the Association was guaranteed, and no one could deny that he had made an outstanding achievement as a Hunter.

    However, he felt conflicted.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    Why did he feel as though something was pricking his conscience?

    A thought struck his mind.

    <i>¡®Why is this less painful than it was when I was with them?¡¯</i>

    Compared to how much it weighed on his conscience at every moment he had been with the Northern Army Guild, the pain he felt now was minuscule. Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t define the indescribable feeling in his mind.

    He wondered what he was supposed to do from this point.

    He had lost his guild. He had never desired fame or to be the strongest. He had be a Hunter by chance, and only worked as a Hunter by following Yong-Su and his older brother Choi Yeong-Seong. He had only be strong because he had talent and support.

    Being a Hunter was tiresome for him. He could no longer feel the need to continue living as a Hunter.

    As soon as that thought hit him, he heard a voice behind him.

    ¡°Deputy Guild Master.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stiffened. He turned his head slowly. Behind him was arge group of people standing in silence. They were the Northern Army Guild members, the surviving members.

    He grimaced. ¡°You guys¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing wrong, Deputy Guild Master,¡± someone from the group interjected before Jeong In-Chang could finish speaking.

    ¡°Deputy Guild Master Choi Yong-Su and Guild Master Choi Yeong-Seong have paid the price for their sins.¡±

    They were the members of the Northern Army Guild that Jeong In-Chang had saved, and were the very same members that Choi Yeong-Seong meant to sacrifice. These members had also had simr doubts and were dissatisfied with the guild¡¯s behavior as Jeong In-Chang had been.

    Furthermore, they hade to find someone with a different value that took precedence over strength. In the battle that had taken ce in the tenth wave, Jeong In-Chang had quickly subdued Choi Yong-Su and moved to save them.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t give up. Please don¡¯t give up on the Northern Army Guild.¡±

    They bowed their heads as they said things that flustered Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°We will follow you, Deputy Guild Master.¡±

 Chapter 29: To Become a Hero Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 29: To Be a Hero Pt. 4</h4>

    The group suddenly bowed their heads and dered their allegiance, but their actions only served to disconcert Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°What¡­ quickly raise your heads¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he gestured for them to get up with his hands.

    ¡°I want to live honestly. Not only as a Hunter but also as the father of a child,¡± said one of the representatives of the guild members who was bowing.

    Another member then raised his head and said cautiously, "There is something that the Deputy Guild Master doesn¡¯t know."

    There were no passersby nearby. It may have been a coincidence or nned that way. Regardless, he continued, ¡°We are murderers.¡±

    "¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang''s face stiffened.

    ***

    As promised, Yeo Seong-Gu hade to see Lee Jun-Kyeong the next day. They met at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s apartment to avoid having to meet outside. It may have been because they had gotten morefortable with each other or because of the secretive conversation they were about to have, but Lee Jun-Kyeong weed him warmly and had prepared some tea.

    "Hyung, do you like jujube tea?"

    He sat down at the table holding a steaming cup, and across from him was Yeo Seong-Gu with an unreadable expression.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    They had nned to talk today, but the look on the guild master¡¯s face made him feel as though it would be challenging to begin the conversation.

    Fortunately, Yeo Seong-Gu spoke up first.

    ¡°Did I end up harming you with my actions?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered calmly, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about what you had said to the reporters after the gate raid, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    All the guild master was going to say was that it had been a mistake. Furthermore, because of his actions, Lee Jun-Kyeong had instantly be a superstar.

    ¡°I¡¯ve be famous thanks to you. It''s great.¡±

    He had be the main topic of the morning newspaper and TV channels, and his face had been stered everywhere. Everyone cheered for him, and everyone was astonished. A-Grade Gates hadn¡¯t been raided recently. Of course, this gate had been a B-Grade initially, but that change had made it even more exciting. He was a Hero who had ovee adversity.

    The public found it astonishing as it was unthinkable that a single person had conquered it. It would have been more probable if the Northern Army Guild had done it instead.

    -Underdog, who Is the Mysterious Hunter who Conquered the A-Grade Gate, Contrary to Everyone¡¯s Expectations?

    He had earned a reputation, and the people now called him Underdog.

    ¡°You¡¯ve earned yourself a name that doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu was right. The term underdog was the same as calling him weak. Lee Jun-Kyeong had never been weak.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a wrong statement, is it?¡±

    He was a neer with no expectations upon him. They may have called him the Super Rookie, but that moniker had been erased due to this incident. He had been a Hunter who didn¡¯t have the power to raid an A-Grade Gate. Moreover, he was a rtively weak Hunterpared to the Northern Army Guild as he had no power. The term Underdog wasn¡¯t all that far off.

    "Anyway, thank you for thinking that way," Yeo Seong-Gu said while nodding.

    Since Heimdall had made the first, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s turn. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    The bald man asked, "What do you mean?"

    "The fact that I was going to use ''Making a Hero'' and warp it for my own use."

    Heimdall¡¯s expression had rxed for a moment, but furrowed once again.

    ¡°Making a hero¡­¡±

    The term ¡®Making a Hero¡¯ hadn¡¯t been used yet in this day and age. Heroes weren¡¯t made, nor could they be made. In this era, people only thought that Heroes would be born through the blessing of heaven, a Sponsor¡¯s will, luck and timing. But in reality¡­

    ¡°Does that mean you can make a Hero?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked as if he was curious.

    ¡°You already know the answer to that,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, throwing a fastball. Instead of throwing a curveball that spun round and round, he had hurled a direct fastball straight into Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s rigid expression.

    He hadn''t finished yet either.

    ¡°Hyung, you¡­¡±

    <i>Gulp.?</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed and did his best to continue. He was about to drop the final fastball, his winning move.

    There was a chance that everything could be ruined.

    Whether it was his ns for the future, or his rtionship with Yeo Seong-Gu, if their rtionship went wrong from this, things may spiral out of control, as they didn¡¯t have a concrete trust between them yet.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought it was time to let it all out of the bag.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a member of Asgard.¡±

    <i>Jolt.</i>

    He had felt it for the first time. This was <i>¡®Hyung¡¯s current real power.¡¯</i> For the first time, Yeo Seong-Gu had expressed hostility towards him in the form of bloodlust. But soon, the bald man suppressed it, his expression returning to its previous calmness. However, he didn¡¯t hide the uneasiness and distrust in his eyes.

    "You¡¯re not denying it."

    Truthfully, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already guaranteed his victory.

    This had been information he had definitely seen in the Demon King¡¯s book.

    [Heimdall. When he and I met, he was already a member of Asgard.]

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t sure of when the two had met. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t know if the Yeo Seong-Gu he currently knew had entered Asgard yet or not.

    Asgard was the secret organization of Hunters with great power. There was great significance to the name and many stories about its secrets and members. But, if he had to pick out one thing that was significant about it, then it¡¯d be the fact that <i>that man</i> was the head of the organization.

    The same man Choi Yeong-Seong had been raving about without pause was also a member of Asgard.

    ¡°How did you know¡­?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked carefully.

    ¡°You first, Hyung. What drove you to even act like that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    He already knew Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s personality. While it was bound to have some differences from the Yeo Seong-Gu of the future, the bald man still severely hated getting attention or interest. It was a tendency Lee Jun-Kyeong had learned by spending a lot of time with him. To think a person like that had acted to absorb the spotlight¡­

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t think of any other reason than that he knew my n and wanted to help.¡¯</i>

    This was how he had already guaranteed his upper hand.

    ¡°Looks like I suffered a loss,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu finally said with a disappointed expression.

    ¡°I also had doubts about you. You had a growth rate that defiedmon sense. And your eyes and actions always seemed like you knew something¡­¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you decided to make the next move,¡± responded Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had wanted to see Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reaction when he had acted in that manner. The guild master had doubts about him and had made his move after much thought in order to confirm them. Both of them had revealed each other¡¯s secrets. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had something that he didn¡¯t.

    <i>''I''m the one with the sword, Hyung.''</i>

    It was the information about the future and the information he had read from the Demon King¡¯s book. This was the nail in the coffin.

    ¡°Hyung, why do you think I acted like that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Is it because you wanted to be a Hero?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and smiled slightly. Then with a soft voice, he said, ¡°I want to be a part of Asgard.¡±

    There was no need for him to turn around. He had found a faster path.

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ not too long.¡±

    A dark, gloomy face had appeared. Lee Jun-Kyeong was once again weing a guest to his rental apartment. As it was one given to him by the Hunter Association, the Association most likely knew every visitor that came to his home. Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t hesitate to meet people at his home. This time, Jeong In-Chang was visiting.

    "How have you been¡­ I guess there really isn¡¯t a need to ask," said Lee Jun-Kyeong as he followed what the other man had done. There was no way that Jeong In-Chang had been well, judging by the other man¡¯s gloomy expression and dark circles.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s to be expected.¡¯</i>

    He had betrayed his guild that he had considered family and killed an old friend with his own hands. Everything would have been a mess, whether it was his life or happiness.

    <i>¡®Looks like he¡¯s been through hell.¡¯</i>

    He was probably going through the lowest point of his life. He would see the figure of himself falling without end.

    ¡°Why did you want to meet¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked carefully.

    ¡°Let¡¯s work together,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded without beating around the bush. Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t seem flustered but instead looked somewhat troubled.

    ¡°I know my usefulness ended at the Rhine River Gate¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I no longer hold any value to the Northern Army Guild nor any power over it. Furthermore¡­¡±

    The other man paused, musing over something.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression had hardened. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s reaction was well within his expected range. Betraying one¡¯s guild and one¡¯s friends would bring great guilt to anyone. However, this had reached another level of severity. Jeong In-Chang had grown up as a Hunter and must have dealt with the various aspects of humans and the monsters known as monsters, but his heart was weaker than Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought.

    How did such a person be the great Hero Siegfried?

    Currently, Jeong In-Chang resembled nothing more than a cripple who was drowning in self-loathing.

    "You are a person that is more than worthy enough," Lee Jun-Kyeong said to convince him.

    What came back in response was even more bitter self-hate.

    ¡°You speak as if you know anything and everything. Yes, you were right, Mr. Lee. The Northern Army Guild was garbage, and I was a part of that garbage heap.¡±

    He continued with tears in his eyes, ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop any of what happened¡­¡±

    There was something different going on.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mistakenly thought Jeong In-Chang had fallen into such self-loathing from betraying his family and friends. However, the reality was different. He had sunk into this ditch due to something else.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang thought about something for a moment.

    ¡°It will be revealed anyway, so I guess we can talk about it,¡± he said in a determined manner. Lee Jun-Kyeong patiently listened to him.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild was more garbage than I had thought. Yeong-Seong Hyung and¡­ Yong-Su had been hiding everything from me.¡±

    ¡°What did they¡­?¡±

    The other man continued in a halting voice, ¡°It was worse than what I had known¡­ more brutal things had been done. The Northern Army Guild members¡­ at Yeong-Seong Hyung¡¯s orders¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what Jeong In-Chang was about to say. Although he knew a lot about the Northern Army Guild, Gunther, and Choi Yeong-Seong, most of what he had known was stories of the past. These were stories that were written after the birth of a Hero named Gunther at the Rhine River Gate and the sesses of the Northern Army Guild.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing I could know about this.¡¯</i>

    This was a secret that had emerged as a result of the history he had changed.

    Jeong In-Chang finally admitted, ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s murder.¡±

    "I beg your pardon?"

    Secrets that emerged from history were even more brutal, like a secret of an unknown fairy tale.

    ¡°What you had gone through, Hunter Lee. Do you still remember it?¡± the former deputy guild master asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the conflict between the ordinary people and Hunters,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, putting it simply. But, in reality, it was closer to persecution than conflict.

    The other man bit his lip. ¡°Correct. Conflicts that I wasn¡¯t privy to¡­ it apparently happened quite frequently.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong predicted what he would say next.

    ¡°Are you saying¡­ that the Northern Army Guild killed the civilians that they had conflicts with? Before the civilians could report them anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ and¡­¡±

    Even if Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t borate, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he understood the situation. He had understood how it all worked and been subject to simr situations, so he could envision the entire situation. But, like what he had undergone, he was aware of how the Northern Army Guild handled their issues.

    He stated, ¡°He must have entrusted these things to the guild members he had nned to sacrifice in the gate.¡±

    That was why Choi Yeong-Seong had tried so hard to deal with them. They knew the secrets of the Northern Army Guild and would have been a thorn in his side.

    <i>¡®If these members of the Northern Army Guild had ended up fine, they would have been disposed of slowly.¡¯</i>

    Even if it wasn¡¯t during this gate, it would have happened eventually. Just like the yers unit of the Northern Army Guild had done, they could have gathered separately and carried out massacres of the civilians. Granted, that was something from the era when hunters ruled the world.

    It was the secret history of the Northern Army Guild that had been uncovered in the future and the reason why the Demon King was angry with them.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± responded Jeong In-Chang, his eyes red.

    ¡°Yeong-Seong Hyung was concerned that the civilians who had conflicts would end up going against <i>that man</i>. He had the civilians who were a part of the conflicts secretly assassinated. He used the guild members that he had nned to discard away¡­"

    His hands were shaking, and Lee Jun-Kyeong could begin to understand his feelings. However, as more of the story came out, the more Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to tell him the truth.

    ¡°Do you really think Choi Yeong-Seong was worried about <i>that man</i>?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°The person that the civilians who had the conflicts with, may have been Choi Yeong-Seong, not <i>that man</i>.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang fell silent. He was like a doll that didn¡¯t know what to say or how to act. He must have been suspicious as well and probably didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    <i>¡®Did he just had a breakdown?¡¯</i>

    It might have been that the truth had been too harsh, or it might have been because he was reaching a sensitive topic, but Jeong In-Chang¡¯s reaction was rtively muted.

    It was bing dangerous. At this rate, Jeong In-Chang would bepletely destroyed and be a cripple. But even if what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said wasn¡¯t true, he was determined to bring the man to his side.

    <i>¡®I refuse to give up.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, he had the determination to do so.

    "...What do you think would happen if the same thing happens over and over again from now on?"

    1. It reads monsters(Korean) called monsters(English).

 Chapter 30: To Become a Hero Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 30: To Be a Hero Pt. 5</h4>

    The crumbling Jeong In-Chang suddenly raised his head after hearing what Lee Jun-Kyeong just said.

    ¡°That sort of thing even happened in a small guild like the Northern Army. The gates appeared suddenly, and Hunters with powers were born. People who used to be regr humans suddenly became ordinary humans with no power. That sort of thing¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared directly at Jeong In-Chang with an intense look.

    ¡°In the era we live in right now, it¡¯s something that could happen to anyone. No, I would bet that it would happen anywhere,¡± he said, his volume rising a little.

    ¡°It¡¯s something that is already happening. Didn¡¯t a guild like the Northern Army work so hard to keep a secret like that as well?¡±

    By killing those they had conflicts with,bined with the powers they had by being Hunters, they were able tomit the perfect crime, altogether avoiding suspicion.

    They may have threatened or persuaded the victims¡¯ families, or worse¡­

    <i>¡®They could have just killed them as well. Even the victims¡¯ families.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t just mere suspicion as Lee Jun-Kyeong knew the future. However, he didn¡¯t try to exin it to Jeong In-Chang. If he pressed on further, Jeong In-Chang could truly end uppletely broken.

    "¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly asked, ¡°Will you be turning away from it all, Mr. Jeong? Are you willing to let other people undergo everything you and the other surviving guild members had endured?¡±

    He could see emotions beginning to bloom in the fading light of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I want to stop those types of things. I want to rectify the wrongs we have done. I don¡¯t want to¡­ I want to prevent the same thing you have seen, heard, and endured from ever happening again,¡± Jeong In-Chang replied resolutely.

    Fury had been ignited in him. Then, Jeong In-Chang, his eyes full of anger goaded on by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, asked a question.

    ¡°Do you think you can stop such things, Mr. Lee? Is this not arrogance and pride? I know you have great power, but from what you¡¯re saying, you already know about <i>that man</i>, don¡¯t you? Compared to his power¡­ we are like dust.¡± His indignant outburst was correct. Moreover, Jeong In-Chang seemed to think this all had happened because of that man.

    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what you think, though.¡¯</i>

    There wasn¡¯t much difference between <i>that man</i> and Choi Yeong Seong. It was more than likely that he had intervened to further hide the secret murders that had beenmitted by the Northern Army Guild so far, even if all of the evidence was destroyed using the power of the Hunters.

    Considering the number of guild members they were trying to sacrifice, the number of things the Northern Army Guild had done couldn¡¯t have been small. None of this could have been hidden away. There had to have been a facilitator who must have had incredible strength and ridiculous power.

    <i>¡®That man.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang interrupted Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°If you really think you could change it all, prove it. Prove that you have the power to do so, that you can change the world with that power. No, if you could just tell me anything convincing, I¡¯ll believe you. Can you do that?¡±

    His expression was as if he was asking Lee Jun-Kyeong to take responsibility for what he said. There was nothing wrong with what Jeong In-Chang had said, and at that time, the skull on his right wrist began to tremble ever so slightly.

    <i>Buzz.</i>

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has finished processing.]

    [A Skull That Contains Souls will be activated soon.]

    He then heard a voice. Without any time to process the notification, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to respond to Jeong In-Chang. He had already made up his mind.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    He hade to the conclusion that he needed to say something that would be able to persuade Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°...havee from the future.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face spasmed.

    <i>¡®That was worth the confession.¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t know what Jeong In-Chang would think, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was confident.

    <i>¡®I have obtained two Heroes.¡¯</i>

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has been activated.]

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has been born as a true Familiar.]

    ***

    Rather than deceiving Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong told him the truth.

    <i>¡°Ha.¡± Jeong In-Chang sighed in disbelief.</i>

    <i>¡°If that was a joke, then forget about it.¡±</i>

    <i>In the end, he didn¡¯t believe it. Instead of exining that he really was from the future, Lee Jun-Kyeong gave him a different reason.</i>

    <i>¡°Soon, something big is going to happen,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.</i>

    <i>Rather than giving him invisible hope, he offered visible despair.</i>

    <i>¡°Many people will die, more will cry, and even more will change.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°How¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked with a gaze of disbelief.</i>

    <i>¡°When that timees, we will need your strength. You must have heard that the Association would summon us soon, right? Let¡¯s meet again, then. Please consider what I¡¯ve said?carefully.¡±</i>

    That conversation Lee Jun-Kyeong had with Jeong In-Chang was three days ago.

    -The foul Northern Army Guild, could the damage they received at the Rhine River Gate be retribution?

    -Hunter kills ordinary people.

    -The Northern Army Guild and the many evils theymitted.

    -Hunters killing ordinary civilians; their deaths go unnoticed.

    TV Channels had been ying news about the Northern Army Guild nonstop. The public opinion that had been incited by the Rhine River Gate couldn¡¯t be suppressed, but rather, it had ballooned further.

    -Kill them.

    -Put them to death.

    Any and everyone who exposed the Northern Army Guild was being targeted. But, he was sure that even if they had turned themselves in like Jeong In-Chang had said, they weren¡¯t the only ones who had wanted to expose their sins.

    ¡°Did that person make a move?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to himself while flipping through the news channels. The sins of the Northern Army Guild that were suddenly being revealed were so terrifying that it was a miracle that they had been able to hide them until this point. Also, the quantity and quality of the released information were high, as if¡­

    <i>¡®As if they had prepared it in advance.¡¯</i>

    It looked like that person had nned to discard them once they¡¯ve outlived their usefulness. It was akin to cutting off a long dragging tail in order to make sure they destroyed its very ability to exist in the world.

    <i>¡®To make sure no one is left that would trust them.¡¯</i>

    That was <i>his?</i>way.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned off the TV. Because of how the situation was unfolding, the Northern Army Guild members who had killed the victims¡¯ families would end up paying the price for their sins.

    <i>¡®If the Northern Army Guild hadn¡¯t been annihted now¡­¡¯</i>

    They would have continued to murder under Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯smand. They had started with oppression and coercion, leaving no way out for those who had already wet their hands with blood. If, by chance, they continued to survive and repeat their actions under Choi Yeong-Seong the yer Squad would end up being born.

    That squad was essentially a group of psychopaths who would grow numb to the ability to feel guilt and would see ordinary people as bugs, no, even lesser than bugs. In the first ce, it was his fault they had been marked as sacrifices for the gate. Without him, they wouldn¡¯t have been abandoned, leading to the possible birth of the yer Squad.

    <i>¡®Judging from the fact that they voluntarily surrendered, or from what Jeong In-Chang had told me¡­¡¯</i>

    It looked like these people still could feel a smidge of guilt. It was enough to prick their consciences. In a way, it was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong had saved them from falling into further corruption. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to say that everything had ended well.

    <i>¡®Was this a good result?¡¯</i>

    They had been forced tomit those deeds under pressure from the higher-ups. Even if their sentences were likely to bemuted, considering the various reasons rted to the special characteristics of being Hunters, it was still too hard for him to decide whether what he had done was right.

    It was aplicated situation. Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t been a part of any of it, even if it was doubtful that Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su had intended to try to keep him away from the dirty work deliberately.

    <i>¡®It''s not something that I would know.¡¯</i>

    Even though everything was over, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

    In addition, his meeting with Yeo Seong-Gu showed that not everything had been adequately resolved.

    <i>Buzz.</i>

    If there was something that had definitely been dealt with, it was the vibrating skull on his wrist. The Skull that Contains Souls had finally been activated. When the Rhine River Gate raid had beenpleted sessfully, the Skull that Contains Souls had benefited a lot.

    <i>¡®It wasn¡¯t enough that it absorbed Choi Yeong-Seong, but it also absorbed Choi Yong-Su too.¡¯</i>

    Neither of the two were heroes. Even though neither of them had be a fully flourished Hero, the Skull that Contains Souls had absorbed both souls in ce of the soul of a Hero. Perhaps their potential was enough for it.

    <i>¡®This greedy little pig.¡¯</i>

    It didn¡¯t just eat their souls. Whether it was the water gem he had obtained by defeating the water golem in the fifth wave or even the Essence of Water from killing the river worm in the tenth and final wave, it suddenly announced that all the materials had been gathered and started activating without any approval on his end.

    <i>¡®Forget about the water gem¡­¡¯</i>

    The Essence of Water was a treasure among treasures; if he had sold it at a fair price, he would have earned an unimaginable amount of money.

    He groused, ¡°I could have gotten a good shield if I had gone to find Park Jae-Hyun.¡±

    If he had used it as a material for equipment, he might have gotten a unique-graded armor or even better. However, the Skull that Contains Souls had eaten them up from his inventory without a single word of exnation and had activated.

    <i>¡®As if anyone would say it wasn¡¯t a Familiar given?by him¡­¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to grumble internally.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> raises a question.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smirks in your direction.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> waves its hands toward you.]

    All he heard was the reactions of the indecipherable <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. Regardless, the activation had ended, and the punk had finally gotten a name.

    He said aloud, ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    Suddenly, the bracelet that was wrapped around Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s wrist broke off, and the skull began to float in the air and rise. It had been the size of a fingernail but instantly swelled up into the size of a fist.

    -Did you call me, Master?

    It suddenly spoke, one of its eyes shining so blue that it pricked at his eyes.

    ***

    After raiding the Rhine River Gate, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t go on any hunts or even leave his home. Due to his sudden poprity, his face had been stered everywhere, and all the attention was on him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s definitely going to be annoying if I try to go out right now.¡¯</i>

    People would express their interest in him. It was a result he had intended, but it was still inconvenient. In the present age, not long after Hunters were born, the poprity of Hunters was simr to that of celebrities. No, they were even more popr than that.

    The reasoning was easy to understand. They were something that could only be seen in novels or movies and only existed in imagination.

    Heroes.

    Those who carved their own flesh and bones to aid mankind. Of course, while the reality was different, they had that sort of appearance to people at first nce. It wasn¡¯t an inurate representation of them, either.

    After all, the Hunter Association worked hard to maintain that image of Hunters.

    However, the sudden poprity wasn¡¯t the only reason Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t attacking dungeons.

    ¡°Aah.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sat cross-legged, groaning as if he was enduring pain, but there was seemingly nothing there that was causing it.

    Sweat trickled down his forehead, dripping down his face, and dropping from his chin. He closed his eyes.

    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t enough.¡¯</i>

    If anyone asked him who had grown and benefited the most from the Rhine River Gate, while he wouldn¡¯t have answered, the answer was himself. He had leveled up and obtained the apanying increase in stats,bined with a further increase due to his sponsorship.

    It was an upgrade that other Hunters couldn¡¯t have even fathomed. Furthermore, the Familiar [Hyeon-Mu] had been born, and Muspel¡¯s Spear had leveled up in the river worm¡¯s stomach alongside Reign of Fire.

    More importantly, his mana had risen to the point he had desired. He nodded and opened his eyes to look at the blue window disying his stats.

    [Status Window]

    [Lee Jun-Kyeong]

    [Special Ability: yer]

    [Sponsor: <Sky of the Apocalypse>]

    [Level: 34, Strength: 81, Agility: 93, Stamina: 101, Mana: 120]

    [Authorities: Reign of Fire Lv 4]

    [Familiars: Hyeon-Mu, A Skull that Contains Souls (disabled)]

    There were three things of note in the status window. His level and stats had grown due to the Battle of the Rhine. His level had reached a whopping 34, and his total stats were 395, approaching the 400 mark.

    It was an encouraging level of growth. He had reached a point where both the Hunter Association and himself were sure that he had reached A-Rank.

    Another surprising thing was other than the increase in stats and his Familiar¡¯s activation, nothing else had changed.

    He grumbled, ¡°When in the hell are you going to sponsor me¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if he was begging for another Authority.

    <i>¡®Please, can¡¯t you just give me one skill?¡¯</i>

    He would be even stronger if he had even one passive skill, like shield mastery or spear mastery. Since he had Muspel¡¯s Spear, he didn¡¯t need any weapons, so he begged his Sponsor to please give him a skill. However, his damned Sponsor didn¡¯t do anything except raise his stats.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> frowns at your greedyints.]

    It wasn¡¯t wrong. Even though it didn¡¯t provide proper support, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s growth rate was the best out of all Hunters.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not enough with just this.¡¯</i>

    While he had earned a rank worthy of a Hero, he still hadn¡¯t be one yet. He would only be a Hero after receiving a title from a Sponsor, like Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s Gunther or Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s Heimdall. Of course, the two couldn¡¯t bepared that easily, and Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s ¡®Heimdall¡¯ was something special, but it worked as an example.

    A Hero would be stronger, as if they had raised dozens of levels, just by earning a title. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just that he wanted to get stronger, either.

    <i>¡®After the cataclysm, the ratings would be adjusted anyway.¡¯</i>

    The colossal event he had told Jeong In-Chang was about the cataclysm, where many things would change and be destroyed. While there was still some time left, it would arrive any time now.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t stop it.¡¯</i>

    No matter how hard Lee Jun-Kyeong tried, even if he had more power than the Demon King at this point, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the cataclysm. When that time arrived, the ranks of Hunters would be readjusted.

    <i>¡®Would A-Rank Hunters even be able to reach the C+-Rank?¡¯</i>

    Unbelievable changes would happen. Before the cataclysm urred, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to do his best to be strong.

    What he had been trying to do with his eyes closed was something that he was able to attempt now that his mana had reached over 100. Stats would grow iprehensibly every time a digit¡¯s ce increased. For example, it was like there was a wall that couldn''t be ovee by force between a strength level of 99 and 100. His mana had reached over 100, so he was able to do things that he couldn¡¯t have even attempted before.

    [Mana was like the air around us.]

    It was a verse he had seen in the book of the Demon King.

    [I, and many other Heroes, had a thought. Couldn¡¯t it be that we weren¡¯t properly using the true power of mana?]

    Talented, blessed geniuses, Heroes with incredible power that grew stronger and stronger, and the Demon King had figured it out together.

    [We thought of a method. A method to try to draw out more of the power of mana.]

    It was the first iteration.

    [A way to make the mana gifted by the Sponsors entirely ours; we called it a Mana Stream.]

    They had eventually seeded and found a way.

    If a Hunter had a mana value of 1, they were only able to use 0.3 of it. However, this was a method meant to use that mana to the fullest, and it currently didn¡¯t exist at this time.

    Heined, "It¡¯s not working."

    It might have been because it was all written by hand, but Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to materialize it.

    <i>¡®If you can¡¯t even use a mana stream¡­¡¯</i>

    The mana stream was the first developed method. Later, the Demon King took what he had made with the other Heroes and developed it into his own mana stream. It was a method of ultimate efficiency that no one else had ever achieved. However, it was too early for him even to attempt the first iteration.

    He felt as though it was useless to devote more time to something that wasn¡¯t working, and he came out after washing his sweaty body. Furthermore, there was another reason he had stopped attempting to create a stream.

    "I¡¯vee to pick you up."

    Kim Su-Yeong knew the password to his ce, so the other man had just opened the door and came in.

    "Let''s go to the Association."

    Today was the day they had to head to the Hunter Association for the investigation.

    <i>¡®Will I finally meet him?¡¯</i>

    It was the first day Lee Jun-Kyeong would be meeting <i>that man.</i>

    1. Like how lizards will cut off their own tail to save themselves, giving them up to be eaten while they escape.

    2. It says ????, which refers to the pain one gets in their eyes from something too bright. It''s often described as an icy cold pain in the back of one¡¯s head in Korean.

    3. While it reads name(??) in Korean, and not title (??), it functions more like a title than a name.

 Chapter 31: A Test

    <h4>Chapter 31: A Test</h4>

    ¡°I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen the unrivaled Lee Jun-Kyeong get nervous,¡± said Kim Su-Yeong with a genuinely surprised face. Lee Jun-Kyeong had his fists clenched and a paleplexion. Kim Su-Yeong felt it was strange to see him like that.

    ¡°Am I not a human, too?¡± responded Lee Jun-Kyeong, rxing a little after hearing that.

    ¡°Yes. I thought you weren¡¯t human¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong continued, ¡°Am I wrong? You¡¯re never nervous, even when you enter a dungeon. In fact, you were calm when you entered the Rhine River Gate.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that was true, and after some thought over this, he agreed that it was the case.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re nervous about meeting the Association President, right, Mr. Lee? Well, I guess he isn¡¯t someone anyone can just easily meet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Still, there¡¯s no need to be too nervous. It¡¯s not like you were called over because you made a mistake. The Hunter Association just wanted to congratte you on your achievements and have some simple conversations,¡± Kim Su-Yeong consoled.

    There was definitely nothing wrong with what the other man was saying because it was already information that was known to the public. But sometimes, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Kim Su-Yeong and thought that he truly could be an idiot.

    <i>¡®Is he just naive?¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, maybe Kim Su-Yeong was the type of person who could still be positive even after knowing the situation. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out if Kim Su-Yeong truly believed the Association President¡¯s words, or if he was just simply taking what the Association President¡¯s subordinate had said at face value.

    "Mr. Kim."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to awaken a little sense of reality in him.

    "Yes?"

    "More than fifty Hunters died at the Rhine River Gate."

    "¡­"

    Kim Su-Yeong was taken aback by the sudden topic change, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop talking.

    ¡°Among them, the main leadership of the Northern Army Guild, which had already established itself as a guild, was annihted.¡±

    To be precise, it was the guild that<i>?he?</i>had been interested in and wanted to raise.

    Kim Su-Yeong tentatively interjected, ¡°What you¡¯re saying is¡­¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t just call us to congratte the survivors and get a report of the situation. It¡¯s an umon way to perform¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a slightly bitter smile. ¡°...an interrogation.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong stood there with a furrowed expression. To be frank, there was no reason to tell him this. Whether he knew or not, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have an obligation to inform him.

    <i>¡®Grow up a little.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted him to look at the situation from multiple different viewpoints. The reason he had told him this was because he wanted Kim Su-Yeong to think a little more and grow a little more. Lee Jun-Kyeong liked Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s character. He was a neutral person who was neither too kind nor too weak. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no hesitation in growing attached or building a friendship.

    ¡°I would like to keep meeting with you, Mr. Kim.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was relieved to see Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s reaction. Instead of looking displeased or falling disappointed, the man had a certain zeal to his expression.

    <i>¡®Good.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Mr. Lee, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    Then, the secretary of the Association called Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ***

    On the path to the Association President¡¯s office, Lee Jun-Kyeong mused about thest time he met Yeo Seong-Gu while following the secretary.

    <i>¡®I want to enter Asgard¡­¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to bepletely taken aback.

    <i>¡°That¡¯s not something I can decide. As you may already know¡­¡±</i>

    It was the first time Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen Yeo Seong-Gu that flustered. Asgard, what sort of feeling did that name bring about in him?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew roughly about the situation he was in.

    [Heimdall was dissatisfied with Asgard¡¯s behavior; while its original purpose had been for humanity, Asgard had fallen.]

    He had seen it in the Book of the Demon King.

    When Heimdall had met the Demon King, he had already held a great skepticism regarding Asgard. True to its secret organization status, he found it challenging to find an avenue to escape. It wasn¡¯t until after he had met the Demon King that the two of them were able to seed in running from Asgard. In fact, the Demon King had also belonged to Asgard for a while.

    The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to join Asgard was that he would be able to grow rapidly based on the information and strength he¡¯d obtain from there.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to join Asgard faster than the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    He would swallow it all until it ran out of its usefulness. That was the goal he had set. But, in order to get there, he had endured the risks that apanied selling his face and chose to gain fame.

    ¡°You can just enter the room.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived at the office of the Association President and looked ahead.

    [Office of the Association President]

    Terrifying words were written on the door. Despite being strong, the Association President was not an easy person to meet. In this era, the Association President wasn¡¯t simply an administrative person who had to handle the public office.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a position that needed to be backed with the strength of a Hunter.¡¯</i>

    It required political power, informational power, and even strength. The man that sat in such a demanding position was someone who needed to be able to satisfy them all.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong opened the door and entered, a man momentarily looked up at the sound. Then, he raised his head and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong directly.

    ¡°Ah, look at me, inviting a guest over and beingpletely out of it. Today has been busier than ever.¡±

    He rose from his seat and approached Lee Jun-Kyeong with a benevolent smile. Lee Jun-Kyeong was 190cm tall, but the man, who looked to be in his forties, didn¡¯t lose out at all. Instead, he felt evenrger than Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if this was what was called <i>¡®presence.¡¯</i>

    As those thoughts ran through his mind, the man held out his hand and spoke.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I may becking, but I am the head of the Korea Hunter Association. You can call me Jang Hyo-Jin.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suppressed his trembling emotions and grasped the offered hand.

    <i>¡®This man is¡­¡¯</i>

    The Northern Army Guild had followed this man with such awe. He was a terrifying person. His story would be passed down into the future and had been mentioned several times in the Book of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about the first time he had seen any mention of him in the Book of the Demon King.

    [He has strength that one had no choice but to acknowledge. So strong that even I couldn¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯d win easily.]

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the strength in the man¡¯s grasp and responded.

    ¡°My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    The man rxed his grip and spoke while smiling kindly again.

    ¡°Shall we skip past the small talk and get to the main point?¡±

    His voice suddenly rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear.

    ¡°What is your identity?¡±

    Even up until this point, the man hadn¡¯t erased the kind smile from his face.

    ***

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had considered various different oues of the meeting, he hadn¡¯t considered that things would have evolved to the current situation.

    ¡°It looks like you already know the answers to everything you wanted to know. Is there really a need for me to waste energy on repeating a pointless conversation?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied boldly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know that I am the ¡®person¡¯ they spoke about?¡±

    He seemed to have no intention of hiding anything from the very beginning. He was one of the few people in the world who had gotten a familiar this early on. That same familiar, Huginn, would have already reported everything it had heard between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Choi Yeong-Seong.

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong was a little stiff, the tension that Kim Su-Yeong had felt from him earlier on had disappeared.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    If the Association President wasying his cards on the table outright, then he would be more than happy to ept.

    Rumors imed that the Association President had an incredibly mysterious temperament that was hard to grasp. He was an influential figure recognized within political circles and a well-known manager within the corporate sphere as well. More importantly¡­

    <i>¡®Our experiences are different.¡¯</i>

    The experience that Lee Jun-Kyeong had umted was an era apart from the experience of the man in front of him. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew a lot of information, but his ability to use and wield it in information warfare was severelyckingpared to the Association President.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not just as he seems.¡¯</i>

    From the abilities he was rumored to have to his appearance of being in his 40s, not a single thing about him was true.

    [He was like a roon. Don¡¯t believe anything about him, as everything about him was most likely a lie.]

    It was much morefortable to have things out in the open rather than fighting over every inch with someone like him.

    ¡°Where are my manners? Why don¡¯t you sit down first.¡±

    Hefortably guided Lee Jun-Kyeong to a seat that had been prepared and then went to his own chair and sat down. Then, as they faced one another, the man fished for more information.

    ¡°You¡¯re such an impressive young man. It doesn¡¯t seem to be like everyone else. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°I am exactly as I seem.¡±

    ¡°Good, good.¡±

    The man had obtained another piece of information, that Lee Jun-Kyeong and he were not the same. Furthermore, he learned that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew about his identity.

    Very few people knew the secret of the Association President. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reply was the same as his admitting that he knew this unknown secret.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a unique young man,¡± he said while taking out a certain document.

    As it passed by, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to nce at what was written on it. He saw his name inrge letters on the first page.

    ¡°Was rescued by the ¡®League Guild¡¯ from a Gate and became a Hunter.¡±

    The man slowly read through the document with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s information on it. He resembled a grandfather reading a children¡¯s book to his grandson.

    ¡°Awakening grade was D-Rank. To think, within close to two months after awakening as a Hunter, you became a B-Rank¡­¡±

    The Association President couldn¡¯t hide the surprise on his face.

    ¡°What an incredible growth rate. Are you sure you¡¯re really not the same <i>¡®case¡¯?</i>like me?¡±

    ¡°I am not.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ You had a sh with the Northern Army Guild. That¡¯s right, I remember. That person was you.¡±

    Even though he must have already known, he was pretending he didn¡¯t. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if this was the president¡¯s way of showing that he wanted to begin the fight now.

    The Association President continued, ¡°It truly is a coincidence that only the upper management of the Northern Army Guild was destroyed in the Rhine River Gate, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It was unfortunate, but it was a very possible result.¡±

    ¡°True. Hunters dying in a gate is amon urrence."

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    Thick mana began to emanate from the Association President. It was different from the bloodlust Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt from Yeo Seong-Gu, but it felt even more concentrated and insidious.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill him? Choi Yeong-Seong, the punk I raised.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to respond as the heavy mana pressuring his body made it difficult.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°Did you see it through the crow?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded after breaking free of the pressure from the Association President¡¯s mana. The Association President seemed to be in shock, as he had broken free of something that even an A-Rank Hunter would find difficult to escape.

    <i>¡®Good?thing I practiced the mana stream.¡¯</i>

    It had been more straightforward than expected for him to break free of it. Although he wasn¡¯t able toplete the mana stream, he was able to rely on the minute flow of mana he had been able to feel during training to relieve the pressure brought on by the mana of someone with no knowledge of mana stream.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°It was me. There¡¯s no need for me to lie. I was the one who killed Choi Yeong-Seong. What sort of problem could there be with that? I was just defending myself against a Hunter who was trying to kill me,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong confidently even though he had just admitted that he had killed a fellow Hunter.

    The Association President, Jang Hyo-Jin, finally removed all his masks.

    ¡°Of course, there is a problem,¡± he said in a cold tone.

    ¡°You destroyed the horse on my janggi board that I had been raising. How could there be no problem?¡±

    ¡°But, even if you say janggi horse, it''s not as if it was a general. He was but a pawn, wasn¡¯t he?¡± replied Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    The older man spoke with great vigor as if he wanted to take out a weapon and strike Lee Jun-Kyeong in the neck at that very moment.

    "How much do you know?"

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it earlier, Association President?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    The president¡¯s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

    ¡°To skip past the small talk and get to the main point.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to push his momentum. Then, breaking free of the pressure of the Association President¡¯s emanating mana, the mana shifted in his favor.

    ¡°Have you heard from Guild Master Yeo from the League Guild?¡±

    While the Association President must have already known the rtionship between the two of them, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke in a way to insinuate that friendship between them didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just say it outright.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I want to join Asgard.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a cheeky one.¡±

    The Association President made no attempt to hide beyond a mask any further. From this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he could die at any time. But of course, he didn¡¯t n on dying easily.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Just as the Association President had removed his mask, Lee Jun-Kyeong did the same. It was as if a feast of mana was gathering within the room. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana slowly spread and began to pressure Jang Hyo-Jin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. I want to join Asgard.¡±

    The president snarled, ¡°Do you¡­ even know¡­ what Asgard is¡­¡±

    He was definitely showing the president that he was a powerful Hunter. Though it was still a basic mana stream, he had produced a mana pressure by unconsciously applying a concept he hadn¡¯t fully learned yet.

    ¡°Asgard was the first party of Hunters created for the purpose of saving mankind. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out his winning move. It was dangerous to provoke the Association President any further. It was time to cut out any useless words and conclude the conversation.

    ¡°And you are...the King of Asgard. Odin.¡±

    ¡°...!"

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll repeat it. I want to join Asgard.¡±

    The mana that had filled the room disappeared as if it had been washed away.

    1. ???(neoguri), better known as roon dog or tanuki, is known to be a trickster in East Asia. If a fox is known to be sly in the West, a neoguri is known to be a trickster, a liar, and a deceiver in the East.

    2. A strategy board game popr in Korea, actually closer to Go, but called Korean chess as the premise is the same, where you win by taking units.

 Chapter 32: A Test Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 32: A Test Pt. 2</h4>

    "¡­"

    Jang Hyo-Jin was the president in charge of the Hunter Association, and in the shadows, he was the king who ruled Asgard, Odin.

    Odin was a strong man who was not only able to influence Korea but also the world. He was a First Hunter and a Hunter stronger than anyone else at that.

    However, this incredible Hunter sat there silently. Across from him, Lee Jun-Kyeong sat silently as well.

    <i>¡®Did I go too far?¡¯</i>

    Although he was exuding an aura of confidence outwardly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was actually filled with tension. It was as if he was walking on a thin sheet of ice.

    [Odin had never had a good personality; his benevolent mask was aplete lie, and he was actually more petty and more cruel than anyone else.]

    Contrary to Odin¡¯s publicly known appearance, the story that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen in the book of the Demon King was absolutely shocking. He was an incredibly cruel and petty king. It was easy to tell just how vicious and twisted his personality was by looking at how the Northern Army Guild turned out.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to provoke him. There was a valid reason as to why he was acting this way.

    [Still, Odin also had a weakness.]

    The book of the Demon King had mentioned something he could use.

    ¡°And how is it that you know all of this, young man?¡±

    Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s words had confirmed it.

    [Odin¡¯s curiosity is like an insatiable monster. His desire to find out more was so deep that it was like there was no end. It was to the point that if it meant that he would be able to satisfy his curiosity, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to join forces with his enemy.]

    Odin¡¯s personality and what he sought the most was something he could take advantage of.

    ¡°You were even aware of Huginn¡¯s existence. Not only that, but you were also aware of the fact that I had given it to Choi Yeong-Seong in order to control the river worm. And you even said, ¡®I got stronger by hunting monsters¡¯ to give me something to chase after.¡±

    The Association President lived for the quest for knowledge and wisdom, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had gambled on it even though he was weaker than the older man. Odin would never kill him. Even if Lee Jun-Kyeong had provoked Odin¡¯s royal ire, thetter would keep giving him one chance after another.

    ¡°Most importantly¡­¡±

    Jang Hyo-Jin continued without attempting to hide his burning desire.

    ¡°My<i>?eye</i> doesn¡¯t work on you. Did you know about my <i>eye</i>?¡±

    <i>¡®As if I didn¡¯t know.¡¯</i>

    Odin¡¯s eye was imbued with the absolute sacredness he had received from his Sponsor. For Odin, it was his most potent weapon, the Eye that Pierced the Truth.

    [Odin was interested in me.]

    The Demon King had gone through the same thing as Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [Because his eye didn''t work on me, and also <i>it?</i>is...]

    The only things that Odin¡¯s eye couldn¡¯t see through were the Demon King and himself.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> expresses extreme distaste for attempts at interfering with the mind of a Sponsor.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> warns the Seeker of Wisdom.]

    It was a facet of being sponsored by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t answer Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s question about him knowing the Eye that Pierced the Truth. Instead, Jang Hyo-Jin looked at him, sitting there silently without an answer, and smiled.

    ¡°How entertaining.¡±

    Anything that he didn¡¯t know, the unknown, they all gave him a catharsis-like joy.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting.

    From this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong only had a single lifeline.

    <i>¡®I need to get and keep Odin¡¯s interest by doing the best with the information I have.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t hide the necessary and extremely important information anymore. From this point on, the longer he interacted with Odin, the more he would have to fight for every moment. So, Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for the president¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Okay. While it will requireplicated procedures¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice to have you join Asgard. Though I have my personal interest, your potential and intelligence are also astounding.¡±

    It was done. Finally, the door to Asgard was opened.

    <i>¡®Much of the n can go forward only after I join Asgard.¡¯</i>

    In this era, Asgard was a long-standing group with the highest power among the many secret organizations that existed. It was the gathering of the first Hunters. Of course, while there were several other organizations out there, the Korean-based Asgard was the most important one to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Furthermore, he had another reason why he wanted to join.

    <i>¡®Someday¡­¡¯</i>

    He would destroy Asgard from within.

    The Demon King was the enemy of Asgard. While he had been a member briefly, he hadter withdrawn from Asgard alongside several others, including Heimdall.

    Thatter turned out to be a crucial mistake.

    Asgard didn¡¯t have a good impression of the departed Demon King and Heimdall, and the Demon King continued to be a stumbling block for them.

    <i>¡®They should have destroyed it before leaving it.¡¯</i>

    The Demon King had actually tried to dismantle it after leaving, but there were limits to what the former members could do. In the end, after a long and arduous fight, Asgard was taken down, but not before the two sides had left devastating wounds on each other. The Demon King and many of hispanions ended up losing their strength. The wounds of that battleter resulted in the death of the Demon King.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ns were different.

    <i>''I will join Asgard sooner and use their power to grow.¡¯</i>

    His eyes flickered.

    ¡®<i>And then. Destroy it from the inside.¡¯</i>

    Odin¡¯s eye couldn¡¯t see through him. Therefore, the king would never be able to figure out his intentions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll allow your entrance into Asgard.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was ultimately allowed to join Asgard.

    "But, there are conditions."

    "¡­"

    Odin continued, ¡°Asgard is a more secretive organization than you might think. I don¡¯t know how much you actually know, but I can assure you, you don¡¯t know everything about Asgard.¡±

    However, there was still another hurdle that remained.

    ¡°Let me give you a few admission tests, in the name of the King of Asgard, Odin.¡± His expression had shifted into the same arrogance that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen earlier.

    ¡°Originally, Choi Yeong-Seong, that useless dimwit from the Northern Army Guild, was supposed to do this after bing the Hero, but¡­ I guess I¡¯ll leave it to you. If you can pass a few tests, you¡¯ll be recognized as an official member of Asgard."

    The older man paused and then said, ¡°Of course, there should be some kind of restriction to prevent all of this from being disclosed.¡±

    A kind of light suddenly began to be emitted from under the eyepatch on his left eye. At that moment, the rapidly brightening light rushed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that everything was going well as even Odin¡¯s ban had urred as expected. Asgard was a secretive organization and its existence was carefully guarded. Thus, Odin must have been quite concerned that someone who was not yet a member of Asgard had known about it. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even want to join Asgard right away. Compared to the other members of Asgard, he was still quitecking. He knew that they would have wanted to test his qualifications.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles creepily at you.]

    However, his Sponsor¡¯s power had extended beyond Odin¡¯s special eye.

    <i>¡®To think it even destroyed the restriction.¡¯</i>

    In fact, his Sponsor had even destroyed the forbidden restriction that Odin had ced on him at the end of the conversation. However, Odin must not have noticed it. <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had interfered in the form of sponsorship.

    <i>¡®Seriously¡­¡¯</i>

    The Authorities of <The Sky of the Apocalypse> that were recorded in the Book of the Demon King were limitless. Furthermore, because there were so many things that the Demon King was immune to due to its interference, it was easy to see that <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had a high rank even among the other Sponsors. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know that it was this overpowered.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way. Doesn¡¯t that mean that all mental attacks and restrictions are negated?¡¯</i>

    It was a ridiculous enough concept that he had thought of an impossible result, something thatpletely broke the bnce.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles towards you.]

    However, seeing its reaction, there was nothing that Lee Jun-Kyeong could be sure about. It was an absurd situation.

    "Mr. Lee Jun-Kyeong?"

    As he was thinking about The Sky of the Apocalypse, he heard a voice.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± apologized Lee Jun-Kyeong after he noticed Chu-Tae. He admonished himself for getting lost in thought after inviting someone over to meet up.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong straightened his posture and said, ¡°Did you talk about anything important¡­?¡±

    The man in front of him had also encountered the same situation. He had met <i>that person</i>¡ªno, he had also met Jang Hyo-Jin, the President of the Hunter Association. Lee Jun-Kyeong was very curious about his meeting with Jang Hyo-Jin because Chu-Tae was a member of the Northern Army Guild, which had been receiving special favors from the president.

    Later on, Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided to meet with Jeong In-Chang and spoke with him at a nearby cafe after his meeting with the Association President.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­he basically only said that it was a shame as to what had happened to the Northern Army Guild¡­¡± said Jeong In-Chang while biting his lip.

    <i>¡®He must feel resentful.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang knew that the person he met was Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Association, and that Jang Hyo-Jin was the person who had corrupted Choi Yeong-Seong, Choi Yong-Su, and the Northern Army Guild. In essence, Jang Hyo-Jin had caused this entire situation.

    Jeong In-Chang bit his lip again and continued, ¡°I couldn''t even refute him. I couldn¡¯t even say a single word to ask him why he did that¡­¡±

    As the high-ranking members of the Northern Army Guild had been destroyed and the guild had essentially be useless, Jang Hyo-Jin hadpletely buried the Northern Army Guild socially and physically as if he was trying to erase the evidence.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The Association President had probably wanted to deal with you as well. Because you also know his true identity.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around. There was no one around listening in, and he couldn¡¯t find anyone eavesdropping even when he used his mana detection.

    ¡°But do you know why he didn¡¯t eliminate you and just left you alone? Do you really believe it¡¯s because you did nothing shameful?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang replied, ¡°If it¡¯s that person, he would havee up with something to pin on me even if he couldn¡¯t dig up anything¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s simple. The reason you¡¯re the only survivor¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a calm voice before pausing in the middle.

    ¡°...is because you have no value. Either dead or alive. He would have thought that there was no way for you to bother him at all. As for the Northern Army Guild? Do you really believe that he thought that the Northern Army Guild was an obstacle, and that¡¯s why he buried it?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s trembling body was proof that the other man had reached the same conclusion.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and decisively said, ¡°No. He was just disying their punishment. In his mind, if it is useless, it can be thrown away. He wanted to convey that to the other guilds and Hunters he supports and raises.¡±

    <i>Puheok.</i>

    Blood was flowing out of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth. He had be a Hunter. He had obtained strength iparable to ordinary people and had grown stronger and even more powerful.

    ¡°It looks like I am nothing,¡± he remarked bitterly with self-loathing glowing in his eyes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°So please join me.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether you believe it or not, in my ns, that person, the Association President, Jang Hyo-Jin¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath.

    ¡°...will meet his maker one day.¡±

    "¡­!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you want to think of what I¡¯m saying as nonsense. It¡¯s okay if you think it''s arrogance or even pride. But, since you¡¯ve already hit rock bottom, wouldn¡¯t there be nothing to lose if you joined me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared to enter their base,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¡°By their base, you mean¡­?¡±

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    Intangible mana emanating from Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly enveloped their surroundings as a precaution against being surprised by something they weren¡¯t aware of. Jeong In-Chang could feel the other man¡¯s usage of mana, and his eyes widened in surprise. He seemed to have noticed how difficult this technique was to use.

    ¡°Asgard. I will enter their base and destroy them from within.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was dumbfounded at that deration. Lee Jun-Kyeong finally said, ¡°This is thest time I am making this offer. If, by chance, you refuse again this time...¡±

    The mana in the surroundings gradually began to tighten, and Jeong In-Chang started to sweat as if a suffocating pressure was pressing onto him.

    ¡°...I¡¯ll have no choice but to kill you. Because, unlike the Association President, you¡¯re still a threat to me.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t actually need to say that, but he did so deliberately.

    <i>¡®He needs to regain his confidence.¡¯</i>

    Because he knew that Jeong In-Chang had the potential to grow even greater and eventually stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other strong Heroes. Finally, vitality began to return to the other man¡¯s eyes. After a while, Jeong In-Chang wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and gave his response.

    ¡°Alright. At this rate, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep for the rest of my life with guilt anyway. Whether it works or not, I¡¯ll follow you.¡±

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained a definite answer, and the pressure of the mana surrounding them disappeared as if it had been washed away.

    ¡°Then, what should I do now?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked as if he had made up his mind. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him and smiled.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong, you definitely were sponsored at the Rhine River Gate. Could you start by telling me what sponsorship you received?"

    <i>¡®Please.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong prayed earnestly that Jeong In-Chang had received it. He knew that it would have been impossible from the beginning. It would be a long timeter before he would have received it. It was not only powerful but also useful, so much so that his Sponsor wouldn¡¯t have wanted to intervene that severely. But the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong still wished for it¡­

    <i>¡®History has changed.¡¯</i>

    .

    The Rhine River Gate ended with the defeat of the Northern Army Guild, and Jeong In-Chang had switched sides.

    It was justice.

    He had cleaved through the neck of his brother, a friend he had been with for his entire life, for the sake of the justice he believed in.

    <i>¡®That Sponsor is fond of justice. The reason Jeong In-Chang had received the sponsorship so muchter was that it took him a long time before he had finally awakened true justice.¡¯</i>

    In the history that was supposed to have passed before Lee Jun-Kyeong had intervened, Jeong In-Chang would have continued to grow with the Northern Army Guild and suffered crises of depravity over and over again. In the process, that Sponsor would have expressed all sorts of dissatisfaction. However, now it was different. Lee Jun-Kyeong had intervened, and something had changed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about it, but¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang took something out of his inventory and ced it on the table.

    ¡°I received something called a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.¡±

    It had happened. Damn.

    <i>¡®Thank you.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his gratitude to that Sponsor inwardly.

    The Sponsor with a title that was too funny to say out loud.

    <i>¡®The Prince on a White Horse.¡¯</i>

    Damn it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly realized that his thoughts were inappropriate and blushed.

    1. The term First Hunter is in English and references the original Hunters.

    2. The author seriously used the term ??(Äæ÷[), which means the ire of a King.

    3. Of the game/system/world. Remember, this entire Hunter/Sponsor system is assumed to be for the Sponsor¡¯s enjoyment.

 Chapter 33: A Test Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 33: A Test Pt. 3</h4>

    The Dragon''s Bloodstone was an incredibly rare material. It was next to impossible to obtain in the future and had only been received through a Sponsor in the past. Even the book of the Demon King mentioned it.

    <i>¡®It was a rare mineral. Only three were said to have ever appeared.¡¯</i>

    Otherwise, there was theoretically a one in-a-billion chance of finding it at a gate.

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    That very same object that was the size of a fist was currently being held in the palm of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand. If, by chance, he sold it to someone who knew its value in the current era, then he¡¯d get enough money such that it would be child¡¯s y for him to purchase an entire city. Lee Jun-Kyeong was mesmerized as he looked at the bright gem in his hand. However, he soon came to his senses and looked around warily.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should take out so easily in a ce like this,¡± he said as he quickly tried to hand it back to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°I will give the Dragon''s Bloodstone to you, Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What did you just say?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes popped open, and all he could do was blink. Did Jeong In-Chang just say he would give it to him for free?

    ¡°Do you not know how much this is worth?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stammered out after barely oveing his shock.

    He knew that he¡¯d still ce the gem into his inventory without any hesitation, regardless of what the other man said. After all, a single Dragon''s Bloodstone was as important as the existence of Jeong In-Chang, who wouldter be the Hero Siegfried.

    Even though Jeong In-Chang may not have known about how to actually use it or the object¡¯s actual identity, there was no way he didn¡¯t have an inkling about how valuable it was.

    <i>Buzz.</i>

    All he had to do was just look at it, a red gem that pulsed profusely with mana. Hunters who were able to sense mana would at least be able to gauge its value a little. Despite that, Jeong In-Chang still willingly handed it over to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if it was nothing. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯tprehend just what the other man was thinking.

    ¡°Judging by your reaction, it seems as though you understand its value much better than I do, Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed his greed for a moment.

    ¡°This is an item you received through sponsorship. Is it okay to just give it away this easily?¡±

    Basically, the Sponsor had chosen to specifically give a gift to the Incarnation. Anything that was selected to be granted as sponsorship¡­

    ¡°It''s an item that would be of great help to you, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    These are generally handed down to focus on the growth of the Incarnation. It was also the key item that wouldplete the Hero, Siegfried.

    Jeong In-Chang shrugged. ¡°The Northern Army Guild has fallen apart anyway, and there are no reliable cksmiths.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think that would actually be a problem. Also, while it would have been great as part of some armor, it would have had other uses for him anyway.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang lowered his voice.

    ¡°Please take care of me. You have believed in me and have acknowledged me. So this is a gift that I¡¯m gifting you.¡±

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a gullible idiot.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was so bad that it was to the point where it couldn¡¯t be expressed in words.

    Still, it was only fitting to use a guy like him.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Of course, he decided to ensure that Jeong In-Chang wouldn¡¯t fall prey to anyone else¡¯s obvious trap in the future. The only person who currently knew that Jeong In-Chang was so naive was himself, and he thought that it was enough for him to be the only one. Lee Jun-Kyeong hurriedly put the Dragon''s Bloodstone in his inventory as if he was scared that someone was watching him.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles cheerfully at you.]

    Obviously, his own Sponsor knew the value of a Dragon''s Bloodstone. It would only be happy that its Incarnation had acquired one.

    But something else urred that surprised him.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> sends you a vague smile.]

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Sponsor had expressed interest in him. To think it would smile when its Incarnation had handed over a gift it had sponsored.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted loudly internally without making a sound.

    <i>¡®Sir, I¡¯ll do my best to help your Incarnation not be such a gullible idiot in the future.¡¯</i>

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiles with less worry.]

    In response, a satisfied voice rang in his ears.

    ***

    To be honest, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already thought of getting a Dragon''s Bloodstone from Jeong In-Chang anyway, as thetter wouldn''t have known how to use it, nor was it the right time anyway. He just didn¡¯t think he would have been able to get it this way without any effort.

    <i>¡®Is this what you would call a colleague?¡¯</i>

    They had only just be allies. Even though they hadn¡¯t built any bonds yet, Jeong In-Chang showed a strange level of trust in him. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was because the other man thought that he had just morals. Although he was suspicious of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s baffling kindness and trust, a strange emotion appeared.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not a bad feeling.¡¯</i>

    The tickling sensation that came from obtaining someone¡¯s trust was a strange and alien feeling.

    "Whew¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. Because Jeong In-Chang had shown confidence in him, it was time for him to repay it. Unfortunately, only three Dragon''s Bloodstones had ever appeared to his knowledge, so the proper way of using it wasn¡¯t widely known among most Hunters.

    Naturally, that wasn¡¯t an issue for Lee Jun-Kyeong. His book had the method written down.

    [A Dragon''s Bloodstone is made by solidifying the blood of a divine dragon.]

    <i>¡®Because he was also the owner of a Dragon''s Bloodstone.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong recalled the specific passage.

    [The usage of a Dragon''s Bloodstone can be divided into three main types: crafting weapons, improving a Familiar, and strengthening an Incarnation.]

    Among them, the Demon King had chosen to strengthen his Familiar, resulting in his Bone Dragon the dragon of death that knew no defeat.

    Of course, Jeong In-Chang killed it, but that was purely due to luck and an unlikelybination of several factors. Generally speaking, the Demon King¡¯s Bone Dragon was indestructible. In any case, Jeong In-Chang had been sponsored because of that incident.

    <i>¡®The second Dragon''s Bloodstone.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had chosen to strengthen the Incarnation. In other words, he had used the Dragon''s Bloodstone and earned himself the title Siegfried the Immortal. Lee Jun-Kyeong also knew that the remaining Dragon''s Bloodstone had been used to create armor. However, neither of these three methods were avable to him at this point.

    To proceed with strengthening his familiar was impractical.

    -It¡¯s too much for me to digest, Master.

    Hyeon-Mu was too weak, and the same was with himself. If he tried to absorb the power of the Dragon''s Bloodstone, his body would explode, and he would die. So his remaining option with the highest probability of sess was to use it to make armor with Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s help¡­

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s too much of a waste to use the entire Dragon''s Bloodstone to create armor.¡¯</i>

    While Park Jae-Hyun was a great cksmith, he wasn¡¯t at his peak power yet. At this point, the Dvergr wouldn¡¯t be able to make use of all of the Dragon''s Bloodstone¡¯s power and would still end up using the precious Dragon''s Bloodstone entirely.

    Regardless, there was still a reason why he had hoped that Jeong In-Chang would get sponsored with the bloodstone.

    Because there was still another way to use it.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knocked on the door and opened it at the same time.

    ¡°Which bastard is it?¡± said an irritated voice.

    ¡°Is it you again?¡±

    However, when the annoyed person confirmed that the intruder was Lee Jun-Kyeong, the irritation in their voice lessened. In fact, it even seemed a bit approving.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s workshop.

    ¡°Tsk. I¡¯m only letting it go because it¡¯s you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was the gifts that he had given the cksmith that had such a significant effect, but he had been weed more warmly than he had expected.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to learn a lot.¡±

    The Dvergr spoke all willy-nilly while pointing at the things disyed on the wall. The items on the wall were all well-refined and beautiful weapons.

    ¡°If that punk were here, it would have been better, but¡­¡±

    The cksmith began to mutter to himself in a voice so low that it was indecipherable. Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged and looked toward the wall.

    "Incredible."

    Those were his true feelings. The quality of the armaments on the wall were significant enough that it wouldn¡¯t be an issue if everyone called them luxury items. If they were released in the market immediately, extravagant rewards would be offered for the cksmith¡¯s identity. They were masterpieces. People would be scrambling to invite him to join their guilds if they knew about them.

    ¡°They still aren¡¯t finished yet. Although the fire did get a little better with your help¡­ the supply of the materials is a mess.¡±

    It was to be expected. After all, while the cksmith''s skill was important, the quality materials themselves were just as necessary. This was still before the cataclysm. There was no way that there would be enough materials that could be smoothly supplied to satisfy him.

    <i>Pulse.</i>

    That was why when Lee Jun-Kyeong took out a Dragon''s Bloodstone from his inventory, the Dvergr¡¯s eyes widened to the point where it seemed as if they would tear.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ that¡­ What is that?!¡±

    As soon as he saw the Dragon''s Bloodstone, Park Jae-Hyun immediately ran toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned but quickly took a step back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a gift.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have much time left. Sooner orter, he would have to undergo Odin¡¯s tests. This was just one of the many preparations he had to make before then. He couldn¡¯t waste any time before then.

    ¡°Yeah, I know that much! Such a precious and mysterious¡­ Where in the world could you find a dimwit, no, a gullible idiot like that in the world?¡±

    <i>¡®There clearly is one though. Well, better to say that there was one.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong barely swallowed those words and put the Dragon''s Bloodstone on the floor. Park Jae-Hyun really was a great cksmith. Even though he was staring right at a defenseless Dragon''s Bloodstone, his patience and enduring attitude were exemry of a craftsman.

    ¡°What are you going to do¡­?¡± Park Jae-Hyun asked carefully.

    Leaving him behind, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward.

    "Can I borrow your hammer?"

    Park Jae-Hyun looked confused. ¡°Uh¡­ Hmm¡­ I mean, you could¡­¡±

    A cksmith¡¯s hammer was the same as a Hunter¡¯s weapon. It was easy to see how crazy Park Jae-Hyun was simply by the fact that he lent it out so easily. Lee Jun-Kyeong was prepared to surprise him even further. He went to the Dragon''s Bloodstone and raised the hammer.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! What are you doing?!¡± Park Jae-Hyun shouted. ¡°Hey! Hey! You son of a bitch! Don¡¯t! I¡¯m telling you not to!¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the crazed Park Jae-Hyun, he suddenly smiled.

    ¡°Please take a careful look.¡±

    <i>¡®Ahhhhh!¡¯</i>

    The hammer swung down. His strength stat had gotten close to 100, so Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm began to swell as he cried out. The hammer had been made with the heart and soul of Park Jae-Hyun, the greatest cksmith of the current time, and it mmed down onto the Dragon''s Bloodstone.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The unbelievable sound of the small mineral and hammer shing echoed through the workshop.

    "Hey¡­ Hey, you motherfucker... I told you, you couldn¡¯t..."

    Seeing Park Jae-Hyun muttering nkly, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the congested feeling in his chest seemingly disappear as if it had been washed away. He felt light and free, so he smiled.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    He continued to mutter until the sound of the Dragon''s Bloodstone splitting in half rang out.

    ¡°You son of a bitch-!¡±

    In the end, Park Jae-Hyun rushed toward him.

    ***

    One of Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s eyes was bruised. He spoke up while he rubbed at it with an egg.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me this is the way you¡¯re supposed to use it in the first ce?¡± he asked, smiling as if he couldn¡¯t even feel the pain in his eye. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he was really that happy just to learn the secrets of a new mineral.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while smiling in a rxed manner and looking at the Dragon''s Bloodstone split in two.

    [The Dragon''s Bloodstone had a secret.]

    It was said in the book of the Demon King that even in the future, only three Dragon''s Bloodstones had appeared.

    One of the owners was Siegfried.

    Another was the Demon King.

    <i>¡®The Demon King.¡¯</i>

    And thest, was the Demon King again.

    [I continued hunting alongside the Bone Dragon. One day, a new Dragon''s Bloodstone appeared in his heart.]

    It was unbelievable that could happen

    [I thought it had been possible because it was a dragon. But that wasn''t it.]

    The Demon King had studied the newly appeared Dragon''s Bloodstone several times and finally uncovered the secret.

    ¡°Please put half of the Dragon''s Bloodstone into Muspel¡¯s Spear. There shouldn¡¯t be any need to mess with it or try to craft it into anything.¡±

    ¡°Y¡­yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°As for the other half Dragon''s Bloodstone¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke as he handed Muspel¡¯s Spear and a piece of paper to the cksmith. A single image filled the paper.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mess. Even an elementary school student could draw better than this,¡± Park Jae-Hyun remarked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed deeply, swallowed his anger, and responded, ¡°Make it and put the other half of the Dragon''s Bloodstone into it.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s a mystery. But it seems like it has value.¡± Park Jae-Hyun looked quite content.

    ¡°As for the payment¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took out his smartphone and was about to use it

    The Dvergr interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll do this one for free.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, I was able toe into contact with these precious minerals, and I also was able to learn a secret. We¡¯ll just count that as the payment.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ept it gratefully,¡± responded Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Tsk. You annoying little punk,¡± Park Jae-Hyun mumbled to himself. However, he couldn¡¯t hide the smile that was blooming across his face. Lee Jun-Kyeong left him behind and exited the workshop.

    [The Dragon''s Bloodstone will regenerate once it absorbs a certain amount of blood.]

    He was happy to be able to clone the Dragon''s Bloodstone.

    1. The term ?? (hogu) means Tiger¡¯s Mouth, and in Korean, refers to a y in Go, otherwise known as ?? (baduk), where you have three piecesid in a trap formation that can ¡°eat¡± the opposing yer''s position. It¡¯s an exceedingly simple trap, and you have to be incredibly stupid or naive in the game to fall for it, simr to the Schr''s Mate in Chess. It¡¯s be ng for an incredibly naive idiot.

    2. The word ??? trantes to vague or hazy but is used to express frustration (at his own Incarnation) in this instance.

    3. In Korea, we rub eggs on bruises. It¡¯s an old wives¡¯ tale. Apparently, it sucks out the bad blood and helps with cirction.

 Chapter 34: A Test Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 34: A Test Pt. 4</h4>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear swiftly pierced forward, purely acting as a spear with no mes around it. It pierced through an orc¡¯s chest, and it was the same species as the orc that had appeared as the boss of the Tutorial.

    "<i>Chwiik!</i>"

    "<i>Chwiik!</i>"

    "<i>Chwiyik!</i>"

    Hundreds of orcs surrounded Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, he reduced the number of orcs one by one in a rxed manner. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s round shield blocked the fully armed orc¡¯s ive. He then widened the distance between them and turned the orcs into skewers by using the gap created by the blow.

    After Muspel¡¯s Spear had killed about twenty orcs, a voice loud enough to make him wince rang out.

    [The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone has consumed the blood of an orc.]

    [The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone has metabolized the blood of the orc.]

    [Metabolized Rate 12%]

    Eventually¡­

    [Metabolism has been sessful.]

    [Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone regeneration rate: 1.7%]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled. Unfortunately, the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone¡¯s current regeneration rate was atrocious. Basically, killing a thousand orcs barely amounted to a 1% regeneration. Although the regeneration rate would continue to fall as time passed¡­

    <i>¡®As the level of the monsters I hunt get higher¡­¡¯</i>

    The regeneration of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone would be faster. It would take a while, but the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone that had been split in half would eventually fully regenerate.

    Plus, there was something else that made him happy.

    ¡°<i>Hup! Hup! Heuk!</i>¡±

    Another person was fighting next to him, making strange noises as if he was being whipped.

    It was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s new colleague, Jeong In-Chang. Lee Jun-Kyeong used to mainly solo-clear dungeons, but he now worked in a party with him.

    <i>sh! ng!</i>

    In addition, he was a great help to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    "Yes!"

    ¡°This sword is awesome! It¡¯s like it was made for me!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was holding a greatsword with both hands. Each time it moved, it crushed several orcs. That weapon was what Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked Park Jae-Hyun to make by following the bizarre blueprint.

    <i>¡®As expected, he produced an amazing weapon.¡¯</i>

    The smith had crafted an unbelievably crude and massive greatsword. It was as tall as Jeong In-Chang was and even thicker than his body. Despite its ridiculous size, Jeong In-Chang wielded it easily while roaring monstrously.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-ap!</i>¡±

    Eventually, thest orc had fallen.

    ¡°This is amazing!¡± Jeong In-Chang said with the massive sword on his shoulder, clearly brimming with joy.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the regeneration rate?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s at¡­ about 2% now?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword was also imbued with a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, and the glowing red gem was set at the base of the fuller where the blood would gather.

    ¡°To think there was a method of use like this¡­ Wouldn¡¯t one be two, and two be four like this? Are you an alchemist too, Mr. Lee?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at Jeong In-Chang, who was speaking with genuine admiration. Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°Also, I didn¡¯t know a greatsword like this would suit me so well. It was a good thing I entrusted the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone to you, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Of course, it was; it was most likely the best thing he had done in his life.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiles at you.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> offers his gratitude.]

    As expected, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Sponsor had given off a stuffy vibe before, like it had been forced to swallow down sweet potatoes without having water to wash it down. It had clearly been frustrated by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s naivety. But, as soon as Jeong In-Chang had joined Lee Jun-Kyeong, his Sponsor immediately gave him massive sponsorships.

    Jeong In-Chang remarked, ¡°Huh? I was sponsored again.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike someone else, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew <The Prince on a White Horse> was a Sponsor that wouldn¡¯t spare any support for its Incarnation.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m jealous.¡¯</i>

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> snorts in your direction.]

    However, there was something strange. Until now, <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had refused and blocked any interest from other Sponsors, but it was actually leaving <The Prince on a White Horse> alone.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks at you insidiously.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged and moved on. He now had two Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone weapons and onerade.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ll have to raid a few more dungeons from this point.¡¯</i>

    The test given by Odin would be held in the next week or so. Until then, he would have to work together with Jeong In-Chang in order to make sure that they had adapted to their newly acquired weapons and strengthened bodies. The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstones hadn¡¯t been incorporated into the weapons; they were only there to facilitate their regeneration.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened the information window of the spear while holding it.

    [Muspel''s Spear (Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone) Lv. 4]

    Legendary

    1. Increases the power of Reign of Fire.

    2. Increases Fire Resistance by 45%.

    3. The weapon will grow as it is exposed to fire.

    4. Muspel¡¯s Spear will return to the user¡¯s hand when mana is sufficient (Mana cost increases as distance increases.).

    5. Stats will increase as the size of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone increases.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if the word ¡®overwhelming¡¯ had been made for his spear. Park Jae-Hyun may have modified Muspel¡¯s Spear, but it had only been very slight. Inserting the halved Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was responsible for these new changes.

    Furthermore, the spear¡¯s appearance had also morphed. The previously ordinary red spear had transformed, bing a little thicker and more beautiful when the device for inserting the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had been added.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was full of anticipation and wondered how much the spear would grow in the future.

    <i>¡®Also¡­¡¯</i>

    He looked over at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword. It wasn¡¯t perfect yet, but it had also be a Unique-grade item after adding a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. While it was a high-level weapon made by Park Jae-Hyun, it was currently still only a chrysalis that wouldn¡¯t change to <i>it</i> tillter.

    ¡°Should I at least give you a name¡­?¡± mumbled Jeong In-Chang as he swung his greatsword. He was clearly fond of the de.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cried out, ¡°That sword doesn¡¯t just function as an ordinary weapon. It¡¯s also good for defense, so you need to get to know how to use it!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± responded Jeong In-Chang loudly as he drove his greatsword into the ground. The deeply embedded sword went against the dungeon boss¡ªthe club. The ogre had swung with its entire might, and it collided with the greatsword.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Jeong In-Chang moaned.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong, do you really think it makes sense that you¡¯re being beaten back by a mere ogre You¡¯re getting overwhelmed by the weight and strength of the sword itself! Find the correct stance to use the greatsword for defense!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang moved ording to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s advice and quickly changed his posture, making changes and following his instructions akin to how he would follow a master¡¯s. Before he knew it, he had found a stance that didn¡¯t waver even when shing with the ogre¡¯s club just like Lee Jun-Kyeong had exhorted.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s defense had be stable. Unlike before, he didn¡¯t moan at all after that blow was exchanged.

    <i>¡®As expected¡­¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s fighting sense was at a level that couldn¡¯t help but be acknowledged. Lee Jun-Kyeong had simply spewed a few vague conceptions to the other man as he remembered a single phrase from the book of the Demon King.

    [Siegfried''s greatsword blocked countless attacks from the Bone Dragon.]

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s ability had turned his imagination into reality.

    ¡°This is enough.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang responded instantly after Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sment, and he took his greatsword and stepped back.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A snake-like me climbed up Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm, absorbing into Muspel¡¯s Spear. As the mes passed by the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone and gathered in the shape of a sphere on the tip of the spear¡­

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heaved it toward the orc.

    <i>Pop.</i>

    The ogre fell to the floor without even having the chance to scream.

    <i>¡®Looks like it¡¯s easy to take down ogres now.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had grown and had finally be a fully matured A-Rank Hunter. The two of them had raided several dungeons together already. Thus, Jeong In-Chang began to put the loot into his inventory as if it was normal, and the gate began to show signs of copsing.

    This particr gate was a C-Grade Gate. Depending on the grade of the gate, the rate at which it copsed would slow down.

    "I beg your pardon, but¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said, suddenly speaking in a manner of speech one could only find in TV shows. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him.

    ¡°How do you know so much about the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone and this greatsword, Mr. Lee?¡±

    ¡°..."

    ¡°And when you hunt monsters, you are already aware of the weaknesses of even the unknown monsters.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong eventuallyughed.

    ¡°Are you really from the future?¡± Jeong In-Chang continued.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already answered that question, but Jeong In-Chang still didn¡¯t believe him.

    He shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head out first.¡±

    After all, there was no need for him to exin any further.

    ¡°Two days from now, we will have to go to <i>that ce</i>.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression slowly hardened. He was also nervous.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hunt as if our lives are on the line for the next two days. Because¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while cing the loot that Jeong In-Chang had not yet picked up into his own inventory.

    ¡°...that¡¯s how we can increase our chances of surviving, even if it''s only a little bit.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded with a confident expression and responded, "All right."

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang had begun to meld and coordinate their fighting styles. Jeong In-Chang faithfully fulfilled both the roles of a damage dealer and a tanker. On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong was a pure damage dealer who wove in his damage and was responsible for the powerful final shot. Considering their level of cooperation, it was enough to say that they had done everything they could have in this short amount of time.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s tomorrow.¡¯</i>

    Finally, the exam was fast approaching, and it put Lee Jun-Kyeong in an irritated mood.

    <i>¡®I have no other choice right now.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, that person was an overwhelming force right now. No matter how strong he may have thought that he had be, Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t be able to reach his toes. Therefore, he had to ept it. Even if it was disgraceful, he could ept the insults of the present for his bigger ns in the future.

    "<i>Whew¡­</i>"

    There was only one thing that made him feel a bit of regret.

    <i>¡®It would have been nice if Jeong In-Chang had gotten a title.¡¯</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that it would be some time before his partner would have earned his title and that expecting it this early was greedy, he had a reason for it.

    <i>¡®Considering you already gave him the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, can¡¯t you give him a title too?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang would only be able to handle the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone fully after earning the title of Siegfried. Fortunately, it still had a significant effect even without the title. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a lofty goal. <i>¡®The fall of Asgard.¡¯</i>

    For that, Jeong In-Chang would have to grow faster and even better than he did in the book. However, the Sponsors weren¡¯t existences who would give just because they were asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently lying down on a soft bed. He felt as though his remaining time to rest diminished with each passing day.

    ¡°I have to move as well¡­¡± he grumbled.

    Before he knew it, the sum of money that had umted in his bankbook wasrge enough to bewilder him. It was only natural, as he had continued to raid dungeons without resting. In addition, there was no way that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s earnings would have beencking as he usually hunted solo. He could afford to move right away, but the timing was never right.

    <i>¡®I mean, while the apartment isn¡¯t ufortable¡­¡¯</i>

    The only thing that he could quibble about was that his current apartment had been given to him by the Association. In any case, as long as he joined Asgard safely, his move would be handled as well.

    And at that point, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the sound of the doorbell reverberating in his home.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    He already knew that person hade, and Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke toward the opening door.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting.¡±

    A man appeared, holding a tremendous amount of food.

    ¡°Hyung.¡±

    The light in the entryway lit up, illuminating his head. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly at the sight for a moment and then spoke.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to talk about, right? The two of us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a nned meeting. However, the man entered Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house quitefortably. Putting down the food, the man spoke first.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go tomorrow.¡±

    The man was frowning severely, which showed that he was being serious and sincere.

    ¡°If you go tomorrow, you could die.¡±

    1. The ng ??? is often used to describe a frustrated and irritating feeling about someone, akin to the feeling of having eaten sweet potatoes and not having anything to drink, the dry and stuffy feeling in the back of your throat that can make you irritated.

 Chapter 35: A Test Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 35: A Test Pt. 5</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. It¡¯ll be different from the Rhine River Gate,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said in an even lower voice. He wasn¡¯t done yet either.

    ¡°I thought about it for quite some time. About how you knew about Asgard, or why in the world you are trying to enter it¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu stared straight into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°...or even your true purpose.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what Yeo Seong-Gu wanted to say. Was he trying to convince him to tell him his secrets?

    However¡­

    ¡°But, I decided not to care about those things.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s following words were astonishing.

    ¡°I believe in you.¡±

    It was blind trust, the same thing that Jeong In-Chang had given him.

    ¡°What in the world makes you trust me so much?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked in a bewildered manner. It wasn¡¯t as if they had spent a long time together. After all, this current Yeo Seong-Gu wasn¡¯t the one that Lee Jun-Kyeong had known, but rather, he had simply be acquainted with this version after returning to the past.

    Whether it be him or even Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what in the world they saw in him for them to give him such blind trust as neither of them had known him for a long time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to feel an unknown emotion again.

    Then¡­

    ¡°I see the desire inside of you,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu replied.

    ¡°It''s different from them, unspoiled, and so it¡¯s a strange and pure desire¡­ So I decided to try and believe in it.¡±

    Apparently, Yeo Seong-Gu believed in him for a different reason than Jeong In-Chang. The older man finally sat down and continued to speak while casually unwrapping the tteokbokki.

    ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t go tomorrow. Odin is already intensely interested in you. You¡¯ll be able to enter Asgard as you nned, even without having to take that sort of test.¡±

    He seemed to think that Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t object to his advice. After all, the man he knew was intelligent and could think far ahead.

    Not just anyone could make a n and act ordingly to it. It was even more difficult to obtain results that matched the level of the ns that were made. For example, Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who had produced those difficult-to-obtain results.

    ¡°As you said, I am a member of Asgard, and I know the nature of the tests you must undergo.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Did you, by chance, earn a title?¡±

    He had finished unwrapping the tteokbokki and looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You most likely haven¡¯t. If you leave for tomorrow in your current state without a title, there¡¯s no way you¡¯lle back alive.¡±

    Finally¡­

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sat across from him. He picked up a piece of tteokbokki from the opened container and put it in his mouth. He said while chewing, ¡°Hyung. Although it hasn¡¯t been all that long, you know who I am and what I¡¯m like, right?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pronunciation was entirely urate even though his mouth was full. He continued.

    ¡°Regardless of what it is, I¡¯lle back alive. Moreover¡­¡±

    <i>Munch, munch.</i>

    ¡°...they are the ones who will be the prey."

    ***

    ¡°To think you¡¯re already joining an expedition¡­ you really are amazing,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said with genuine admiration for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Thetter was just standing there with Jeong In-Chang, who was scratching his head.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang had received a request from the Association to go on an expedition. It was a request to help with the raid of an A-Grade Gate that had been a headache for Europe.

    The fact that they had requested Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang by name was unusual. Usually, whether it be due to political reasons that required the Korean Association to produce a show of might or concerns over the poaching of Hunters who had left for the Association, only reliable giant guilds or established heroes were dispatched to overseas expeditions.

    <i>¡®They said that Korea¡¯s Heroes are already going around the world.¡¯</i>

    That was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t meet the famous Heroes of the future even after having returned to the past.

    The threat of gates and monsters wasn¡¯t only limited to Korea. They were a global threat. Therefore, Hunters who represented their countries would go around the world and raid gates.

    <i>¡®My first expedition.¡¯</i>

    This expedition hadn¡¯t been selected for them ording to standard procedure as Jang Hyo-Jin, the Association President, had gotten involved this time. While it was a secret selection made in the name of Odin¡¯s test, Lee Jun-Kyeong still felt strange.

    In the future, he knew he would have to travel abroad countless times. After all, the gates he absolutely had to raid wouldn¡¯t only appear in Korea. <i>¡®The overseas Hunters¡­¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, it was difficult to ignore the skill level of the overseas Hunters because they would also have their own Heroes as well.

    In the future, the twelve who founded Eden would also have different nationalities, even though they eventually united their affiliations into one.

    ¡°I wish you a safe return,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said with sincerity.

    The man was about to turn around when Lee Jun-Kyeong responded to him, ¡°Congrattions on your promotion.¡±

    ¡°Ah! So you knew.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He had heard that Kim-Su Yeong, the Hunter who had discovered and managed him, had, unlike before, been promoted one rank.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was Odin¡¯s consideration or if it was a threat. Odin was most likely keeping an eye on everyone close to him. Even Jeong In-Chang, who was scratching his ears endlessly, was subject to this.

    ¡°Why are my ears so itchy?¡±

    Of course, Odin¡¯s interest in Yeo Seong-Gu would have also grown even further.

    Regardless of how things had happened, his ns were moving ahead.

    ¡°The portal will open soon. Please return safely.¡±

    ¡°We will. Let¡¯s have a party celebrating your promotion when we get back.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong and Lee Jun-Kyeong said their final words while smiling

    <i>Vwoop.</i>

    The portal began to move.

    <i>¡®This was the result of transforming a gate.¡¯</i>

    When the gates appeared, progress in science began to slow down. Since science couldn¡¯t exin the existence of monsters or gates, the world focused on something else: magic.

    Magic was the power of mana possessed by the Hunters, and they could experiment on it by using the mana stones that would sometimes drop when a monster died. A new form of study spread across the world and began to be heavily researched.

    The first of the results of this study was the portal in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong. Hunters had found out that certain gates would open by chance that connected to other countries. They had stabilized these gates and made them into a kind of passageway.

    <i>¡®Eventually¡­¡¯</i>

    As these sorts of things began to happen more frequently, pure science began to decline. Science was no longer the mainstream. Instead, Magic Science had emerged, the result of the merging of magic and science.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked into the portal that was shining blue. It was beautiful, and he had never been able to see this when he was an ordinary human. A portal was something that would be difficult for Hunters, let alone ordinary humans, to see. It had been something out of reach for him.

    Now, before he knew it, he was standing in front of the portal with the qualifications to use it.

    ¡°By the way, Mr. Lee.¡±

    At that time, Jeong In-Chang interrupted Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reminiscing.

    ¡°Is this¡­ really the right move?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang knew that this was a test and not a simple expedition or gate raid. In return for the trust Jeong In-Chang had shown Lee Jun-Kyeong, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also provided him with information to a certain extent. Jeong In-Chang had known about <i>that person</i>, but he had been ignorant about Asgard, where that person reigned as king.

    Now that he had learned of Asgard, he was amazed and felt embarrassed that he had no clue that there was a vast secret organization working behind the scenes of the world.

    He asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t this be another situation in which we get used by that person¡­ no, that bastard?¡±

    That person, no, to him, he had now be that bastard. Jeong In-Chang had watched his brothers and his guild fall into corruption under Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s guidance. He clearly had some doubts and worries about the uing expedition.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong whispered softly enough so that only Jeong In-Chang could hear it.

    ¡°I swear by putting everything I have on the line.¡±

    It was an oath of mana. Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know about mana streams, so he may have thought that it was nothing, but in reality, the oath Lee Jun-Kyeong swore had a magical effect.

    ¡°I will put everything on the line to destroy them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you,¡± Jeong In-Chang responded after hearing that his concerns were heard.

    At that moment, the staff member managing the portal announced along with an offhand dismissal, ¡°You may enter the portal. I wish you all a safe return.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Wee to London.¡±

    There were people waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang when they arrived, and they greeted them in fluent Korean. They were members of the British Association who had impable manners and were clothed in well-tailored suits.

    "It''s an honor to actually see the Underdog who has been highly spoken of these days."

    It was clear with just a nce that the person standing at the very front of their group was the one with the highest position. He approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and offered a handshake.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. We are the team dispatched from the Korean Association, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Cchang.¡±

    The other person¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang also looked at him in astonishment.

    ¡°This¡­ it seems you are also fluent in foreignnguages.¡±

    ¡°It''s nothing much. I just had an opportunity to learn it, that¡¯s all.¡±

    They had been shocked because Lee Jun-Kyeong had greeted them in wless British English.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    By no means was Lee Jun-Kyeong in a good mood. His English ability wasn¡¯t rted to an item or any skill. He had acquired it through real effort. Before he returned to the past, Lee Jun-Kyeong had tried to at least live like a normal human being in the Eden era. He had tried to be a civil servant and studied any and everything, hoping it would be of any kind of use. Thus he learned several foreignnguages, including English.

    Back in those days, it had been a useless effort. After all, none of that mattered as a normal human being could never shatter the imprable ss ceiling through hard work alone.

    <i>¡®Still, it feels good to use it for once.¡¯</i>

    He never had a reason to use it before. However, in this era, not only did they approve of his English, but it also made Jeong In-Chang surprised. So it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling.

    ¡°For now, we will first take you to the dormitories, as portal travel can be very exhausting.¡±

    He smiled and started to move forward.

    All of a sudden¡­

    ¡°Bleeegh!¡±

    ¡­Jeong In-Chang, who had been staring at Lee Jun-Kyeong, began to stter jeon on the floor.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew why Yeo Seong-Gu had tried to stop him from leaving.

    <i>¡®It definitely¡­¡¯</i>

    If he had actuallye to the expedition without knowing anything, he most likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to return alive. Furthermore, even if he knew the exact purpose of the test, nothing would change.

    At his current strength, it would be impossible regardless of whether his enemy was a monster or human. He had wondered to himself earlier as he knew that the test given to him was futile for someone at his level. Just as Yeo Seong-Gu had bluntly stated, it would have been the right choice to give up and run away from the test.

    However, that would have been the logical choice if it were anyone else besides him.

    <i>¡®If it wasn¡¯t me¡­¡¯</i>

    He had returned from the future, and knew many things through the book of the Demon King. Therefore, he had the confidence to make the impossible possible. He was confident in returning alive.

    <i>¡®They can¡¯t ascertain exactly how much strength I have.¡¯</i>

    Everyone most likely thought of him as just an A-Rank Hunter.

    <i>¡®I will go back.¡¯</i>

    On the contrary, he would achieve greater results than they would expect. So Odin would be more curious about him. So Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang would believe in him even more.

    Jeong In-Chang interjected weakly, ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i> Mr. Lee, what the hell are these people saying?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kindly exined to the other man, ¡°There are some who are saying it¡¯s nice to meet you, and some who are making racistments¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly curled the corners of his mouth and abruptly stopped.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± asked the bewildered Jeong In-Chang.

    "He says you¡¯re his style,¡± replied Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Does he? Looks like he¡¯s a good judge of character."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong did his best not to burst out intoughter. "Well¡­ He seems to have meant it romantically."

    "Pardon? But that person¡­ is a man?"

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Well, if you''re interested, I can convey your feelings.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang became flummoxed. ¡°N¡­ there¡¯s no need!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at him. They had been brought to the banquet hall of a hotel. This expedition wasn¡¯t just limited to Korea. Several countries and Associations had made the expedition, and a party had been organized to wee the Hunters from the other countries who had gathered to protect this one.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang walked around while listening to the others¡¯ greetings and stories. Their goal wasn¡¯t to enjoy the party though.

    <i>¡®How many of these people will survive to the end?¡¯</i>

    It was to figure out the power of those who would end up entering the gate with them. This expedition was by no means a simple gate raid. They would have to examine every Hunter who would enter alongside them. However, there weren¡¯t any Hunters of much note in attendance.

    Most of them seemed to be assistants to the Hunters who hade to the expedition or members of the British Association.

    At that moment¡­

    ¡°What is this? I thought it was Chi-Woo because they said someone hade from Korea, but what kind of runts are these two?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head to look at the source of the voice. A giant was shouting at them. His height was easily over two meters and was huge enough to be reminiscent of a golem.

    ¡°They don¡¯t even look like they could fit in one fist. Are you telling me the Korean Association sent this type of trash?¡±

    ¡°What is that punk saying? It looks like he¡¯s not saying anything good while looking at us¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t understand the words of a certain giant who had suddenly appeared, but he seemed to have sensed the general meaning. Lee Jun-Kyeong became immersed in thought after seeing the giant appear unexpectedly.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    It was different from what he had expected. The difficulty level was much more significant than what he had initially predicted.

    Why? What could be the reason?

    These types of questions began to pop into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath and said to Jeong In-Chang, ¡°For now¡­ please look carefully.¡±

    Arge man slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    He was so big and ferocious that the entire banquet hall echoed every time he took a step.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ¡°I thought he wasn¡¯t interested in parties."

    "Let''s avoid him."

    "Why the hell did he show up here?"

    "That¡¯s impossible. Is he going to participate too?"

    In fact, other people looked back and gossiped about the approaching giant. Their expressions were different. Some were disgusted, some looked terrified, and someone who was supposed to enter the gate with Lee Jun-Kyeong was trembling from shock.

    Finally, the giant came close to the two of them, and Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to Jeong In-Chang, ¡°We have to deal with that guy. Look at that punk¡¯s power.¡±

    Although Odin hadn¡¯t exined it in detail, Lee Jun-Kyeong still knew what the exam was like. They may havee in the name of the gate expedition, but the gate raid wasn¡¯t the goal of this test.

    ¡°Hello? Who are you two? Where did Chi-Woo go, leaving you two to show up?¡±

    It was a battle of champions.

    To survive while fighting among the Hunters who hade on the expedition to raid the gate.

    That was Odin¡¯s test.

    1. Jeon is a panfried pancake; and this is a joke in Korean. ?? ??? reads to fry jeon, but an alternate meaning of ??? ??? is to throw, heave, and send. So the author takes the term throw up/stter and just adds Jeon, making it, was frying jeon on the floor/throwing up jeon on the floor.

 Chapter 36: The Battle of Champions

    <h4>Chapter 36: The Battle of Champions</h4>

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a Battle of Champions.¡¯</i>

    Asgard was the secret organization behind Korea. Simrly, there were other secret organizations created behind the scenes by Hunters around the world. They wouldpete periodically for things such as measuring strength, the right to speak, and the monopolization of gates.

    [It was the Battle of Champions. Their will to protect mankind by hunting monsters had already disappeared. Now, they were all only focused on fighting amongst themselves.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered the line in the book of the Demon King. The First Hunters, special Hunters simr in ss to the Heroes, and had powers that differed from what mankind knew about the strength of Hunters. They were like the Heroes, but at the same time, something even more so than them¡­

    With the appearance of the first Hero, gate raids became stable, and more Heroes were consistently born. The secret organizations began to forget that they had been created to ensure the salvation of mankind.

    Pride and arrogance now permeated them.

    They thought they had already saved the world. They had thought that humanity would prosper from that point on, flourishing under their presence.

    And all of the prosperity and glory theyuded about themselves had been before the cataclysm.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just a delusion.¡¯</i>

    After the cataclysm, they had no choice but to admit their own hubris. Numerous secret organizations disappeared, and only a few powerful ones survived. One of them was Asgard.

    In any case, the goal of this expedition wasn¡¯t to raid the A-Grade Gate. This daunting A-Grade Gate was just the ce where the Battle of Champions would take ce. Heroes and Hunters from various countries would enter the gate to face each other in battle.

    Even among these champions¡­

    ¡°Hey, you brat. Why are you not answering when I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡­was an uncouth and giant man of great stature.

    <i>¡®Fuck. Why is this punk here?¡¯</i>

    He would be the greatest obstacle in this ce. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been ordered to this ¡®expedition¡¯ by Odin. Naturally, he knew that this wasn¡¯t an expedition but instead the Battle of Champions.

    Still¡­

    <i>¡®This punk is out of the question.¡¯</i>

    How.

    Why.

    Could this monster be participating in this Battle of Champions as well? In the past, Choi Yeong Seong had participated, using the title he had received after winning the Battle of the Rhine River. He had the title of Gunther in order to participate.

    But, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s intervention had changed history, and Gunther had died. Odin had put him into his shattered ns.

    <i>¡®How did Gunther survive?¡¯</i>

    With Gunther¡¯s skills, he would never have been able to deal with the giant. Obviously, Gunther would have had toe here and deal with him if it was ording to the original history. However, it was impossible for him to deal with the giant with just his power.

    <i>¡®Could this also be part of the changed history?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s intervention had changed events. He wondered if the appearance of that monster, who originally had no reason to show up to something like the Battle of Champions, was rted to that. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to tell.

    If, by chance, that monster had shown up in the original history as well¡­

    <i>¡®Gunther could have run away.¡¯</i>

    That punk probably would have given up on everything if he knew he had to face this monster.

    ¡°Hey, hey. I said to stop it.¡±

    When the giant man raised his fist and spat out a threat, someone appeared and intervened.

    <i>¡®That guy is¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the neer¡¯s face but he couldn¡¯t remember exactly who he was. As the man slowly dissuaded the giant man, he also approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. It¡¯s an honor to meet the famous Underdog.¡±

    A typically western-looking handsome man with blond hair had stepped between the giant and Lee Jun-Kyeong and asked for a handshake.

    ¡°Underdog? Is this brat the Underdog? That rising rookie?¡±

    The giant man raised his eyebrows, his lips twitching, as he had heard of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s story.

    ¡°Demetrios. You are being disrespectful to our guests. I¡¯ll apologize in his stead. Please don¡¯t pay any mind to this fool who only has muscles.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong epted his handshake. He felt familiar, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t put his finger on it.

    <i>¡®Who could this be?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong that it was a face he had definitely seen somewhere.

    ¡°My name is George. My title is¡­¡±

    He was a Hunter with a title. That meant that he was a Hero.

    ¡°Odysseus.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed a little. It made sense that he wouldn¡¯t know who the man was. He adjusted his expression and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯ve heard the name Odysseus many times.¡±

    ¡°How embarrassing. Compared to the Underdog, it''s just a trivial title," George said in a humble manner.

    There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to remember the face of the Hero named Odysseus. However, everyone in the future knew of his name. After all, he had been murdered by the giant Demetrios, that is, by his ownrade. Odysseus mildly scolded, ¡°Demetrios, You have to apologize as well.¡±

    The giant grinned. ¡°Looks like this will be fun. To think you¡¯re the Underdog¡­ I wanted to meet you once. How hyped up do you have to be for your story to even reach my country of Greece? Anyway, as he said before, I am Demetrios.¡±

    The giant reached out with a hand the size of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face. His hands were as big as an average person¡¯s torso. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t grasp the giant¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang.¡±

    ¡°The New Can? What is this punk saying?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang intercepted the hand and shook hands with Demetrios as soon as he heard his name.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Odysseus¡¯ eyes grew wider and wider when he witnessed the two grasping hands with reddeningplexions.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, to think he would enter a contest of strength with Heracles.¡±

    Like he said, the giant and Jeong In-Chang wereparing strengths currently.

    <i>¡®Heracles.¡¯</i>

    He was a strong man whom Lee Jun-Kyeong should never have met at this point. Furthermore, he was one of the Heroes of Greece, famous for its powerful Hunters.

    Finally, Jeong In-Chang and the giant separated.

    The giantmented, ¡°You¡¯re better than I expected, not too shabby.¡±

    Contrary to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s flushedplexion, Demetrios had only blushed briefly at the beginning. Things had calmed down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet again.¡±

    ¡°I apologize for the disturbance. Let¡¯s meet againter.¡±

    George and Demetrios left the party quickly, and as they disappeared, the quiet party hall came to life again.

    "Are you okay?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, who was standing next to him.

    However¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay¡­ Do we really have topete with a guy like that?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face had turned blue, and his hand looked off.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s broken.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was someone who could wield a gigantic greatsword like it was a limb. However, not only was he pushed aside, but his hand had also been broken. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if this was the current gap between them as he poured a potion onto Jeong In-Chang¡¯s hand.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡¯</i>

    It was an enemy he had never thought of, so he needed a n to break past the changed situation.

    ***

    The Battle of Champions wasn¡¯t an event that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew much about, whether it be through information from the future or the book of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong basically knew nothing about the current situation. All he knew was that Odin had sent him on an expedition to raid a gate.

    <i>¡®Does Odin really think I can deal with that punk?¡¯</i>

    There was no way. Although Odin could have known that the giant wasing to the expedition, there was no way he would have thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong would be able to take him down. Lee Jun-Kyeong was curious about their intentions. That giant was a monster.

    He was even a Hero acknowledged by the Demon King¡­

    [That punk is an invincible monster, to the extent that even I was apprehensive about going against him.]

    ¡­no, he was a Great Hero. Although the giant was still growing, he was still too much for Lee Jun-Kyeong to deal with in his current state.

    <i>¡®Does Odin want to see how I¡¯d respond?¡¯</i>

    No matter how he thought about it, Odin¡¯s purpose was clear. He didn¡¯t say anything about the Battle of the Champions. He wanted to see how Lee Jun-Kyeong would respond to the sudden situation.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s most likely trying to use this to figure out my identity.¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch that Odin hadn¡¯t expected that Heracles¡¯ would participate. After all, with what the other man knew about Lee Jun-Kyeong''s current skills, he would have never had expected the Underdog to defeat Heracles.

    If that wasn¡¯t it, then Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea what he wanted.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s tooplicated¡­¡¯</i>

    However, nothing would change regardless of how much he knew about the current situation. He would survive it all.

    <i>¡®A way¡­ a way¡­ A way to get rid of that monster¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to extract any information about that monster from his memories.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have to kill him. I just have to survive.¡¯</i>

    Just that alone would qualify as an achievement, but the giant was a tyrant on the battlefield and was famous for not keeping his enemies alive.

    <i>''I''m going to go crazy.''</i>

    He couldn''t figure anything out, no matter how much he thought about it. The giant was a monster at the level where he couldn¡¯t be easily killed currently by any means.

    Suddenly, he recalled what Yeo Seong-Gu had said. <i>¡®Make sure you keep your promise to survive and return. If you think it¡¯s going to be difficult, then run.¡¯</i>

    That memory became a strength for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Should we run?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong entertained the thought for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. He then thought about Heracles, whom he had only heard of in stories. He was a man of incredible feats and fame.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    When he met him in person, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought he was truly amazing. It was different from Odin and Yeo Seong-Gu. Of course, it was difficult topare Heracles with Odin, but in terms of raw strength alone, he was superior to Odin.

    Unlike those who hid their strength and only showed the tip of their power, Heracles didn¡¯t know a single thing about modesty and was always open about his strength. Themotion he caused at the party was a perfect example.

    ¡°Ughh¡­.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was sleeping in the bed next to his and let out a moan. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he was remembering the moment when he grasped hands with Heracles.

    ¡°It really is crazy.¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong burst outughing. There were countless people like the giant hiding out in the world. His strength didn¡¯t amount to anything <i>yet</i>, and that made him happier.

    <i>¡®Good.¡¯</i>

    He was d that he could grow even further and forever.

    <i>¡®Let''s try it.¡¯</i>

    He was sure there would be a way, somehow.

    ***

    As per usual, there was still some time left until the Battle of Champions. There was a party held every day. These events allowed the members of the secret organizations to get to know each other¡¯s faces and check out each other¡¯s powers.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong, he didn¡¯t attend any.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°You really are admirable. To think you¡¯de all the way to a foreign country and still raid gates.¡±

    One of the staff members of the British Association was talking to him. He had introduced himself as Williams.

    ¡°I can always go sightseeingter,¡± responded Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°But it is a little worrisome. Aren¡¯t you supposed to make sure you maintain your stamina before the big gate raid starts?¡± the staff member asked worriedly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just smiled.

    Most likely, the Association¡¯s superiors were curious about his intentions. He hade all this way to a foreign country and yet decided to raid a gate there. It was an odd situation. A Hunter who hade on an expedition was carrying out work that most didn¡¯t do even when requested. So it made sense they would find it surprising and be curious.

    ¡°Ha¡­ I really should study English more. I feel like I''m going crazy because I can''tmunicate,¡±ined Jeong In-Chang. As expected, he also didn¡¯t attend the party today.

    "Anyways, I¡¯ll be on standby.¡±

    "Yes."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bid farewell to Williams and walked into the gate with Jeong In-Chang.

    [You have entered the Ogre Vige.]

    [The Sponsors are watching you.]

    They heard that notification ring out every time they entered a dungeon gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang looked around. The Ogre Vige was a B-Grade Gate on the outskirts of London.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying here until I obtain what I want. If we can¡¯t find it here, we¡¯ll go to a simr gate again,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang replied. He was surprised because the n had not been exined.

    ¡°Are we not going to go sightseeing?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    For a moment, he had an expression of wistfulness, but it was soon reced with a burning me of passion in his eyes.

    ¡°Understood. Actually, it makes sense.¡±

    Apparently, his meeting with Heracles had been deeply burned into his mind.

    <i>¡®I also wanted to go sightseeing.¡¯</i>

    This was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s first visit to a foreign country. He wanted to see what Ennd was like. Above all, there were some great Hunters in Ennd, and it was an important task to get to know them.

    However, the problem at hand was huge. It was literally ginormous. Lee Jun-Kyeong needed special training in order to even begin to use any moves on him.

    He briefly exined, ¡°We¡¯ll be doing the same as we did in Korea.¡±

    ¡°Defense-focused training?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was a dealer and a tanker, but he needed to be a tanker today.

    Heracles was too strong.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t be able to withstand even a single blow from him.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the proper defense yet, and his stats werepletely different as well. Therefore, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s role would be vital.

    ¡°Then, could you wait for me?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Jeong In-Chang looked confused. ¡°Pardon? Are we not moving together?¡±

    "Not now. You¡¯ll understand it if you wait a little."

    "¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang trembled as if he was uneasy about something. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled in an attempt to reassure his colleague and walked away.

    Then¡­

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    He stopped for a moment and turned back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say this again, but thank you for trusting me.¡±

    ¡°Why are you saying that all of a sudden?¡± replied Jeong In-Chang, clearly flustered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked ahead with an ambiguous smile directed toward the bewildered Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong left, Jeong In-Chang leaned on his greatsword and sighed. He was now alone. His life had been rapidly changing after meeting Lee Jun-Kyeong. He couldn¡¯t tell if that was a good thing or not.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®I feel good.¡¯</i>

    Unlike in the past, where everything had been detestable, unlike before, when he had been unable to sleep because of the guilt¡­

    He wasfortable now.

    He didn¡¯t know if his current actions were aligned to justice. Maybe he was trying to get revenge on the Association President by doing this. However, he still felt at ease.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiles at you.]

    Many changes had urred after he cooperated with Lee Jun-Kyeong, but the change in his Sponsor was one of the most significant.

    <i>It is always frowning.</i>

    <i>It bursts into a rage.</i>

    Instead of getting messages like that, he kept mainly hearing messages of satisfaction.

    <i>¡®Anyways, he¡¯s someone I¡¯m grateful to.¡¯</i>

    While at first, Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone Jeong In-Chang had just ced his trust in, but when he looked at his current partner¡¯s actions, he didn¡¯t feel as though his faith had been misced either.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s do better.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to keep going forward with him.

    Jeong In-Chang had these thoughts while waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who didn¡¯t return for a long time. More than five hourster, Lee Jun-Kyeong returned.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ran towards him from afar while waving his hand. Unfortunately, Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t the least bit excited as he saw something that somewhat horrified him.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    A massive cloud of dust had bloomed behind Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    ¡°What are you bringing over here?¡±

    Dozens of ogres, including a twin-headed ogre that was presumably the boss, were running behind Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    1. So Demetrios keeps saying ??, or bubble, instead of ??, or rumor. The word bubble/foam is often used to express pretentiousness or being overhyped, akin to how the foam formed when soda is poured makes it look like there is more soda in the cup until the foam goes away, leaving the cup half filled. So he¡¯s slightly mocking Lee Jun-Kyeong but in an ¡°I have no filter¡± way rather than an ¡°I¡¯m insidiously making fun of you¡± way.

    2. The Giant misheard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s name, hence ¡®The New Can¡¯.

 Chapter 37: The Battle of Champions Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 37: The Battle of Champions Pt. 2</h4>

    "Stop trying to run away!" shouted Lee Jun-Kyeong

    "What do you mean?! How can you not run away from this?!"

    Jeong In-Chang had be the enemy of the ogres and had taken all the aggro Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought over. In fact, even the twin-headed ogre, the boss of the gate, was currently going after him. Dozens of ogres chased Jeong In-Chang, leaving dust clouds in their wake.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the scene from a distance and cried out, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop trying to run away from them!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?! I¡¯m telling you I can¡¯t¡­ Fu¡­¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t it! I just wanted for you to be subjected to this as well!¡±

    It felt like Jeong In-Chang was about to swear; however, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t care and shouted once again, ¡°You can do it! You¡¯re more than capable!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shrieked, ¡°Is this why you told me to fill up my inventory with potions?!¡±

    Before entering the gate, Lee Jun-Kyeong had invested an unimaginable amount of money in potions. Jeong In-Chang had actually asked if he was going to open a potion dispensary.

    This had been the reason.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong beamed happily.

    Jeong In-Chang hollered in disbelief, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re telling me I¡¯m right? Are you telling me just to get beat up?¡±

    ¡°Both!¡±

    Eventually¡­

    ¡°Fu¡­dge.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stopped running and looked at the iing ogres that had dust clouds billowing behind them.

    ¡°Oorah!!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    He felt queasy just looking at them screaming. He knew that he was more than capable of matching up to the monsters, but the danger of having to face so many of them at once was rtively high. Furthermore, it would only have been possible if he was allowed to dodge, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was telling him to collide with them head-on¡­

    <i>¡®Does he want me to die?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was only yelling from a distance. Even just a little while ago, he had been thinking that he had wanted to keep going forward with the man. But now, Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking like as much of a bastard as the Association President.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Before long, the ogres began to close in. In a defeated manner, Jeong In-Chang put one foot forward and raised his greatsword. He crouched, holding a stance as if he was pushing his greatsword forward.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°Oorahh!¡±

    At the same time as their thunderous cries¡­

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡­the orcs began their pounding.

    ¡°<i>Keuk¡­. Keughk! Keuk</i>.¡±

    As if he was trying to show all of the different moans he could make, Jeong In-Chang was groaning in various ways.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ you say that I could do it?!¡± he gasped.

    It was obvious, he was blocking the ogre¡¯s attacks. Although the pain and the damage were umting, their attacks weren¡¯t causing any serious injuries.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang continuously changed his position between the raining clubs, moving towards safer positions where he could shed some of the damage. Somewhere along the line, his disgruntled expression disappeared. As if he had been possessed by something, he focused directly on the ogres¡¯ attacks with serene eyes.

    <i>sh! sh! sh!</i>

    The clubs of the ogres continuously hit his greatsword, almost as if following a rhythm.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a jajinmori jangdan.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the sound andmented flippantly. Jeong In-Chang was a more capable Hunter than he gave himself credit for. Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to see his own stats objectively, but the majority of Hunters were only able to guess at their stats. Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know his exact stats just yet. The moment he found out how much power he held, things would change.

    <i>¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯</i>

    Right then, the notification messages came rushing in.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse bursts intoughter at the beautiful Melody.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiles slightly while reading the mood.]

    Apparently, these messages had also been transmitted to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shouted as if the Sponsors¡¯ reactions were breaking his concentration. Lee Jun-Kyeong was alsoughing alongside them, but he quickly controlled himself and called out a name.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    A skull popped out from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bracelet and quickly expanded in size. It was soon the size of a fist and floated around in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CDid you call? Master.

    Its voice sounded damp, as if there was something dark and dull about it.

    ¡°Only help Mr. Jeong if there is an emergency. Oh, by the way¡­¡±

    ¨CPlease tell me.

    ¡°Do you have a hand?¡±

    It would have to give Jeong In-Chang a potion when he needed it¡­

    ¨CWouldn¡¯t it be okay if I gave it to him using my mouth?

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, he had never asked this question.

    "Are you a girl? Or a man?"

    ***

    Hyeon-Mu was a familiar that came from the Skull that Contains Souls. His familiar had been born after eating the souls of Choi Yong-Su and Choi Yeong-Seong, so he kind of assumed its gender.

    <i>¡®I thought Hyeon-Mu would have been a man for sure.¡¯</i>

    To think it would say that it didn¡¯t even know.

    .

    <i>¡®Didn¡¯t they say that there are items that could be used depending on the gender of the familiar?¡¯</i>

    While knowing the gender could be helpful in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if he didn¡¯t know Hyeon-Mu¡¯s.

    Also, on that side¡­

    <i>¡®Jeong In-Chang would be morefortable this way, anyway.¡¯</i>

    He stopped himself.

    <i>¡®Or would he?¡¯</i>

    Regardless¡­

    "Oorah!!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was roaming around the gate. Many of the ogres at the gate were attacking Jeong In-Chang, but not all of the ogres were there.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a good experience.¡¯</i>

    He had only sent a manageable amount of ogres to Jeong In-Chang. The remaining were now his prey. Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the ground and bolted forward. An ogre that caught sight of Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shouted and tried to swing its club, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was faster.

    He gracefully spun in the hair, and Muspel¡¯s Spear, which contained a dragon¡¯s bloodstone, pierced through the ogre¡¯s skill.

    ¡°Ooor¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong plucked out Muspel¡¯s Spear from the fallen ogre as if he was pulling out chopsticks that he had stuck into tofu.

    Suddenly, he received a notification.

    [Your level has risen.]

    ¡°This is an unexpected harvest¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had constantly been hunting, but his level increases had slowed to a crawl. He was finally approaching 40.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s hard.¡¯</i>

    As expected, there were no easy abilities in this world. The special ability, <i>yer</i>, was a deceptive ability that gave the power to level up and grow, but it was at the cost of an almost impossible effort.

    There really were no easy roads in the world.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smirked as if to ask what were you expecting.]

    <i>Tak tak tak.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to run through the gate while ignoring his Sponsor¡¯s mocking remarks. He was looking for something.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s supposed to be here, but I¡¯ll be screwed if it¡¯s not..¡¯</i>

    He had chosen the ogre vige for a specific reason. In fact, training Jeong In-Chang¡¯s endurance and defense wasn¡¯t his main goal. Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong was searching for something.

    <i>¡®Ogre mage¡­ where are you?¡¯</i>

    There was a hidden piece that had a certain probability of appearing in an ogre vige. He was looking for an ogre mage because he was going to fight Heracles in the future. He had finally remembered that the Book of the Demon King had mentioned the giant¡¯s weakness.

    [That punk is an invincible monster.]

    The Demon King wasn¡¯t one to give good reviews for other Hunters. Heracles was one of the few that he recognized. It was in the first sentence of Heracles¡¯ summary.

    And¡­

    [But, that punk could never rise to the summit because he had a big weakness.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had remembered this point only after scrounging through his memories over and over again. He hade to the ogre vige for that exact purpose.

    <i>¡®The mage¡­ The mage¡­¡¯</i>

    He needed to find an ogre mage that only appeared in ogre viges. As the gate could be raided whether or not you destroyed all of the monsters, very few people knew the identity of the ogre mage. If he wanted to face Heracles, he had to find it.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    However, as expected of a B-Grade Gate, the ogre vige was expansive, so Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to find the way.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°Oorahh!¡±

    ¡°Ooha¡­¡±

    ¡­he was hunting the ogres as well.

    Eventually, an rm went off, marking the passing of midnight. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t even think about resting¡ªno, he couldn¡¯t rest. In order to survive, in order toplete the test, he didn¡¯t stop.

    <i>¡®Is he doing well?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had constantly thought about Jeong In-Chang while he ran through the gate. The night had alreadye, which meant that Jeong In-Chang had been fighting the ogres for over ten hours.

    ***

    "Damn it! Damn it!" Jeong In-Chang shouted and cursed.

    <i>ng! sh! aang!</i>

    By this point, he was inundated by the sound of the ogres¡¯ clubs which had now turned into a street percussion rhythm. He couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. Although he had set an rm on his watch, the sound of the clubs was deafening, so there was no way for him to hear the rm.

    "Damn it! Damn it!" Jeong In-Chang hollered while blocking the clubs that were constantly barraging him.

    As the weapons fell, Jeong In-Chang was twisting his body moment by moment and letting the clubs flow past him without even being conscious of it. Compared to the beginning, he was suffering much less damage.

    Nevertheless, he vomited some blood.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    His intestines had been damaged. While the direct attacks of the enemies were being blocked using the greatsword, the shock behind the blows was transmitted internally, blocking up his organs.

    ¡°No! No!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang screamed desperately, unable to even wipe the blood from his mouth after vomiting. He wasn¡¯t crying out because the ogres¡¯ fierce blows scared him.

    - This sort of situation is very serious.

    As if it thought the greatsword was an umbre, a single skull flew haughtily underneath it and floated in the air. This skull was the cause of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s distress.

    ¡°No! I''m fine! It''s really okay!" Jeong In-Chang shouted desperately.

    - Tsk. Tsk. I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying because of the sound of the clubs. You have been hurt. Please wait a moment.

    The skull named Hyeon-Mu was talking to him. It was an unusual creature, and Jeong In-Chang had seen it several times before while hunting with Lee Jun-Kyeong. One of the skull¡¯s eyes glowed blue, and it began to glow even brighter with an eye-piercing color. Red potions appeared out of nowhere and floated around the skull.

    Oddly enough, the skill of the skull was so great that it consistently stayed under the greatsword of Jeong In-Chang, using him and the sword as if they were an umbre.

    - It¡¯s ready.

    The skull¡¯s eye began to glow even more.

    ¡°No!!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang screamed, but s¡­

    - You must have suffered so much. To think it was bad enough that you preemptively opened your mouth to ask for a potion. Please wait. I¡¯ll give it to you soon.

    The cork of the potion bottle opened by itself, and the red liquid began to move. It soon filled the skull¡¯s mouth. The red liquid sloshed about, and Hyeon-Mu, full of the potion, slowly flew toward Jeong In-Chang.

    Then¡­

    <i>Gag.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang felt his organs recover as he consumed the potion that had been delivered mouth-to-mouth, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his tears.

    <i>¡®It was my first time¡­¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had never had a girlfriend. It wasn¡¯t enough that he had lost his lips to the skull, but to think he had to be kissed like this constantly.

    - Tsk. You have to focus.

    His mind was rattled by the skull¡¯s kiss, so he hesitated for a moment, which opened a gap where an ogre¡¯s club flew in.

    However¡­

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The ogre¡¯s club couldn¡¯t reach him. The skull had released a blue stream of water from somewhere and deflected the ogre¡¯s blow.

    - I¡¯ll stop here and return if things get worse again.

    The skull flew away again,

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t get hurt. I won¡¯t get hurt no matter what.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang made that vow over and over again.

    At that point¡­

    [<Sky of the Apocalypse> bursts intoughter at you.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiled and flinched in surprise.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> sponsors you ''Physical Resistance.'']

    He could hear the voice of the Sponsorsughing and mocking him.

    He wailed, "Damn it¡­"

    ***

    A whole day had passed since Lee Jun-Kyeong started looking for the ogre mage. Thanks to his speed, he had gone around most of the gate, and there were only a few areas left to explore. He paused and took a breath.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    No matter how much peopleuded the ability of Hunters, it was still difficult for him to keep running with all his might for more than a day.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong drank a potion instead of water as he breathed heavily. Little by little, his stamina recovered.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to himself while holding the potion bottle.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Hyeon-Mu have the power to control water?¡±

    Hyeon-Mu hadn¡¯t had much of a chance to grow yet. Despite that, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still satisfied with its abilities. After all, it was a powerful familiar.So, the question arose.

    ¡°The potions could probably be treated as water since they are liquid¡­ Couldn¡¯t it just give it to Mr. Jeong using its abilities?¡±

    1. Jeong In-Chang was about to curse, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was making fun of him.

    2. Another funny way of cursing in Korean. Funnily enough, it sounds very simr to ABC¡¯s, so Korean parents will go Ai Shi¡­ D, E, F, and so on in front of their children.

    3. This refers to a specific Korean rhythm of hitting a traditional drum. If you watch period K-dramas, you¡¯ve definitely heard it.

    4. A hidden piece is a secret treasure/skill/etc. that isn¡¯t publicized in a game and can only be identally discovered or found if you know where to look. They are often stronger than what can be obtained normally and are generally limited or unique. For example, if you¡¯ve read some of the other Korean novels, Gourmet Gaming has many of these.

 Chapter 38: The Battle of Champions Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 38: The Battle of Champions Pt. 3</h4>

    "<i>Ooa¡­ Ooa¡­</i>"

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A ze began to emerge within the ogre vige gate. Once his special ability lit a fire in the forest, it wouldn¡¯t go out unless there was a Hunter or monster that could control water. Of course, the higher the grade of the gate, the higher the tolerance it had against attributes.

    <i>¡®There were barely any B-Grade Gates before the cataclysm.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was walking slowly within the roaring fire. He walked through the mes as if he were a demon, listening to the ogres scream. Setting fire to a forest was an easy way to deal with low-rank monsters, but it wasn¡¯t a tactic he used often.

    Not only did he gain less experience from using this method, but Lee Jun-Kyeong also knew he had much lessbat experiencepared to the other Hunters, so it was better for him to hunt them directly.

    However, there was a simple reason why he was using this tactic now..

    ¡°<i>Huff¡­ Huff¡­</i>¡±

    He could hear an unusual breathing sound. It came from an ogre that had a considerable staturepared to the others.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s tactic was meant to deal with this monster that wasrge enough to be mistaken for an Ogre King.

    ¡°<i>Huff¡­</i>¡±

    It seemed to have a resistance to fireparable to a high-ranking monster. Furthermore, with every breath it exhaled, the nearby mes flickered and then faded little by little.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    Nevertheless, like a demon, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked through the mes he had reared. He had finally found the one he had been looking for.

    <i>¡®The ogre mage.¡¯</i>

    The giant monster that had red eyes and had suppressed the mes that had been lit aze through Reign of Fire with just a breath was the real boss of the gate. The ogre vige was one of the special gates. A twin-headed ogre usually appeared as the boss, but if one scoured the gate, it was possible to find something else asionally.

    Specifically, the ogre mage, a red-eyed wizard, or even a sorcerer.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®It took quite some time before people discovered the hidden piece?to all of this.¡¯</i>

    The reason it took so long was simple. The monster was insanely strong. It had a strength that didn¡¯t match the B-Grade ogre vige, and it only seemed to fit in after the cataclysm. Therefore, some Hunters who had left for a B-Grade raid were killed by it without any information escaping to the outside. Eventually, Heroes were dispatched to investigate due to the iprehensible raid failure.

    That was when they found it.

    Even the Heroes had struggled to deal with it.

    ¡°<i>Hooahhhh!</i>¡±

    Finally, the ogre mage had found the intruder who had set fire to its nest: Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The ogre began barreling through the forest full of mes.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Every time it moved its hand, a burning tree copsed with a strange noise. Unlike normal ogres, the monster ran at an incredible speed, and the red light from its eyes left behind an afterimage.

    Finally¡­

    ¡°<i>Hooah!</i>¡±

    The monster reached for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already prepared in advance and smashed the ground with his feet right before the monster rushed in.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Both fists of the ogre mage had sunk into the spot where Lee Jun-Kyeong had just been. Debris flew into the rising dust. However, it soon realized that the arsonist had avoided its attack. It reacted quickly.

    <i>¡®Is that really an ogre?¡¯</i>

    Its speed was astonishingly fast, So he had almost been caught by it. The ogre screamed aloud and searched around for the arsonist, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had already disappeared somewhere.

    ***

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was a crashing sound of a door opening.

    ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± asked a voice immediately following themotion.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let him through.¡±

    The owner of the room where themotion was caused waved his hand and sent away the person who protested. The door closed, leaving the owner and the intruder in the room where themotion had originated. The owner stared at the intruder with a calm but fierce gaze as his one remaining eye emitted a harsh and bright light.

    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Odin. He not only owned this room, but he was the one who had alsomanded that this entire building be built. He stood as a pir of this country while also working in the shadows behind it. He was Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Association.

    And, an uninvited guest had appeared here.

    ¡°Did you know?¡± asked Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Odin didn¡¯t answer.

    Yeo Seong-Gu asked again, a bit more vehemently, ¡°I asked if you knew.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be our meeting room. What are you doing?¡±

    However, Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s voice was serious, as if he was scolding him.

    "I will ask you again. Did you know?" replied Yeo Seong-Gu.

    "I don''t know what you mean."

    Despite the obvious differences in their statuses, Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t seem inferior at all to Odin. It was a situation that no one could have imagined. After all, even if it could be said that the League Guild was somewhat established, it was out of the ordinary that their Guild Master would act aggressively and even threateningly in front of the Association President.

    But, as if to contradictmon sense, Yeo Seong-Gu became even more extreme after getting rebuked by Jang Hyo-Jin. He raised his voice even further, ¡°What were you thinking?!¡±

    ¡°Whew, settle down¡­¡±

    In the end, Jang Hyo-Jin raised his left hand. The eye behind the eyepatch and his left hand shone together, and suddenly the space was surrounded by a barrier.

    ¡°Are you not going to abide by the principles of Asgard?¡± Odin asked.

    A smirk appeared on Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face. ¡°Did you just say principles?¡±

    He continued in a low and frosty tone, ¡°Where did the greatest principle for humanity disappear to that you¡¯re bringing up other principles that amount to just side branches?¡±

    ¡°Are you scolding me?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu snapped, ¡°To say that I¡¯m scolding you ¡­ I would have thought about it if you were the type to actually listen after being scolded, but it doesn¡¯t look like you even care enough to listen.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Finally, a fire zed in Jang Hyo-Jin, no, Odin¡¯s eye. Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s position in Asgard was higher than most people would expect, but it wasn¡¯t enough that Jang Hyo-Jin would endure such an insult.

    Yeo Seong-Gu then spat, ¡°It¡¯s Heracles.¡±

    Odin calmed down quickly from his enraged state. His expression hardened when he heard the name that came out of Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    The bald man responded, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Heracles participating in the Battle of Champions this time around.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jang Hyo-Jin ultimately murmured to himself.

    Even he hadn¡¯t expected this development. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to the battle because of some other urgent matters, and then he had shifted his attention away because he felt as though it didn¡¯t merit any further concern.

    While the Hunters who had already gone to Ennd may not have known, the oue of the Battle of Champions had already been guaranteed. IKorea was supposed to win. Therefore, the original n had been to send a new Hero, Choi Yeong-Seong, who the Northern Army Guild had produced.

    <i>¡®I sent him instead, though¡­¡¯</i>

    But then, to think that Heracles was participating.

    Jang Hyo-Jin asked, ¡°Does Olympus not n on keeping the agreement?¡±

    ¡°So it looks like you didn¡¯t know either,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu as his frown deepened..

    The middle-aged man in front of him, Odin, was a cunning and clever old man. If he had known of Heracles¡¯ existence and had sent Lee Jun-Kyeong anyway, then at least Yeo Seong-Gu could have thought there was some sort of n in ce.

    To think that even he hadn¡¯t known.

    It meant that the brat was sent without any support.

    ¡°I will go,¡± he said.

    ¡°..."

    ¡°Are you going just to leave him to die like this? I thought you were interested in him too.¡±

    However, Odin quickly rxed and looked at Yeo Seong-Gu. In response to the unexpected reaction, Yeo Seong-Gu stopped talking for a moment.

    Odin remarked, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t prepared for things to develop like this, but¡­ I don¡¯t have any intentions of letting him die yet, either.¡±

    Apparently, he had some sort of n. The cunning Jang Hyo-Jin had made a promise to the secret organizations: to let the victories in the Battle of Champions be rigged ording to need. It had been his intention to control all of the secret organizations from the shadows. However, Olympus broke the agreement.

    They had pulled out their secret weapon as if they intended to disregard Korea, which was supposed to obtain victory this time.

    ¡°I put a restriction on him.¡±

    ¡°A re¡­striction?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned. There was nothing good to be associated with the word restriction.

    Odin exined, ¡°It¡¯s not as strange a ban as you¡¯re thinking about. It¡¯s just a ban to prevent leaks about Asgard and its secrets. Because what he knows is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say that you did well, but in the current situation, that¡¯s a relief,¡± responded Yeo Seong-Gu as his expression finally cleared up. If he had Odin¡¯s restriction, it meant that the power of Odin was influencing him.

    Odin continued, ¡°If there is an emergency, the restriction on him will react and send out a signal. Olympus would have broken the contract, so that means I would be able to break it too.¡±

    If a considerable threat came for Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s life, then the restriction would send out a signal, and that was when he would be able to interfere. While Heracles was their secret weapon, he wasn¡¯t enough for them to butt heads against the secret organizations just yet.

    ¡°If something happens, I won¡¯t just sit still,¡± warned Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°How¡­ What sort of rtionship does that brat have with you? It¡¯s not as if you¡¯ve known each other for a long time either,¡± asked Jang Hyo-Jin curiously.

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu kept his mouth shut and left the room. Neither of the two knew, though, that Odin¡¯s restriction¡­had already been released by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    ***

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles at you.]

    ¡°All of a sudden?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a puzzled expression at the sudden notification, but for some reason, he felt as though he knew why.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    He could feel an ominous mana from behind him. He turned around¡­

    ¡°<i>Hooah¡­</i>.¡±

    ¡­and made eye contact with the tanned monster that had an intensified reddish glow to its eyes. It was the ogre mage.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned away and ran in the same direction the monster hade from and found what he had been looking for. The reason why the singrity, the ogre mage, had been created. The reason behind the monster, who couldn¡¯t use any sort of magic, and the secret behind why it was given the name of mage.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed the mineral he found and started running.

    Of course, the monster followed him.

    ¡°<i>Hooah!!!</i>¡±

    He had finished what he had to do in the ogre vige. Now that he had found what he had been looking for, there was no reason for him to spend any more time here.

    <i>Tak tak tak!</i>

    ¡°<i>Hooah!!</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fled while the ogre mage chased after him. He crossed through the burning forest, and the mage rushed after him, barrelling through. Like the increased reddish glow in its eyes, its movements had also be sharper and more destructive. Finally, the mage began to catch up with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted at his arm while running, but there was no response.

    ¡°HYEON-MU!¡±

    ¡°<i>Hooah!!</i>¡±

    He screamed again, but the only thing that responded was the ogre mage. It was too much for him to deal with easily. It may have been possible to win against it, but he would end up taking a lot of damage. It was a monster that had far exceeded the gate level.

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to stop. He turned and settled into a stance with his shield raised. Unfortunately, it was toote to flee, and Hyeon-Mu hadn¡¯t responded.

    <i>¡®I have to block its attack and begin attacking.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t lose.

    No.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to win.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong adjusted his stance and raised his round shield. At this moment, he wished he had a better quality shield more than ever.¡°Hooah!¡±

    Finally, both of the monster¡¯s fists were careening toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­

    ¨CYour orders have been fulfilled.

    ¡­and he finally heard a voice.

    Right when the monster¡¯s fists were about to collide with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s round shield, a notification appeared.

    [The gate has been conquered.]

    Hyeon-Mu, or rather, Jeong In-Chang, had dealt with the twin-headed ogre.

    The ogre mage stopped moving. The moment right before it had collided with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s round shield, the magic power supplied to it from the gate had disappeared, so naturally, it would proceed to vanish as well.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the frozen figure.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    He let out a long sigh and threw his spear. Muspel¡¯s Spear drilled toward the middle of its forehead. He wouldn¡¯t miss a target that was standing still. Muspel¡¯s Spear pierced through the head of the ogre mage that had lost its power.

    ¡°I lived,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while retrieving Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    As the gate was cleared and began to copse, there was no notification of any achievements, nor had the proper experience points earned. Instead, the ogre mage seemed to have only been registered as an ordinary ogre.

    The gate slowly began to copse. Perhaps because of the singrity that was the ogre mage, the gate quickly copsed despite its high rating.

    The surroundings changed, and Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped out as the remnants disappeared.

    ¡°<i>Blech! Retch! Retchhh!</i>¡±

    He saw a man standing there as he screamed and twisted his body continuously.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m blocking it! I¡¯m blocking it! I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m blocking it!!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had only responded with an iprehensible scream.

    Williams had most likely been dozing off while waiting for their return, came to his senses and shouted, ¡°Umm¡­ What¡­ What is going on?¡±

    1. A funny thing the author, and most Korean Authors who write for this age group, does is use the word ?? to refer to people almost entirely. ?? can mean many things, but generally is a term used to refer to someone who is lower in the hierarchy but likes to act up. Therefore, it is often tranted as punk, brat, etc., based on the tone of usage. I¡¯ve generally left it as man/person until the emphasis is necessary, at which point I¡¯d use punk, but in this case, it''s meant in an endearing way.

    2. This may have been a mistake, but the Korean has both sentences side by side.

 Chapter 39: The Battle of Champions Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 39: The Battle of Champions Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°<i>Ptui ptui ptui ptui!</i>¡±

    Williams had a bewildered expression on his face as he watched Jeong In-Chang spit in session. ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°It looks like he ate something he didn¡¯t want to eat.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged at the confused Williams. The tension had been relieved by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s appearance.

    <i>¡®It was too close forfort.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the sweat running down his back. If Hyeon-Mu hadn¡¯t carried out his orders properly, if things had evolved into a situation where he had to face the ogre mage head-on¡­

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    ¡­there would have been a fierce battle. It would have been terrible if he had suffered an injury too severe to recover from with a potion before the Battle of Champions. Nheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a smile on his face.

    <i>¡®I got it.¡¯</i>

    The <i>¡®secret of the ogre mage¡¯</i> was meant to target Heracles¡¯ weakness. It was the only method he could use to fight the giant.

    ¡°Ha¡­ My first kiss... My first kiss¡­¡±

    Of course, Jeong In-Chang had been constantly spitting at the side throughout this time, and he was now beginning to mumble iprehensibly.

    ***

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even seen heads or tails of him since the first day,¡± someone snorted.

    It was a giant over two meters tall, and the size of his fists was reminiscent of boulders.

    Demetrios, the man with the title Heracles, continued, ¡°He must be preparing in his own way. However, I don¡¯t remember hearing about the Underdog entering Asgard. I wonder how that came to happen.¡±

    And arguing against him, George, Odysseus, was also alongside him.

    The two were talking in their room.

    ¡°Damn. My body aches all over. It¡¯s killing me. Can¡¯t we just enter a gate?¡±

    While Demetrios wasining disgruntledly, George answered bluntly, ¡°No.¡±

    He continued, ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want my head to hurt anymore because of you, you idiot.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Demetrios¡¯s eyes glinted with a hint of anger.

    George flinched and continued quickly.¡°This is a problem you made by disobeying the orders of Olympus and entering the Battle of Champions willfully.¡±

    Demetrios and George both belonged to the Olympus Guild. In many ways, it was simr to Asgard. Just as the Hunter Association in Korea was revealed to be Asgard, the Olympus Guild hid the form of Olympus. Behind the scenes, they were secret organizations behind their respective areas.

    "Why is that my fault? Does it make sense to lose a battle that we can win deliberately? I¡¯m a fighter who refuses to acknowledge that sort of absurdity!" Demetrios snorted again.

    As George had mentioned earlier, Heracles had disobeyed Olympus'' orders. Instead of following the orders to raid a gate in Africa, they had taken the ce of a Hero named Theseus, who had been chosen to participate in the Battle of Champions¡­

    ¡°Because of you, Theseus can¡¯t leave his bed for a month.¡±

    ¡­and left him half dead. George was a fellow guild member of Olympus and a close friend of Demetrios. He was basically apanying Heracles to ensure he couldn¡¯t cause further incidents.

    <i>¡®If you send that idiot alone, it would end up as aplete ruin.¡¯</i>

    Thanks to George, Demetrios was able to arrive at the battle without much conflict.

    George responded, ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m going to go crazy. The Battle of Champions has to start soon¡­ While you hid Theseus well, someone should being from Olympus since you showed up at the party on the first day.¡±

    Someone woulde to punish Demetrios for breaking orders, and George for helping him. Normally, that person should have arrived already, but Olympus seemed to be waiting for something. No one had shown up yet.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to die from the stress.¡¯</i>

    Consequently, George was the one struggling the most. He was already afraid of what punishment he would undergo with Demetrios.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you from whoeveres.¡± Demetrios chuckled and patted his chest.

    ¡°Anyways, the Underdog? I thought that he would have thrown a fist¡­ but I also liked the punk he was with. I¡¯m looking forward to it.

    At the same time as Demetrios seemingly talked to himself¡­

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡­George raised his eyebrows imperceptibly. Demetrios, that bastard, was a monster. He was so powerful that even the higher-ranked members of Olympus wouldn¡¯t recklessly touch him. There weren¡¯t many people that he would acknowledge or even consider an opponent.

    <i>¡®To think he¡¯s watching the Underdog¡­¡¯</i>

    George had an indecipherable hunch that a major incident was about to happen.

    ***

    "Are you going somewhere again?" asked Jeong In-Chang, who was lying on the hotel bed like a corpse. He was in a horrible state. After clearing the ogre vige, his body and mind had reached the limit. In addition, his shocking kiss with Hyeon-Mu had made him even more exhausted. After clearing the gate, he copsed on the spot, so Lee Jun-Kyeong had to carry him to the hotel.

    ¡°Should Ie with you?¡±

    When they had arrived, he had barely regained his consciousness.

    <i>¡®Even though he must be feeling horrible, I¡¯m grateful.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was grateful to see Jeong In-Chang trying to apany him when he tried to leave the room.

    ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s fine. Your body isn¡¯t even in good condition either¡­¡±

    ¡°You know who¡¯s responsible for this¡­¡± muttered Jeong In-Chang to himself.

    "Didn''t you get quite a bit of sponsorship thanks to that?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s retort wasn¡¯t a lie either. Jeong In-Chang had been beaten for dozens of hours by the ogres¡¯ cheerful rhythm, and his Sponsor, <The Prince on a White Horse>, had not spared its sponsorship.

    It was over the top.

    <i>¡®To think that he was given physical resistance¡­¡¯</i>

    Tolerance and resistance skills were rare, to the extent that Lee Jun-Kyeong was envious of Jeong In-Chang for receiving such high-quality support from <The Prince on a White Horse>.

    <i>¡®Looks like it''s throwing everything it has on him.¡¯</i>

    The Prince on a White Horse was not a high-ranking Sponsor. Most likely, the other Hunters who had been sponsored by The Prince on a White Horse had had their sponsorship ceased for a long time.

    <i>¡®Why don¡¯t you sponsor me when you have a high rank?¡¯</i>

    However, there was no response. He was very envious of the sponsorship Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Sponsor provided, which was very different from that of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. The other man had not only gained physical resistance. Instead, Jeong In-Chang had also gotten an increase in overall ability, and, in particr, the growth in physical strength had caught his eye.

    ¡°I did get a lot of sponsorship, didn¡¯t I¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang replied.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong joked, ¡°Then, should we do it again?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang attempted to get up suddenly, but then copsed all over the bed once again.

    ¡°Just look at yourself. You can¡¯t even lift one hand properly, can you? Rest. I will go by myself,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong consoled.

    Jeong In-Chang replied, ¡°Alright, if anything goes wrong, you have to contact me right away.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at him and attempted to leave the room.

    However¡­

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    It bothered him that Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t even able to lift a hand.

    In the end¡­

    ¡°NO!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s screams echoed in the hotel hallway, and Lee Jun-Kyeong departed the room, leaving Hyeon-Mu as a caretaker.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was taking a nighttime stroll through the streets of London. As if he was looking for something, he strolled around the surroundings.

    ¡°...¡±

    People began to stare at him as he hovered around the area. They were focusing on him for a different reason.

    ¡°Look at him.¡±

    ¡°Is he a model?¡±

    He was tall and had a beautiful appearance, captivating those around him. His appearance had changed when he returned to the past, and he had be a foreign beauty even by western standards. They innocently admired his appearance and sent favorable nces.

    However¡­

    ¡°Why is there an Asian guy here?¡±

    ¡°To think he¡¯s wandering around at night, does he think this ce is a safe ce he can trust?¡±

    Not everyone looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong favorably. There were a few negative gazes as if they seemed to dislike Asians altogether.

    Finally¡­

    "It''s a Hunter."

    "Hunter."

    "Damn it. It''s hard to find a Hunter in this part of town. Come on, let''s get out of here."

    Seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong''s outfit and demeanor, they had intuited that he was a Hunter and quickly fled.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right.¡±</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered something as well while looking at their reactions. He had heard about it before.

    <i>¡®They said that Hunters didn¡¯t have a great image in Europe, right?¡¯</i>

    Despite the efforts of the Associations around the world to elevate the image of Hunters, it was rumored that the public sentiment toward the Hunters still fell short despite their efforts in Europe.

    The reason for that was¡­

    <i>¡®Olympus.¡¯</i>

    It was because of the organization that dominated Europe. They werepletely separate from the European Union Association that was created by the European Union and had no ties to the European Union Association at all. Instead, the European Union Association was wary of taking action around Olympus, which was active in Europe.

    Olympus moved by their own rules, not thews of the European Union Association, and their rules didn¡¯t include punishment for issues like violence against ordinary people. Therefore, the image of Hunters in Europe had fallen shortpared to that in other countries.

    ¡°Hey, Asian.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to walk around nonchntly in London at this hour?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re all that just because you¡¯re a Hunter?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you have a weapon either. Why would a Hunter evene to this neighborhood, anyway? He probably isn¡¯t one.¡±

    Alongside the perception of Hunters, the perception of Asians had also worsened, developing into severe racism towards Asians.

    The reason for that was¡­

    <i>¡®Olympus.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head to look at them.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The fuck are you staring at?¡±

    ¡°Do you not know English?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally responded, ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡±

    ¡°He speaks good English for an Asian, eh?¡±

    ¡°At least he has one thing he knows how to do,¡± they said.

    ¡°Do you need money?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked as he didn¡¯t want to get involved in a troublesome issue.

    ¡°Who are you asking as if we are beggars?¡±

    ¡°All you have to do is sit still until we¡¯ve beaten you enough to feel better. Okay?¡±

    As if they wanted to show that they didn¡¯t need any money, they frowned even more and surrounded him. There weren¡¯t many people around because it was an alleyway, but there were still some people who could see what was going on.

    <i>¡®Seems you¡¯re indifferent.¡¯</i>

    All they did was overlook the situation and leave. The perception of both Hunters and Asians had been falling to the bottom in Europe due to Olympus.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that bastard Zeus¡­¡±

    ¡°Know you¡¯re getting beat because of that bastard.¡±

    The name that came out of the mouth of the delinquents was the reason why. It was because the Guild Master of Olympus, Zeus, was Korean. Furthermore, as the Guild Master of Olympus, he had ignored the Association¡¯s request to raid a gate that had appeared in a British city. As a result, an innumerable number of British citizens were sacrificed.

    A few British citizens¨Cno, Europeans, had begun to see Asians as their enemy. These delinquents seemed to be of the same kind,

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually rolled up his sleeves in response to their genuine threats of violence.

    ¡®<i>It would have been great if they had caught onto the fact I was actually a Hunter¡­¡¯</i>

    ***

    ¡°I¡­ it''s here.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay if we leave now?¡±

    "Yeah, I think."

    "Can I go now?"

    He was surrounded by bruised faces that looked almost like roons. They were the delinquents that had the argument with Lee Jun-Kyeong before. Their faces were all pale, and as if they were terrified, their bodies were trembling like leaves.

    ¡°You may.¡±

    They immediately all turned around and were about to run away.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    However, they began to shake as if they had received a summons from the grim reaper and couldn¡¯t even turn their heads when they heard Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s call. Naturally, they didn¡¯t make any sudden movements suggesting that they were trying to run away because they had already gotten that lesson engraved into them earlier.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said one final thing, ¡°I hate Zeus, too. Not all Asians, and especially Koreans, are like him. Don¡¯t hate us all too much.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­?¡±

    He sternly asked, ¡°What are you doing? Answer properly!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    They paused for a moment as if they had been stunned by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, but soon turned their heads to respond and left.

    "Whew¡­"

    Although they wouldn¡¯t have attacked him if he had just revealed that he was a Hunter, he still beat them up instead of trying to persuade them. Lee Jun-Kyeong usually didn¡¯t want to use violence in the name of fairness, but he did so here for a particr reason.

    <i>¡®It would be nice if those people at least wouldn¡¯t touch other Asians.¡¯</i>

    It was the whip and the carrot. It was out of fear that they might repeat the same actions against the innocent. Whenparing violence and persuasion, the former worked much better in most situations.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about it, right?¡¯</i>

    Another thing was that, unlike with the Northern Army Guild, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have to worry all that much about any incidents that may ur because of them. Back then, he had just been a Hunter.

    <i>¡®Odin will handle it.¡¯</i>

    Although he hadn¡¯t yet joined Asgard, he was still in a position where Odin was interested in him. The other man would deal with any trouble, so he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about it.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong with causing a more estranged rtionship with the European side anyway.¡¯</i>

    Well, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing for Lee Jun-Kyeong for Odin to get into more conflicts with other factions either. But, of course, the European Association would never go against Jang Hyo-Jin.

    ¡°Is this it?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mused over his thoughts before looking at the door. He didn¡¯t know London¡¯syout and was left with no choice but to continue to wander until he had been given directions by those who had wanted to argue with him.

    He had entered another alley, and there were dozens of doors lined up within the length of the alley. It looked like it could be a ce where wizards in movies could have been located. The ce Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking for was on Alchemy Street.

    <i>¡®Mana¡­ It should be the ce with the strongest mana.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly rxed his energy, focusing on finding the ce emitting the strongest mana. His perception led him to an incredibly ugly door.

    ¡°Come in!¡±

    Scarily enough, the gentle voice of a girl was heard even before the sound of his knock could reverberate. This street was a special ce that could only be found in Ennd. It was an alley where the Hunter-turned-alchemists were located. But, of course, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary ce.

    The people here were those who hadmitted crimes or were living in hiding for some reason or another. They weren¡¯t under the control of the Association, and therefore, they could barely get along with the citizens of London.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened the door and entered.

    ¡°Pardon me.¡±

    As soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by an amazing sight. It was a room that was muchrger than it looked from the outside. As he was looking around the ce in surprise, someone greeted him in a lively manner.

    ¡°Wee to Yu-Jin¡¯s Telephone Booth!¡±

    <i>¡®Yu-Jin?¡¯</i>

    For some reason, it was a Korean name, and as he turned, a single girl caught his eye. She was the one with the highest mana in the area.

    ¡°Park Yu-Jin¡­?¡±

    Surprisingly, it was someone he knew as well.

    1. This is a Korean saying; I shifted to an English one. There are a lot of idioms in Korean that involve noses, and this one is saying that I haven¡¯t even seen the tip of his nose.

    2. The term mugwort field in Korea is synonymous with ruins and, rarely, graveyards, as if a field is full of mugwort, it willpletely overtake it and not allow for any other nts to grow. However, it¡¯s quite weak topete at the beginning, which means it is difficult for it to grow in most ces. Therefore, it most often grows in ruins or gravesites.

    3. Note that he still looks like the same person, just better. This isn¡¯t an isekai story where he entered a new body and a new appearance.

    4. This is referencing Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

    5. reference to TARDIS from Dr. Who

 Chapter 40: Heracles

    <h4>Chapter 40: Heracles</h4>

    ¡°What are you saying? Oh, you¡¯re also a Korean! It¡¯s not easy to meet a Korean here,¡± she said in an even brighter tone. The girl couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen, and had long straight hair and was wearing a ck dress. She spoke to him as she spun in circles.

    ¡°So, what brings you here, dear customer? A special potion? Or¡­ did you need something special for some nefarious activities?¡±

    Unlike her youthful appearance, she spoke some unsettling words.

    ¡°You¡¯re Park Yu-Jin¡­ right?¡±

    This girl was definitely a person that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew. But, to be honest, it had been a pure coincidence that Lee Jun-Kyeong had recognized her as he didn¡¯t know her face or her characteristics.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®They look alike.¡¯</i>

    He recognized her when he saw her in person.

    ¡°Tsk. What¡¯s with you? Right as I open, how irritating.¡±

    She was actually Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s twin sister and was the other master cksmith that shared the studio with him.

    ¡°Who are you, and how do you know my name?¡±

    Suddenly, the youthful girl¡¯s energy changed. Violent energy rippled off of her, apanied by a frown.

    <i>¡®It really is her.¡¯</i>

    Anyone who saw her would know she was Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s little sister. All of a sudden, she was ring at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a potion in one hand and a hammer in the other. She moved as fast as her copious amounts of mana would suggest.

    ¡°I asked you who you were. Do I have to fuck up that handsome face for you to answer?¡± she said, spitting out swears that wouldn¡¯t lose out to Park Jae-Hyun.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded to her while holding his hands up as if to show he didn¡¯t n to hurt her, ¡°I just recognized you by chance. I came to you as a customer out of necessity.¡±

    ¡°By chance¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually opened his inventory in response. He soon withdrew something she would recognize.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡±

    Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Tak Tak!</i>

    As swift as a flying squirrel, she advanced on Lee Jun-Kyeong and began to inspect Muspel¡¯s Spear with her eyes.

    <i>¡®It seems this little brat is a master cksmith too.¡¯</i>

    Master cksmiths were easy to recognize as they never touched other people¡¯s weapons recklessly and only inspected them with their own eyes. The way she still kept that level of courtesy even after she had intuited what it was and who had made it gave a glimpse into her level of craftsmanship to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Can I touch it?¡± she asked carefully, like an elementary school girl who was used to bullying boys. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded, and Park Yu-Jingrabbed Muspel¡¯s Spear and touched it all around as if she couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t lying. My Oppa made this.¡±

    She immediately returned Muspel¡¯s Spear and asked, ¡°Did my brother send you?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. But, as I said, it really was a coincidence. I searched for Alchemy Street because I needed something¡­¡±

    He continued, ¡°I chose this shop by coincidence and ran into you. I only knew your name. I didn¡¯t know what you looked like. I only recognized you because you resemble Park Jae-Hyun so much.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lie. While he had already known Park Yu-Jin¡¯s name from the very beginning, it was also true that he had heard it from Park Jae-Hyun.

    <i>¡®Because he mumbled about you when he made Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Yu-Jin needs to see this.¡±

    ¡°Yu-Jin woulde back if she saw this spear.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun said all of that while working with a high degree of concentration. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t lie.

    ¡°So he grew this much¡­¡±

    She suddenly turned her attention over to Lee Jun-Kyeong again and muttered while looking over Muspel¡¯s Spear, ¡°Is Oppa doing okay? Well, looking at this spear, it looks like he¡¯s doing well¡­ There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    She basically had answered her own question.

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with business first. What did youe to find me for?¡± she said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately took out a red ore from his inventory. It was somethingpletely different from the dragon¡¯s bloodstone. Then, as he was about to show it to her, he paused and looked at her as if he had remembered something.

    ¡°Your hammer hasn¡¯t rusted yet, right?¡± he asked as he remembered her title.

    Park Jae-Hyun, a master cksmith, was titled Brokkr, and his twin sister, another master cksmith, who was also an alchemist, also had a title

    <i>¡®Hephaestus.¡¯</i>

    That was the name she wouldter earn.

    ***

    <i>¡®Who the fuck does he think he¡¯s talking to? This bastard!¡¯</i>

    Park Yu-Jin had reacted as if he had insulted her parents. Lee Jun-Kyeong had met her in a ce that he had never could have anticipated, and thanks to that he was able to produce even more convincing results.

    <i>¡®This is good.¡¯</i>

    The reason he hade to Alchemy Street was to find an alchemist who could melt the ore he had obtained from the ogre vige. He had nned to apply the melted ore to Muspel¡¯s Spear himself. Naturally, the efficiency of doing that wasn''t great. But he couldn¡¯t expect the best results for many various reasons, so it was to be expected.

    <i>¡®This is the best way while I¡¯m here.¡¯</i>

    This was Ennd, not Korea. There wasn¡¯t a single person he knew, let alone a reliable cksmith. In addition, the item he had obtained from the ogre vige was meant to deal with Heracles.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t ask the?Ennd Association?for help.¡¯</i>

    All he could do was toe to Alchemy Street, which criminals and Chaos Guilds mainly used. It was impossible to return to Korea for this through the portal either, as the portal hadn¡¯t beenrgely stabilized yet. Furthermore, it couldn¡¯t be requested due to the sheer amount of mana it took to function.

    It was a great coincidence and pure luck that he had encountered her at a ce he had been reluctant to enter.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t even know where she was either.¡¯</i>

    The meeting between the Demon King and Hephaestus had only happened after she had returned to Park Jae-Hyun in the future. There was no way to know where she had been staying before then, and he had already pretty much given up on finding that out.

    ***

    "This is good."

    It was a really remarkable coincidence, and he had been able to form another rtionship.

    ¡°What are you saying is good?¡±

    As expected of a High-Ranking Hunter, Jeong In-Chang had already recovered and was eating with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Something good has happened, so I was just thinking to myself about it.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes opened widely, and he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°By chance, when you went out¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Was it to go see a girl?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t even wait for Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer as he continued with an air of assuming that things had happened exactly as he thought, ¡°I won¡¯t ask anything else.¡±

    He then closed his eyes and asked, ¡°Is she pretty?¡±

    The Sponsors immediately reacted.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> bursts intoughter.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> rubs the bridge of its nose in embarrassment.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was equally taken aback, but he then smiled and spoke to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°You know there is still a little time left until the raid, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang trembled at the sudden ominous feeling.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be raiding dungeons until the day before.¡±

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang had to put down the piece of steak he had on his fork.

    ***

    "Thank you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said sincerely.

    He had entrusted his weapon to Park Yu-Jin, so he had been walking around the gates without a weapon for several days. Jeong In-Chang had learned how to parry blows from monsters with only a greatsword and no armor and had eventually gained physical resistance skills after much effort.

    <i>¡®The more he trains, the more it feels like he¡¯s bing a rock.¡¯</i>

    In his mind, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s image of Jeong In-Chang was a young man who roamed around the battlefield wielding a greatsword that was asrge as he was tall. Although that was the appearance he had seen in the books and existed in the future, he truly started to think that the other man resembled a rock.<i>¡®The more I think about it the more I think he¡¯s just a rock.¡¯</i>

    He even thought that the other man¡¯s brain resembled one. Of course, asionally, Jeong In-Chang showed a cunning side to himself.

    It was true that he had doubts about him. There was a possibility that he had finally been polished in various ways, but the important thing was that the skills he showed were real. That was the essential part. Regardless, tomorrow was the day of the Battle of Champions and the day of the gate raid.

    ¡°Just what¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to leave. However, the owner of Yu-Jin¡¯s Phone Box, Park Yu-Jin, stopped him.

    ¡°...what is your identity?¡± she asked him.

    Park Yu-Jin had finallypleted the fusion between his weapon and the red ore, so he hade to inspect it.

    She continued, ¡°That ore¡­ it was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen it. Also, what¡¯s that embedded in your spear?¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head around.

    Park Yu-Jin jabbered on, ¡°I left Korea and left my brother, who couldn¡¯t even cook for himself and only knew how to make ramen, behind.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know it was that bad, but he didn¡¯t really care about what she was saying. Was she justining to him?

    ¡°I had left to find materials like the ones you have. Things I couldn¡¯t find if I just stayed in Korea¡­ I even learned alchemy for things like the ones you have.¡±

    No, there had to be another reason why she was talking to him.

    ¡°Who are you? How did you get things like that? Not even Olympus or any of the other punks had things like that.¡±

    This was the main point behind her rant. She had never seen the dragon¡¯s bloodstone or the red ore before. It was unbelievable to her that someonepletely unknown to her had brought them over. She was curious about who he was and how he had gotten them.

    ¡°Tell me. Who are you? How did you get those things?¡± she persistently asked.

    However¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong simply responded, "Come back to Korea."

    "What?"

    Instead of the answers that she had wanted, Lee Jun-Kyeong said the one thing she didn¡¯t want to hear.

    ¡°Nothing will change by going abroad. Isn¡¯t your alchemy already at a high level? If you want minerals or rare materials, then pleasee back to Korea.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullshit are you saying¡­?¡± she snapped.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and spoke to the girl, who said she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Because I am in Korea.¡±

    It was an iprehensible statement, but Park Yu-Jin understood. He was saying he could obtain any mineral that she could want. That he would be able to obtain more materials than she could imagine. So in order to satisfy her desires, she needed to go back to Korea where he was.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was talking so arrogantly, yet something tickled her.

    ¡°How cute.¡±

    She looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and smiled before saying a simr, iprehensible statement, ¡°You¡¯re just my style.¡±

    ***

    Finally, the day hade.

    ¡°Hunters from each country, please prepare for the raid! We n to start soon, so if there is anything you need rted to supplies, please let us know over there!¡±

    It was bright and clear. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¢ vu as if he had been in this position before. It was simr to the day that he had entered the gate with the Northern Army Guild. However, there was one ring difference: his own growth.

    <i>¡®Good.¡¯</i>

    His increased strength had boosted his confidence, but there was one more thing.

    ¡°Are you saying we have to fight this many people?¡±

    He now had Jeong In-Chang with him. His confidence had also increased now that he had arade he could fight with back to back.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded to him quietly, ¡°Not all of them. Although this may be a Battle of Champions, some organizations and participants aren¡¯t interested in victory in the first ce, so being the first toplete the raid is also part of the victory condition¡­¡±

    ¡°That means we won¡¯t have to fight everyone,¡± Jeong In-Chang rxed his shoulders as if he was relieved by those words.

    Looking around, his concerns were understandable. Unlike the number of people they had seen at the party on the first day, there were not only many more participants, but also stronger ones as well. It meant that all of them were Heroes or close enough to bepared to them.

    Jeong In-Chang then asked, ¡°But¡­ we don¡¯t even have a title. Are we really going to be okay¡­?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he tapped on the greatsword Jeong In-Chang was holding.

    ¡°Rather than a title, we will depend on our weapons.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The two stood there, talking with each other and relieving their nervousness. Then, when the raid was about to start, the star of the show finally appeared.

    ¡°What is this? There is only small fry?¡±

    The atmosphere changed in an instant. All the people who had gathered to focus on relieving their nerves and checking on their supplies¡ªno, all the Hunters¡­

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡±

    ¡­were looking at one person and trying not to show how intimidated they were.

    ¡°Demetrios. We haven¡¯t even entered the gate yet.¡±

    ¡°But these weak bugs are staring.¡±

    The two talked together as if they were the only ones in the space. They were the real powerhouses this time around.

    ¡°There he is, The Underdog.¡±

    As Demetrios pointed his finger at Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunters¡¯ eyes gathered on a spot again.

    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s do well!¡±

    The giant smiled with his teeth sticking out. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought his appearance resembled a real beast, like that of a lion.

    1. This is the female version of older brother, the female equivalent of Hyung.

    2. Reference to the Trial of Heracles, where he killed the Nemean Lion.

 Chapter 41: Heracles. Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 41: Heracles. Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°We will be entering the gate!¡±

    Time had started to slow down since the appearance of Demetrios, Heracles, and now finally stopped. It was time to begin the gate raid.

    Demetrios stretched and rxed. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang walked slowly, and they made eye contact with him.

    <i>Kekeke.</i>

    Heughed, the sound reminiscent of a beast who had encountered a delicious prey he hadn¡¯t seen in so long. Jeong In-Chang trembled while Lee Jun-Kyeong moved forward woodenly and dismissed it.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it''s making me really excited.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reaction seemed to have provoked him even further. The giant bared his teeth, raising his bloodlust to the fullest.

    ¡°Demetrios. Are you going to keep standing here like this? We¡¯re in front of the gate you¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for George standing next to him, Demetrios could very well have shed with Lee Jun-Kyeong before even entering the gate. However, George hastily urged Demetrios on

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    Fortunately, Demetrios followed along.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    Unlike Demetrios, who was excited by his anticipation, George¡¯s heart was beating nervously.

    <i>¡®That girl should be the oneing.¡¯</i>

    This morning, a messenger came from Olympus. Demetrios had broken Olympus''s orders, and they sent a messenger to punish him. Even up until then, George wasn¡¯t all that nervous. It wasn¡¯t until he had heard <i>that name</i> that the blood in his body seemed to freeze all over.

    Apparently, a Hunter with the nickname the Maiden in Olympus was the one who was sent to Ennd for the punishment.

    ¡°George. Like you said earlier, do you n on staying here all day?¡± Demetrios jeered.

    However, George had no choice but to shake off his thoughts.

    "Let''s go quickly. The battlefield awaits me."

    Demetrios had been incited to the point of bursting, and was urging George to move. Thus, George began to walk forward again. Either way, even if she were toe, the gate raid would be over by the time she arrived, and the two of them would have already won.

    <i>¡®The only way to avoid disciplinary action is to gain recognition from that achievement.¡¯</i>

    If it was the Maiden¡­

    <i>¡®Not even this guy can stop her.¡¯</i>

    George had an array of conflicting feelings, which was basically Odysseus¡¯s fate.

    The Hunters had been moving slowly and had begun to enter the gate one by one.

    ¡°HAHAHAHA! Good! Very Good!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Finally, Demetrios and George also entered the gate. All that was left was¡­

    "Mr. Jeong."

    ¡­Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong, and some other Hunters who seemed to be aiming for something.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered with a nervous face.

    ¡°When you enter the gate¡­¡±

    Before long, the two of them also stood in front of the gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong had one foot through the portal as he looked straight at Jeong In-Chang and said, ¡°Flee first.¡±

    And with that, Lee Jun-Kyeongpletely surrendered himself to the gate.

    ***

    [You have entered the Catylon Mountain Gate.]

    Jeong In-Chang had entered the gate a littleter than Lee Jun-Kyeong, and heard a ringing noise in his ear.

    <i>¡®Did he say to flee?¡¯</i>

    He was still pondering what Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him. They had made tremendous preparations to deal with Heracles so far, but as if it had been meaningless, Lee Jun-Kyeong told him to flee as soon as he entered the gate.

    Before he had been able to ask him for what reason or what he actually meant, Lee Jun-Kyeong had entered the gate. Jeong In-Chang had still been able to enter, only one step behind. While he was still in the middle of his musing, he soon understood why Lee Jun-Kyeong had warned him.

    ¡°W¡­What is this¡­?¡±

    His field of vision was so blurry that there was nothing visible. He was sure that he had heard that the Catylon Mountain had vast ins and high mountains from the Association that had scouted the gate earlier. There was no mention of the terrible smoke and dust.

    And¡­

    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who was looking around with suspicion at the sight before him, heard someone¡¯s desperate scream.

    <i>BANG!</i>

    Following it, the sound of explosions. And like that, Jeong In-Chang remembered Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s warning and began running at full speed.

    <i>Tak tak tak!</i>

    Finding the cause of the current anomaly was a matter forter. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s surroundings were filled with horrifying mana and a killing aura to match.

    "S, save me¡­"

    "Please¡­"

    However, Jeong In-Chang had no choice but to keep walking. As he crossed the smoke-filled space, he saw the remnants of the Hunters who had entered first.

    They had either been torn into pieces or were currently limbless and begging for their lives.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him to run away. However, regardless of the fact that they were Hunters who had chosen to fight against them in the Battle of Champions, he couldn¡¯t leave them behind.

    ¡°Here, a potion!¡±

    It might have been different if he had faced them in a fair duel or fight, but he couldn¡¯t just abandon them and let them die in this iprehensible situation. Jeong In-Chang spoke while pouring the potions in his inventory over them.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    They were all strong Hunters. He wondered if there was a monster here that could make them all like this. It could have been usible if a boss had attacked them, but there was no way that it would have shown up from the very beginning.

    ¡°...¡±

    Unfortunately, these Hunters were so injured that potions alone weren¡¯t enough. Despite his quick actions, they died. In the end, Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t able to get the answer he was looking for.

    And then, he felt something move behind him.

    "¡­!"

    He quickly raised his greatsword with both hands and spun.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Something collided with his greatsword and let out a roar. Jeong In-Chang slid back, and the impact that traveled through the greatsword made him tremble.

    He then saw it.

    "Are you that guy that was with the Underdog?"

    There were two eyes shining in the smoke and a set of white teeth. Jeong In-Chang was able to guess the identity of the opponent just from the voice he heard.

    <i>¡®Demetrios¡­!¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang soon understood the situation. It was a man. A man had created this indescribable horror.

    "It looks like the Underdog isn¡¯t with you,¡± said the giant.

    Then, the smoke began to clear, and the reason it suddenly disappeared was simple.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The giant had windmilled his fists before rapidly shooting forward, and the wind caused by the rotational force shifted the smoke away. His appearance was revealed. Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang still had the greatsword in hand and was already in a defensive position, as Demetrios¡¯ fist came rushing in as if it was trying to break the giant de.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The assault continued.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang vomited blood, and only one word came to his mind.

    <i>¡®Monster.¡¯</i>

    Demetrios was a Hunter who was more suitable for the name monster than a monster itselfDemetrios. The giant moved again and tried to aim for Jeong In-Chang. However, a me came out of nowhere.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    <i>Pop, pop, pop, pop! Bang! Pow!</i>

    It mixed in with the dust and caused a chain explosion. Demetrios flinched for a moment and stepped back. At the same time, Jeong In-Chang heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    It was Lee Jun-Kyeong. The other man quickly put Jeong In-Chang on his back and spat out a single sentence, ¡°I told you to flee immediately.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Demetrios, who had stepped back due to the explosions.

    Although it was clear that the giant had definitely suffered damage from the chain explosion, Demetrios still smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head at the giant¡¯s terrifying appearance and kicked off the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s flee for now.¡±

    "Where are you going?!"

    Soon after, Demetrios began to move in an attempt to catch up. However, a barrier of fire rose again, stopping the giant in his tracks.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ¡°Demetrios!¡±

    Demetrios was about to jump through the barrier of fire, but a voice quickly made him halt.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    He just stood there watching Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was getting farther away.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang stood on top of a tall mountain that the gate had been named after. While Jeong In-Chang¡¯splexion was still blue, he looked remarkably better than before.

    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± he asked.

    The training he had done with Lee Jun-Kyeong had definitely been effective. The sponsorship he had gained through the training had aided in blocking the giant¡¯s attack, and the defensive stance he had perfected through the training helped him in deflecting the giant¡¯s attack.

    Still, that was about all it could do. Even though he had deflected and blocked the blow, there was still an incredible destructive power that had shaken his internal organs and made his body tremble. He had only been able to recover after drinking two bottles of potions over a long period of time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tly stated, ¡°There was an ambush.¡±

    ¡°As expected¡­ Demetrios¡­ that monster attacked the Hunters as soon as they entered,¡± Jeong In-Chang said while nodding as if he understood.

    There was no way that situation would have urred if it wasn¡¯t for the ambush. It was timed for when the Hunters were most vulnerable when they started the gate raid. Clearly, he had waited for that moment to attack the others.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response was surprising.

    ¡°The other Hunters were the ones who attacked him first.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They wanted to take advantage of the moment he would be the most vulnerable, so the other Hunters banded together and attacked him as he entered,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while slightly rxing as if he thought that the surroundings were safe.

    ¡°He was angered by that and started a rampage.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°I told you to flee because I expected that to happen.¡±

    Prior to entering, the other Hunters had some unusual movements going on. Even though they were Hunters that hade from different ces, and all of them were Heroes, they had been sending unknown signals to each other as if they were sharing something.

    The only thing Lee Jun-Kyeong had been sure of was that something was about to go down.

    ¡°The Hunters who had been tantly sharing signals were the first to enter.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ you said to flee.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    The attitude of the Hunters had clearly implied that they were preparing for an ambush, and since Lee Jun-Kyeong understood Heracles¡¯ personality to a certain extent, he told Jeong In-Chang to flee.

    ¡°It looks like half of them have been dealt with.¡±

    ¡°H¡­half?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong brushed off his pants and stood up. Out of all of the Hunters who hade to participate in the Battle of Champions, half of them had died at the entrance to the gate. Not at the hands of monsters, but at the hand of a Hunter.

    "Let''s move on."

    "Ah, yes."

    Jeong In-Chang had quickly intuited the situation and stood up as well; it had been a series of unbelievable events.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± he asked.

    After seeing that immense power and the unbelievable show of strength, he didn¡¯t know how to respond. Jeong In-Chang stood there, feeling ashamed while thinking that it was impossible, but then Lee Jun-Kyeong took out Muspel¡¯s Spear and an unnamed round shield.

    He said as he took stance, ¡°For now, we have to stay alive.¡±

    Out of nowhere, they heard something.¡°Kerere.¡±

    ¡°<i>Keeeeeeee</i>.¡±

    Bloodlust surrounded them, and Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth again.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the only enemy here.¡±

    It was then that Jeong In-Chang realized that they were in an A-Grade Gate.

    1. The word here is a word that literally means suffering so horrible that it is beyond human capabilities to describe it. It is called Abigyuhwan, whiches from Buddhism. It is abination of the Father Hell (abi) and the Shrieking Hell (gyuhwan), which is a hell that gives suffering beyond imagination as a punishment.

 Chapter 42: Heracles. Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 42: Heracles. Pt. 3</h4>

    If they were asked to state something good that hade from the midst of their misfortune, then it would be that hunting was more manageable at the gate.

    ¡°Whew¡­ Hunting seems easy, thanks to you, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Naturally, it was due to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skills, which seemed almost tailored to their environment. But, of course, this was only possible due to the uniqueness of the duo. The other Hunters were unable to leverage that unique advantage.

    ¡°It''s another corpse¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said while he stopped and stored the body of another Hunter. This wasn¡¯t a corpse that had fallen in the Battle of Champions. Instead, a monster that haunted Catalyon Mountain had killed that Hunter. Its wounds were from a Catalyon lion. Their ferocious power was worthy of an A-Grade Gate, and the difficulty level of the raid had been raised even higher due to these monsters who rampantly attacked within the forest.

    While Jeong In-Chang collected the bodies, Lee Jun-Kyeong used Hyeon-Mu to scout the surroundings.

    - No other Hunters can be seen in the vicinity.

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s usefulness was quite varied. While Hyeon-Mu¡¯s abilities would reach a peak around bodies of water, it was still able to y a role even within the mountains.

    Namely, the role of the scout.

    "Keep looking around, ande back when it seems dangerous."

    - I have received the order.

    Hyeon-Mu floated into the air once more and began to rise into the sky. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang now had insurance against a surprise attack with the familiar scouting above them.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sped his hands in a short prayer in front of the gravestone he had made somewhere along the line and then nodded.

    <i>¡®He really is¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself that Jeong In-Chang really was an unusual person. To think he would gather the remains of the enemy, corpses of people that would have definitely been enemies if they had met, and bury them. Moreover, they were in a ce where one could never know when the next monster or Hunter attack would be. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    The reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop him, even in this urgent situation, was because Jeong In-Chang did a necessary task whileying the corpses to rest. His hands were now full of the deceased''s consumables and equipment.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    ¡°You really are a difficult person to understand.¡±

    All of the possessions of the dead Hunter had been handed over. Since they were all well-known Hunters in their own right, they all had been armed with high-quality weapons that were either worth quite a bit or useful to the two of them.

    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t be able to im ownership just by picking them up.

    <i>¡®Rather than selling them on the ck market, it¡¯s better to return them.¡¯</i>

    They could send them back to their organizations through Odin and receive a suitable reward.

    <i>¡®The only things that would be useful are the consumables. Well, it¡¯d probably be okay to use one of the armors we collected and swap it out with the one I¡¯m currently wearing.¡¯</i>

    ¡°What are we doing now?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked. His body hadpletely recovered, and as if he had finally found his confidence, his expression wasn¡¯t bad either. They had cleared their first task, to survive. Now, it was time to make a choice. Would they hunt the boss, or would they focus on the Battle of Champions? Of course, either decision would be immensely difficult.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, ¡°The boss is going to be strong. It might be difficult for the two of us to handle by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    The mana they had felt at the top of the Catalyon Mountain was most likely emitting from the boss zone, and it was definitely not something normal.

    <i>¡®Because it''s the Catalyon Mountain¡­¡¯</i>

    There wasn''t much information about this gate, so they couldn¡¯t act hastily.

    "But that giant must be stronger, right?" Jeong In-Changughed in response while Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to ponder. Whether it was the boss or the giant, they were both strong. In fact, there was a chance that the boss might be easier to deal with than Demetrios.

    ¡°What is our next move? You have a n, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered without hesitation.

    "We will¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked slyly in a very simr way to the giant.

    "...be catching both.¡±

    "¡­?"

    Jeong In-Chang tilted his head with a confused expression, but Lee Jun-Kyeong just responded to him again, "Get ready."

    Joeng In-Chang blinked. "Oh, okay. Is it a monster?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had received a message from Hyeon-Mu. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he had been informed of a monster attack by his familiar in advance. Since Jeong In-Chang thought it was a monster attack, he took a stance with his greatsword as he usually did

    But then, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice rang out, ¡°It¡¯s a Hunter.¡±

    ***

    The Catalyon Mountain had been chosen for the Battle of Champions, but neither of them had fought a proper battle with another Hunter since they had arrived here. Instead, they had spent their time hunting monsters.

    Of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong had used Hyeon-Mu to avoid Hunters deliberately.

    ¡°He¡¯sing.¡±

    In response, Jeong In-Chang nodded and raised his sword. He couldn¡¯t forget the stakes. The Battle of Champions was happening around them. This wasn¡¯t an offensive raid to hunt monsters. Instead, they would have to fight amongst the Hunters and emerge victorious.

    Finally¡­

    <i>Swish.</i>

    A sound began to emerge from the forest. They approached quite close and attempted to hide their presence, but had misjudged their ability to erase their presence fully. A sound emerged from the forest, and¡­

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the smell of mana.¡¯</i>

    Before they knew it, the Hunters had approached even closer.

    "Mr. Jeong!"

    "<i>Ha-a-ap!</i>"

    Jeong In-Chang swung his giant sword with a roar. He had seen it too. A few arrows flew toward them. The arrows flew quickly, as if they had been infused with mana, and collided with the greatsword wielded by Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>Tink Tink.</i>

    Arrows flew without pause, but this was only the beginning.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    With the sound of breaking branches, the Hunters finally appeared.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s three.¡¯</i>

    Three Hunters appeared in front of them, but the Hunter that had just fired the arrows was still in the forest.

    "Hyeon-Mu!"

    - I have received the orders.

    The Hunter in the forest was left to Hyeon-Mu, and Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang faced the ones running toward them. The Hunters swung their swords without any warning.

    Their movements were fast and precise. As Hunters who qualified to enter the Catalyon Gate, their skills were impossible to ignore.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The sword of a Hunter whose face had been covered with a mask collided with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s round shield and spewed out mes. However, the Hunter who had attacked Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t panic and attacked again after turning to the side. It was clear that these Hunters had ample experience.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of just fending off the enemy¡¯s blows. Then, when the Hunter shifted and attacked again, he astonishingly dashed into his enemy¡¯s reach.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The Hunter¡¯s expression distorted.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Then, an arrow came out of nowhere and brushed past Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cheek. Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to continue with his attack, so he was forced to back up and widen the distance again.

    "Are you okay?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°It seems like I should be asking you instead, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s situation was even worse than Lee Jun-Kyeong''s. As if they had thought that Jeong In-Chang was the more significant threat, there were two Hunters matched up against him. Jeong In-Chang was defending against their attacks sessfully, but there was a problem.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s slow.¡¯</i>

    The heft of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword made it impossible to switch back and forth between attack and defense quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! There¡¯s no need to worry about me!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang tried to reassure him, but the wounds on his body increased one by one.

    <i>¡®We have to end this quickly.¡¯</i>

    The longer it took for them to handle this, the worse it would get. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to use Reign of Fire, his strongest power. This was a forest, and their location would be exposed if the mes started to spread. Demetrios would see the fire and begin chasing after them.

    They couldn¡¯t reveal their location to him just yet.

    ¡°...!¡±

    At Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sudden change, the expressions of the Hunters changedpletely. They signaled each other, and soon after, one of the Hunters attacking Jeong In-Chang broke off and pincered Lee Jun-Kyeong along with the Hunter with the sword. They intuitively felt that the changes that had urred to Lee Jun-Kyeong were dangerous.

    They weren''t wrong. Lee Jun-Kyeong had activated something.

    <i>''Mana Stream.''</i>

    It was a power that gradually developed as the mana avable to utilize increased through his continuous training. He could use this power to amplify his physical abilities instantly. But, it was a forced use of an imperfect power, so it couldn¡¯t be used for long periods of time, putting tremendous strain on his body.

    However, it was the only power he could use at this moment.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles at you.]

    Because that bastard wouldn¡¯t support him properly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was limited in what he could use.

    ¨C The order has been fulfilled. Returning to master.

    Just then, he heard Hyeon-Mu. It must have handled the enemy archer.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately moved his right arm and pierced forward with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    While the enemies had shifted into a defensive stance and aimed for the opening, it was too hard for them to avoid.

    <i>Puheok.</i>

    After all, Muspel¡¯s Spear flew forward like the wind and pierced the thigh of one of the Hunters.

    ¡°...!:¡±

    The remaining Hunter gave a war cry and ran toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>ng!</i>

    However, the sword didn¡¯t have the chance to reach Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body. Lee Jun-Kyeong still had a round shield on his left arm, and he used it to attack rather than defending himself.

    Eventually, the two Hunters fell.

    ¡°<i>Keheuk¡­</i>¡±

    In addition, Jeong In-Chang had also handled his side. It was a battle that left much to be desired.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong plunged the de of Muspel¡¯s Spear deeper into the Hunter¡¯s thigh and interrogated them.

    "Who are you?"

    "¡­"

    However, they didn¡¯t answer. When Lee Jun-Kyeong took off their masks, the faces that were revealed were strangely familiar.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just some punks.¡¯</i>

    They weren¡¯t remarkable enough for Lee Jun-Kyeong to know their names. However, these Hunters were¡­

    ¡°These are the punks who screwed everything up.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°Pardon? What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that these punks are the ones who had attacked Demetrios at the entrance of the gate.¡±

    As if they had understood Lee Jun-Kyeong, their expressions hardened.

    Then, in that instance, something began to approach them from the forest. Jeong In-Chang quickly raised his sword with a startled expression but was leftughing at the face of the opponent that had soon been revealed.

    ¨C I¡¯ve returned.

    Hyeon-Mu dragged the Hunter it had suppressed using a blue rope that seemed to have been made with water.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    All of the Hunters who had tried to attack Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, even the Hunter that Hyeon-Mu had gone to suppress and had brought back, had been taken down and tied up in one ce.

    "Hmm¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about it for a moment.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s right. What should I do with them?¡¯</i>

    It was implicitly permitted to kill other hunters during the Battle of Champions, and these were Hunters who had tried to kill them. They were also the culprits who had twisted the various events into a n that didn¡¯t match their goals.

    Then, while he was thinking, one of them spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a greasy smirk. "It would be better to let us live."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°We are chasing your party right now.¡±

    It seemed as though more of them had survived than he had initially thought. They were careless bastards, having survived and leaving only the other Hunters to die in a mess they had made.

    ¡°There are still Hunters that had the same goal as us that are still chasing you. You¡¯ll only be able to increase your chances of surviving, even if only by a little, if you keep us alive.¡±

    ¡°Why are you chasing us?¡± he asked.

    ¡°...I can¡¯t answer that.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong observed the guys for a moment with his arms crossed. He wondered why they would pursue him. Even if this was the Battle of Champions, they said that they were specifically chasing after his party.

    Why?

    Aftering to a conclusion, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down at them with a devilish smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you stay alive.¡±

 Chapter 43: Heracles. Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 43: Heracles. Pt. 4</h4>

    A ze began to burn on one side of the massive and broad Catalyon Mountain. Fortunately, the fire didn¡¯t spread; only the smoke that had drifted from the embers filled the sky.

    Then, some people came, following the smoke.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    A colossal giant and a handsome man, Demetrios and George from Olympus, appeared. The two had arrived at the origin from where the smoke had risen.

    "S¡­save us."

    "Please save us!"

    To their surprise, they encountered some Hunters crying out for salvation. These people had been restrained and tied up tightly, and their eyes were fixed on the forest before them.

    ¡°<i>Grrrr¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl!</i>¡±

    They looked over and saw red eyes glowing from within the leaves. As if drawn by the smoke, they had been surrounded by numerous Catalyon lions. All of these beasts were waiting for an opening while watching their prey through the foliage.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    However, the giant Demetrios exuded a vicious aura, making it impossible for these lions to easily approach.

    Eventually, the beasts only fled after Demetrios turned a few of their fellows into blood.

    ¡°<i>Growl!</i>¡±

    They turned tail at an incredible speed, even faster than one would expect for monsters in an A-Grade Gate. That was how overwhelming his power was.

    ¡°T¡­Thank you!¡±

    "Thank you for saving us!"

    The restrained hunters spoke over and over again, offering their gratitude repeatedly. Finally, they looked over at their savior in relief that they had actually been able to survive.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    A giant man sat there, awaiting their reaction. This was the first time they got a good look at the man who had rescued them from the circling lions. They began to tremble as if they had seen a ghost, sweating with anxiety. Even the lions hadn¡¯t scared them this much.

    Demetrios picked at his ears as hemented, ¡°Who are these fools?¡±

    George saw the logo embroidered on their chest and answered, ¡°They look like they are from Bolgin.¡±

    "Bolgin?"

    George exined, ¡°It¡¯s a secret organization in Africa. They are notorious for their vile actions, using the power they have to engage in drug trafficking as well as kidnapping children.¡±

    "Oh, Africa?"

    Demetrios¡¯ original mission had been in Africa, so he shook his head as if there was something off.

    ¡°And these guys are¡­¡±

    George walked over to them from behind Demetrios, close enough to touch them with an outstretched hand. The Borgin Hunters simply trembled without saying anything.

    ¡°...are the ones who attacked you at the entrance to the gate.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Demetrios snapped.

    George sighed. ¡°Are you really an idiot? Are you telling me that you don¡¯t even remember the faces of the punks that attacked you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Demetrios was too embarrassed to say that it was too difficult to tell because of the smoke in the air.

    ¡°I already knew that¡­¡± he eventually said in a low voice that George couldn''t hear.

    "P¡­please help us!" one screamed.

    "We made a mistake,¡± the rest howled.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    Demetrios approached them, his steps shaking the ground.

    ¡°<i>Hmm</i>.¡±

    Demetrios looked at them and thought for a moment.

    ¡°I actually quite like punks like you.¡±

    The Battle of Champions was a tform made for battle. It wasn¡¯t wrong for people to unite and join forces for it. Demetrios rather liked it when people did whatever they could in an attempt to win somehow.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°Except for the part where you don¡¯t follow the rules.¡±

    The Hunters¡¯ faces changed with every passing word Demetrios spoke. Hope that they could survive for a moment had reigned, but then the next part seemed to signal their uing deaths.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    Demetrios struck them with a clenched fist and a nk expression.

    "In your next life, live by the rules."

    Even if it was the Battle of Champions between Hunters who risked life or death, there were still some basic rules. It was heavily forbidden to attack someone at the entrance of the gate where people were the most vulnerable. Demetrios was most fond of trying to win in any way possible <i>within</i> the rules. He absolutely abhorred trying to win by any means and methods that would ignore the rules that were in ce. It was unfair to the people who had been following the rules.

    [<One Who Tramples on Monsters> approves of your actions.]

    Of course, it didn¡¯t hurt that his Sponsor also liked his behavior.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like something you should be saying. After all, you disobeyed the order of Olympus and turned Theseus into a half-dead corpse¡­¡± Georgemented.

    ¡°What?¡± Demetrios responded, raising a fist toward him.

    Eventually, George took a step back and shook his head. Whether it was a cry for help, or a scream full of pain, there was nothing left to be heard from the area.

    ¡°The Underdog is a funny little bastard.¡±

    Demetrios took out a handkerchief that didn¡¯t match his appearance and wiped his bloody fists. They hade over when they saw the Underdog''s mes, but instead of finding what they were searching for, there were only those who had attacked them at the entrance for some reason.

    Furthermore, they weren¡¯t the only ones who had shown up.

    Demetrios asked, ¡°I can think of this as a present, right?¡±

    Other Hunters had arrived when they saw the mes, and these people were currently hiding around them.

    ¡°These people are probably colleagues of those idiots,¡± George said to Demetrios.

    They seemed to think that Demetrios hadn¡¯t noticed their presence yet. Overestimating themselves, they continued to suppress their presence, looking for an opportunity.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, these people are my kind of people,¡± Demetrios said to George. He then punched one side of the air with all of his might.

    <i>¡®The Roar of the Savage Beast.¡¯</i>

    This was one of the skills he was proud of.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    It was an offensive attack that boasted a terrifying power. Even though he simply hit the air, it generated a shockwave that destroyed everything in a straight line.

    ¡°<i>Keheok¡­</i>¡±

    Whether it was a tree, a Catalyon lion that hadn¡¯t escaped yet, or even the Hunters who had been suppressing their presence.

    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite style.¡±

    Demetrios looked towards the wreckage and smiled.

    The Underdog was Demetrios¡¯ style.

    ¡°He started all over again.¡± George shrugged, extinguishing the rising me.

    ***

    "It''s him."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been moving quickly, but he abruptly stopped and turned his head.

    ¡°The fire went out,¡± Jeong In-Chang responded, also looking toward where Lee Jun-Kyeong was. The small embers that Lee Jun-Kyeong had lit while restraining the guys who had attacked them had gone out, the smoke no longer rising.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    An enormous pulse of mana shook his body as it rippled through the forest. There was only one person with this level of mana.

    ¡°Looks like he bit the bait well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had purposely left the Hunters who had attacked them alive in order to use them as bait. However, Demetrios wasn¡¯t the only one he wanted to catch.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    They could still hear the roar.

    He had also wanted to attract the attention of the other Hunters, who would rush to see the source of the smoke.

    <i>¡®He had said that there were others in his group.¡¯</i>

    The Hunters who had attacked them had said that other Hunters were chasing them. That was why he had tried to lure Demetrios and the other Hunters that were chasing them into a fight using the restrained Hunters as bait.

    Fortunately, his n had worked out well, and the people pursuing them had been dyed.

    ¡°We still have to move quickly.¡±

    Even with the dys he had caused, there could still be other Hunters that were chasing them. Contrary to the original goals of the Battle of Champions, many things had been warped by the presence of therge catfish, Heracles. It was impossible to know how many other variables would appear the longer they would have to stay in the gate.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear as he was about to leave.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that a little too severe?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression had stiffened slightly.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have left them alive?¡±

    While killing other Hunters in the Battle of Champions was allowed, it wasn¡¯t rmended. If it were a situation in which it wasn¡¯t necessary to kill, those that had been left alive would escape the gate, and thepetitors would have been dealt with in a less gruesome manner.

    Jeong In-Chang had sensed it. Demetrios had killed the ones they had used as bait.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that his colleague was only feeling that way because he didn¡¯t know the truth.

    ¡°Bolgin.¡±

    "Pardon?"

    "The name of their organization is Bolgin."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sudden admission flustered Jeong In-Chang.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued with an expressionless face, "It''s a secret organization that works behind the scenes in Africa alongside another organization. They are one of the organizations that amass huge profits from drug sales and human trafficking, especially child abduction."

    "¡­"

    "Those Hunters were part of that sort of organization."

    He hadn¡¯t used them just because they had made their situation moreplicated and had attacked. These people deserved to die.

    <i>¡®Because their power would expand day by day.¡¯</i>

    It was revolting. A number of secret organizations had surprisingly survived the cataclysm, but Bolgin and another group were somehow one of them. They had used any means necessary to expand their power. Their evil influence had spread all over the world, and their main target was the public.

    ¡°They are the ones who will eventually make those without power unable to govern themselves.¡±

    Innocent civilians were transformed by them into ves and ythings.

    "Ah¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang stood with a nk expression for a moment.

    "Let''s go."

    Leaving the frozen Jeong In-Chang behind him, Lee Jun-Kyeong took the lead and started walking. They had to hurry. He had tried not to reveal their location to Demetrios until now, but since the bait had been taken, he knew there wasn¡¯t much time left.

    <i>¡®Our location is continuously being exposed.¡¯</i>

    The giant wasn¡¯t far away, so they had to hurry to where the boss would be. Furthermore, there was something else that Lee Jun-Kyeong had not told Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>¡®Most of the Hunters who entered this gate deserve to die.¡¯</i>

    The Battle of Champions had another secret.

    ***

    ¡°That¡¯s a bad habit,¡± George frowned as he spoke to Demetrios. ¡°Can¡¯t you use a weapon for once? It¡¯s not like you fought barehanded normally anyway.¡±

    ¡°Hunting is only fun when you can feel it with your hands. Figures that Mr. Geek here wouldn¡¯t know what it¡¯s like.¡±

    However, Demetrios just grinned and wiped his blood-stained hands. There was silence all around them, not a single living being around.

    George insisted, ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit.¡±

    ¡°Again with this?¡±

    Demetrios¡¯ mood had been soured by George''s repeated nagging.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±

    ¡°How boring.¡±

    Demetrios then closed his eyes and began to direct his energy, attempting to track Lee Jun-Kyeong using the remnants of the energy in the air.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>.¡±

    George surveyed the area with Demetrios behind him. It was filled with mutted corpses, Hunters and monsters alike.

    <i>¡®You crazy bastard.¡¯</i>

    George turned his head again away from the corpses and toward Demetrios. The reason he liked Demetrios wasn¡¯t just because he was strong. While people thought of him as simply a fighter or even a violent beast crazy about ughter, that wasn¡¯t the truth. Although Demetrium was a fighter who liked to battle and also liked to win, the guy wasn¡¯t actually crazy about killing.

    <i>¡®He only kills the deserving.¡¯</i>

    In reality, most of his victims were viins.

    This was the reason why he had made a fellow guild member, Theseus, into a half-dead corpse and even disobeyed the orders of Olympus to participate in the Battle of Champions.

    <i>¡®The abandoned criminals of the organizations are the ones who go to the Battle of Champions.¡¯</i>

    Barring the people sent from arge organization like Asgard or Olympus, most of the participants were generally viins or criminals who were being thrown away. In fact, they were often the people who were difficult for their respective organizations to deal with. Demetrios had always wanted to participate in the Battle of Champions because of that implicit rule. Still, because of his overwhelming power, Olympus had always sent others to the Battle of Champions.

    That was why his hand had been so cruel. Well, at least for the sake of their mission, they would im that most of the dead had been evil.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a saint, either.¡¯</i>

    When Demetrios got too engrossed in a battle, he would be the ughterer that everyone had heard about. This was why he hade to the Battle of Champions. It wasn¡¯t just to punish the wicked. It had simply been because he would be able to express his overflowing fighting instincts without suppressing them here.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i> It¡¯s concerning¡­¡±

    George was already beginning to worry about meeting the Underdog. He hoped that Demetrios wouldn¡¯t do anything he would regret again¡­

    Meanwhile, Demetrios finally opened his eyes.

    ¡°I found him.¡±

    1. So the saying here directly trantes to: Them, who were concealing their breath, looking at their livers. It¡¯s an expression of foolhardiness, overestimating oneself. See the trantor¡¯s thoughts for more.

 Chapter 44: Heracles. Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 44: Heracles. Pt. 5</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved quickly, using Hyeon-Mu to find the locations of monsters and Hunters, avoiding them with an optimized route.

    <i>Tadadak.</i>

    He moved through the forest with Jeong In-Chang. Although he was able to move quickly through the trees, his colleague was finding it difficult due to his greatsword.

    "Wait for me!"

    Unfortunately, Jeong In-Chang couldn''t put the greatsword in his inventory as he didn¡¯t know when he would be attacked. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t slow down. He was a high-level Hunter, but Jeong In-Chang was soon able to experience what it felt like to have a back soaked with sweat. The two of them ran like that for a while when suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped and spoke to Jeong In-Chang.

    "We¡¯ll arrive soon."

    There was a strong scent of mana that could be felt in their bodies. It was a little different from the suppressive mana that Demetrios exuded, more dark and gloomy. Monsters emitted this kind of mana, and it signaled that they were getting closer to the boss zone.

    Furthermore, there was something else as well.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a stiff expression, ¡°There are quite a few Hunters already encamped around here.¡±

    Apparently, the Hunters who had already arrived had hidden themselves near the boss zone, almost as if they were waiting for someone. There was no way to avoid them. They hadpletely blocked off the path to the boss zone, positioned in the best ce they could find based on their experience.

    <i>¡®Did they form a faction?¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, although they clearly belonged to different affiliations, they had gathered together and mingled amongst one another. They were clearly united for some purpose.

    Perhaps, the pair may have to deal with all of them.

    <i>''If their target is me¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Jeong In-Chang spoke up, bringing up another possibility.

    "Could they be waiting for Demetrios?"

    Rather than the rtively unknown Underdog, whose reputation had yet to spread, it was more probable that the mighty enemy, Demetrios, had brought them together.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a decision. ¡°For now, prepare for battle.¡±

    They would prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, even if they had to fight against them all.

    ¡°All right."

    There were countless Hunters, so there must be Hunters with Hero titles that they would have tobat among them. However, Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t raise any questions, just silently raising his greatsword and preparing for battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in approval.

    The bond between them was quickly establishing itself.

    "Let''s go."

    Finally, Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong began to move toward the top of Catalyon Mountain.

    <i>¡®Don¡¯t get lost.¡¯</i>

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to sprinkle their path with the scent of his mana,ying a path that would entice Demetrios.

    ***

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    One of the high-ranking officials of the British Association was weing someone. Many Hunters were under this official¡¯smand, demanding substantial influence over the British Government. However, the official stood, greeting someone nervously, hands trembling while forcefully sped together.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°<i>Ha ha ha</i>¡­ I heard that your trip over here had some disturbances.¡±

    Though the official tried to fish for an answer to determine the guest¡¯s mood, the person standing before them just stood, staring with a stiff expression without a word.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    The trembling hands had quickly transitioned to a trembling body, and the official stood still while watching the guest while resenting the inability to control his own motions.

    <i>¡®Please, say anything.¡¯</i>

    The other party was both more powerful individually and in status than the official, who merely held a single position in Ennd. The official continued to stand,cking in every waypared to the guest before them.

    ¡°What¡¯s the status of the gate?¡± a beautiful voice questioned. The official became even more anxious at the sound that gently breezed softly just by hearing it.

    He responded, ¡°As of yet, the gate has not been raided¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked you.¡±

    The guest''s voice was beautiful, but it was starkly chilling. Furthermore, the manner in which she spoke to the official, who had a high-ranking status in the British Association, was as if she had utterly disdained the other party''s authority.

    Nevertheless, she continued to use amanding tone.

    ¡°Has anyonee out of the gate?¡±

    The official had no choice but to bear it. The guest had the strength to back up her disrespect.

    Even if she hadn¡¯t, she was a guest sent by <i>them.</i>

    <i>''This damn Olympus...''</i>

    They had a massive influence throughout Europe, and even among them, she merited special attention. The Association knew something hidden from the public regarding how much power Olympus really had in Europe.

    If they left Europe immediately and changed their territory, Europe may no longer be able to survive.

    <i>¡®Everything would be ruined¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Europe was one of the few ces in the world where the most dangerous gates would repeatedly appear without end. It was a situation in which they had to exist while continually tiptoeing around the purview of a powerful guild like Olympus.

    "Ah, yes¡­ There is, but¡­"

    After the raid on the Catalyon Mountain Gate had begun, several Hunters had already emerged from the gate. They were dropouts, those who had chosen to flee from the gate in order to preserve their lives. However, they were in appalling states, and their bodies were so ruined that they were unable even to speak a proper word.

    "Let''s start with meeting them for now."

    At the words of the guest¡ªno, the Maiden, the official of the British Association quickly nodded, relieved that he could finally put the awkward and terrifying moment to an end.

    "I''ll call someone to guide you right now."

    The official wanted to leave as soon as possible, but¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. You¡¯ll just guide me directly.¡±

    ¡­escape from this Hell was more difficult than expected.

    <i>''Damn it!''?</i>

    The Official once againmented that he had lost the game of Rock Paper Scissors. He then proceeded to move forward cautiously while vowing multiple times that he needed to practice in the future.

    ***

    He wasn¡¯t nervous.

    Even though countless powerful Hunters were hiding near the boss zone, to the point where it was impossible to ignore.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not nervous.¡¯</i>

    He thought it must have been because he understood how much his strength had grown or because he could distinguish the level difference between himself and the opponents.

    No, that wasn¡¯t it. Lee Jun-Kyeong preferred to be absolutely sure about his choices. He had secured an escape route and simted a battle against the other Hunters in his mind.

    Jeong In-Chang and himself would never lose if they worked together. It would soon be time. Time for them to meet the Hunters encamped around the boss zone. Much of what would happen next would be dependent on their purpose.

    Would they join hands, or would they point their swords at him?

    Mana.

    "¡­"

    They were emitting mana.

    But¡­

    "It looks like they aren¡¯t enemies,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang.

    The mana they had emitted was a signal they gave once they noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang¡¯s approach. It was a pure mana thatcked bloodlust, equivalent to exposing one¡¯s wrists. They had been on edge, but then suddenly, they came out into the open area.

    "It''s the Underdog."

    "He¡¯s sote.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve waited for you for quite a while.¡±

    In fact, they were waving their hands toward them with very weing expressions. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that the current situation was strange. However, these Hunters were different from the small fry they had met earlier.

    <i>¡°They¡¯re big shot Hunters.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already collected a lot of information about the people who had decided to participate in the Battle of Champions. The Hunters in front of him had been dispatched from colossal secret organizationsparable to Asgard or Olympus. Furthermore, these Hunters weren¡¯t expendables or prisoners who had been sent to die.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked curiously while Lee Jun-Kyeong was silently absorbing the situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous!"

    "Were you not informed by Asgard?"

    "Did something go wrong?¡±

    Surprisingly, they started talking among themselves, as if they couldn¡¯t understand the reactions of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang. Finally, the two faced the waiting Hunters. Lee Jun-Kyeong approached them, making sure to leave as much space as possible to react in case they had to fight. Someone came forward to match him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a Hunter from the Nile.¡¯</i>

    The Nile was arge organization that built its foundation in Egypt. "Have you really not heard anything?" the other Hunter asked.

    "¡­"

    "You belong to Asgard, right?"

    The gathered Hunters shook their heads as if they found Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reaction strange.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally replied, ¡°You are correct. We are the Hunters who have been dispatched under Asgard¡¯s banner.¡±

    "Hmm."

    They seemed doubtful about something after hearing his response. Soon, as if they had just agreed upon it, the Hunter belonging to the Nile who had spoken up earlier came forward.

    The Hunter then said, "We were waiting to help you."

    "¡­?"

    ¡°It sounds like you really haven¡¯t been told anything. We have already decided on the winner of this Battle of Champions. Asgard, and therefore you, have been chosen to win this time.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused. They had already decided on a winner?

    ¡°There seems to be a problem on the side of Olympus as <i>his</i> arrival has twisted a great many issues, but we are waiting to concede victory to you."

    He finally understood the secret behind this battle. Initially, Choi Yeong-Seong was supposed to have attended this Battle of Champions to represent Asgard. However, even if Choi Yeong-Seong had earned a title, it would have been difficult for him to match up to the level of Hunters who had attended. The gap was sorge that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been wondering how he had survived.

    <i>¡®So it looks like this is how they manipte the matches.¡¯</i>

    Aside from the low-level organizations thatcked influence, there were apparently already connections between the otherrger organizations. It was to be expected. Those that couldn¡¯t match up were destined to be thrown away as consumables. They must have known that it would have been difficult for them to win.

    Among the higher organizations¡­

    <i>''It looks like they alternate between the role of executioner and leader.''</i>

    ¡­they seemed to take turns dealing with the Hunters who had been sent to be disposed of and winning the predetermined victory, sharing the role of leader of the secret organizations among themselves.

    And, there was one more crucial point.

    The winner of the Catalyon Mountain Gate had already been appointed as Asgard.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a rush of energy and finally exhaled.

    <i>''This¡­do secret organizations like Asgard¡­do they really?</i>think of themselves asparable to the Sponsors<i>?''</i>

    These organizations acted as if they could control everything ording to their will and hold the life and death of the other Hunters participating in the Battle of Champions ording to their choices and agreements. Numerous benefits were given to the winner of the Battle of Champions, including priority in materials and gate raids. Furthermore, as for the Champions that were fighting in the battle, no matter how much they were said to be expendable, to think their life and death were decided by a single word from those above them.

    <i>¡®So this is what they call Heroes¡­¡¯</i>

    There was no difference between these heroes and the corpses.

    ¡°Let¡¯s immediately head out to raid the boss. We¡¯ll help you. It seems like it will still be difficult for you to raid the boss alone as you are now.¡±

    They shrugged and started to prepare to move.

    ¡°No.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong rejected their offer.

    "What¡­?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    They looked at him, seemingly perplexed. He responded, "I will catch Demetrios."

    He didn''t want to win like this. If he followed them and raided the boss, they would have cleared the gate before Demetrios arrived, and he would have been able to leave the gate without fighting him.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®If that happens, then all I would get out of this is being used.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t want the fate of a reed shaken in the wind, blowing in whichever direction those with power had chosen, just like what Odin had meant for him to do by sending him here. It would have been a victory obtained easily, gifted by the will of others.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s not the road I¡¯m meant to travel.¡¯</i>

    Regardless of whether or not they had understood Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s intentions¡­

    "What¡­?"

    "<i>Pu¡­ Puhahahahaha!</i>"

    ¡­each of the gathered Hunters reacted differently. There were those who were flustered, those whoughed, and those who watched, interested. Their reactions were as varied as they were numerous.

    "W¡­why are these bastardsughing?" Jeong In-Chang, who still couldn''t understand what they had meant, asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Because they said things that aren¡¯t understandable,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    "Not understandable?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, "A wild beast that grows up eating only what¡¯s been given to it is no longer a wild beast."

    "Umm."

    ¡°They are just tamed beasts speakingplete gibberish.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. ¡°Seems to be aplicated situation.¡±

    Although Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t seem to understand the whole issue, he at least seemed to intuit what Lee Jun-Kyeong was inferring. After thinking for a while, he opened his mouth to respond.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just follow you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Even Lee Jun-Kyeong had been taken aback for a moment by hisrade¡¯s energetic answer.

    "All right," Lee Jun-Kyeong confirmed.

    "Are you serious?"

    "You really intend to take down Demetrios?"

    After confirming that he was serious, the gathered Hunters had a quick meeting with bewildered expressions.

    ¡°I will withdraw,¡± dered the Hunter from the Nile, who seemed to be their leader.

    ¡°I will withdraw as well.¡±

    ¡°Me too. I don¡¯t want to endure a loss to deal with Demetrios.¡±

    ¡°It seems that Asgard sent an insane child.¡±

    Most of them shook their heads in refusal and started to move towards the entrance of the gate. There were few of them that remained.¡°I¡¯ll watch for now.¡±

    ¡°We will stay in the back.¡±

    Instead of leaving the gate, they seemed to want to try to see what would result from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s choice. No one had chosen to join the fight against Demetrios.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re just back at square one,¡± Jeong In-Changmented as if it was not a big deal. While it was a little regretful, they had started this with the two of them anyway. So there wasn¡¯t a reason to beg anyone for help.

    "Let''s go."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at Jeong In-Chang and finally started to move.

    They could feel a massive mana beginning to emerge from behind them.

    <i>''He''sing.''</i>

    Heracles would arrive soon.

 Chapter 45: Heracles Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 45: Heracles Pt. 6</h4>

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong was unfamiliar with the information on the Catalyon Mountain Gate, he had no idea about which monster held domain over the gate as the boss.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lion. While it¡¯s somewhat simr to the Catalyon lions¡­¡±

    Fortunately, a Hunter belonging to the Nile had spoken up first. He introduced himself as Inebu and shared the information that the other Hunters had obtained in advance.

    <i>¡®So it¡¯s Inebu¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought he had heard the name somewhere, but couldn¡¯t remember exactly where. It was challenging to know the information of even a single Nile Hunter that drifted around in Egypt. Furthermore, the Demon King didn¡¯t have much contact with them.

    While he was a famous Hunter in Egypt, it was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to recognize him.

    Until he heard his title.

    <i>¡®Amun.¡¯</i>

    Amun, the Hero known as the Commander of Egypt. He was one of the Heroes of Egypt that would be remembered even in the future.

    "...it¡¯s much bigger and more powerful."

    "Is that all?"

    "You¡¯ll understand when you see for yourself.¡± Inebu shrugged as if he himself didn¡¯t know how else to exin it. However, this much information was more than enough for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sent Hyeon-Mu to reconnaissance a while back, well before they had gotten close to the Hunters'' encampment. Hyeon-Mu had returned quickly, and confirmed exactly what Inebu had said.

    - It¡¯s a giant lion.

    There were no other special characteristics. It was just a giant version of the Catalyon lion that appeared in Catalyon Mountain. It wasn¡¯t asrge as the river worm, but Hyeon-Mupared it simrly in size to a five-story building.

    Basically, it was a giant monster.

    "Are you ready?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, who was holding the greatsword. They had finished all of their preparations.

    <i>¡®And that punk is still well on his way.¡¯</i>

    There was a single point of mana traveling at high speed. Perhaps the other Hunters here had also felt Demetrios¡¯ approach as they all began to leave their positions. As Demetrios had a tendency to attack everything without discrimination, so even bystanders had to be careful. Thus, these Hunters decided to observe the situation from a ce hidden from Demetrios¡¯ view.

    <i>¡®Not bad.¡¯</i>

    All of a sudden, Lee Jun-Kyeong had be the clown put on a stage to satisfy the onlookers. However, the feeling wasn¡¯t bad. This would be his debut to the world. If he could sessfully win the battle today, the entire world would know of his existence.

    The Hunters, who were secretly behind everything, would now learn his name.

    <i>¡®Could I get a title from this?¡¯</i>

    The only way one could earn a title was by having your name get discussed by other people. Sponsors desired their incarnations to make a name for themselves, so Hunters would have to build a reputation that satisfied their Sponsors in order to receive a title.

    However, he had no expectations of obtaining one. <i>¡®That would be difficult.¡¯</i>

    Instead, he spoke to Jeong In-Chang, who was following him with a greatsword in hand.

    "Congrattions in advance."

    "Yes?"

    "You will get a title this time,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong noted. While Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know about it himself, he was guaranteed to get a title. It was a title he would earn eventually, anyway.

    The title, Siegfried.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> is watching you with interest.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you, with a bag of popcorn.]

    Even the Sponsors had realized it. Soon, the end of the Battle of Champions would take ce, and the Hunters who insisted on being spectators would be exposed to a troublesome affair.

    ***

    ¡°How do you think he¡¯ll turn out?¡±

    In a forest far away, there was a special item that had been lent to the spectators by one of the great Hunters of the Nile, who was above the level of a Hero. The spectators conversed as they watched the battlefield through the Eyes of Osiris. They were those that wanted to watch the Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had decided to battle instead of leaving the gate.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Inebu indulged in the question of his colleague, Numek of Heliopolis, who was also a member of Nile and from the same division.

    "It will be difficult."

    They could tell that the Underdog was strong through the feeling they got in their bodies and their senses.

    <i>''He¡¯s definitely stronger than what his umted experience would suggest. Unusually so.''</i>

    Because he also served as the one who gathered intelligence for Nile, he knew the Underdog better than any of the rest of them. He was a new character who emerged suddenly from the Hunter powerhouse, Korea. He had cleared the special gate called the Rhine River Gate, and rumors imed that he was a super rookie who defeated a powerful guild called the Northern Army Guild by himself.

    <i>¡®Was that guild master named Choi Yeong-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, ording to the information he had obtained through a secret route, he had a close rtionship with Heimdall, a central figure of Asgard.

    <i>¡®They also said that Odin was immediately interested upon setting his eyes on him as well.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was a special Hunter, but Inebu hadn¡¯t quite figured out exactly why he was getting so much attention. However, it was clear that his uniqueness had attracted Odin¡¯s attention in some way or form.

    Considering that he had only been a Hunter for less than half a year, it was appropriate to say that he was overwhelmingpared to the Hunters who were already well known. If Inebu was forced to choose someone topare him to¡­

    "Maybe at the level of the heads of the secret organization,¡± he muttered out loud.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s that strong now, just that he has the potential for it in the future.¡±

    ¡°Inebu¡­¡± Numek said, taken aback. Even in Nile, Inebu¡¯s position was high and cemented. His intelligence and analytical power made him unmatched.

    So when he judged that the potential of the Underdog approached that of the heads of the secret organizations¡­

    Inebumented, ¡°That¡¯s why we stayed behind.¡±

    It was clear that the remaining Hunters were also observing the Underdog for simr reasons in order to understand him properly. Judging by the aura he felt, Demetrios and Odysseus wereing soon.

    An overwhelming Hero, and an overwhelming Hunter.

    He wondered what sort of battle the Underdog, who had chosen to face Demetrios, would show them.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    For some reason, his heart began to race.

    "It¡¯s starting."

    The Eyes of Osiris, a set of blue marbles, showed the battlefield. The Underdog was facing the boss of Catalyon Mountain, the giant lion, Catalyon.

    Numek shouted, "Oh! Oh!"

    At the same time, the Hunter called Jeong In-Chang, began to run with a greatsword.

    ***

    "Take the right! I''ll take the left!"

    They were facing off against the boss of Catalyon Mountain.

    [You have encountered Catalyon.]

    [Your stats have been slightly lowered due to the intimidation emitted by Catalyon.]

    [You have sessfully resisted; the decrease in stats will be restored.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Resists Pressure¡¯ achievement.]

    The boss was a lion the size of a five-story building. Its teeth were more enormous than a full-grown man, and its front paws as big as an SUV.

    - <i>Aaaaaaaaaah!</i>

    The whole mountain reverberated at its roar.

    "Don¡¯t forget! You can¡¯t tire it out too much!¡±

    "Understood!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang finally started running toward Catalyon. Jeong In-Chang dragged his greatsword along the ground as he dashed forward. On the other side, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally didn¡¯t have to hold back and was able to use Reign of Fire.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    The atmosphere of the battle heated up in an instant.

    - I''ll cover you.

    Hyeon-Mu was floating around the battlefield. Its mission was simple.

    <i>Puhaat!</i>

    ¡°<i>Keugah!</i>¡±

    Whenever Jeong In-Chang or Lee Jun-Kyeong were about to be in danger, it would actively intervene and block the boss, even if only for a moment. The three of them acted in concert, and Jeong In-Changnded a hit on Catalyon¡¯s steel-like front leg, slicing it open.

    <i>Grind!</i>

    Whereas, at the same time, Muspel¡¯s Spear pierced into its back.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    "ze!¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, the embedded spear began to spew out mes.

    "<i>Aaaaaah!</i>"

    Catalyon screamed out in pain, swiping forth with its front paws while simultaneously bashing the ground. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were thrown away by the intense movement, and the mes on its waist had been extinguished.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have any other skills, there was a simple reason why he was shouting out loud.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is satisfied and empowers your Authority of Fire.]

    Because that punk liked it when he did stuff like this. He had been granted a temporary Authority.

    [The level of Reign of Fire has been temporarily increased.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes would be stronger as long as his Sponsor was satisfied.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Like a haze, the fire zing forth around Lee Jun-Kyeong was beginning to cause the forest to warp from the heat.

    ¡°Only tire it out slightly!¡± hemanded.

    At this point, it was possible for them to take down Catalyon, but the timing wasn¡¯t right. They couldn¡¯t kill the boss yet; they were waiting for a certain punk.

    <i>¡®He needs toe first.¡¯</i>

    When Demetrios arrived, that would be when the real raid would begin. Until then¡­

    ¡°Our goal is to make it reach phase two!¡±

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang aimed to make the Catalyon Lion even more furious and lose control.

    ***

    - <i>Grahhhhhh!</i>

    A huge roar echoed across Catalyon Mountain¡ªno, it echoed throughout the entire gate. All of the Hunters who had entered the gate understood that the boss battle had begun. However, there weren¡¯t many surviving Hunters left, and most of them were either watching the battle itself or were in the process of escaping the gate.

    As for the rest of them¡­

    "Looks like it¡¯s begun."

    Demetrios held another dead Hunter in his grasp and had met many Hunters as he followed the trail of mana that Lee Jun-Kyeong had left behind. Every single one of them wound up bing his prey.

    "Looks like I should be grateful to them."

    Thanks to the easy supply of prey, Demetrios slowly sank into a berserk fighting spirit and bloodlust that he had not felt in a long time.

    George interjected, ¡°Control it. We¡¯ll reach the fight you always wanted soon.¡±

    Demetrios retorted angrily, ¡°Shut up.¡±

    George''s expression hardened.

    <i>''Is the madness starting?''</i>

    Demetrios was powerful enough to single-handedly destroy the Hunter collective, but that wasn¡¯t the sole reason why Olympus had held him back. While he only killed for good reasons, the more he killed, the more he fell into madness.

    That was the price he had to pay for his great power.

    [<The One Who Tramples the Monsters> encourages you further.]

    It was the tendency of the giant''s Sponsor.

    <i>¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯</i>

    George felt a shiver go down his back. There was no way. Could the Underdog¡­

    <i>¡®Does he know about this?¡¯</i>

    Was that why he had made them meet other Hunters along the way, forcing Demetrios¡¯ erosion into madness?

    <i>¡®No. There¡¯s no way he knows.¡¯</i>

    Demetrios¡¯ madness was a secret among secrets, even within Olympus. Even Odin of Asgard wouldn¡¯t know this. There was no way that the Underdog would have done this knowingly.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®If, by chance, he does know¡­?¡¯</i>

    On the off chance, it was all a trap¡­ Another shudder went down George¡¯s spine.

    "Demetrios."

    "What?" the giant snapped.

    "Do you think you can hold onto your sanity?¡±

    At George''s sincere tone, Demetrios''s red and bloodshot eyes began to return to their original light again.

    "I told you, don''t worry."

    He tossed the corpse he was holding away and turned to George.

    "I grew stronger too. I told you, I¡¯m not controlled by the madness anymore."

    George looked into Demetrios'' eyes. Realizing that the giant¡¯s words were true, he sighed in relief. It seemed as though he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the worst-case scenario.

    "Is it now time for the main dish now?"

    Demetrios began to exude an overwhelming amount of mana. Although he had been releasing it earlier, he hadn¡¯t unleashed all of his power. His mana began to spread wildly around him. Demetrios was an overwhelming Hero and an even more overwhelming Hunter. He was one of the Heroes who supported Olympus.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s one of the few S-Rank Hunters in the world.¡¯</i>

    That was Demetrios. He wasn¡¯t the head of Olympus, but one day, he would rise to the top and fight for the world he envisioned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust you,¡± George said to the fully powered Demetrios.

    ¡°I told you to trust me.¡±

    Demetrios prepared for the battle while pumping his muscles and was ready to head to the final battle.

    "Let''s go."

    <i>Bang!</i>

    As Demetrios mmed the ground, the surrounded manapressed to a single point, exploding with an incredible sound. A beast that could bepared to¡ªno, a beast that was even stronger than Catalyon was climbing the mountain.

    1. I¡¯m assuming the name ??? is Egyptian, which the closest equivalent would be Inebu/Inbu (wall/fortress), which is part of a longer word Inbu-hedj(white wall/white fortress). Inebu-hedj was one of the nomes (administrative divisions) of Ancient Egypt. Its capital was Memphis.

    2. This is referring to the madness of Heracles that Hera had ced on him for being the bastard child of Zeus. He ended up killing his wife and children, which led him to undergo the Twelve Labors of Heracles. The firstbor was ying the Nemean Lion.

 Chapter 46: Heracles Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 46: Heracles Pt. 7</h4>

    Jeong In-Chang grunted, "<i>Ugh</i>."

    "I have a potion ready!" shouted Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m fine!¡± Jeong In-Chang shook his head a little too quickly in response. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t mind as he could see that the swordsman really didn¡¯t need the potion. He wondered if it was a result of the special training and the sponsorship he had been gifted.

    They were sessful in pushing around Catalyon without any significant injuries. Its fur and skin had been burnt in several ces, and a red-green ooze was dripping from the wounds that the greatsword had inflicted on it.

    ¨C <i>Rawwrrrrr!</i>

    Simr to earlier, it let out a huge roar. Following that, the Catalyon immediately stopped moving and began howling at the sky.

    <i>Awoooooo!</i>

    The sky shook, and the mana, the power which held the gate together, had begun to shift. It began to move toward the lion, flocking toward it in streaks like lightning. The overwhelming density of mana had turned tangible, starting to look like threads.

    ¡°Back up!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped back with his round shield and Muspel¡¯s Spear crossed before him.

    Finally, it had begun. The bosses of the different High-Grade Gates were varied, but most of them had the characteristic of being able to shift to something stronger. It was the next evolution of a boss, which the Hunters called a phase. It was even sometimes called the shift.

    The higher the grade of the gate, the more surplus mana it had. The boss who guarded the gate would absorb it and evolve one step further. Therefore, the basic Hunter strategy circled around trying to end the raid before the boss¡¯ phase change. Obviously, the higher the gate grade, the faster you would have to do so.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were different.

    "It¡¯s starting."

    They had deliberately induced a phase change in the boss of the A-Grade Gate, and Catalyon was now evolving, bing more powerful and more cunning.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around.

    He could tell that the other Hunters were feeling uneasy by the minute changes in their mana. These were the same people who ogled them and were treating them like clowns providing entertainment. None of them could have imagined this happening.

    <i>¡®They probably thought we would take the normal route and quickly defeat the boss first before we faced Demetrios.¡¯</i>

    Other than a few of them, most of them most likely couldn¡¯t have even guessed that they would induce a change in the boss¡¯ phase on purpose. That was how dangerous a phase change was.

    ¨C <i>Keugahhhh!</i>

    It was an insane move.

    Catalyon was rapidly absorbing the mana of the gate, and its brown mane and fur suddenly turned red. In addition, its teeth and stature had grown to a size that fit the term overwhelming. That wasn¡¯t the end of its transformation.

    ¡°<i>Grrrr</i>.¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl</i>.¡±

    The Catalyon lions began to flock after noticing the change. These lions gradually became ferocious, starting to radiate an intense mana.

    It was Demonic Mana.

    This was a type of degenerated mana that boasted an overwhelming destructive force far greater than the regr type of mana. Still, it was a type of mana that was difficult for Hunters to manipte due to itsck of stability, so only monsters could use it.

    The lions and Catalyon themselves exuded demonic mana, surrounding Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang.

    "That¡¯s probably okay, right? Did we really do the right thing?" Jeong In-Chang asked cautiously after he had sessfully pushed Catalyon away. He could feel the emanating mana.

    "Yes."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s answer was decisive and concise.

    Right at that moment, someone else had appeared.

    <i>Kuang!</i>

    All of the main characters had gathered together.

    "It looks like you¡¯ve done something interesting?"

    As if he had fallen from the sky, Demetrios appeared, and arge trench formed behind him.

    And, there was even Odysseus, who was less tense than he had thought.

    "I said, let''s go together!"

    Everyone that Lee Jun-Kyeong had ounted for had gathered in one ce.

    "To think it¡¯s a phase change¡­¡±

    Demetrios had taken his eyes off of Lee Jun-Kyeong for a moment and looked towards Catalyon.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re making things fun even up till the end,¡± he said, showing his teeth in satisfaction.

    Then¡­

    ¡°<i>Growl!</i>¡±

    Unable to control the demonic mana, a Catalyon lion broke into the battlefield. Demetrios had appeared suddenly, so it thought that he was the enemy. The frenzied lion immediately charged toward him¡­

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡­only to be caught between Demetrios¡¯ hands and be torn in half, falling to the floor.

    <i>¡®What a monster¡­¡¯</i> There were two monsters here: the lion, Catalyon, who had finally finished its phase change and the giant, Demetrios. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang would have to deal with two monsters at the same time.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made eye contact with Jeong In-Chang. They had deliberately created this situation, so they had also prepared a protocol to follow ording to what happened.

    As they acted ording to n, Demetrios¡¯ bewildered voice drifted over to them, "Wow, what?"

    ¡°Are they running away?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were leaving the battlefield at full speed.

    ***

    Although it was simple, it was a strategy that most wouldn¡¯t easily think of. For example, a sane person would never have thought of leaving the battlefield after forcing a phase-changed boss and a rival Hunter to face one another. Doing that was guaranteed to make the public mock you for being an idiot who knew nothing of pride nor honor.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said mysteriously, "Fame is both invisible and intangible."

    "Don''t speak so philosophically while you¡¯re running away!¡± Jeong In-Chang retorted.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Following that, as the huge Catalyon was barreling through the forest, an enraged Demetrios chased after them at a speedparable to the boss.

    ¡°These bastards.¡±

    His rage was white hot. He had been expecting an exciting duel between him and the duo. To think they would prepare the location and then run away. Demetrios was as angry as he was bbergasted.

    As the two wild beasts were rushing toward them from behind, Jeong In-Chang asked, breathing hard, ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Their legs had been moving this entire time. If it weren¡¯t for the forest that was being destroyed by Catalyon¡¯s massive body, the two beasts would eventually catch up, and they would have to fight. There was still a little distance remaining, but it was difficult to tell how long they had left before the boss and the giant overtook them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°We need to buy some more time.¡±

    The reason why Catalyon hadn¡¯t attacked Demetrios was simple. Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong were the ones who had attacked it up until this point. The giant lion¡¯s mind hadn¡¯t beenpletely eroded by the demonic mana yet, so it still had its wits. But, as demonic mana was a powerful degenerating force, it would erode its spirit as time went by.

    Therefore¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong emphasized, ¡°We just have to dy it for a little while longer.¡±

    "So, I¡¯m asking you how!¡± cried Jeong In-Chang.

    In response, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly changed directions. They had been heading to the middle of the mountain, but soon they turned around and ran near the boss zone again.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    The sound of the mountain falling apart as the forest crumbled echoed throughout the gate, amplified by the roars of Catalyon and Demetrios.

    ¡°Where are we going?!¡± Jeong In-Chang asked in bewilderment. But he soon found his answer.

    ¡°The¡­These bastards¡­!¡±

    ¡°You crazy punks!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had turned towards the spectators who had been watching them for entertainment.

    ¡°D¡­Damn it! Dodge them!¡±

    He had aimed for the ce where these remaining Hunters were hiding.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    At the exact ce these spectators had been holed up, Catalyon smashed its forepaw down explosively.

    ***

    ¡°Are they insane?!¡±

    Inebu and Numek had been watching the battlefield through the Eyes of Osiris. The two Hunters belonging to the Nile were equally perplexed by the situation.

    Especially¡­

    Numek suddenly asked, "Wait, you know how to swear?¡±

    Inebu blushed. Usually, he acted like a gentleman and never said anything crass. But even with his carefully curated demeanor, the current situation was beyondmon sense.

    ¡°Is that really what you¡¯re focusing on right now?!¡±

    Inebu swung his gigantic halberd and swept through a horde of Catalyon lions that ran madly at him. The red, glowing halberd bisected the gathered Catalyon lions.

    Inebu stated testily, "These crazy children."

    Numek remarked teasingly, "I¡¯m going to have to mark down the day today. To think I¡¯d hear this many curses from Inebu."

    "You''re also insane..." Inebu continued muttering while swinging his weapon at the Catalyon lions.

    They had expected that Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong were going to provoke the boss until it reached its second phase. However, they had no inkling that they would lead it to the spectators. It waspletely unexpected and incredibly violent.

    ¡°Ahhh! Damn it! Die! Fucking die!

    Both of them as well as the other Hunters were incredibly shocked and horrified. All of them were forced to begin fighting. They hadn¡¯t thought they would be in any more conflicts, so they were unable to respond appropriately to the sudden situation. And, the more pressing issue was that¡­

    ¨C <i>Growl!!</i>

    ¡­they were facing a Catalyon that had absorbed demonic mana, transforming it into an even bigger monster. Finally, the boss had be fully eroded by the demonic mana and began rampaging around everything around it.

    ¡°Good! Good!¡±

    Furthermore, Demetrios, who had be just as crazy as the boss and began to sh with Catalyon. The battlefield became aplete melee. The hunters had to get rid of the Catalyon lions that had been eroded by the demonic mana and escape from the range of the boss.

    "Where did the punks go?¡±

    Inebu scanned the battlefield, trying to find the people responsible for this chaos, the Underdog and hispanions.

    "¡­"

    And eventually, he spit out the swears that he had been holding back, "Hey, you motherfuckers!"

    The situation had beenpletely reversed. Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanion had be the spectators watching the Hunters who had be the clowns.

    ¡°These fuckers,¡± Ineba cursed in Egyptian.

    Whether or not the rest understood it, Inebu was swearing vigorously.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m falling for you,¡± remarked Numek as she fought the Catalyon lions alongside him.

    With each swing of her staff, arge stream of water would sweep away a monster. While the situation flustered Inebu, Numek was different. She relished the unexpected situation. As the two of them were confident that they would not suffer any damage in this situation, the battlefield began to shift in an unpredictable direction.

    ***

    "Although we have time to breathe right now, we don¡¯t have a lot of it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, biting at the jerky in his hand. They were at the peak of Catalyon Mountain, where they had first exchanged blows with Catalyon, and were observing everyone fighting in the boss zone.

    "Slowly, Demetrios will eventuallye to his senses, and Catalyon will head this way again."

    Bosses had an attachment to their boss zones. Although it had left the boss zone for a while and made a mess, it woulde back here eventually, even though its mind was eroded.

    <i>Gulp. Gulp.</i>

    However, Jeong In-Chang was too busy swallowing a potion to answer. It looked like he was drinking it in advance, anticipating that he would be injured in a short while.

    ¨C How regretful.

    Hyeon-Mu interjected with something seemingly iprehensible as it eyed Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>''This is good.''</i>

    The direction of the battle was going the way Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted. They would be able to recover the stamina they had spent while facing Catalyon, and the crazed boss and Demetrios would have to face them when they returned, having spent all of their stamina.

    <i>''Let''s go crazy for once.¡¯</i>

    It was a desperate measure made to deal with Demetrios, who had an overwhelming power difference, but he still had one trump card left.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked after finally finishing the potion. Lee Jun-Kyeonghad suddenly pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear, and in his other hand was a bottle of red liquid.

    "It is a secret weapon."

    "A secret weapon?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slyly and began pouring the red liquid in the bottle onto Muspel''s Spear. The red liquid flowed along the engravings of the pre-processed Muspel¡¯s Spear, and gradually it began to emit an eerie red glow.

    <i>Crackle.</i>

    It wasn¡¯t the usual red color that came from its mes. It was something unknown and mysterious.

    Jeong In-Changmented, "It looks dangerous."

    It looked sinister and menacing, and it was the trump card that Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared for dealing with Demetrios, no, Heracles.

    <i>''I don''t have many chances.''</i>

    Park Yu-Jin had processed the ore Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained in a satisfactory manner. In fact, the resulting power would be more effective than he had initially anticipated. However, in proportion to the overwhelmingly increased effectiveness, there was an increased disadvantage. It had a fewer number of times it could be used.

    He would have to take this opportunity into his own hands. Before his secret weapon was exhausted, he would have to wound Demetrios fatally.

    [Muspel''s Spear is temporarily strengthened.]

    However, there was another side effect¡­

    [The dragon bloodstone has absorbed the smelted ore.]

    ¡­that even Lee Jun-Kyeong had not expected.

    <i>ze!</i>

    Finally, Muspel''s spear emitted a zing red light and the main characters to this y had arrived.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!</i>

    ¡°Hahahaha! Where do you keep running away to?¡±

    Heracles¡­

    ¨C <i>Growl!!!</i>

    ¡­and the red lion.

    1. The word ??, or crazy/insane, is one of those pseudo swear words in Korea, something that isn¡¯t actually an offensive word, like a slur, but is still something you would refrain from saying around politepany/your grandparents. So for a gentleman, it¡¯s akin to NC-17.

 Chapter 47: Heracles Pt. 8

    <h4>Chapter 47: Heracles Pt. 8</h4>

    Demetrios'' forearm had begun to swell.

    <i>¡®The Roar of the Savage Beast!¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell what move the punk was preparing to use as he knew his name and the unique skills he had. This skill boasted overwhelming power both at long range and at close range.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt the mana gathering on Demetrios¡¯ forearm, so he shouted, ¡°Avoid it!¡±

    No one should even attempt to block it as even bumping into it could be dangerous. It needed to be avoided. Jeong In-Chang moved instantly without verbally replying.

    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±

    Demetrios felt the mana rumbling in his forearm and turned around. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang had already gone out of range of the Roar of the Savage Beast, and it seemed it would be difficult to hit them with it.

    Since it wasn¡¯t a skill that could be canceled, he had no choice but to shoot it at Catalyon.

    ¨C <i>Growl!</i>

    The boss cried out when the skill made contact, and a lion-shaped mark appeared on Catalyon¡¯s cheek. It was proof that the Roar of the Savage Beast had hit it, and Demetrios would receive an additional stat increase when fighting with a target marked with it.

    And¡­

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A red spear had flown toward Demetrios as he fired his speed. It flew at a sharp speed, and Demetrios tried to block it with his forearm as he had been slowed down after using his skill.

    <i>ng!</i>

    However, Muspel¡¯s Spear was stopped before it reached Demetrios and was thrown to the floor. As if there was a thread attached to the spear, Muspel¡¯s Spear began to point toward the ce from where it had been thrown from.

    ¡°See, that¡¯s why I told you to use a weapon,¡± said George, who had stopped Muspel¡¯s Spear. He had knocked it down with a blue dius.

    ¡°Am I supposed to be thankful?¡± Demetrios retorted.

    ¡°How ungrateful.¡±

    Demetrios shrugged, and George sighed.

    "There¡¯s something different about the Underdog¡¯s spear."

    "What?"

    Demetrios didn¡¯t care about the nitty-gritty, and it was George¡¯s role to assist him with those bothersome issues. George continued, ¡°There¡¯s something ominous about it, so be careful. It might have an effect simr to that of your Roar of the Savage Beast.¡±

    "Whatever."

    Demetrios snorted despite his colleague¡¯s warning. Rather than turning towards Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, who had hidden themselves¡­

    ¨C <i>Growl!</i>

    ¡­he ran towards Catalyon, who was writhing in pain.

    And¡­

    "It looks like I¡¯m being looked down on too."

    Odysseus was holding his dius, but he suddenly emitted a wave of energy. His mana hadn¡¯t been released thus far, and had finally been exposed at this moment. Although it wasn¡¯t as condensed as Demetrios¡¯, mana that was seemingly stronger than his grade exploded out from him.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A dius split the air.

    <i>Whimper.</i>

    A Catalyon lion had been running ferociously towards George, but had been split in two and fell to the ground. It was a breathtaking blow. He had predicted the enemy¡¯s movements in advance and cut through it with a single blow.

    Hemented, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m different from that idiot.¡±

    George quickly kicked the ground and began to move. He immediately twisted around, floating in the air, and mmed his dius down on a ce in the forest where no one seemed to be.

    At that spot, a man with a greatsword blocked.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Odysseus smirked. "Didn¡¯t I say I was different?"

    Unlike Demetrios, who wasn¡¯t good at observation or tracking, George was very talented at detailed work, which made up for his less powerful fighting skills. Finding and attacking the hiding Jeong In-Chang was a form of those talents as well. George drew back his dius and took a fighting stance.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I want you to fight me too,¡± he said to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°What is he saying?¡± Jeong In-Changined as he couldn¡¯t understand English. Instead, he raised his greatsword and made a cross-sh toward George.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡±

    As if expecting such an attack from Jeong In-Chang, George shifted the axis of his feet to avoid the greatsword. Just when George aimed for the resulting opening that Jeong In-Chang revealed¡­

    <i>Puahahak!</i>

    ¡­a torrent of water appeared from out of nowhere, spewing toward him. He couldn¡¯t block the flood with his dius alone. He looked up btedly towards the ce where the water gushed from and saw a round skull floating in the sky.

    However.

    "There is no damage¡­?"

    George was surprised. Although he had been drenched in the spewing torrent, he wasn¡¯t injured, even though it should have been a blow that his opponents had been waiting and waiting for a chance to make.

    ¡°What was that¡­?¡±

    He had an ominous feeling for some reason.

    He became more certain of it after seeing Jeong In-Chang¡¯s smirk, and there was something else too.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a sweet smell?¡¯</i>

    The water that he had been doused in had begun to emit a strange, sweet smell.

    George soon knew what it was.

    "<i>Grrr</i>..."

    "<i>Growl</i>."

    "<i>Growl!!</i>"

    The Catalyon lions suddenly flocked around him.

    He muttered, "It¡¯s monster pheromones..."

    It was a monster pheromone that only high-level alchemists could create, and it emitted a scent that attracted monsters. This substance was something that was mainly used as bait for hunting.

    "Damn it¡­" he said, looking at the lions around him.

    To think he would be fed shit in this manner.

    When he looked ahead, Jeong In-Chang had disappeared. All that had been left were dozens of Catalyon Lions had been strengthed by the demonic mana.

    They gazed at George while purring pleasantly.

    "<i>Purrr</i>."

    Then, they stood with their members lifted.

    "Damn it."

    George trembled at the sight of the monsters who had evil intentions.

    ***

    "Catalyon! Bite him!"

    Catalyon began to charge forward with its massive front paws.

    ¨C <i>Growl!!</i>

    It had no problem navigating through the boss zone due to its colossal size, and soon it collided with the roaring Demetrios.

    "<i>Ahhhh!</i>"

    As Catalyon¡¯s front two paws smashed into Demetrios¡¯ hands, Lee Jun-Kyeong watched silently.

    <i>''How¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered how high must Demetrios¡¯ strength stat be, to think something like that was possible. The giant waspeting in strength face to face with Catalyon, who had swallowed demonic mana and shifted to the second phase. Not only that, but he wasn¡¯t even being pushed back.

    He muttered to himself, ¡°Even if he has the buff from the Roar of the Savage Beast¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that this was still a little ridiculous.

    ¡°Come back, Catalyon!¡± he screamed, as if he thought there wouldn¡¯t be any fighting, but¡­

    ¨C <i>Keuahhh!</i>

    ¡­naturally, there was no way that Catalyon would listen to his orders. Earlier, Catalyon had charged Demetrios as the giant had caused the most damage to it recently. Due to being marked by the Roar of the Savage Beast, it had chased after Demetrios as it had recognized him as the most powerful enemy.

    It wasn¡¯t that it was listening to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s orders. Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to get Demetrios¡¯ attention while raising Muspel¡¯s Spear, but the giant had no time to spare as he roared along with the frenzied boss.

    "<i>Keugaaaaah!</i>"

    ¨C Growl!

    Since there was the chance that he would end up in a situation where both of them would attack him, he had no choice but to use the power of the red ore against Catalyon a little while ago.

    <i>¡®I have to be careful.¡¯</i>

    All of his spear attacks would now contain the power of the red ore, so it was essential to be urate with his attacks when he had to make a move.

    <i>Tak, tak, tak!</i>

    The sound of footsteps rang out, and he could tell that Jeong In-Chang wasing over.

    <i>''It looks like Odysseus must have been tied up well.''</i>

    From the beginning, they had never ignored Odysseus¡¯s, George¡¯s abilities. It would be difficult for even an immortal to be still alive if theymitted such a stupid act as not taking him into consideration. He had naturally prepared a way to deal with George, and with the help of Park Yu-Jin, he had prepared the perfect n.

    It would be about now.

    ¡°<i>Purrrr!</i>¡±

    George would be having a good time with the Catalyon lions. Still, they were pressed for time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stated, ¡°We have to finish this before Odysseus returns."

    They didn¡¯t need to be the ones to take Demetrios down. They only needed one blow. Just one blow was required to be sessful.

    "All right!"

    Jeong In-Chang, who answered with curiosity, took his seat, and Lee Jun-Kyeong began to prepare.

    <i>''He definitely¡­''</i>

    Everyone knew what Demetrios was like. He was a battle buff,pletely crazy for battle, but because his ability was so strong, it was difficult for him to find a match that would satisfy him. Consequently, the giant was always looking for a battle in which he would be able to give his all.

    And this situation was the exact moment he had been waiting for.

    ¡°Hahahahaha! Good! Great!¡± Demetrios howled with glee.

    The boss of the A-Grade Gate had been transformed by demonic mana, and he had the added difficulty of dealing with Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang at the same time. That was making him ecstatic.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him.

    <i>''It¡¯s beginning.''</i>

    Little by little, the giant''s eyes were beginning to turn red and bloodshot. The more the battle heated up, and the more powerfully the mana of Catalyon spread, the more Demetrios'' eyes grew red. Although it looked as if he was still in control¡­

    <i>¡®You can¡¯t contain it that way.¡¯</i>

    Whether it was Olympus¡¯ secret or Heracles¡¯ secret, there was no way for Lee Jun-Kyeong not to know about the fatal weakness they hid. After all, he hade from the future and was the owner of the Demon King''s Book.

    <i>''It¡¯s something that anyone would have known.¡¯</i>

    In fact, anyone who hade from the future would have most likely known about it.. The reason was simple. Although he had been strong and had made a name for himself as a great Hero, the giant eventually hadn¡¯t been able to control it in a public setting.

    <i>¡®Crazy Killer, or even a Berserker.¡¯</i>

    In the colossal battle that took ce after the upheaval, on the battlefield where countless Hunters fought together, Heracles had be swallowed by his special characteristic.

    That was his weakness.

    He would gopletely crazy and turn into a mad zealot who only thought about battle, blood, and ughter. In fact, he ended up killing a lot of the Hunters who hade to y monsters and spread his notoriety. After that, the only news about him was that he had been confined somewhere by Olympus.

    He had been a hero whose notoriety had only passed down even further by the time Lee Jun-Kyeong was alive and breathing in the distant future.

    "He¡¯sing!¡±

    Finally, they started looking over at this ce. Catalyon had begun to deal with the ones who had constantly been darting around in its periphery.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    Every time it moved, the mountain vibrated, and the ground was damaged. Then, as it came closer, it raised its front paws and dropped them immediately.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong barely avoided them, while Jeong In-Chang blocked them with his greatsword.

    He grunted, ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i> still, it feels manageable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯sing again!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong warned.

    This time, he grabbed Muspel''s Spear and ran forward. Catalyon wasn¡¯t the one doing all it could do to trample Jeong In-Chang. Instead, it was Demetrios.¡°Now we finally get to fight properly!¡±

    The giant was rushing toward Lee Jun-Kyeong through the battlefield at an even faster speed than Catalyon had. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t see any barriers that would be able to stop him. However, he didn¡¯t even need one. Instead, he lowered his stance and raised his round shield, holding up Muspel¡¯s Spear alongside it. It was a perfect defensive stance against cavalry, a method that was mainly used by the soldiers of ancient Sparta. Ironically, a Greek Hero was rushing toward it.

    "Great! Good!"

    Soon, Demetrios would arrive. The reason he was able to run so fast was rted to another one of his skills.

    <i>¡®Rush of the Rhinoceros.¡¯</i>

    When this skill was activated, Demetrios could charge speedily forward like a rampaging rhinoceros. In return, he could only go straight and couldn¡¯t stop until he reached the target. Therefore, that punk would end up crashing into him.

    The giant hollered, ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to stop me with something like that?!"

    However, Demetrios was right. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s defensive stance was excellent, his opponent''s strength was too great. There was a chance he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it, and the charge would seed. However, a fire erupted in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ¡°...¡±

    Reign of Fire had activated, and a sudden soaring fire had erupted, blocking both of their line of sight. Demetrios flinched and did his best to respond, but it was already toote.

    ¡°<i>Ha-eup!</i>¡±

    Instead of taking a defensive stance on the other side, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly broke through the fire and fell from the sky. Although Heracles¡¯ feet stopped the charge immediately as they collided¡­

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    ¡­Muspel¡¯s Spear and still pierced deep through the giant¡¯s arm. A red liquid flowed down the weapon, and it was something that didn¡¯t quite seem to be his blood.

    "This¡­?"

    It began to flow through Demetrios¡¯ wounded arm as well. The giant staggered from the sudden vertigo. As it was affecting Demetrios, who was gradually getting overtaken by his special characteristics, the effect was evident almost immediately.

    ¡°Is it poison¡­?¡± he asked as he took a step back.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded cautiously while lowering his posture, ¡°No.¡±

    It was a red ore that had been birthed by an ogre mage. After lengthy research, it was given a name, but it had actually been called by two different names.

    Liberation.

    Or¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong announced, "Madness."

    "<i>Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!</i>"

    When both of Demetrios¡¯ eyes had turnedpletely red¡­

    "No!"

    A voice could be heard from the forest.

    1. ?(yeot) is a type of taffy made in Korea. It¡¯s famous for being super sticky and is nearly impossible to chew without getting it stuck in your teeth. There are stories of people pulling their own teeth out by trying to chew through it while it¡¯s stuck. The term here is to be fed <i>yeot</i>.

 Chapter 48: Heracles Pt. 9

    <h4>Chapter 48: Heracles Pt. 9</h4>

    During an era where science flourished and democracy blossomed, the world had fallen into chaos due to the sudden appearance of the gates and Hunters.

    However, as the number of Hunters gradually increased, they became stronger. With the advent of the overwhelmingly strong First Hunters, barring the initial massacres, the world found itself restored to stability through the work of organizations hidden within the shadows.

    As they found stability, they began to dig into the unknown, the origin of gates, the history of monsters, and even the existence of the Sponsors. As the Hunters were researching various new discoveries, an unusual creature called the ogre mage caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    <i>¡®We have discovered a new unique species called the ogre mage.¡¯</i>

    It was a specific monster that would only appear at the gate called the Ogre Vige. Research began on the monster that had strength that far outpaced any boss in its vicinity despite not being a boss. With the help of numerous Heroes, they finally were able to learn how the ogre mage was born.

    A red ore had been found within the habitat of the ogre mage.

    <i>¡®This will raise the Hunters to the next level!''</i>

    People thought that the red ore would be effective for Hunters as well, creating a unique strength simr to that of the ogre mage. Striving for this new avenue of strength, the research went on, and eventually, several secret organizations started experimenting on living creatures.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s start a clinical trial.¡¯</i>

    First, they conducted their trials on monsters and animals, and the results were shocking. Animals would transform into monsters, and monsters would grow stronger as if they had undergone a phase change. However, there was a striking problem.

    <i>¡®They arepletely uncontroble.¡¯</i>

    They had be so ferocious that further experiments had be impossible. However, they eventually seeded in stabilizing them after lots of work done by the fanatic magic researchers and Hunters.

    <i>¡®Only the human trials remain.¡¯</i>

    Thus, the clinical trial involving Hunters began. Until this point, the red ore had been named Liberation. The name was meant to signify its ability to release more power and allow one to grow one step further. However, that quickly changed after the clinical trials had been conducted on the Hunters, and all of the magic researchers had disappeared.

    The red ore became more regted than illegal drugs and disappeared into history''s annals. That was where it received its final name.

    "<i>Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!</i>"

    Madness.

    It was a forbidden ore that awakened and amplified all of the Hunter¡¯s potential in an instant, but would eventually result in death, all the while driving the user into madness. Just like Demetrios¡¯ red, bloodshot eyes, the Hunters who had been injected with the red ore also had red eyes.

    Just like the magic researchers had wanted, the injected Hunters had gained the ability to temporarily ess their powers that had grown by an entire level¨Cno, even more than that.

    And, as soon as they obtained that power, they turned against the researchers.

    Furthermore, they started to go crazy, evolving into a disaster as it had even affected a Hero-Rank Hunter. The Hunter had possessed tremendous power, but had been engulfed in madness and began to destroy everything in sight. A whopping total of a hundred and fifty Hunters had been needed to kill him.

    "<i>Whew¡­</i>"

    Demetrios''s rising mana formed a level of suppression over the boss zone.

    ¨C Growl!

    Even the Catalyon retreated for a moment at the ferocious mana.

    "No! What have you done!"

    And George, who was covered in the blood of the defeated lions, arrived screaming.

    "If you get close to him right now, you will die,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    "Then, despite knowing that¡­!"

    He red angrily at Lee Jun-Kyeong while continuing towards Demetrios. What had happened in the distant future was urring now. Demetrios had fallen into madness, and his closest friend and colleague, whom he would go together with to hunt monsters, George, Odysseus, would be killed by his hands.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly spoke up, "There is a way."

    "What¡­?" George replied, astonished and outraged that Lee Jun-Kyeong had known about Demetrios''s madness and confused as to what the other man had done to force the giant into a state of extreme madness like never before.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong insisted, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, there is a way! Come over to this side!¡±

    George was suspicious. To think that he would be yelled at in that manner. But, seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯spletely serious gaze, he paused. Moreover, he understood the crux of the problem.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing that I can do.¡¯</i>

    It seemed as though the encroachment of madness had already begun. The explosive mana emanating from Demetrios was overwhelming everyone.

    "Mr. Jeong!"

    In response, Jeong In-Chang raised his greatsword, settled into a stance, and shouted, "<i>Ha-a-ap!</i>"

    For a moment, his body shed like a metallic light, and George approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Meanwhile, Jeong In-Chang grunted, "D¡­ Damn it¡­"

    As George had approachedpletely without hostility, Lee Jun-Kyeong left him to walk up to a ce slightly further away.

    George snapped, "So what is the method, you crazy bastard? There¡¯s no way someone would do this if they weren¡¯t insane.."

    "¡­"

    "He¡¯s going to kill us all."

    George had only seen Demetrios engulfed in madness once. It was the day that he had earned his title. Although he had been able to save everyone due to that madness, something about him had fundamentally changed.

    "Shut up,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually said to George, who was rambling on loudly.

    "¡­So then, what is the method?¡± George asked again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bluntly responded, ¡°Stall him.¡±

    George gave him a confused look. ¡°...?"

    Lee Jun-Keyong rified, "Stall him with your life on the line.¡±

    "W¡­ what¡­"

    He thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong had a great solution because the other man had purposefully driven Demetrios into that state, but to think all he said was to stall him. He thought to himself, ¡®<i>What kind of basic bullshit was that?¡¯</i>

    "Five minutes."

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued in a low and serious tone as he crouched into an offensive stance, ¡°We just have to hold on for five minutes.¡±

    "On what grounds are you saying that sh..." George sputtered.

    Odysseus believed that Lee Jun-Kyeong must have thought that Demetrios¡¯ madness would be over in five minutes. However, that was utterly wrong. The madness wouldst at least three days, and the longest had been over a week.

    At that time, he had been forced to undertake countless dangerous missions as atonement for blood shed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly said informally, "If you can¡¯t stall him, then just die.¡±

    Then, Demetrios¡­

    "<i>Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!</i>"

    ¡­whose eyes werepletely red, burst forward toward them as if he had been shot out of a cannon. He moved at an incredible pace, simr to how fast Muspel¡¯s Spear had flown when Lee Jun-Kyeong had thrown it like a javelin earlier.

    Colliding with Demetrios would end up in the death of the other party.

    <i>Stomp.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stomped on the ground and turned his body as if he was gliding. Demetrios was rushing in at incredible speed, so he couldn¡¯t adjust his trajectory in time.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    ¨C <i>Roar!!!</i>

    In the end, he collided with Catalyon, who Jeong In-Chang had lured over.

    "We also have Catalyon on our side. So, do you think you can hold out for five minutes?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked casually.

    "¡­"

    In the end, George had no choice but to nod begrudgingly.

    <i>¡®We can do it if it¡¯s five minutes.¡¯</i>

    The red ore Lee Jun-Kyeong had used on Demetrios was pretty much a prototype that hadn¡¯t undergone refinement or stabilization. Although it granted much greater power than the stabilized Madness, it also had a much shorter duration. Furthermore, when the effects wore off¡­

    <i>¡®We¡¯d win.¡¯</i>

    ¡­Demetrios would faint from exhaustion.

    They just needed to hold on for five minutes, and that was it.

    ***

    "What is that?" asked the Hunters of Nile who had dealt with the Catalyon lions. They, and the other Hunters, trembled from the ripple of mana they had just felt. They had previously been suppressed by demonic mana due to the phase change of Catalyon, but that was nothingpared to this new wave of oppression.

    "This..."

    It was neither the gate nor the gate boss that was emitting the overwhelming mana. There was only one Hunter who had this level of power.

    Someone muttered, "Heracles¡­"

    Everyone stopped and looked at him as they had long since beaten back the other Catalyon. Heracles had red eyes and was the source of the new mana.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    He had destroyed the battlefield. The earth cracked and the mountains shook every time he punched.

    ¨C <i>Roar!</i>

    Catalyon cried out.

    What was even more absurd was that there was someonepletely unexpected standing with the Underdog¡¯s team.

    One of the watching Hunters asked, "Is¡­Odysseus fighting Heracles right now?"

    George was with them. He was a close friend of Heracles and a worthypanion. In addition, he was also a member of Olympus, but he was wielding a dius against Heracles. They all wondered what had happened during their brief battle with the Catalyon lions.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane. He¡¯s seriously a monster, isn¡¯t he?¡± the other Hunters said about Heracles.

    It was an overwhelming suppression that definitely could be called a monster. Previously, the word monster was an appropriate description for him, but now, he seemed to have entirely left the human species.

    Then, they came to a consensus.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now. What observation or whatever? It looks like we¡¯re going to die here.¡±

    The spectating Hunters began to leave the battlefield. While the Heracles¡¯ current state was more than enough to wet their curiosity, they had judged the situation to bepletely unreasonable. <i>¡®He¡¯s not making any distinction between his enemies and friends.¡¯</i>

    Heracles¡¯ current strength and level of destruction was terrifying. Therefore, there was nowhere they could stay that would be safe. Whether it was the gigantic monster, Catalyon, or Heracles, who didn¡¯t lose out to it at all, they would destroy the entire surrounding area. They were worried that they would have to fight another unwanted battle, and it would be one that had a level of danger iparable to that of dealing with the Catalyon lions.

    Judging from the level of mana that was being emitted from the boss zone, they needed to leave.

    "I don''t refuse to die this sort of dog¡¯s death."

    "Damn. What the hell is wrong with the Battle of Champions this time around?"

    With the fear of death looming above them, they began to leave the battlefield one by one. All that remained was the two Nile Hunters.

    Numek asked, "What do you want to do, Inebu?"

    Inebu looked around the battlefield as if he was terrified of something.

    "Inebu!" Numek shouted.

    Inebu mumbled, "The red gem¡­"

    "What?"

    Inebu had previously seen such a phenomenon before in Heliopolis, which was a ce famous for its magic research even within the Nile. There was one experiment they had conducted in secret. It came from a member of the Nile, an overwhelming Hunter, and a hero who was their leader.

    A red gem that Sett had brought.

    <i>''It was said that you can gain tremendous power in a short period of time if you use it.''</i>

    However, there was a chilling side effect. The person who used the gem would end up marked with red eyes and lose their temper and run until they died. This experiment was conducted in secret, even within Heliopolis, and the contents of the experiment matched exactly what Inebu was seeing now.

    And eventually.

    Inebu said grimly, "We¡¯ll be getting involved."

    Numek asked, bewildered, "What?"

    Inebu continued chillingly, "If things keep developing this way, everyone will die horribly."

    "Isn''t there any reason we have to care about that too?"

    "¡­"

    Numek now sounded bewildered. Earlier, she had asked offhandedly as she knew Inebu had an unusual personality, but to think he would say they would have to get involved.

    She cursed, "Damn it."

    To think he would say they would have to throw themselves into that insanity.

    But, she then grinned.

    "This is why I can¡¯t help but to like you."

    Numek jumped into the battle first, forming a wave from the moisture in the forest. She leapt on top of it and rushed into the battlefield. Inebu entered alongside her with a red halberd. Things were developing in a direction no one had expected.

    ***

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A red light flickered. Heracles¡¯ eyes were enveloped in madness, and they left behind traces every time he exploded forward, creating afterimages.

    ¨C <i>Growl¡­</i>

    Catalyon had been a great ally. It was a boss monster, but it was dying after it had absurdly fought alongside them as an ally. Heracles was possessed by madness and had taken it down alone. However, it was by no means the only thing that Heracles had beaten down.

    "<i>Ugh¡­</i>"

    Off to the side, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s front was stained with red blood, and all of it was blood that he had vomited himself. Although the greatsword was holding up well against the attacks of Heracles as it was strengthened by the dragon¡¯s bloodstone embedded within it, it was inevitable that the shockwaves would carry over, shaking his insides.

    He drank potions whenever he had time, but not even Hyeon-Mu was in a position to help either.

    <i>Puheot!</i>

    Hyeon-Mu was doing its best to slow Heracles'' movement by shooting water whenever it was necessary.

    And¡­

    ¡°Get yourself together!¡±

    <i>ng!</i>

    It was an unbelievablemotion that was caused by the sh of Heracles¡¯ fist and Oddyseus¡¯ dius. Unfortunately, the weapon was beginning to crack after a few blows.

    "<i>Grrrr</i>."

    Without even recognizing hisrade, Heracles swung his fists harder than steel. Although he was engulfed in madness, he was using his skills instinctively.

    "Roar of the Savage Beast!"

    Mana dyed red, shot in a straight line.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The mana that traveled at an unavoidable speed mmed into the round shield that Lee Jun-Kyeong raised, and he had no choice but to drop it.

    "<i>Keughk!</i>"

    It fell to the ground, seemingly unusable after shattering.

    ¡°How much longer till five minutes?¡± George shouted.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t answer easily.

    <i>¡®The limit of an unprocessed red ore is five minutes.¡¯</i>

    This fact was revealed as the initial experiments proceeded. After five minutes, a Hunter would fall into a sense of weakness and lose all of their powers. However¡­

    "<i>Aaaaaah!</i>"

    That crazy monster was getting stronger without end. Five minutes hadn''t passed yet, but it didn''t look like he would copse even after five minutes had passed.

    <i>''Just a little bit more.''</i>

    But, even he would not be able to escape the aftereffects of Madness. Soon, he would fall. All they had to do was wait for him to destroy himself.

    "Flooding River!"

    At that time, a strong tsunami that was out of ce on a mountain appeared...

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡­and a halberd that drew a red trajectory fell upon the battlefield. Heracles had created an opening with the use of the Roar of the Savage Beast, so he was stopped for a moment.

    ¡°We will help too!¡±

    The remaining Hunters belonging to the Nile entered the fray. Chaos erupted. There was no time to say thanks or even spare a nce towards those who had suddenly barged in. They were simply grateful for the help as it would help themst just a bit longer.

    <i>''Damn it.''</i>

    They could hold out. Just a little bit more. If they had just a little more power, they had the confidence to beat him. Then, the veins in his right hand began to twitch. It was the same hand that held his spear.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Alongside a disgusting wiggling of his veins...

    <i>Thump.</i>

    ¡­he felt a heartbeat that made him momentarily dizzy.

    [The blood stored in the dragon¡¯s bloodstone has begun the reversal process.]

    The side effects had started.

 Chapter 49: Heracles Pt. 10

    <h4>Chapter 49: Heracles Pt. 10</h4>

    There was one thing that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t expected. It was a side effect of thebination of the Dragon''s Bloodstone and the red ore. When he had applied the liquid formed from the melted red ore to Muspel¡¯s Spear, he had heard a message that said that the Dragon''s Bloodstone had swallowed the red ore.

    Back then, he wasn¡¯t sure what it had meant.

    [The blood stored in the Dragon''s Bloodstone has begun the reversal process.]

    [Rejuvenation Rate -0.3%]

    "Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted when Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s demeanor suddenly changed.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Inebu and Numek, who were facing Heracles in the front, echoed in return. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually fell to one knee due to the burning dizziness.

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>.¡±

    This unexpected scenario naturally led to a change in the conflict.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¨C <i>Roar!!</i>

    He had been trusted with suppressing Catalyon, who was on itsst legs. However, Catalyon was able to stand up again when Lee Jun-Kyeong abruptly stopped moving. Following that, the Hunters who had been facing Heracles had to back up and retreat quickly.

    The only participants that were left were Jeong In-Chang with his greatsword and Hyeon-Mu orbiting in the sky.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Although the Hunters from the Nile and George wanted to regroup quickly, the shock wave generated from the collision between the dying Catalyon¡¯sst blow and Heracles impeded them.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    <i>Gasp¡­</i>

    ¡°Mr. Lee, are you okay?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked out of concern. He had shielded Lee Jun-Kyeong from the initial shockwave and continued to block the asional attack. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t in a state where he could respond.

    <i>Gasp.</i>

    He heaved again. He wanted to let go of Muspel¡¯s Spear, but a thorn had sprouted from the weapon and had pierced into his hand.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    He was basically stuck to the spear. His head kept spinning, and his vision blurred from the vertigo.

    [The blood of the Dragon''s Bloodstone is being reversed.]

    [Rejuvenation Rate -1%]

    Alongside the notifications he kept hearing, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the changes within his body.

    <i>Throb.</i>

    An immense amount of mana was bubbling up from inside of him. He knelt, unable to lift his head from the weight of the mana. It exerted an unimaginable force over him as it transformed within him. Because of his body¡¯s limits, he couldn¡¯t control the rampaging mana within him.

    <i>¡®The Mana Stream¡­¡¯</i>

    That was why the Demon King had developed the mana stream in the first ce. Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to funnel the mana into his elementary mana stream. Still, it was only able to control the basics, so it soon lost the capacity to contain any additional mana.

    "What¡¯s wrong with the Underdog?!"

    "That looks like the same change as Heracles!"

    "How¡­"

    The Hunters from before had finally been able to regroup, rejoining the fight between Catalyon and Heracles. They had done so because Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that he knew how to deal with Heracles.

    "Flooding River!"

    Numek and Inebu rushed ahead and began to create a protective barrier. However, it was apparent that it would soon be broken.

    George shouted, ¡°Underdog! Five minutes passed by a long time ago!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his bloodshot eyes and looked over at Heracles. The duration of Madness should have been five minutes as it had been created without a proper refining process. By this point, Heracles should have lost all his strength and copsed.

    However, the giant still stood, and it seemed as though he was enduring the Madness and increasing his strength.

    "How¡­?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said, looking at him.

    "¡­!"

    And he began to see something that he had been unable to see up until now. Blobs were moving along specific paths, enveloping over Catalyon and Heracles. A dark red mass had enveloped Catalyon, while Heracles was covered in a red mass with shes of blue.

    <i>¡®Is that a mana stream¡­?¡¯</i>

    In addition, Heracles was also emitting the masses from his body. He would absorb them through battle and emit them while releasing his power. Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell what was happening. It wasn¡¯t exactly the correct method, but Heracles was using a kind of mana stream.

    ¡°<i>Keughk¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    "Underdog!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong barely stood up after hearing the others call for him.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    He could feel a huge heartbeat.

    <i>Twitch.</i>

    The veins from the hand holding Muspel¡¯s Spear, all the way through his shoulder and on his neck and even his face, began to throb, and they were swollen in a disgusting manner. His body shook in time to the beat of the rushing blood.

    [The blood of the Dragon''s Bloodstone is being reversed.]

    [Rejuvenation Rate¡­]

    Alongside the notification, Lee jun-Kyeong twisted his right foot, making it go deep through the soil into the ground. He focused directly on this foot.

    <i>¡®Force all of the mana into it.¡¯</i>

    By forcing all of the mana into his foot, he was able to stimte it and rocket forward.

    ¡°M¡­Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! What the hell is going on?!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shot forward like an arrow. At the same time, Jeong In-Chang and George stumbled for a moment from the shockwave he had created as he stomped on the ground.

    ¡°Huh!!!!?¡±

    Numek was flustered as she watched Lee Jun-Kyeong break through the water barrier she had created, while Inebu watched all of what had transpired with interest.

    ¡°...¡±

    ***

    .

    <i>¡®I¡¯m dizzy.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to keep his mind stable. His vision was spinning as if he was drunk, and it was as if someone had taken control of his body. However, the mana felt extremely clear to him.

    <i>Throb.</i>

    A blue wave came out of him and spread as if it were filling the space. It was the same mana that Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t contain with his foundation and the surplus mana that existed inside of the gate. The two gathered together, forming around and giving shape to the previously invisible mana.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head at the sound. After barely being able to react, he suddenly saw the front paw of Catalyon in front of him.

    ¨C <i>Roar!!!</i>

    Surprisingly, it had been pierced by Muspel¡¯s Spear. He had unknowingly blocked Catalyon¡¯s attack and counterattacked at the same time.

    Following that, he felt a colossal amount of mana once more. Without even realizing it, Lee Jun-Kyeong reacted, shifting positions by moving his feet.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    It had only been a subtle shift, but a huge blob of mana sted across the battlefield, barely missing his chest. Heracles had shot the Roar of the Savage Beast at him. Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong unconsciously pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear and ran toward Heracles. The shift of the environment in his peripheral vision was so instantaneous that he felt like he was going to get motion sickness.

    After rushing through the space, Lee Jun-Kyeong stabbed Heracles¡¯ right arm without any hesitation.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    An eerie sound came from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bizarrely twisted right arm because he had moved against his own will.

    <i>Pop.</i>

    Mana immediately moved without his influence and began to restore the broken limb.

    <i>Swish! Swish! Stab!</i>

    His recovered right arm moved without pause. His arm continued to break from the force of the blows, but instantly recovered through mana. Muspel¡¯s Spear pierced forward repeatedly, moving between Heracles and Lee Jun-Kyeong as if it was a meteor.

    For a second, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought the sight was beautiful.

    <i>¡®Mountain Echo.¡¯</i>

    Heracles tried to use another skill. This skill would cause the surroundings to reverberate and create an earthquake if the user¡¯s feet were touching the ground. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about dodging, and his body immediately moved as if someone else was controlling him.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    While he unconsciously moved, he could also hear the ground falling apart. Then, he stabbed into something.

    It was the heart of Catalyon.

    ¨C <i>Grahhhh!!</i>

    Catalyon, about to die, let out a long roar, and soon¡­

    [You have defeated Catalyon.]

    [You have acquired the Essence of the Forest.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The Enemy of the Savage Beast¡¯ achievement.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Defeated the Lion of the Mountain¡¯ achievement.]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    [Your level has risen.]

    [The voice of the Sponsor has not been conveyed.]

    Catalyon had died after a long and protracted fight. It might have been due to the recovery that happened as he rose in level, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was finally able to steady his shaken mind and take a deep breath for a moment

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Although he had only been in that state for a brief moment, it had felt like an eternity. It was a terrifying feeling, as though he had been deprived of the ability to control his body and had be an observer without any sovereignty.

    "Mr. Lee¡­!" Jeong In-Chang yelled, running over from afar.

    - Master, your condition is severe. Please leave this very instant¡­

    Hyeon-Mu said, flying over quickly.

    However, it was the beginning of an even bigger nightmare.

    [The Dragon''s Bloodstone has swallowed the blood of Catalyon.]

    [Catalyon''s blood has begun the reversal process.]

    This signaled the beginning of yet another nightmare.

    [You are being eroded by the demonic mana.]

    [Your body is copsing.]

    [Please drive out the demonic mana.]

    [The voice of the Sponsor has not been conveyed.]

    "Ahhhhhhhh!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to scream as if he had never screamed before. Alongside the terrible cry, mes began to erupt from him.

    ¡°W¡­ What is that?!¡±

    ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    ck, blue, red as blood¡­

    It was a me that no one knew how to call, and it was about to devour the entire Catalyon Mountain¡­

    ¡°Everyone,e to this side!¡±

    ***

    <i>ze!</i>

    It was a vast and beautiful me. It wasn¡¯t hot enough to be called a regr fire, but it was too beautiful to say it wasn¡¯t dangerous. The me acted as if it was possessed by something and looked incredibly threatening.

    "What the hell is this!"

    The me grew, sucking in the mana around it.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to die¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that me absorbing the mana right now?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, George, and the Hunters from the Nile were engulfed in the middle, as if they were being mixed into one. They soon began to feel lethargic from the constantly disappearing mana.

    "Oh, My God,¡± George gasped as if he couldn''t believe it, dropping his dius in disbelief. The sight in front of him had instilled the same feeling in the others.

    ¡°What a monster.¡±

    ¡°Is that for real?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The fight had ended. Catalyon had been killed by the Underdog, and only Heracles, who had beenpletely engulfed in madness, was left to fight the suddenly changed Underdog.

    Furthermore, that fight was reaching its end.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Unfortunately, the entire mountain was being destroyed in the process. An unbelievable result had urred at the end of the fight, and it was as unbelievable as the aurora-like mes that engulfed the entire mountain.

    ¡°The Underdog¡­ won¡­?¡±

    A victor had been decided. An unbelievable scene was taking ce within the boss zone. Heracles was on his knees, his head bowed, most likely due to the red spear that had been pierced deep into him.

    Still, somehow, Heracles summoned the strength to move and tried to attack once more.

    ¡°<i>Keughk¡­</i>¡±

    Even the wildly roaring Heracles seemed to have had all of his mana robbed from him by the beautiful me. Finally, the Underdog ripped the red spear from Heracles¡¯ belly.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    "No!"

    George suddenly began to run towards the boss zone, running fiercely at full speed even though it was difficult to even move due to the loss of mana.

    "No! You bastard!"

    The Underdog was about to plunge his spear into Heracles'' head. Heracles tried to resist, but his countenance was dark, and his body as withered as an old woman''s.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The moment the red spear swung down towards Heracles¡¯ head¡­

    <i>Crash!</i>

    "¡­!"

    "This is¡­!"

    ¡­a true lightning bolt fell from the sky. The bolt glowed blue, devouring the mes and robbing everyone of their sight.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A metallic crash rang out.

 Chapter 50: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 50: Reunion</h4>

    He had long lost control of his own body. From a quiet corner of his mind, Lee Jun-Kyeong watched his body move without a master, ording to its instincts. He couldn¡¯t even scream. His mind had fallen far from its usualmanding ce and was only able to ess the vision through the eyes of the body, seeing and feeling everything from within the body that moved like a robot.

    ¡°No!¡±

    George''s voice drifted in from the outside. What Lee Jun-Kyeong could see was his right arm thrusting Muspel¡¯s Spear toward Heracles. He wanted to stop. This wasn¡¯t his will. It was just the instincts of a savage beast, the desire for survival and ughter.

    <i>¡®No¡­¡¯</i>

    However, his body still refused to move ording to what he wanted. The Dragon''s Bloodstone had been affected by the red ore. Whether it was the processed red ore he had poured over the spear, the blood of the monsters that he had hunted, the blood of Catalyon that had been eroded by demonic magic, or the blood that the Dragon''s Bloodstone had transformed into dragon¡¯s blood, all of it was pumping into his body.

    <i>¡®Am I going to die?¡¯</i>

    The end result was obvious. His body was full of impurities, so it wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the influx of so many different sources of mana. Like the other Hunters who were part of the experiments with the red ore, it would overflow from his body and destroy his very being.

    <i>¡®How regretful.¡¯</i>

    He had obtained a new opportunity. He had thought that he would be able to fix everything and act ording to his own will. With that in mind, Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared for that step by step and had been satisfied with how he had grown.

    First, the Northern Army Guild, then Heracles.

    Although he had faced monumental obstacles, he had been able to ovee them using the entirety of his abilities. Furthermore, he had grown the confidence to ovee whatever came his way in the future.

    <i>¡®Was I overconfident?¡¯</i>

    In the end, it was clear that he had been arrogant. He was an ordinary person, part of the ve caste without any power, an inferior member of the general public, and rejected by the world of Hunters.

    Back then, he had imed that if he was given the opportunity, he could grow to the same level as them, or even better, but there was no reason for everything to go the way he had wanted.

    <i>¡®How regretful.¡¯</i>

    He was filled with regret again, caught in a plight caused by the side effects of the Dragon''s Bloodstone. Suddenly, in the midst of despair, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of another possibility.

    .

    The mana stream.

    Mana, alongside all that had been explosively mixed within him, had given him ess to a whole new dimension of power.

    <i>¡®If I only had a chance¡­¡¯</i>

    He could try tobine them into something of his own.

    With the onset of the aurora-like me, his body had moved without hesitation, acting on instinct. During that time, he had been exposed to a new form of spearmanship and learned how to drive the mana in his body.

    <i>¡®But there probably wouldn¡¯t be any other chances.¡¯</i>

    On the day he had first returned to the past, he had found out that the convenience store owner, who was the only person he held close, who was like an older brother to him, was Heimdall. That same day, he had met Athena, the leader of Eden, who was someone whom he would never have been able to even catch a glimpse of before.

    There would never be another opportunity like that day: the day he had been pierced by his Hyung¡¯s sword and returned to the past.

    <i>''Damn it.''</i>

    It wasn¡¯t fair. There was more he could have done.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    With the deafening crash of thunder, a thunderbolt fell from the sky, falling into the center of the mes that he had emitted, which were now engulfing the mountains. Nothing could be seen beyond the eye-piercing glow of the bolt.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A metallic crash rang out.

    ***

    Everyone was startled by the lightning that fell from the sky. In the aftermath, Jeong In-Chang rushed to Lee Jun-Kyeong while George was already on the verge of reaching Heracles. As for Inebu, he knew precisely what was going on.

    "Oh, my God¡­¡± he gasped.

    <i>ng!</i>

    There was a sudden chirping sound, followed by a sh of light.

    After a while, as their sight began to return, the gathered Hunters could now see a single woman.

    ¡°...!¡±

    She had long, straight hair that was almost entirely white with a slight glow, and she wore armor that seemed as if it wasn¡¯t supposed to exist in a human world. A tower shield was hanging on one arm, and it was almost as tall as she was.

    ¡°I¡­It¡¯s been blocked!¡±

    She had blocked the spear that Lee Jun-Kyeong was thrusting down with all his might. Muspel¡¯s spear trembled and shook, trying to somehow pierce through the giant tower shield and stab Heracles.

    "Stop."

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell to his knees immediately at her order. Jeong In-Chang blinked profusely as his eyes filled with confusion. Inebu stood there quietly, musing over the new situation.

    "T¡­ thank you,¡± George gratefully said, cing his right hand at the center of his heart in a show of enthusiasm.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    ¡°I greet Athena.¡±

    The girl who stood in front of them was Athena.

    Her gaze swept over everyone. Although Jeong In-Chang tried to look her in the eye, he was forced to sumb to the overwhelming power and bowed his head.

    <i>¡®T¡­this is¡­¡¯</i>

    He had finally felt the presence of a truly strong Hunter that Lee Jun-Kyeong had sometimes spoken of. She was one of the Hunters who held up the world and a member of the organizations that controlled it all.

    <i>''I didn''t believe it before...''</i>

    Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t believed Lee Jun-Kyeong in the past when thetter talked about this. Because he was a Hunter himself, he knew how ridiculous the things Lee Jun-Kyeong had imed were. Someone who could bring a person to their knees with just a word and end lives with just their presence. He didn¡¯t believe it, thinking that anyone who could do these things would be like a god.

    But at this moment, he was witnessing it with his own eyes.

    "Looks like I stepped into a mess."

    Hearing the girl¡¯s beautiful voice, he felt the need to clean up all of the dirty things around her immediately.

    ¡°This punk¡­¡±

    Finally, Athena looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was still trembling and trying to pierce forward with his spear.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve been pushed back?¡¯</i>

    It was only a bit, but this little hatchling Hunter had actually forced her shield back. The entire situation dumbfounded Athena. The losers that had fled the Battle of Champions had noticed that Heracles was showing signs of madness, and the new rookie from Asgard, the Underdog.

    She had entered the gate to try and fix the ruined Battle of Champions, to save the poor Hunter who could have been killed by Heracles, and to restore the pact made to Asgard. She needed to do all that even if it was a littlete.

    But suddenly, the gate had begun to change, and the still far-off Athena had only been able to arrive by riding the thunderbolt given by that person.

    <i>¡®Looks like I owe Zeus one now.¡¯</i>

    The situation was quite embarrassing. She hade to subdue Heracles, but he had already been dealt with andid off to the side, half dead.

    ¡°This punk is¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the Underdog, madam.¡±

    Although George was in a horrible state due to the battle, he still stood at attention, speaking to Athena with the utmost respect.

    ¡°<i>Ha¡­</i>¡±

    Athena exhaled in exasperation and closed her eyes. All of the changes within the gate had started from this punk and the ominous me that now enveloped Catalyon Mountain was also from him.

    <i>''It came from this punk.''</i>

    It was an ominous and dangerous me that even Athena had never experienced before. The lifelike mana was trying to steal her mana all the time, even now. She was really curious as to what it really was, but she was now sure that this punk was the more dangerous of the two.

    Shemented out loud, "He¡¯s dangerous."

    Previously, she had merely thought that he had been lucky enough to have joined Asgard simply through the fame he had earned through his super rookie title.

    It may have been because she had been blinded by her own growth and had forgotten about the reality of most Hunters, but this was the first that she had heard of someone like this. To think even Heracles had been subdued¡­

    ¡°How absurd,¡± she muttered to herself, looking around at her surroundings.

    [The gate will disappear soon.]

    The boss had been defeated, and the foundation of the gate had been rocked by the explosive mana. It had reached the time for the gate to close.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be dangerous for us to leave like this.¡¯</i>

    She wasn¡¯t sure if this dangerous Hunter should be left to go into the world if the gate was about to copse. He seemed to be a threat to everyone.

    <i>''Olympus...''</i>

    No, an ominous feeling rose throughout her body. He could be a threat to the entire world. He was in a critical state, as if he would die at any moment anyway, but she felt as though she still couldn¡¯t leave him alone like this.

    With that, Athena came to a decision.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll kill him here.¡¯</i>

    She knocked aside his spear, which hadn¡¯t faltered up to this point, with her tower shield. Muspel¡¯s Spear flew far away and stuck somewhere on the mountain. Then, she drew her spear with her left hand and raised it. At the moment her unwavering strike was about to pierce into Lee Jun-Kyeong, someone stood in front of her, protecting him.

    ¡°Stop it.¡±

    It was a familiar voice.

    ¡°Heimdall,¡± Athena said as she looked at the rainbow that embroidered the sky, intertwined with lightning.

    ***

    He heard shes of voices intermittently around him.

    - Why are you here?

    - That''s something I should be asking.

    Both were voices he could never forget. He couldn¡¯t see them as hecked the strength to open his eyes. But, those voices were so familiar to him.

    - Athena.

    - Heimdall.

    One was the Hyung he respected the most and was closest to, a colleague and friend whom he had stayed with despite the new opportunities he had been given. The other was the voice of the same person who had killed that very Hyung right before his eyes.

    They were unforgettable.

    <i>¡®But why¡­?¡¯</i>

    He wondered if everything had returned to the beginning. He couldn¡¯t discern what was going on.

    - Did you follow me using the lightning?

    He could hear Athena¡¯s voice again.

    - ...

    But he couldn¡¯t hear his Hyung¡¯s response. Meanwhile, Lee Jun-Kyeong was beginning to notice the changes in his body little by little. His body had been falling apart due to thebination of things that should never have been mixed, but was now stabilizing little by little. It had started from the moment he had heard the two voices.

    The overflowing mana was beginning to scatter, and the wavelike energy, which was squirming like a runaway, was escaping through his hands like it had in the beginning. Lee Jun-Kyeong began to recover in this fashion little by little.

    - Move. I¡¯m going to kill him.

    - Don''t be ridiculous.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to stir his mana while shoving the sound of the arguing voices to the back of his head. Unlike the first time he had tried, a significant amount of the mana had disappeared, and the impurities running rampant within his body had also begun to settle down again. It seemed as though recovering wouldn¡¯t be an issue as long as he focused his mana on re-tuning his body.

    He focused and focused some more. He contemted over what he had initially seen as a side effect of the Dragon''s Bloodstone and considered the fundamentals of the mana stream.

    - If you insist on killing him, I¡¯ll take it as a deration of war.

    - Is he¡­ really that important to you?

    - Yes.

    In the midst of all of this, he could still hear the voices.

    - How amusing. And here I thought that you didn¡¯t have anything that was important to you.

    - ¡­

    - Does that mean he¡¯s really that precious to you¡­

    Athena¡¯s voice sounded a little emotional.

    Then, he heard another familiar voice.

    - Please wait a moment!

    - My name is Inebu, and I am a member of the Nile.

    - The Commander of Egypt, I know of you.

    - I am grateful for the recognition of the honorable Athena.

    The words that followed were shocking.

    - We, Nile, will request that the Underdog be protected.

    - ¡­

    - As you can see, this is the Eye of Osiris. I have the right to represent Nile¡ªno, Heliopolis, so please, Athena.

    Inebu continued to speak.

    - We request that Olympus ept the Nile¡¯s request.

    - But what is the reason for all this?

    Athena''s voice was full of doubt.

    - That is¡­

    After her outburst, it seemed as though they were discussing something, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t hear it.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    The mana scattered throughout his body began to move, ever so slightly. It started to restore his body little by little, just as it had before. To think that the mana that had almost torn his body apart would now restore it again.

    Although it was an absurd concept, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to concentrate. He had finally glimpsed a tiny clue to creating a mana stream. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t pay attention to how much time had passed or how things had turned out.

    Instead, he opened his eyes and croaked, "H¡­Hyung¡­"

    The first thing he saw was Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s bewildered face and Athena, who was as beautiful as the first time he had seen her.

    And, he looked at something else.

    <i>¡®The sky¡­¡¯</i>

    The sky was a mixture of rainbows, lightning, and mes, giving it a grotesque appearance.

    At that point, something else urred.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you ¡®Demonica Mana Resistance.'']

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you ''Purification.¡¯]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you¡­]

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had erupted with notifications. As if it had been held back up to this point, his Sponsor was now sending an incredible amount of sponsorships. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to process anything due to the incessant notifications. He was only able to hear the final notification.

    [You have acquired a skill without sponsorship.]

    [You havepleted an unbelievable achievement.]

    [You have earned the title ¡®One Who Carves His Own Path.¡¯]

    [Skill]

    It was the voice he had waited and waited for.

    [You have created a mana stream.]

    1. Frequently, lightning and electricity can be described by metallic crashes, or in this case, a bird¡¯s chirp in Easternnguages. An example of this is Chidori, which means one thousand birds.

 Chapter 51: The Round Table

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Round Table</h4>

    The world was indeed an absurd ce. Just because he had been born without strength and wasn¡¯t blessed with powerful parents, he wasn¡¯t able to do anything he wanted. So although it seemed as though it was a world equal for everyone and gave everyone the same opportunities, that was just a storyrked on by people with unblemished hands who had never experienced the world''s cruelty.

    He had done many things and worked himself near death.

    <i>¡®Wouldn¡¯t things get better if I keep trying?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Soon, a better world wille.¡¯</i>

    He had heard those words offort and support from the people around him, but in the end, none of them had ever seen the rise of a better world. Instead, they just died, waiting for a glimpse of what would nevere.

    That was reality.

    Unless one was born as a Hunter, one would live and die as a ve. It was said that revolutions and reforms had taken ce in the distant past through rebellion or uprisings, but that wasn¡¯t a valid option for non-Hunters.

    <i>¡®You want us to face the Hunters¡­?¡¯</i>

    After all, Hunters had power that clearly couldn¡¯t bepared to ordinary people. So even if themon people fought against them in swarms, they were just like moths leaping into a magnificent me.

    Those who had tried to resist by going on strikes or through other various means were all dealt with mercilessly.

    <i>¡®They all died.¡¯</i>

    For those who had already obtained power enough to be called gods, the ordinary people were only kept alive simply out of necessity. It was nothing more or nothing less.

    Rather¡­

    <i>¡®They considered us an easily receable workforce.¡¯</i>

    For the Hunters who conquered gates and reached out to other dimensions, the ordinary people soon began to lose recognition as even a workforce. Some of the more sympathetic Hunters ¡°convinced¡± themon people by using excuses like that they hade from the same ce or that some of their fellow Hunters had parents that were also ordinary people. Thus the people stayed, continuing their velike lives.

    And he was one of them too. One of the enved ordinary people.

    He didn¡¯t want to remember those memories. But, no, he had to remember these memories. The decade plus that he had lived like that had beenpressed and engraved in his mind, and that included the book of the Demon King, which he had read hundreds of thousands of times.

    ¡°M¡­ Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted without even wiping away his drool; the man had clearly been sleeping. Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored him and looked around.

    <i>¡®This doesn¡¯t seem to be a hospital.¡¯</i>

    He was in a room full of colorful yet luxurious decorations, and he looked down at the gigantic bed he found himself in.

    ¡°What a relief. It really is such a relief!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Uh..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to talk to Jeong In-Chang, who sat by his side while crying. However, for some reason, he couldn¡¯t make a sound. Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned at the dry crackly feeling and the pain that followed.

    Jeong In-Chang noticed his pain and handed him a ss of water that had sat to the side and said, ¡°Your body is most likely a mess¡­ Drink this for now. I¡¯ll go call the others over.¡±

    "Uh..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to say something, but he once again couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Therge door closed as soon as it opened, and suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself alone in the room once more. Although he was still dazed, he still wanted to ask the question.

    <i>¡®Where am I?¡¯</i>

    However, he now knew the answer after looking at the closed door. There were two swords hung on the wall of the closed room and a round table in the shape of a circr shield.

    He knew where he was.

    <i>''It¡¯s the Round Table Council.''</i>

    ***

    Not all of the powerful Hunters formed secret organizations and tried to control the world from the shadows. There were those who formed groups truly out of noble intentions and worked behind the scenes for the betterment of the world.

    The Round Table was one of them.

    This secret organization existed in Ennd, and it held as much power as the secret organizations that had formed out of their selfish interests. However, even though they had great power, they only had one fundamental goal: Ennd¡¯s survival.

    <i>¡®They didn¡¯t do much though.¡¯</i>

    A while back, an incredibly powerful gate had appeared in Ennd. Due to the nature of Europe¡¯s reliance on Olympus, Ennd hadmissioned Olympus to raid the gate.

    However¡­

    Zeus refused.

    As such, Ennd eventually suffered an incredible catastrophe due to the unraided Gate Break. The British Hunters thought that if things continued this way, then their lives and deaths would be hinged upon the whim of another, then their lives would be decided by the whims of another and there would be no future left for them.

    <i>¡®And what they made,ter on, was the Round Table.¡¯</i>

    British Hunters who were on expeditions abroad or belonged to other secret organizations began to return home to their mothend. However, there was no clear leader among them. Instead, they continued with their respective activities in a disorganized manner, and things began to progress as they had before without much change.

    Then, a power Hunter was born and became the focal point around which they could gather, and the Round Table had formed. However, they did nothing even after bing an organization with great strength.

    It was only when Ennd faced crises that threatened to destroy it that they would emerge and secretly handle the crises. Even though Ennd¡¯s dependence on Olympus had decreased more and more thanks to their backing¡­

    <i>¡®These fools.¡¯</i>

    ¡­they were still incredibly stupid and short-sighted. After all, they refused to even try to change the status quo of the world with their great power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped himself from sneering at them for a moment.

    If that were the only beef he had with them, then there wouldn¡¯t have been a reason to insult them as they weren¡¯t obligated to change the world. However, they literally only emerged when Ennd was on the verge of destruction. Whether it was crises in other countries, mild and non-disaster level catastrophes in their own country, or even anything they felt was beneath them and insignificant, they would hide themselves and, as always, only focus on secretly conducting their own activities.

    Their own citizens¡ªno, their fellow humans were dying left and right, and yet they ignored all of that.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing else about them.''</i>

    However, it needed to be said that the only information that Lee Jun-Kyeong had about them was through the book of the Demon King, so he was only exposed to their organization''s problems. So, it wasn¡¯t as if he had any first-hand or urate information or knowledge.

    <i>¡®I guess I¡¯ll find out for myself.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had gone to call the others over, but he hadn¡¯t returned for a long time. Although it seemed clear that he had run into a problem, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t worried that it would develop into a big deal in this ce. Instead, he stopped looking around at his surroundings and inspected his body.

    <i>¡®What a mess.¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t have to look closely. Nothing was normal, whether it was the creaking body, theck of a voice, or even his legs that wouldn¡¯t move, even if he tried to stand up.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to check on Hyeon-Mu''s condition as well.

    [The Familiar is asleep.]

    Unfortunately, all he received in response was a notification that his familiar was asleep.

    To think his Familiar had fallen asleep¡­

    Familiars likely didn¡¯t sleep the way humans did. Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch as to what the notification message was referring to, but if it was what he was thinking about, he felt as though there was no need for him to bother Hyeon-Mu forcefully.

    Thest thing that Lee Jun-Kyeong, who couldn¡¯t move or speak, could do was use some numerical values to describe his current condition.

    <i>¡®Status Window.¡¯</i>

    A blue window appeared in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [If, by chance, there is someone with the same ability as me, I hope that you don¡¯t develop a dependence on the status window.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn''t look at the status window very often because the Demon King had given some advice. In fact, the sentences he had written were like a representation of his regrets.

    As long as one hunted monsters to level up, their stats would grow ordingly. The point of the ability was to be stronger through one¡¯s own efforts rather than relying on a vague promise of sponsorship from one¡¯s Sponsor.

    And, there was one other part.

    <i>¡®The stats and the attributes you have are reced with values.¡¯</i>

    This was another advantage that the yer had over the rest: objectivity.

    As all of one¡¯s attributes had been reced with stat values, it was easy to read at a nce and to gauge the overall strength.

    But, this ended up bing a weakness for the Demon King.

    <i>¡®I became so dependent on the values that I hade to believe that the values were absolute.¡¯</i>

    It was better to regard the values as a convenient way to gauge his skill. While it was okay to consider the numerical value the status window offered as absolute within the lower levels of the attributes, as the values of the attributes increased, the more difficult it became to guarantee invincibility as a power.

    There were many ways to go beyond the simple values assigned to attributes, such as the level of maniption of the body or the presence or absence of skills alongside them.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s also the question of whether or not one is even able to use the stats properly.¡¯</i>

    In fact, there were many cases where someone with an attribute value of more than a hundred lost out inparison to someone who had a value considerably lower. That was why the Demon King had developed the mana stream.

    In addition¡­

    <i>¡®You shouldn¡¯t trust the skill levels either.¡¯</i>

    For example, one couldn¡¯t judge the power of Reign of Fire just because its level was at a measly 3. One had to look at the circumstances around them, the potential of the skill, etc. At any time, a skill¡¯s ability to perform could be different.

    Therefore¡­

    <i>¡®Stay away from the status window.¡¯</i>

    That was the advice that the Demon King had written for him. In short, the status window could end up limiting one¡¯s potential in the end.

    One could believe that what they saw would be all they could amount to. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed away from the status window just as the Demon King advised because the status window could end up bing his ceiling rather than a reference of measurement.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    When he looked at the blue window in front of him, Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to ignore all that. It was an exquisite and delicious fruit, and it was the reward for the effort he had put in, sitting right in front of him.

    [Lee Jun-Kyeong]

    [Special Ability: yer]

    [Sponsor: <Sky of the Apocalypse>]

    [Level: 51, Strength: 54 (140), Agility: 60 (164), Stamina: 18 (159), Mana: 120 (200)]

    [Authorities: Reign of Fire Lv 7]

    [Familiars: Hyeon-Mu (Asleep), A Skull that Contains Souls (disabled)]

    His level had reached over 50. In contrast, his stats seemed to have fallen far below what they had been before.

    <i>''Is it a side effect?''</i>

    He was probably in a state of being temporarily weakened due to his injuries,bined with the effects of the dragon¡¯s bloodstone and the red ore. His stats would have been the values within the parentheses if he had been in a normal state.

    <i>''I''m speechless.''</i>

    It was an overwhelming increase in stats. Even though he knew he had put in a ridiculous amount of effort, the fruit it had produced was greater than expected. Furthermore, the level of Reign of Fire had also risen, and the status window also disyed that Hyeon-Mu was asleep.

    However, above all else, another pane had appeared below the status pane.

    <i>¡®The Skill Window appeared.¡¯</i>

    It had a name he hadn¡¯t been able to see until now.

    [Skill Window]

    He finally had another section added to his status window, and surprisingly it was full of high-level passive skills.

    [Demonic Mana Resistance Lv2, Purification Lv3, Harmony Lv1, Regeneration Lv1]

    - Demonic Mana Resistance: Increases resistance to Demonic Mana.

    - Purification: Purifies demonic mana and other rted things.

    - Harmony: Coordinates different forces.

    - Regeneration: Increases the body''s restorative power to the limit.

    All of these skills wereparable to unique-grade skills.

    ¡°T¡­ thank¡­¡±

    <i>¡®Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry for disdaining you until now.</i>

    <i>?Mr. <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, please take care of me from now on.¡¯</i>

    Then, he started to see some blurry but distinctly forming letters in front of his eyes just as he was expressing his praises for his Sponsor.

    [Mana Stream Lv 1 (This is a power that you have created on your own. There is no limit to the growth it can receive based on your own efforts.)]

    Looking at it, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a surge of joy.

    ***

    After a very long time, Jeong In-Chang returned. With him was someone that Lee Jun-Kyeong was delighted to see: Yeo Seong-Gu

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the bald man asked.

    ¡°Hy¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say a greeting, but his body wasn¡¯t ready for it yet. Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at him with eyes full of pity.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve awoken, you¡¯ll definitely¡­ be able to recover soon.¡±

    There was a hint of anxiety in his voice.

    ¡°They said that the erosion from the demonic mana had already started.¡±

    He soon continued with a hardened expression.

    ¡°There are so few cases regarding erosion from demonic mana that they say there is no established treatment or solution.¡±

    He was right. There was no other choice for the affected Hunter besides oveing the demonic mana on their own. asionally, there were cases of Hunters being inflicted with demonic mana by monsters who could manipte it. The demonic mana that prated into the body of Hunters was like a deadly poison, and most of them ended up being killed by the erosion the demonic mana caused on their bodies.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to nod toward him as if he was signaling Yeo Seong-Gu not to worry. Thanks to his amazing Sponsor, he had intuited that it was probably not going to be difficult to drive away the erosion of the demonic mana.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s also the mana stream.¡¯</i>

    In addition, he had a skill that could manage and manipte the flow of mana. With that, it should be possible for him to increase his demonic mana resistance further.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he nodded as if he had understood what Lee Jun-Kyeong was trying to convey with his expression. He looked over at Jeong In-Chang for a moment, seemingly asking for some privacy. Then, Jeong In-Chang immediately left the room again after he caught on.

    Yeo Seong-Gu sat at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bedside and looked over at him before he finally said, ¡°Try to heal as quickly as possible. We¡¯ll deal with your questions after you get better.¡±

    Having said that, he stood up and¡­

    ¡°You may not know what this is yet, but a Round Table Council is being held here right now. The agenda for the meeting is about you and Heracles¡­¡±

    ¡­his expression became even more grimpared to before.

    "...it''s about the war between Olympus and Asgard."

    1. Chapter 30 has the most recent status window, and we will have apiled list of status window references in the main page.

 Chapter 52: The Round Table Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 52: The Round Table Pt. 2</h4>

    They were holding a Round Table Council.

    One of the more important aspects of the Round Table was that they were still one of the few organizations in the world that allowed others to use their resources even though they worked almost exclusively for the betterment of Ennd.

    Namely, the Round Table. That object was not only their identity but also their name. It was an item created by the powerful British Hunter, who had be their focal point. The Round Table was an incredible item with a power that forced a certain degree ofpulsion on those who held a meeting around it. Regardless of the result, any oue must bepleted if everyone who partook in the meeting agreed to it.

    That was why the secret organizations asionally borrowed the Round Table for meetings. However, it wasn¡¯t an item that could be used at any time. Instead, the specially guarded Round Table was limited only to matters significant enough that required their involvement or for issues rted to British security.

    In fact, there was one of those elusive Round Table Councils happening at this very moment.

    ¡°Tell me about Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity and his abilities,¡± Athena said in a calm, low voice.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The power he¡¯s shown is more than dangerous enough and heretical. Olympus wants to know the exact information about his abilities,¡± Athena requested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Heimdall responded with sunken eyes. ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s no reason to disclose anything about the abilities or the identity of a Hunter that isn¡¯t under your affiliation.¡±

    "¡­¡±

    There was an invisible battle going on. The meeting was urring at the Round Table with the Round Table Council as their witness. The same back-and-forth arguments had been repeated for several days, and it was still going on.

    ¡°Moreover, doesn¡¯t Olympus have to exin themselves? Wasn¡¯t Olympus the one who had vited the secret pact made with Odin, Asgard, and all of the others?¡±

    Like a savvy negotiator, Yeo Seong-Gu skillfully flexed between topics. Asgard had been promised victory in the Battle of Champions, so he shifted the conversation by mentioning the pact broken by Heracles¡¯ arbitrariness.

    "¡­"

    ¡°Asgard had been promised victory in this Battle of Champions, and the Hunters that were sent to participate were chosen ordingly. We wouldn¡¯t have sent him if we had known Heracles would have broken the pact we had made and joined,¡± he pressed on.

    He attacked the weaknesses that had been created by Olympus, bringing the initiative over to him and to Asgard. Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t miss a single opportunity.

    ¡°As a result, our Hunter was forced to demonstrate his special ability. ordingly, requesting an exnation of his actions is a ridiculous request. On the contrary, Olympus should be the ones exining themselves.¡±

    After his attack, he looked over at the observers and the members of the council surrounding the Round Table.

    ¡°Yes, it can be said that his abilities are more than dangerous enough,¡± he continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡± The tone of Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s voice became more assertive and forceful. "Aren''t we all inherently a threat?"

    The rationale behind Athena¡¯s judgment that Lee Jun-Kyeong was too dangerous was simple. The fire he produced robbed the others of mana was a threat to Hunters and was an ability that had never been seen before. Furthermore, there was still the unknown secret behind how he, who showed tremendous growth, continuously grew stronger.

    Heimdall raised his chin. ¡°We are all dangerous beings. To say that it¡¯s a threat because it¡¯s something we¡¯ve nevere across before, well, aren¡¯t the abilities we have a threat to all of us as well?¡±

    "Is that not what a Hunter is?"

    After finishing his speech emphatically, Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at Athena. It wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ¡°Conversely, I think it is reasonable and warranted to demand argepensation and for them to acknowledge their severe wrongdoings for threatening a war over these paltry reasons.¡±

    "¡­"

    Athena was forced to stay silent as she had nothing to refute him.

    ***

    A break was called for the meeting that had been going on for quite some time without end. The council''s initiative had fallen into Asgard''s hands¡ªno, Olympus had never had the initiative in the first ce.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu felt frustrated over the entire situation.

    <i>¡®Why did you have to make such an irrational stand?¡¯</i>

    Athena had made a mistake to mention the possibility of war. She had doggedly insisted on getting an explicit exnation of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity or abilities. However, there was a reason behind all of this. Olympus had been the ones to propose this Round Table Council and start this negotiation.

    He knew the reasons behind it all.

    <i>¡®They must be trying to cover up their own mistakes with the broken pact by pushing the me over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡¯</i>

    Breaking the pact was a much bigger problem than Heracles had thought. It could eventually lead others distrusting Olympus as it was now suspect whether they were able to manage their Hunters properly or not. In fact, the situation had evolved. There was already distrust that the entire situation had been an order from Olympus themselves.

    It was a situation worthy of having ignited the fires of war.

    <i>¡®Asgard has the power to decide whether or not to kindle the embers.¡¯</i>

    Olympus wasn¡¯t in a position where they would even dare to bring up the topic of the embers. But, Athena had spoken of war, and the opinion of the observers, even including the Round Table Council, had shifted in favor of Asgard.

    The situation had beenpletely taken over.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    Having been given a brief respite, Yeo Seong-Gu was moving to visit Lee Jun-Kyeong. He thought about it over and over again. There wasn¡¯t anything to be concerned about.

    But still, he felt ufortable.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    Then, coincidentally, he made eye contact with the maiden walking towards him from the other side.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "Athena."

    She looked exhausted and was most likely in the midst of realizing the mistake she had made after reporting to Olympus. Her eyes were trembling incessantly. Her appearancepletelycked the demeanor of one who was called the Goddess of the Battlefield.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had called out to Athena, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.

    She was an ex-colleague, so¡­

    ¡°I know what I did wrong,¡± she said before Yeo Seong-Gu had a chance to speak. This wasn¡¯t the Round Table, so there was no penalty even though she had admitted her wrongs.

    ¡°This is all¡­¡± Athena bit her lip and continued, "It''s because of you."

    "¡­" Yeo Seong-Gu stayed quiet.

    She snarled quietly, ¡°Why the hell are you here, of all ces? If I had only seen you fir¡­¡±

    <i>¡®Your hair has turned stark white. You¡¯re only responding emotionally. Your priorities are getting wholly messed up.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to say all of those things, but he couldn''t.

    She continued, ¡°I¡¯m so pissed that I can¡¯t seem to apologize properly.¡±

    "This negotiation¡­" Athena was about to say something, but she immediately shook her head. ¡°I hope we never see each other again after the negotiations are over."

    Just like that their interaction ended. Yeo Seong-Gu had stopped her, but Athena was the one who had spoken and left.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    With an indecipherable expression on his face, he headed to the room where Lee Jun-Kyeong was, walking through the empty hallway.

    ***

    <i>¡®It seems to be a little difficult to see Mr. Jeong after I woke up.¡¯</i>

    It had been a while since Lee Jun-Kyeong had woken up, but he couldn¡¯t see where Jeong In-Chang had gone. The swordsman had been there when he had woken up.

    <i>¡®It might have been a coincidence.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang might have just shown up to check on his status after wandering around for a while, and Lee Jun-Kyeong could have coincidentally woken up at that moment.

    Well, he was a little hurt by being left alone, but it was okay. No, instead, it was what he had been hoping for. To be alone in a room with no one.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes after being resigned to being alone. He wanted to sit down, but as his body still refused to listen whatsoever, the next best thing he could do in this state was to close his eyes.

    After he closed his eyes¡­

    [The mana stream has been activated.]

    ¡­he ignored the notification that brushed through his ears and let his mind drift to a more distant ce. He wondered if it was because his talent couldn¡¯t even reach the Demon King¡¯s ankles, but the mana stream he had felt waspletely different from the one he had read about in the book.

    <i>¡®Read and use the flow of mana.¡¯</i>

    That was the basic gist of the mana stream. To manipte the vast quantities of mana that most Hunters couldn¡¯t use, awakening all of the dormant mana that existed inside of oneself and using all of the power within one¡¯s body.

    If he was able to maximize it and activate it, he could use the surrounding mana as well.

    Whether it was inside a gate full of mana or even on Earth, where mana was starting to gather due to the gates that appeared, he would be able to amplify his power by using the power of the naturally existing mana that was everywhere.

    This was one of the few ways that Lee Jun-Kyeong could quickly be strong after falling behind.

    <i>''I seeded.''</i>

    It had been a coincidence, but it worked. Amid the side effects of the Dragon''s Bloodstone that had almost killed him, Lee Jun-Kyeong had seeded in grasping the flow of mana. Consequently, a skill called Mana Stream had been created thanks to the flow he had emted unconsciously.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently using that very power.

    <i>¡®Recoveryes first.¡¯</i>

    The uses of mana were vast, but the basics were attack, defense, and recovery. If a person used mana for attack, then their offensive capabilities would increase, and if a person used it for defense, then their defensive capabilities would increase. If it was used for recovery¡­

    [Thepatibility with the skill, Regeneration, is good.]

    [The recovery speed is maximized further.]

    The notification he heard was confirmation that the method of recovery written in the book of the Demon King that Lee Jun-Kyeong had attempted to use worked correctly. It was a difficult thing to understand when he hadn¡¯t learned the mana stream, but after having seen the flow of mana, he was experiencing firsthand the effects.

    Slowly, mana began to spin around his body.

    However, he suddenly vomited blood.

    <i>Cough!</i>

    ck blood.

    Arge volume of necrotic blood had been sttered on the white nket.

    [The recovery speed has been maximized.]

    ¡°<i>C¡­cough!</i>¡±

    Chunks of what seemed to be flesh began to rain from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth. His vision blurred from the dizziness.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯</i>

    But, once the dizziness had passed, he was able to tell that his body was now in a better condition than before. The stuff in front of him was the impurities that had filled and invaded him due to the reversal of the Dragon''s Bloodstone. They were fragments of those he had hunted, and they had now been expelled from his body through his mouth.

    His mana began to move and restore the space left behind by the impurities. As the recovery continued, something felt ufortable.

    <i>¡®What is this?¡¯</i>

    The flow of mana had stopped somewhere and couldn¡¯t move properly. Although the treatment of his upper and lower body was still going smoothly¡­

    <i>''My neck...''</i>

    As if there was something caught in his neck, the mana was only blocked in that part. Through his closed eyes, the flow of mana seemed to be visible, and on his neck was an unknown blemish stuck on it.

    <i>''A ck bead¡­?''</i>

    Eventually, his mana had found another path and started moving away from his neck, and the recovery proceeded again. Still, he couldn¡¯t figure out what had appeared on the back of his neck.

    Then, that wasn¡¯t the end.

    <i>''Again¡­?''</i>

    The flow of mana had been blocked again. The ck beads weren¡¯t only on his neck.

    As he tried to focus more on this, he heard a familiar voice.

    "I¡¯ming in."

    Yeo Seong-Gu opened the door and came in.

    "This¡­"

    The blood on the bed, it was an amount of blood so vast that any ordinary person would have been dead if they had lost that amount.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked to be much better as he opened his mouth."You¡¯re here, Hyung."

    ***

    As the meeting progressed and Lee Jun-Kyeong recovered, someone else was working hard.

    "Ha-a-ap!"

    "Ha-a-ap!"

    In the secret garden of the Round Table Council, especially in the training room, the sound of two men¡¯s roars could be heard. The burst of spirits echoed throughout the training ground.

    Alongside it, the sound of metal shing rang out.

    <i>ng!</i>

    It didn¡¯t only happen once.

    .

    <i>Kaang! Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!</i>

    The sound of shing metal repeated over and over again.

    "You¡¯re slow!"

    ¡°You¡¯re saying <i>I¡¯m</i> slow?"

    "That¡¯s right!¡±

    Two men were talking while exchanging blows, one with a giant greatsword and the other a blue dius.

    It was Jeong In-Chang and George.

    The two men who had failed to keep theirrades safe werepeting against each other.

 Chapter 53: The Round Table Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 53: The Round Table Pt. 3</h4>

    Jeong In-Chang increased the speed of his greatsword after hearing George¡¯sment.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    George eximed, ¡°That¡¯s it! If you could do it like that in the first ce, why didn¡¯t you bring it out earlier?!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand suchplex English!¡± Jeong In-Chang responded in Korean to George while focusing even more and swinging his greatsword. The greatsword that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him was indeed the best weapon that matched his fighting style.

    The sense of alienation that he had felt when he had used an ordinary sword had long since disappeared, and he found himself bing more destructive and more aggressive.

    <i>¡®Iron Wall.¡¯</i>

    In addition, he was able to defend harder than he had ever been able to do before. However, that didn¡¯t mean that this change only had advantages. It was more difficult than he had expected to wield such a heavy and humongous greatsword. He had thought that as it was the mostpatible weapon for him, he was handling it properly.

    George scolded, ¡°If that¡¯s the extent of your understanding of weapons, you won¡¯t progress at all!¡±

    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± responded Jeong In-Chang.

    But, as he shed with George¡¯s sword¡­

    No, he had realized his shorings when he had run into the Hunters at the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

    The greatsword was the most effective weapon when hunting monsters, but it had many shorings when facing Hunters. Monsters were thoughtlessly driven by the desire to ughter. Their intelligence wasckingpared to humans, to the point that it was simple enough for Hunters to analyze their patterns. The greatsword was the best weapon tobat things in a battle that mainly consisted of shes of strength and power.

    But Hunters were different.

    <i>''They think and act.''</i>

    The higher the level of the Hunter, the better they were able to grasp the weakness of the greatsword urately, and the easier they were able to get close and attack.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Just like the attack that George had just made.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Blood dripped from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s cheek after it got cut by the blue dius. George pulled back his sword and took a step back.

    ¡°Should we stop?¡± he asked.

    ¡°<i>No!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was able to answer because he had heard George say those words over and over again. He wouldn¡¯t stop here. Jeong In-Chang had clearly realized his limitations and problems and was determined to ovee them.

    <i>¡®Mr. Lee¡­¡¯</i>

    He had been unable to protect anyone, and his performance at the Catalyon Mountain Gate was nothing short of pathetic.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s prediction that he would have received a title after the gate was wrong. Not only did he not get a title, but he also didn¡¯t even gain any recognition. All he had done was block the enemies'' attacks and create an opening to lure them into a trap.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> looks at you sadly.]

    How pathetic must he have been to hear these sorts of messages from his Sponsor¡­

    <i>¡®Mr. Lee¡­¡¯</i>

    Many things had changed since he had joined Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had thought he had started alongside at the same point as his partner, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had ended up running in front of him. As for himself, he had stagnated and couldn''t even offer his friend the aid he deserved as a colleague.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten hurt in such a severe manner. This was the reason why the spearman had faced a near-death crisis.

    George suddenly asked, ¡°Who is your Sponsor?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Jeong In-Chang responded.

    ¡°A Hunter¡¯s potential varies dramatically depending on their Sponsor. It would be good for you to uncover the true identity of your Sponsor.¡± Unfortunately, George¡¯s English was tooplex for him to understand, so he simply answered wordlessly by raising his greatsword.

    <i>sh!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang took the offensive for the first time instead of moving defensively. The greatsword shed forward, tearing the wind apart and smashing down with a heavy and colossal gravity.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A loud noise echoed in the secret garden of the Round Table Council.

    <i>''I will be stronger.¡¯?</i>Jeong In-Chang thought while ceaselessly moving his greatsword about. His forearms felt as though they were about to explode, and his whole body was drenched in sweat.

    Throughout this, he continued to repeat it to himself.

    <i>''I will be stronger.¡¯</i>

    Until he could live up to the name of being a colleague.

    <i>¡®And when that time arrives, grant me a title, Sponsor!¡¯</i>

    A fire lit in his eyes like never before as he dove forward with blows backed with a strength unlike anything he had ever produced.

    Jeong In-Chang started his journey.

    ***

    ¡°Whew¡­ It seems it¡¯s true that Koreans are all monsters,¡± George said while wiping his face with a towel after a shower. His body was covered in injuries that seemed more like tearing blows rather than cuts.

    While pouring a potion in between the gap of his robe, George repeated to himself, ¡°His growth rate is no joke. I thought that he had enough potential for growth just from what we had seen from him within the Catalyon Gate, but¡­¡±

    George smiled as he thought about Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°He really is an impressive little tyke. He got stronger with every strike.¡±

    He lowered his eyes for a moment, seemingly looking at something.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like seeing you from the past.

    He was actually talking to Demetrios.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d like him a lot. Also, it looks like that bastard named Lee Jun-Kyeong had also woken up. So¡­¡±

    George stood, muttering to himself, water dripping down his cheeks. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was sweat or tears. He quickly wiped it away¡­

    ¡°Hurry up and wake up.¡±

    In front of himy a massive body. It was his friend and colleague

    ¡°Demetrios¡­¡±

    He had burst into madness under the influence of the red ore at the Catalyon Mountain gate, and he had also been fatally wounded. His stomach had been pierced by a spear in his fight with Lee Jun-Kyeong. The wound had been serious, but thanks to his unparalleled physique, he had seeded in surviving.

    However, that was all he was able to do.

    "You idiotic bastard of a bear..." George murmured.

    A few days had passed since the gate had been cleared, but the bastard was still unconscious. If it hadn¡¯t been for the help of the Round Table, it would have been challenging to make it this far.

    ¡°Lying in bed doesn¡¯t suit you¡­¡±

    George eventually copsed to the floor. He didn¡¯t want to lose any more friends. He had always been so sure of himself. Since he was always with Demetrios and because he himself was a great Hunter, he had been so arrogant. Unfortunately, that was how he found himself in this position.

    He didn¡¯t want to hate them. They had done the best that they could and eked out a victory that exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations. That was why George was helping train Jeong In-Chang.

    Theypeted, calling it sparring. In reality, they were fighting with each other while mixing in barbs against one another.

    It was an unrestrained anger. For George, who was paying the price for his pride, that was all he could do.

    "Damn it¡­"

    Demetrios'' sheets were growing damp ever so slowly.

    ***

    "How the hell did you get here?" Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t due to his still-damaged voice. Yeo Seong-Gu was surprised to see his rapid improvement.

    <i>Scratch.</i>

    The bald man pulled out a chair and sat down.

    "You always surprise me,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, smiling as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He was curious as to how Lee Jun-Kyeong had recovered so much in such a short period of time. Also, he wondered what kind of weird blood was covering the nket.

    "There will be many more surprises in the future."

    Yeo Seong-Gu made a noise in astonishment as if he was even more astonished by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s response.

    "How did you get here?" Lee Jun-Kyeong finally asked his responseless Hyung. He had seen and heard things through his body while he had lost control due to the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. It was just like that day in the past. He had been surrounded on both sides by both Yeo Seong-Gu and Athena.

    ¡°Do you know anything about Lighting?¡±

    <i>Nod.</i>

    ¡°As expected¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed even more surprised. What he had just asked wasn¡¯t simply about Lighting, which was the basis behind Zeus¡¯ name and the weapon that represented him. What he had asked about was the power and the role Lightning held.

    ¡°It¡¯s a power of Olympus and Zeus¡¯ authority.¡±

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong prodded, "Hyung."

    "Oh, sorry." Yeo Seong-Gu finally came to his senses and began to speak again, ¡°There are a few items in the world that are simr to the Lighting that Zeus possesses. Moreover, that Lighting can be observed and followed by special items.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The thing that can chase after Lighting¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your Bifr?st, Hyung.¡±[ref]This is referring to the Bifr?st, which is the rainbow bridge in Norse Mythology. The Author is using the phenomenon where rainbowse after storms to express how the Bifr?st can follow after Zeus¡¯ lightning.¡±[ref]

    "H¡­ how did you?"

    Yeo Seong-Gu finally stood up in shock. This was way too much. He had known that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew a lot of secrets, and he had thought it was because of a special ability that he had. But this was different.

    <i>¡®He knows about everything¡­?¡¯</i>

    Unless it was Asgard or even the head behind the organization, none of these things were stuff that other people should have known. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong actually knew about even his own authority, which was information that only Asgard¡¯s top leaders were privy to.

    Yeo Seong-Gu couldn¡¯t help but react to it.

    ¡°Hyung.¡±

    To be honest, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already thought about it for a long time.

    He knew he would tell Yeo Seong-Gu everything someday. Even if he didn¡¯t, he had still decided to convince his hyung. It was not only proper for him to do so for Yeo Seong-Gu; it was the right that the other man had earned. After all, Yeo Seong-Gu had been with him in the past, and would be with him now and in the future.

    <i>¡®Hyung has shown his faith in me several times.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, he knew that Yeo Seong-Gu had followed Lighting this time around, but that shouldn¡¯t have simply been the full story. Zeus¡¯ Lighting was the symbol of his name, so it must have been used from time to time. Hence, there was no reason for Yeo Seong-Gu to follow it every time it was thrown.

    <i>''It must have been because of me.''</i>

    His Hyung must have triggered the Bifr?st that he seldom ever used because the location Lighting had been thrown to was Ennd, which was where he was. Yeo Seong-Gu must have used the rainbow bridge to follow the bolt here.

    That was the trust and affection his Hyung held for him, so now, it was his turn to return it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, "Hyung."

    "Yeah."

    Yeo Seong-Gu saw Lee Jun-Kyeong''s determined face, so he nodded and replied. Most likely, what Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say was rted to the secret he had been hiding.

    ¡°But, this isn¡¯t a good ce to talk.¡±

    This was the Round Table. Although there wasn¡¯t any specific reason for them to be cautious while they were here, there was still the possibility that someone could be eavesdropping on them.

    <i>Bzzt.</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu waved his hand, and a rainbow appeared in front of him. Beneath the rainbowy an open portal that glimmered with the same color as the rainbow above it. It was the Bifr?st, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s Authority.

    This was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s first time seeing it.

    "Can you move?" Yeo Seong-Gu asked as he reached out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed the offered hand and stood up. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to move yet, but it was bearable.

    "Is there anything else you know?" Yeo Seong-Gu asked a final time with an expression that showed he anticipated the answer that he would get. Although he knew he would hear all of it soon enough, he was curious about what Lee Jun-Kyeong would say right now.

    The younger man dropped a bombshell, "Athena¡¯s your ex, Hyung."

    Yeo Seong-Gu wanted to close his eyes as he thought, <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t have asked¡­¡¯</i>

    ***

    "Inebu, what are you nning on doing?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t aware of it, but Olympus and Asgard weren¡¯t the only members of this Round Table. Most of the other hunters had returned to their organizations to deliver the news, but the Hunters belonging to Nile, Inebu and Numek, had stayed behind. They were participating as witnesses to the Round Table Council.

    ¡°About what?" Inebu asked.

    Numek insisted, "We also have to return. The order to return was given from above."

    But, this had been an arbitrary decision of Inebu¡¯s. Currently, Inebu was here with the Eyes of Osiris, a symbol simr in status to Olympus¡¯s Lightning. Therefore, he was able to participate as Egypt¡¯s representative, but he didn¡¯t actually have permission to do this.

    ¡°I heard that Hermopolis and Memphis are already discussing your punishment¡­¡± Numek said worriedly.

    The struggle for power in the Nile was as fierce as the secret organization was powerful. It was divided into several factions that fought amongst themselves for supremacy. Thergest faction was Heliopolis, which was the one Inebu and Numek belonged to. Among the others were their bitter rivals, Hermopolis and Memphis.

    Inebu stated, "We can¡¯t leave yet.¡±

    "Inebu¡­¡± Numek sighed.

    He insisted, "The Underdog, I have to talk to him.¡±

    Although it had been a while since Lee Jun-Kyeong had woken up, that information hadn¡¯t been dispersed to the Nile. Yeo Seong-Gu knew that the reason they remained behind was because of Lee Jun-Kyeong, so he had deliberately blocked the news.

    "Why are you so obsessed with him?¡± Numek asked, looking frustrated. This was the first time Inebu had disobeyed orders and refused so stubbornly. It had been fun for her to see an unusual side of him when they were at the Catalyon Mountain Gate, but it was nothingpared to his appearance at this moment.

    "You could die for this, Inebu.¡±

    The Nile was a radical organization, and the way it conducted discipline was different from the other organizations. But nevertheless, Inebu was adamant.

    "No." He had to speak with the Underdog. He then added, "Horus could wake up."

    "What¡­?"

    Numek''s big eyes widened even further.

    1. Zeus¡¯ Authority is called Lighting, so any reference to it will be capitalized.

 Chapter 54: The Round Table Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 54: The Round Table Pt. 4</h4>

    As soon as they entered Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s authority, Bifrost, he had to ask Lee Jun-Kyeong how thetter knew about the fact that he had dated Athena, ¡°How the hell did you know that?¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was too busy looking around the Bifrost to answer. It was a legendary space that he had read about countless times in the book of the Demon King. It was a unique type of subspace that only the most special of people could obtain.

    <i>¡®This is where they hid the secrets behind their strength.¡¯</i>

    The secrets behind how the First Hunters, or the Hunters of the secret organizations, were able to be so strong within less than two years of the gates appearing were hidden in this space.

    ¡°Hyung, you¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him and spoke, but he soon shook his head without saying anything as he had been reminded of the things he still hid from him. It wasn¡¯t time yet.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s not talk about that just yet.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to hide the fact that he knew about that truth. He simply knew exactly how much that truth would hurt Yeo Seong-Gu. After all, this space had given him great wounds in return for strength.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided not to bring that story up yet. Instead, he stated, "So beautiful."

    "M¡­ me?" Yeo Seong-Gu responded, so flustered.

    ¡°No, not you. This ce,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while pointing around. Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s Authority, the Bifrost, was amazingly beautiful and limitless. It had a beautiful garden that was so well maintained that it starkly contrasted with the manly appearance of its owner. Moreover, there was a beautiful mansion and a dazzling fountain. Furthermore, in the background, countless rainbows were embroidered in the sky.

    Yeo Seong-Gu stated, "It''s called Himinbjorg."

    "The name of the mansion?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    "Yes."

    Apparently, he had even given a name to the mansion

    <i>''I already know.''</i>

    Of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong had known about it, but had kept silent.

    ***

    After touring the Bifrost, Lee Jun-Kyeong headed over to Himinbjorg following Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s invitation. The two sat in a well-maintained drawing room.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, "Is this ce safe?"

    "Of course,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath, still feeling the effects of the pain that throbbed all over his body.

    "If it''s too difficult, we can talk next time¡­" Yeo Seong-Gu trailed off at the end.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I wanted to confirm one thing with you, Hyung."

    "¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether or not you choose to walk the same path as I do, can you promise me that what we talk about here stays here, Hyung?¡±

    It was a difficult question to answer for Yeo Seong-Gu. The information Lee Jun-Kyeong possessed and the powers he held that seemed almost heretical were a sticky issue.

    As Athena had said, <i>¡®It¡¯s more than qualified to be dangerous.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®If he¡¯s a part of that group¡­¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu wondered if he could still keep his promise at that point. However, he finally made his decision.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He didn¡¯t make his choice just out of curiosity to find out the other man¡¯s secrets. Although it hadn¡¯t been that long since they had known each other, from what he understood about Lee Jun-Kyeong throughout this time, Yeo Seong-Gu felt as though there was no way that the younger man would be a part of that sort of group that he was worried about.

    ¡°What do you know about the Prophets?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Yeo Seong-Gu asked, ¡°Prophets? Then, are you a prophet too?¡±

    If it was something like a prophet, then they existed in Asgard and Olympus as well. However, they were only able to acquire clues as to what might happen in the future. It waspletely different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to do.

    ¡°By chance¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked him carefully, ¡°Are you a regressor?¡±

    There were an incredible number of facets to the <i>yer</i> special ability, many of which defiedmon sense. It was so reality-defying that even the ability to see the future wasn¡¯t enough to epass what it could do.

    <i>¡®I had thought that there was a regressor somewhere, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu had asked Lee Jun-Kyeong this question on a whim, but he sat, waiting for his answer with a bit of anticipation.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to that. However¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong soon answered. ¡°I read a book.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong brought up the story he had been pondering over for quite a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s a book about you, Hyung, and your close friend.¡±

    Although he had started the tale, he still thought long and hard about what he should and shouldn¡¯t say. Eventually, he decided to talk only enough to convince him.

    "The contents of the book¡­" Pausing, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his mouth and continued, "...is a story about a person called the Demon King."

    ***

    "Are you telling me to believe that...?" Yeo Seong-Gu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a voice full of distrust. The story he had been told was so absurd that it was difficult to believe. Supposedly, he had already acquainted with Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had somehow fallen into the past due to a book written by a <i>Demon King</i> in the future.

    "And you¡¯re saying that I killed you¡­?" he asked suspiciously.

    The other man shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that you just simply killed me¡­ It seemed as though you already knew these things were going to happen, Hyung.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu snorted. ¡°Ha.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made sure he didn¡¯t share the full details of what was written in the book, only what Yeo Seong-Gu would be able to believe. Nevertheless, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s response was remarkable.

    "And Athena¡­ In the name of Eden..."

    He was having a hard time believing what would happen in the future. That the world would be ruled by an organization called Eden, created by Hunters or even the members that formed that Eden. Not a single part of it was easy to believe.

    Especially the portion regarding Athena.

    When he had heard the story about her, Yeo Seong-Gu''s reaction was outright apparent. The secret rtionship between Athena and Yeo Seong-Gu had only been mentioned once in the book of the Demon King. It was a story of a couple who had been forced to separate.

    "However¡­ I have no choice but to believe it,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu finally affirmed. Everything had finally fallen into ce. Even if Lee Jun-Kyeong was lying, then he was most likely the returned Demon King who had written the book in the first ce

    <i>¡®The Bifrost.¡¯</i>

    ¨CIt''s not a lie.

    The Bifrost hadn¡¯t detected any falseness either.

    Although he hadn¡¯t told Lee Jun-Kyeong yet, many powers were hidden within the Bifrost.

    <i>¡®Ah.¡¯</i>

    He had to correct himself.

    ¡°The Bifrost said it was all the truth, right?¡±

    Apparently, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew about that as well. Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t know what to say. In addition, he felt a strange sense of difort.

    The man in front of him knew his entire future and all of his dirtyundry too. Yeo Seong-Gu was afraid of what else he might know.

    "But the book was notplete."

    Yeo Seong-Gu blinked. "What¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified, ¡°The stuff written in the book was only the beginning. Everything else I knew was just information that I learned while in the future.¡±

    ¡°The book wasn¡¯tplete?¡± he repeated again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled wryly. ¡°A lot of the information written about you was lost, Hyung. The things I know about you are rtively sparse.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu thought to himself, <i>¡®If he¡¯s lying tofort me¡­then he¡¯s doing a good job.¡¯</i>

    While he couldn¡¯t say the difort had disappearedpletely, regardless of whether those words were false, he felt better.

    ¨CHe¡¯s telling the truth.

    Although he hadn¡¯t asked, Bifrost had also said it was true. He felt like he was on stable footing again, but apparently that was too premature.

    "I have something to say. Hyung,¡¯ Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a serious tone. "A lot of things will change soon."

    ***

    As they would be caught by <i>that person</i> if they had left the Round Table Council for too long, regardless of how strong of an Authority they were in, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu returned after only quickly sharing a condensed version of the story.

    Of course, another reason was that Lee Jun-Kyeong had started vomiting blood again.

    <i>Cough, cough.</i>

    The duvet was drenched once again in a neverending stter of blood. Impurities were constantlying out of his body.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Despite all the purging he had done, the ck beads stuck around his neck and body hadn¡¯t budged whatsoever. Judging from the ck color, they seemed to be a mixture of demonic mana, impurities, and dragon blood.

    <i>¡®Won¡¯t this end up being a problemter?¡¯</i>

    He felt as though it would be dangerous to leave them like this. However, even with the power of demonic mana resistance, purification, and harmony, the clogs didn¡¯t disappear.

    <i>''Do you know what this is?''</i>

    In the end, he had no choice but to attempt to whisper to his Sponsor. But, as expected, there was no answer. He would have to think about how to deal with the ck beads eventually. But, for now, there weren¡¯t any reliable ways.

    Then, he recalled his meeting with Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>''Sorry, Hyung.''</i>

    In the end, he wasn¡¯t able to tell him everything. It was the decision he had already made in the first ce, but he couldn''t help but feel a little guilty about having deceived the bald man. It would have been useless to try to hide anything from him if he had not known about Bifrost¡¯s ability to detect lies, but he already knew about the powers of Bifrost, as the Demon King had noted it.

    [Bifrost does not actually tell between the lie and truth. What it does is determine whether the target is trying to harm Heimdall.]

    As long as the target had no intention of falsely harming Yeo Seong-Gu, Bifrost would judge it to be a true statement. After all, Bifrost¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t falsehood detection.

    <i>¡®This is much better.¡¯</i>

    If he had told him everything, if he had told him what sort of battles and betrayals he would undergo in the future, the future would change drastically. As much as what he had to bear was difficult, the role of changing things was his alone.

    But, that wasn¡¯t all of it. If he had told him everything about his future, Yeo Seong-Gu might have gone insane or given up. It may have been different if they were rtively simple spoilers of the future, but if he had provided too much information, there was a chance that his Hyung would have lost all of his will. That was how severe the threats and dangers Yeo Seong-Gu would face were.

    If he had known that he would have to face those again, his Hyung might have ended up hating him.

    So, he lied. It was a lie that he could bear.

    <i>¡®So, what is your goal regarding the future that you spoke of?¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu had asked Lee Jun-Kyeong what he had wanted to do, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had given a simple answer.

    <i>¡®I want to change the future that I had experienced.¡¯</i>

    With that, the bald man didn¡¯t ask any further questions, and the conversation had ended. He had a lot to think about, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was now waiting for his choice after throwing him off the deep end.

    ¡°Should I walk a little¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked while changing his nkets with those that had been prepared in advance. His body was gradually recovering, but he was getting sluggish by just staying in the room. He felt that moving around would be better for recovery.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s take a look around the Round Table Council.¡¯</i>

    It was a secret organization that even the Demon King didn¡¯t know much about. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that this was an excellent opportunity for him to take a look around, so he tried to leave the room.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t!

    At that moment, he heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice echo in the hallway.

    ¡°No no no no no no no no!¡±

    He repeatedly heard him say ¡®no¡¯ in English, even though he couldn¡¯t even speak it well.

    <i>¡®Who is he talking to?¡¯</i>

    As his body hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, he wasn¡¯t able to sense the mana of the person in question.

    There was no way that Athena would create such a scene.

    <i>¡®It might be one of those two.¡¯</i>

    If Heracles had woken up, it would be either him or a hunter belonging to the Nile.

    "Underdog!"

    The answer was thetter.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    As if he was trying to flee from Jeong In-Chang, a man quickly opened the door and entered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it! So say what you will quickly, Inebu!¡± said the voice of the woman named Numek from outside.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Inebu were now standing face to face in front of the door.

    ¡°A¡­ as expected, you''re awake,¡± Inebu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a genuinely weing expression. He grabbed onto Lee Jun-Kyeong''s hands tightly.

    "I am delighted that you are doing well. Looking at your face... You must have shed a lot of blood. We¡¯ll send you either some secret medicine or something good for treating anemia!¡± he said quickly in English. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the hand the Egyptian was holding.

    <i>''I couldn''t avoid it.''</i>

    Although his body was a mess, the speed of the Hunter named Inebu was also extremely fast. He had heard rumors that he was the Commander of Egypt, but to think that the disparity would be this high.

    ¡°Mr. Underdog? Mr. Underdog!¡± he called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    ¡°Please, continue.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him with slightly lowered eyes.

    Inebu stated, "I sincerely apologize for the disrespect."

    "Mr. Lee Jun-Kyeong! Are you okay?!" Jeong In-Chang screamed from outside the door.

    "Oh, what do you think is going to happen?! I told you, they¡¯re just going to talk!" Numek saidzily in response.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that it would be too much for even an Egyptian Commander to bear the responsibility of causing amotion of this level within the Round Table Council. He wondered what was so important that it was necessary toe to talk while taking such a risk.

    "Pleasee to the Nile!" Inebu pleaded in Korean . "Please!"

    1. While the chapters don¡¯t specify it, everyone is speaking in their nativenguages unless it¡¯s been specified otherwise. In Inebu¡¯s case, he hasn¡¯t said anything in Korean until now, which either shows that he¡¯s already fluent and has been hiding it or that he¡¯s speaking so sincerely that he¡¯d request it in Korean.

 Chapter 55: Returning in Glory

    <h4>Chapter 55: Returning in Glory</h4>

    Inebu had spoken in Korean, which clearly had been learned in a hurry. He continued again, shouting in a loud voice, ¡°Please! Pleasee to the Nile!"

    His desperation was as palpable as his rudimentary Korean.

    "But¡­ Why¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t understand it at all. He had nothing in rtion to Nile. He had just happened to meet them and exchanged aid with one another in the most recent Battle of Champions.

    <i>¡®Something is definitely strange.¡¯</i>

    The Nile had shown too much care for him and had expressed an iprehensible level of kindness.

    <i>¡®They also asked for my safety.¡¯</i>

    However, there hadn¡¯t been anything of substance that connected them, such as any resentment between them or a boon had been given. The reason these Hunters, who had the considerable backing called Nile, were so interested in him was because they wanted something from him.

    It wasn¡¯t just because they were his hardcore stan that they were requesting him toe to Nile.

    Unfortunately for them, an announcement came out.

    ¨CTsk tsk. All disturbance within the council is strictly regted.

    A buzzing-like sound rang within everyone¡¯s ears. It wasn¡¯t in anynguage, but rather, it was a message conveyed by meaning alone, almost simr to that of how a Sponsormunicated.

    Inebu heard the voice and somehow shouted in an unknown way. When Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to open his mouth and respond to the words that he couldn¡¯t understand¡­

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    From where the two swords and the round shield that resembled a round table hung from the door, a bright light shone¡­

    ¡°The red gem!¡±

    ¡­and Inebu disappeared, only leaving behind a single shout. Suddenly, no one was left in the room, and the mor outside the door had disappeared as well. A little whileter, someone opened the door.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±

    It was a thoroughly drenched Jeong In-Chang.

    ***

    <i>¡°The red gem¡­¡¯</i>

    Due to the intervention of <i>that person,</i> the owner of the council, Inebu had disappeared without being able to finish what he had been trying to say. He had not been seen within the Council since that day.

    The reason he had been in such a hurry was because an envoy had been sent to pick them up from the Nile.

    ¡°The Egyptians seemed quite scary.¡±

    But, as if they had been aware of the envoy¡¯s arrival, they rushed in to talk to him recklessly.

    <i>¡®To think he¡¯d mention the red gem¡­¡¯</i>

    Apparently, Inebu hade to speak to him directly without going through anyone else because what he had to say concerned a very secret and vital matter.

    The red gem.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could guess as to what he had wanted to say.

    <i>¡®Why Nile?¡¯</i>

    Beyond a few questions he had¡­

    <i>¡®If the red gem he brought up is the red ore¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡­it was clear from the circumstances that the red gem meant Madness.

    <i>¡®Is he saying that it has already been discovered in Egypt¡­?</i>

    There was still a long way to go until the time when the Hunters would be interested in the red ore, or the red jewel. However, not only did Inebu mention the red gem, but he had also shown him kindness and concern. ¡­

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right. He had burst in after seeing the change in Heracles.¡¯</i>

    So it was as if the pieces of the puzzle finally fitted together.

    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re going back home.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped thinking after hearing Jeong In-Chang speak. His partner was standing next to him with a bittersweet expression. The Round Table had just ended yesterday. As expected, Olympus had to apologize for breaking the agreement and givepensation for threatening war.

    Threatening war was a mistake, but ironically, Athena had been the one to initiate them.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way she¡¯d normally do that. Was it because she was flustered?¡¯</i>

    Athena had dozens of nicknames that were all simr.: the goddess of cold blood, the goddess of battle, queen of blood and ughter, etc. Thus, he wondered if she simply made a mistake while flustered because she had met Yeo Seong-Gu?

    Unless that was why¡­

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    He heard a familiar voice interject his thoughts from behind him. It was a voice he knew.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    It was George.

    When the Greek Hunter spotted Lee Jun-Kyeong, he contorted his face and approached him.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang stood forward and blocked him.

    Although this was the same man he had been training with for days, Jeong In-Chang could feel that the resentment the other man had for Lee Jun-Kyeong was real. As his partner hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, he stood in front of him as if he was trying to protect him from any harm.

    "I can''t move aside."

    "What are you doing?" George asked with an even more contorted expression.

    <i>Lurch. Lurch.</i>

    He approached them as he walked through the manicured gardens of the Round Table Council.

    "It¡¯s fine,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    There was no hostility from George.

    [The mana stream is activated.]

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Keyong had activated the mana stream to check if George was armed, but the man wasn¡¯t carrying any weapons. However, the man¡¯s distorted expression was showing hostility¡ªno, it was something else.

    While Jeong In-Chang was still contemting whether or not to step aside, George spoke, "Underdog."

    "I will be watching you,¡± Jeong In-Chang spat out.

    ¡°Why does he keep speaking Korean when he knows I can¡¯t even understand what he¡¯s saying?¡± Georgeined. Jeong In-Chang stepped aside for him, and George smiled in return. Then, George faced Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    The Greek Hunter was alone at this moment as Heracles hadn¡¯t gotten up yet.

    "You¡¯ve gotten up, and as that punk hasn¡¯t been able to yet, it was apletely disastrous defeat."

    Instead, Demetrios had been transported to Olympus by a convoy. His condition was that serious.

    George looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a strange expression.

    His grudge was real, but an unknown emotion was also hidden in his face. It was such a subtle emotion that it would be impossible to notice if one wasn''t careful.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I learned a lot. Next time, I¡¯ll make sure things don¡¯t end the same way.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong retorted, "I tend not to leave any possible future problems unfinished."

    "Bastard," Georgeughed and said, "It''s nothing serious¡­"

    George''s gaze shifted to Jeong In-Chang again. He spoke to Jeong In-Chang, who looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a confused face, "I can¡¯t seem to be able to converse with that brat¡­ There was no one else to help interpret."

    Because cell phones and the inte didn¡¯t work while they were in the Round Table, he, who had to stay by Heracles¡¯ side, had not been able to properly converse with Jeong In-Chang even until the end.

    He stated, ¡°I have something I want to tell him."

    "¡­"

    "You," George said, pointing his finger at Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°You have more than enough potential. Although it¡¯s irritating to say, you most likely have more than me¡­ Even though it was only for a few days, you must have learned a lot while fighting with me. Still, you can be even stronger.¡±

    ¡°What is he saying to me? Jeong In-Chang grumbled to Lee Jun-Kyeong

    While Jeong In-Chang flushed red as if he had judged it as insulting him, George smiled and continued, ¡°Your Sponsor. Tell him to think carefully about the identity of his Sponsor. It seemed as though he wanted to obtain a title. But, while fame and favor are important, the connection with your Sponsor¡­ or, should I say, the assimtion rate? It should be high. In order to do that, it¡¯s important that you understand your Sponsor.¡±

    It was a big piece of advice, and it was friendly with a hint of affection. Jeong In-Chang rxed his expression as if he felt it. Then, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong''s turn to deliver the message.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Jeong In-Chang and repeated a condensed, paraphrased version, ¡°He wants you to be <The Prince on a White Horse>.¡±

    ¡°You!! Bastard!¡± yelled Jeong In-Chang, hoisting his greatsword.

    Lee Jun-Keyong smirked and left them behind. Apparently, they needed to have one final match again.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved to enjoy his final day at the Council, and, as he walked around, he turned back and looked over at George.

    ¡°Do you have something you want to say?¡± George asked mischievously, smiling at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had created an awkward situation.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said what the man had wanted to hear, "Heracles will get up."

    "¡­!"

    "And he¡¯ll be more of a monster than before, but let me remind you, I tend not to leave any possible future problems unfinished. So next time, it would be nice to raise our swords on the same side."

    He had been able to handle the future problem.

    "What? Ha ha ha ha!"

    George stood,ughing like Heracles.

    ***

    The location of the Council was a secret. They had been attacked on several asions by secret organizations that coveted their power and attempted to subdue them. However, the Council was like an imprable wall.

    <i>¡®Would it be called a hidden wall?¡¯</i>

    Despite the best efforts of Olympus, Asgard, and the other prominent secret organizations, the exact location of the Round Table Council could never be found.

    Only with the permission of <i>that man or woman</i>, the owner of the Round Table, were they allowed to enter. That was how they had remained the guardians of Ennd, even up until the future Lee Jun-Kyeong had lived in, observing the world while staying hidden.

    <i>Plop.</i>

    A stone thrown by Lee Jun-Kyeong had fallen into a pond. The Round Table was built within arge garden. All the buildings and spaces had been enchanted, and the beautiful garden was always thriving through the use of a strong mana.

    <i>Plop.</i>

    In the middle of the garden was the most beautiful pond. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at it and tossed another pebble. Then, with a gentle ripple, the pebble sank into the water.

    <i>Plop! Plop! Plop!</i>

    He stood, skipping rocks. It was something he had often done in his past life as there was nothing else to do in his hometown.

    <i>Popopopopopop!</i>

    Unlike his previouslynguid toss, the next pebble he had thrown raced across the pond and crashed into the opposite wall before falling.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    If he hadn¡¯t controlled the force behind the pebble, the wall could have crumbled. However, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied yet, he picked up a massive boulder.

    ¡°<i>Heup¡­</i>¡±

    It was a decorative stone that was heavy for even him to lift. He slowly moved his arms, positioning himself into a throwing stance. Finally, as the boulderunched into the air and was about to crash into the pond¡­

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    The boulder stood still above the pond as if time had stopped.

    "Looks like you¡¯re having fun there,¡± a beautiful voice said. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t feel the voice¡¯s presence. However, he knew where it came from.

    "How did you find me?"

    It wasing from the center of the pond, where the boulder would have fallen. In an instant, the boulder had disappeared so quickly that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t even noticed it. In its ce stood a beautiful woman. Standing on the pond like a goddess, a gentle breeze shook her blue robes.

    ¡°No, did someone tell you how to find me? That¡¯s a really drastic way of getting my attention. I don¡¯t know who told you, but it seems that I¡¯ll have to make sure that person will never step foot in the Council ever again,¡± she remarked.

    However, there was a smile on her lips, and it seemed as though no one had ever called for her in this way.

    The woman standing in front of him was¡­

    ¡°Merlin.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh my, do you know me?¡±

    And she was the owner of the Round Table.

    ¡°Maybe I do, maybe I don¡¯t,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    Her eyes coldly narrowed. "There shouldn¡¯t be very many people who know who I am¡­¡±

    The wind was soft as it tickled Lee Jun-Kyeong''s cheeks, feeling warm and oddly seductive as if it was a woman¡¯s hand.

    "Who are you?" she asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, "There¡¯s no reason you wouldn¡¯t know who I am."

    "Maybe I do, maybe I don¡¯t," she responded, smiling while returning his words back to him. The surrounding flowers seemed as if they were in full bloom at the refreshing sight of her smile.

    "He who defeated Heracles, The Underdog." The glint in her eyes changed in an instant. "It looks like you''re an incessantly arrogant Hunter."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had previously described the owner of the Round Table as<i>?that man or woman,?</i>but he hadn¡¯t used that ambiguous term because he wasn¡¯t sure of the owner¡¯s gender.

    "What are you trying to do by provoking me? It looks like you know who I am."

    Instead, he was referring to the fact that the owner was both man and woman. Then, the beautiful goddess suddenly disappeared, and a yful-looking boy stood in her ce.

    ¡°You should already know that even within the Round Table, no one is allowed to ruin my mood.¡±

    The gentle spring wind had disappeared, and a storm began to brew.

    <i>Woosh.</i>

    It blew over towards Lee Jun-Kyeong, sweeping forth as if to swallow him, but then it suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Merlin''s eyes started to shine with interest.

    "You¡­"

    It seemed as though the same questions he had been asked over and over again would being up soon.

    "Who are you?¡±

    Heughed because it was a question he had heard so often. Furthermore, this question was the same as the one the Demon King had been asked when he had recalled his meeting with Merlin.

    ["Who are you?"]

    At the query, the Demon King had decided to introduce himself in a quirky manner.

    [The One Who Will Destroy Everything.]

    Although it was a cringe-worthy title, he was someone who actually held that sort of power. Furthermore, it was his sincere answer as well. As a result, the Demon King had been expelled by Merlin and was never allowed to have contact with the Council again.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    ¡°I am the one who knows the location of Excalibur."

    He used a cheat.

    1. ??, or Fanshim, is a portmanteau of two words, Fan, and ???, or severe, and means hardcore/severe fan. Or, stan.

 Chapter 56: Returning in Glory Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 56: Returning in Glory Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Where did you go to?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked while waving at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to hold it in and burst intoughter upon seeing him.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang turned his head to the side out of embarrassment as he knew why Lee Jun-Kyeong wasughing. His right eye was ck and bruised. Lee Jun-Kyeong inwardly thought to himself that he had not misheard themotion.

    "Are there pandas among your ancestors?" he asked teasingly.

    Jeong In-Chang pouted. "That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a little too far¡­."

    "Hahaha."

    He then announced proudly, "Still, I went blow for blow this time, George has a bruise that¡¯s the same size on his left eye."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nced at hisrade¡¯s fists; it didn''t seem like a lie.

    <i>¡®Still¡­ You tried hard.¡¯</i>

    Truthfully, there was no reason for Jeong In-Chang to feel ashamed. After being extensively trained, he had fulfilled the role extraordinarily well within the Catalyon Gate. It was just that he expected more from himself and wanted more, which brought upon a feeling of shame and increased effort.

    The desire for strength was essential for what was toe. Regardless of whatever reason drove that desire, it was not something bad.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s good.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was happy with the change he saw in Jeong In-Chang.

    He smiled and stated, "Please protect me well in the future."

    "¡­!"

    He had heard Jeong In-Chang weeping while he was asleep.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued somewhat evilly, "''I will definitely protect you from now on¡­'' is what you said, right? I mean, it already seems to fit the name of your Sponsor, but¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang''s face turned red after hearing those yful remarks. He would never have thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to tease him, "Please be like that with your future girlfriend, not with me.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang couldn''t speak out of sheer embarrassment, but then, he suddenly discovered something andmented with a glint in his eye, "What is that?"

    There was a ne hanging from Lee Jun-Kyeong''s neck, and he had never seen it before. He wondered when Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able to get something like that in a closed environment like the Round Table.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''splexion first turned blue, then white; his changingplexion was reminiscent of an artist¡¯s palette.

    ¡°Did you go meet a woman again?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hemmed and hawed, "Well, that is¡­"

    Apparently, Jeong In-Chang was right on the mark.

    ¡°As expected. I knew you would do that again. Mr. Lee, were you originally from Ennd? You seem to have a lot of women hidden in Ennd. I didn¡¯t know you were such a yboy... It¡¯s a little disappointing."

    This time, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong who was the flustered one. As Lee Jun-Kyeong stood there for a while with a red face, Jeong In-Chang felt the pleasure of revenge.

    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>,¡± he chuckled.

    "Are you ready?" Yeo Seong-Gu approached, hisplexion riddled with exhaustion.

    "Did things end well?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked him. Although the Round Table had already ended, they still had to sort out the details. They must have been discussing all night because of the issues over the division of resources and such.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he approached and tapped Lee Jun-Kyeong''s shoulder.

    <i>¡®For some reason, he seems to have gotten a little more affectionate.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was because of the secrets he had told the Hunter. Or, it may have been because he had found out about their rtionship in the distant future. Regardless, something had made them closer.

    "Let''s go."

    Yeo Seong-Gu rubbed his shiny bald head a few times and then took the lead. They just had to exit through a door Merlin had made if they wanted to leave.

    "It¡¯s a little regretful."

    Jeong In-Chang seemed to have gotten quite close with George as he repeatedly nced behind him while incessantly saying how regretful it was just to leave. The same went for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who looked back for a moment and then turned his head.

    Finally, they reached the exit prepared by Merlin, and a Hunter belonging to the Round Table greeted the party at the door.

    "We hope to see you again,¡± he greeted lightly, while Yeo Seong-Gu also nodded his head to say hello.

    The moment everyone was about to go through the exit, the Hunter interjected, "Merlin has asked me to convey that she is waiting.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked surprised.

    "M¡­ Merlin?" asked Jeong In-Chang.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed silent.

    Right after the grinning employee said that, they were suddenly standing in a random alleyway in Ennd.

    "W¡­where are we?" eximed Jeong In-Chang.

    ***

    "How the hell do you know Merlin? Is that also¡­" Yeo Seong-Gu asked carefully. But Lee Jun-Kyeong just smiled brightly. He recalled thest conversation he had with that person.

    <i>''I know the location of Excalibur.''</i>

    Merlin¡¯s eyes had shed before saying, <i>''Tell me.''</i>

    In fact, he had almost died at that instant. Although he had gained a lot this time from the Catalyon Gate and had be stronger, he still wasn¡¯t yet at the level topete with one of them.

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked confused. "Then¡­ that?"

    "Yes. Merlin gave it to me," Lee Jun-Kyeong said while touching the ne. He only got this ne after he finished negotiations with Merlin. One day, there would be a time when this would save his life. Of course, there was also the effect of increasing his stats.

    This was an item that was beyond unique-grade.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu thought about something to himself and then nodded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions were currently inside an airne with arge fusge. It was a private ne owned by Asgard¡ªor, at least on the surface, owned by the Korean Association.

    <i>Snore¡­</i>

    Next to himy Jeong In-Chang. He was sleeping as he had fought with George until the end. There were only a few people on the ne: themselves and a few crew members. Although they could have returned using the portal, it wasn¡¯t the best idea.

    There were a few reasons they were taking a private ne instead of a portal. First of all, a portal consumed a lot of energy and involved a certain degree of danger, so it was better to fly like this when they weren¡¯t in a hurry. And that was not the only problem either.

    While it was beside the point, the leaders of the secret organizations were still ufortable with using portals. Furthermore, objects that would allow for spatial travel, such as Lightning or Bifrost, were generally restricted from usage. After all, if they were used excessively, other powers would take notice. In any case, it was an absurd luxury to ride such a private ne.

    He sat there, basking in happiness at the thought that they go back this way.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m tearing up,¡¯</i> Jeong In-Chang had said at the sight of it. Let alone the Northern Army Guild, even Jeong In-Chang, a B-Rank Hunter, clearly had a tremendous amount of money. Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused as to how they had spent all of it, as Jeong In-Chang lived a difficult life evenpared to ordinary people in this era¡ªin other words, simr to how he had been living.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at the thought.

    "Get some sleep. It¡¯s going to take quite a while."

    After saying those words, Yeo Seong-Gu put on a sleeping mask and went to sleep. He was exhausted after having to stay up for several nights in meetings, not to mention handling the work of the League Guild as well.

    He was a member of the secretive Asgard, but he was also a rising rookie and the guild master of the League Guild, which would quickly be a behemoth. Because Yeo Seong-Gu had to ount for his sudden absence and deal with the work that followed, Lee Jun-Kyeong could only imagine how busy he was.

    "Ah¡­ Could you give me some water?"

    At that point, Jeong In-Chang had woken up next to him and had spoken to the flight attendant. The water soon arrived, and Lee Jun-Kyeong ended up having to listen to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s chatter instead of being able to rest like he had wanted.

    ¡°Well¡­ I rode a ne for the first time a little while ago, and one of my friends had told me that you had to take off your shoes to get on the ne. So I took off my shoes and got on, but then peopleughed.¡±

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself, ¡®<i>There really are people who believe stuff like that.¡¯</i>

    To think there was someone who actually had fallen for this kind of nonsense that even a child wouldn¡¯t have been tricked by.

    He snorted. ¡°Ha.¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "No, everything is fine,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded. He worried that he may have to get something like an Elixir of Intelligenceter if the chance arose. It was said that it could dig up one¡¯s potential and permanently boost their intelligence, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had an ominous feeling about it.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have anytent intelligence in the first ce¡­ right?¡¯</i>

    The flight continued in this manner.

    "By the way,¡± Jeong In-Chang whispered again in a tone that made him sound as if he were on a TV program. "There is something I don''t understand."

    "What?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally responded to the shift in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s tone, which had be a little more serious.

    "It¡¯s about George. I don''t know why he was so nice to me."

    "¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang continued, ¡°Honestly, he seemed angry, but it was a little strange. If, by chance, you had suffered the same thing from Heracles, I would have killed him with just my eyes alone.¡±

    <i>''Thank you for that, but I don''t know if that''s possible.¡¯</i>

    "But not only was he nice to me¡­ but his attitude towards you, Mr. Lee, was also the same. Is that the demeanor of high-level Hunters? Is that what this was? What was it¡­ Noblesse Oblivion? Was it that sort of thing?"

    "Obliv¡­ what?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong almost burst outughing, but he quickly controlled his expression and looked out the window. Apparently, Jeong In-Chang really didn¡¯t have anytent intelligence.

    The first ne ride he was ever able to ride and the first scenery he was able to see from the sky exposed Lee Jun-Kyeong to a different color of existence.

    <i>¡®The night sky is endlessly dark.''</i>

    "It must be an instinct,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong abruptly as he was looking at the night sky where only darkness existed.

    ¡°What do you mean by instinct¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied while lifting one corner of his mouth in a smirk, "It must have been my instinct that I didn¡¯t want the sun to be covered in the first ce even though I prefer to dwell in darkness.¡±

    "¡­?"

    Jeong In-Chang had an indecipherable expression after hearing that.

    ¨CThe ne willnd soon. Please fasten your seat belts.

    The flight attendant''s voice rang out, announcing the approachingnding.

    ***

    "Demetrios!"

    George''s voice echoed through the room. The first ce he had gone after returning from Ennd was the ward where Heracles was being treated, but Heracles wasn¡¯t there. Then, Athena sent George elsewhere, to Olympus¡¯ training ground.

    <i>Woosh! Woosh!</i>

    Demetrios punched the air. Although there wasn¡¯t any mana being emitted, the entire training ground was resonating.

    "What happened? When did you wake up?"

    George ran to Demetrios as if he was about to shed tears. Since Demetrios had never been hurt before, George hadn¡¯t realized how precious the giant was to him.

    "George," Demetrios said as he smiled. Hisplexion was still pale, and his mana unstable. Also, the huge scar created by Lee Jun-Kyeong on his upper body still wriggled as if it were alive. It was a scar that remained even after treatment with potions, and not just any potions, but Olympus¡¯ special potions.

    "Why do you look so sad? Have you never seen a defeated Hunter?" Demetrios asked with a happy expression.

    George responded despondently, "Because you never lost."

    "Well, that''s true too."

    Demetrios shrugged immediately and wiped his sweat with a towel.

    <i>''Something has changed...?''</i>

    George felt ufortable looking at him, but he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it.

    Yet, it didn¡¯t seem to be something bad. Demetrios had always radiated uncontroble violence and power, and he had always appeared impatient. But now, he stood there calmly, as if he had gained control over himself.

    "What happened?" George asked again. Although there were many things he wanted to say, right now, he wanted to hear something from Heracles first.

    Demetrios grinned. "Calm down."

    "Does it look like I¡¯m in a state to calm down?!¡± George snapped.

    Demetrios smiled again and spoke. "I don¡¯t think he intended to be my enemy in the first ce."

    "What are you¡­?"

    George had a strange feeling after hearing that indecipherable statement.

    <i>¡®For some reason, I did¡­¡¯</i>

    George had felt the same way. There were too many inconsistencies to say that they had been trying to kill Demetrios. It was as if they had wanted something different.

    Therefore, George didn¡¯t hate them that much.

    Demetrios interjected, "It was a gift."

    George¡¯s eyes widened. "What?"

    Demetrios¡¯ eyes suddenly turned red.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    It was a sign of madness. George took a step back, bewildered at what was going on.

    "Don''t be like that too much. Now¡­"

    Demetrios punched.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Vibrations and deafening sounds iparable to before, filled the training center.

    The giant continued, "I have total control over the madness, and I can even use the power of madness to a certain extent."

    "What is that¡­"

    George couldn''t quiteprehend the current situation.

    ¡°Excuse my interruption,¡± a voice suddenly said.

    Someone had showed up at the training center, carrying arge box.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The loud sound it made when it hit the floor clearly showed how heavy the box was.

    "What is this?" George asked Demetrios.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    "My weapon," Demetrius responded as he opened the iron box.

    He took it out of the box, proudly showing off his new weapon.

    Then, he noticed it.

    "What''s wrong with your left eye?"

    1. The proper term is Noblesse Oblige.

 Chapter 57: Returning in Glory Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 57: Returning in Glory Pt. 3</h4>

    A Golden Return.

    It was an acrostic poem used to describe someone who returned to their hometown covered in gold.

    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡±

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong was experiencing was something quite simr. As he was exiting the private ne and about to depart the airport, he was suddenly met with a huge crowd.

    "Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!"

    "Take a picture!!"

    "Look over here!"

    The airport was packed with people, and most of them were there to see him. It was a crowd full of all walks of life, irrespective of age or gender. Reporters, young women, men, and many people were cheering and chanting his moniker.

    ¡°AHHHHH!¡±

    shes red in his eyes like miniature explosions, making it difficult for him to notice something he had never seen before.

    ¡°Greetings to the Heracles defeating¡­ Underdog?¡±

    He was sure someone in the crowd was holding that on a written sign. He couldn¡¯t help but be flustered by the sudden situation, and he stared helplessly at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you wave at them?¡± suggested the bald man.

    Looking at Yeo Seong-Gu''s grinning face, it seemed that he had already been aware this was waiting for them when theynded.

    Then, in a careful manner, Yeo-Seong-Gu leaned over and whispered in his ear. ¡°It¡¯s one of the things we discussed with Athena."

    The pieces started toe together in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind. Fame was one of the prerequisites to bing a Hero. He didn¡¯t know if it was because his fame wascking, but it was a fact that he hadn¡¯t earned a title yet. So this spectacle must have been organized in consideration of that.

    Heracles was a world-famous Hunter. Announcing that Lee Jun-Kyeong had beaten him was an opportunity to increase his fame significantly. Furthermore, Asgard was also at odds with Olympus. From the standpoint of Asgard, which had been entrenching itself within Korea, it would have been easy to organize this by announcing that their enemy had taken a considerable blow.

    ¡°I made it seem as though he had challenged you to a duel. Make sure you remember that,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this? Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°It was a surprise,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu blithely said as he waved his hand.

    ¡°AHHH! Bald Hero!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so handsome!¡±

    Though, the Hunter¡¯s face seemed to harden sharply at the screams from the fans. Then, there was another there as well.

    "Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Ha..."

    Someone who no one seemed to recognize. Next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang was waving with a stiff expression.

    As the three of them greeted the people, an unusual sign caught Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eye.

    -Wee to DoUNo Club!

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks at you andughs.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> ps with the front hooves of the white horse.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what that message was about.

    ***

    "Do you know Underdog?" Jeong In-Chang joked.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong counterattacked with his own barb, ¡°Do you know Jeong In¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a little regrettable that nobody knows me.¡±

    But Jeong In-Chang avoided Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s anger by choosing to destroy himself first. It really was regrettable, however.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongforted him, ¡°You also were a great aid in the Battle at Catalyon Mountain, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, one was aware of his performance. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s performance had been ster, but Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s story had buried it. The Association didn¡¯t include a single line about Jeong In-Chang in the report.

    The reason was easy to guess.

    <i>¡®It was on purpose.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was from the Northern Army Guild, and now the Northern Army Guild had be a criminal group treated as a group of traitors within Korea. They must have made that decision after deciding that it wouldn¡¯t ever be beneficial for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was now renowned, to be linked with a Hunter from the Northern Army Guild.

    Finally, there was one other reason.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re also saying that he hasn''t reached their standards yet.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had received Odin¡¯s attention and was close to Heimdall, and had shown tremendous growth. However, unlike how he had grown, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s improvement hadn¡¯t been enough to catch the attention of the great seniors yet. Since they believed that Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t shown any reason to have them invest any further in him yet, it was clear that they had driven all of the achievements to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Jeong In-Chang asked, "What are you going to do now?"

    "Well¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to easily answer Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have any goals or ns.

    <i>¡®The problem is that I have too many.¡¯</i>

    Now that they had returned to Korea, there was a mountain of work to do. He had to prepare for the uing cataclysm and focus on clearing gates. Furthermore, he also had to meet with and formally join Asgard as he had sessfullypleted Odin''s test,

    <i>''I also have to get my weapons maintained and inspected.''</i>

    If he also told <i>that brat</i> the news about Park Yu-Jin, he would most likely be pleased as well.

    Furthermore, there was another pressing matter.

    <i>¡®I have to ascertain the state of my body.¡¯</i>

    The sh between the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone and the red ore had left behind side effects. The ck beads resulting from it still remained in his body. Although there hadn¡¯t been any significant problems stemming from them so far, it was impossible to tell if any problems would arise in the future. He also had to find a solution for it.

    <i>¡®Nile.¡¯</i>

    Then there were also still issues that remained with the Nile. He didn¡¯t know what he would be able to do about it due to all the other things he had to get done.

    Those were the problems in front of him.

    "Ah."

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke as if he had thought of something. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes lit up in anticipation.

    "I want to move."

    "Pardon?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified, ¡°This house is a rental apartment. It¡¯s not bad, but I¡¯ve always wanted to own my own house since I was little.¡±

    "¡­"

    As if it was apletely unexpected answer, Jeong In-Chang stood there frozen, his eyes open wide like the mouth of a goldfish. But he soon came to his senses and said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang must havee to a decision about something.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move separately for the time being."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up in shock at his sudden words. "What brought on this decision?"

    Jeong In-Chang exined, ¡°There¡¯s what George said, as well as¡­ raiding gates with you, Mr. Lee, is more than enjoyable and highly efficient. However, there are things that I wanted to try on my own.¡±

    There was something different. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s gaze seemed to indicate that he had found a clue. After thinking about it for a while, Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. "All right."

    There was nothing bad toe of it. He was already beginning to feel as though he would have to start hunting again by himself anyway. If anything, it was bing a concern that he had barely used his full strength while hunting with Jeong In-Chang. The trust he had in the sturdy iron wall protecting him had be a shackle for him.

    ¡°Although it''s a little sad¡­ it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t meet at all,¡± said Jeong In-Chang.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang continued with a meaningful expression as if he was saying farewell at a momentous parting, ¡°...next time, you have to introduce me to a woman too.¡±

    "¡­"

    ***

    When Jeong In-Chang left, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to wee another guest.

    "Long time no see."

    A man stood in front of the door with a teary-eyed expression, staring directly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Mr. Lee¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was flustered by the stare, so he took a step back at the sight of the man, who seemed as if he was about to rush forward to hug him.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    He wondered if maybe something had happened while he wasn''t there. Perhaps it could have been Odin. He wondered if that person had gotten a hold of the man in front of him. But no matter how many scenarios he ran through, he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He was speechless. Just why was the man in front of him, Kim Su-Yeong, crying?

    ¡°You¡¯re not throwing me away just because you¡¯re famous, are you¡­?¡± the other man sobbed.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong continued tearfully, "Is that so¡­ Now, Mr. Lee¡¯s reputation has reached Hero Grade, you''ve be too big to rely on a low-end employee like me..."

    "Ha¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed at Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s severely hurt reaction and wondered to himself, <i>¡®I mean, why is it that all of the men around me are like Jeong In-Chang?¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t know Kim Su-Yeong was like that as well¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. As long as you handle your work well, I¡¯ll continue to request you to be assigned to me in the future, Mr. Kim.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ Are you sure?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked hesitantly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong restrained the urge to roll his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡±

    As if he had resolved himself, Kim Su-Yeong changed his expression and bowed forward deeply.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care from now on as well!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t understand the other man¡¯s reaction either. His fame had risen to where it should have been, and he would soon be a part of Asgard. As such, his sry and the level of his dedicated staff would rise ordingly.

    However, he couldn¡¯t trust any of these new benefits.

    In the first ce, he had no intention of swapping out Kim Su-Yeong. All of those who woulde in the future would be Odin¡¯s people. Even now, Odin most likely was trying to keep an eye on him at all times. He didn¡¯t want to keep a spy next to him all the time.

    "But what did youe here for?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. He had only just returned and hadn¡¯t even had the opportunity to unpack his luggage properly. There was no reason for his manager to havee to see him so suddenly.

    "Ah,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said as if he had just remembered the task he had been assigned. ¡°I¡¯ve received orders to take you to the Association President.¡±

    ¡®<i>If that was the case, you should have told me when you got here.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Mr. Kim.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong soon got ready and spoke to the manager.

    "I told you that you had to handle things properly if I was to continue relying on you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Although it was a threat made in jest, Kim Su-Yeong responded with a determination that felt as though he was about to even salute. Because the growth of the managed Hunter was hugely beneficial to the association staff in charge as well, he had no intention of letting Lee Jun-Kyeong go.

    ***

    "Wait, he defeated Heracles?"

    "Didn''t they say he was aplete monster?"

    "Apparently, they tremble just by hearing his name in Europe."

    As if they had nothing better to do, people had been talking about the hot issue all the time these days. The inte was buzzing as well.

    ¨CI mean, didn¡¯t they say that he¡¯s only been a Hunter for less than a year?

    ¨CThey say that it hasn¡¯t even been half a year.

    ¨CPOG¡­ And he even beat Heracles? Is this for real?

    ¨CIt could just be fake news by the Association.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was on everyone¡¯s lips, riding the stream of gossip. The Underdog was everywhere. The era of Heroes had just begun, and Hunters and Heroes attracted the same attention and poprity as celebrities, maybe even more so. They were like heroes who could only be seen in cartoons or movies.

    People were going crazy about these real-life Heroes.

    ¨CBy the way¡­

    And among them, there was one issue that was the hottest of them all.

    ¨CIs the Underdog¡¯s title, Underdog?

    ¨CProbably not. That should be a nickname.

    ¨CThat''s what I¡¯m saying. Is he really a Hero? Does he really not have a title?

    ¨CThat¡¯s true.

    It was a story about the Underdog¡¯s title.

    The birth of a Hero was signified by the title bestowed by their Sponsor. Therefore, when a hero was born, the Association of the country to which they belonged announced the birth of the Hero alongside the title they had been bestowed.

    However, this time it was different.

    The Underdog¡¯s title hadn¡¯t been announced. It was a strange thing in the current situation where the media was widely reporting that he had defeated Heracles.

    ¨COMG.

    ¨CThen does he not have a title?

    Then, an article posted by someone became the hot topic of conversation for a short while.

    ¨CHe¡¯s that strong even without a title, and he¡¯ll only get stronger once he gets a title.

    The Underdog hadn¡¯t been bestowed a title yet. He had defeated Heracles without the massive boost that a title offered.

    The article had be a forum for the interest and discussion of many people.

    ¨CThis post has been deleted.

    But, it soon disappeared. People couldn¡¯t understand why the article had disappeared. Eventually, they concluded that it had no credibility, so they searched for a new story.

    ***

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    It was a handsome middle-aged man in his forties, the eye patch he wore on one side as stylish as a high fashion item. However, that description would only be given by someone who wasn¡¯t aware of his identity. Anyone who knew his true identity would describe him as someone revered and respected.

    "What¡¯s your title?" he asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    It was the Association President, Jang Hyo-Jin. He had called Lee Jun-Kyeong over immediately after the Hunter had returned home. When asked what was going on, Jang Hyo-Jin just asked Lee Jun-Kyeong for his title.

    ¡°Even when I asked Yeo Seong-Gu, he wouldn¡¯t say anything. His eyes seemed to say he didn¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s single eye widened a little.

    ¡°By chance, do you not have a title?¡±

    Without a need for Lee Jun-Kyeong to say a single word, the Association President had hit right on the mark.

    ¡°...¡±

    He chuckled at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s silent appearance.

    "Haha¡­ The rumors were true."

    He was a Hero without a title. It meant that he hadn¡¯t even received a proper Hero¡¯s power yet.

    However, the report was unmistakable.

    <i>¡®He definitely defeated Heracles.¡¯</i>

    It meant that he had really defeated Heracles without the strength of a Hero. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s potential was truly that amazing.

    <i>¡®Bae Sang-Su¡­¡¯</i>

    The Association President remembered the words of the man who had been in charge of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s tutorial, that if it was Lee Jun-Kyeong, he might be able to reach the goal of the Association President.

    However, after having gotten the answer he needed, Jang Hyo-Jin brought up the main topic.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you over because of your title.¡±

    The light in his eyes had changed. Now, he wasn¡¯t the middle-aged man who had joked about whether or not Lee Jun-Kyeong had earned a title, nor was he the head of the Association in charge of all of Korea or even the head of arge organization.

    Now, he was¡­

    ¡°How did you break the restriction?¡±

    ¡­the King of Asgard.

    Odin.

    1. In Eastern countries, various four-character poems tell idioms and fables, generally taken as a form of advice.

    2. The term ¡®Do You Know¡¯ is a famous phrase in Korea. When older Koreans who don¡¯t know any English meet foreigners, they only know the words, Do you know, so they¡¯ll ask about Korean things to feel pride in their nation. The most famous ones are: Do you know Psy? Or, Do you know BTS?

 Chapter 58: Hyeon-Mu

    <h4>Chapter 58: Hyeon-Mu</h4>

    ¡°How did you break the restriction?¡± asked Odin. ¡°It was set to send a signal if you were in danger. However, there wasn¡¯t any sort of signal that was sent¡­¡±

    His eyepatch lit up for a moment, and Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the older man¡¯s mana rippling forth from his body.

    <i>¡®If I use the mana stream¡­¡¯</i>

    For some reason, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as if he would be able to resist it if he tried. However, he decided that revealing the mana stream this early wasn¡¯t a good decision yet, and let the mana wash over him.

    It felt like the mana was scouring him for something. It was a horrible feeling.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t know the restriction had that sort of power¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing still as he was being observed by the Association President¡¯s mana, and he furrowed his brow at the sensation. Although he hadn¡¯t released the restriction by choice, he had thought its only use was to surveil him and prevent him from making any unauthorized mentions of Asgard.

    However, it was even worse than he had thought. The restriction¡¯s abilities infuriated him.

    <i>¡®To think a signal would be sent to him.¡¯</i>

    At first nce, it seemed as though it had been a precaution as the Association President had been worried about him.

    <i>¡®It would mean that he would be able to find my location whenever he wanted.¡¯</i>

    But, if the restriction had the power to send a signal to him, it most likely could inform him of more than what he was letting on. Of course, there was a limit to the restrictions that Odin could cast, and Lee Jun-Kyeong also already knew how to avoid it.

    However, this wasn¡¯t the ce to worry about the specifics of the matter.

    <i>Tick tock, tick tock.</i>

    Even as Lee Jun-Kyeong had been pondering over the situation as time passed, Odin¡¯s mana continued to wash over Lee Jun-Kyeong. He shuddered for a moment. The feeling of the mana sweeping over him resembled the tongue of a savage beast.

    <i>Tap. Tap. Tap.</i>

    Odin tapped the table with his finger while the light behind the eyepatch dimmed. Soon after that, the mana that had covered Lee Jun-Kyeong had disappeared.

    "What is this¡­"

    Odin was bbergasted.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked innocently, "What seems to be the problem?"

    "There¡¯s no problem with the restriction. What¡¯s going on?" the older man eximed in astonishment. Lee Jun-Kyeong basked in Odin¡¯s bbergasted expression.

    <i>¡®If it were the Demon King in my spot, he would burst intoughter.¡¯</i>

    Odin was a person who was always cool-headed and sought to gather all the knowledge of the world. If it were to satisfy his curiosity, to satisfy his desire for exploration, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sleep with an enemy. It was even to the point where he would be willing to care for and nurture his most bitter rival.

    This was a man whose bewilderment was by no means easy to see.

    ¡°Just how exactly¡­¡±

    Odin seemed to have gotten lost in his own thoughts. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t interrupt him as he didn¡¯t want to interrupt the man¡¯s thoughts¡ªno, he didn¡¯t want to break Odin¡¯s interest in him.

    ¡°Was it not severe enough to be a crisis¡­? Even the battle against Heracles¡­?¡±

    The restriction was definitely still there. Therefore, if there had been a crisis, a signal should have been sent out. However, the absence of the signal meant that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been in a situation that could have been called a crisis.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure what you¡¯re speaking of, sir,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said,pletely acting the fool.

    ¡°How interesting,¡± Odin replied. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response worked out perfectly¡ªno, even more so than that. Odin¡¯s eye bulged out of its socket as if unable to hide its desire.

    The older man conceded, ¡°Okay. How rude of me. That could not have been a good experience. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡±

    He hadpletely changed his tone. He immediately got up from his seat, approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, and then spoke while putting a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°You passed the test with flying colors. Quite frankly, you surpassed the test itself. Thanks to you, Olympus has suffered another blow. Your actions were something that no one could have foreseen, nor was it something anyone could have expected from you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a slight warmth emanating from Odin¡¯s hand.

    "Wee to Asgard."

    At that instant, their surroundings suddenly warped.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    Aftering to his senses, Lee Jun-Kyeong was astonished by the sights in front of him.

    Odin announced proudly, ¡°This is the City of Gold, Asgard.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°This is our headquarters.¡±

    It was Odin''s realm.

    ***

    They were a unique and unbelievably powerful breed of Hunters as they were Hunters with incredible strength that should have been impossible at that time. Still, in line with the bnce of the world and the whims of their cruel Sponsors, there was a secret to where their power came from and a reason as to how they were able to hold such strength.

    Causality.

    <i>¡®There must be a cause for there to be an effect.¡¯</i>

    No power was ever given for free. Take the Hunters, for example. Hunters would have to fight a bloody battle in order to win some interest from their Sponsors, and some evil Sponsors would even make themmit actions like murder.

    A person could only gain strength by oveing thesebors and handling them. In that way, <i>¡®they were no different.¡¯</i>

    There was a good reason why the first Hunters held the power to shape and mold hidden organizations.

    "This is my realm, as well as the realm of Asgard,¡± Odin said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was looking around with wide eyes.

    Odin then asked, ¡°Do you know what a realm is?¡± However, Lee Jun-Kyeong again chose to be silent. That was the best way to deal with Odin.

    [Don''t give him any answers.]

    He chose to force him to imagine it, to decide, and judge on his own. That was the most optimal way to deal with the knowledge-crazy Odin.

    "Good."

    Odin patted Lee Jun-Kyeong on the shoulder again and slowly started walking forward.

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Lee Jun-Kyeong was very surprised. Generally, the size of a realm was proportional to a Hunter¡¯s strength, and the size of the gigantic Asgard made it easy to see Odin¡¯s deeply hidden strength.

    It wasparable in size to Seoul, and the vast space was filled with golden castles. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if the other rulers of the secret organizations had something like this as well. Comparatively, Bifrost was almost to the point of being shabby.

    <i>¡®When will I¡­ be able to possess a realm.¡¯</i>

    Although it was a little too far-fetched of a fantasy for someone who hadn¡¯t even earned a title yet, to Lee Jun-Kyeong, having his own perfect space had special merit. Furthermore, although it would be difficult for him to obtain a realm, he had the drive and desire to bear the burden.

    ¡°In Asgard, there are both Hunters you know and don¡¯t know. Many Hunters have joined Asgard and they work toward¡­¡± Odin looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong before he continued wistfully, ¡°Well, we work for the world. It¡¯s a long and lonely fight, a fight that even now, we may never know exactly how long it wouldst.¡±

    His face hardened, and he returned to his dignified appearance before he spoke again sternly, "Congrattions once again. For entering Asgard, I mean."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself rather than answering.

    <i>¡®Bull shit.¡¯</i>

    To think he would say it was for the world, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that it would have been better if Odin had died than to have him tell a lie like that.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt dizzy for a moment when Odin had asked about the restriction. Even though he had prepared various countermeasures against the Association President, his gaze seemed to have still pierced through him somehow. In the end, the older man had still been deceived.

    <i>''Am I supposed to thank Merlin?''</i>

    It was all due to one of the functions of the ne that Merlin had given him. The ne had the power to make many things possible, and it had a specific function that aided in deceiving someone, one strong enough that even Odin was tricked.

    <i>¡®I mean, it¡¯s a form of bondage as well.¡¯</i>

    But, it was a form of restriction in its own right. Whether it was what he had received in return for the negotiation, or the duties he had been entrusted with, if he didn¡¯t fulfill the tasks, he might end up in a worse situation than he had endured from Odin¡¯s restriction.

    However, he wasn¡¯t worried.

    <i>¡®I just have to do my job well.¡¯</i>

    The restriction on the ne wasn¡¯t tailored for him. No, it was meant for what Merlin was looking for. As long as he didn¡¯te into contact with it, the ne would never harm him.

    <i>¡°I¡¯ll grant you your first mission as a member of Asgard.¡±</i>

    Like with all secret organizations, Asgard was hidden within the shadows. Although the name ¡®Asgard¡¯ wasn¡¯t one that stood out, it was a name used ostensibly in handling the affairs of the Hunter Association and raising its status.

    <i>¡°And, someday, when the timees, we¡¯ll reveal ourselves.¡±</i>

    Not as a secret organization secretly manipting the world, but as heroes who had secretly banded together to protect the world from harm.

    It was funny. If Lee Jun-Kyeong had met Odin without already knowing everything and had spoken to him while being unaware, he might have been swayed by his ideals and beliefs. However, he already knew the truth.

    ¡°That corrupted conviction of his¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mused over Odin¡¯s words. To think the Association President had said that his conviction was for the world. When a conviction transformed into something twisted and deformed, could it still be called a conviction? He shook his head at the thought.

    Kim Su-Yeong interrupted his musings, ¡°Hunter Lee?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got out of the car.

    <i>¡°The manager, Kim Su-Yeong, does a great job. I don¡¯t have any memories from before I became a Hunter, so he¡¯s like family to me.¡±</i>

    He had said that to Odin, which led to him granting his request. Not only was Kim Su-Yeong promoted, but he was also to continue managing his affairs in the future. His role had changed and now he was Jun-Kyeong¡¯s personal manager, transitioning away from the other Hunters he had had under his purview.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally said, "Mr. Kim.¡±

    "Yes?"

    ¡°There¡¯s something I wanted to ask you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he followed Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s directions. ¡°Mr. Kim, what would you do if someone told you to betray me?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    As if the sudden question flustered him, Kim Su-Yeong stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°Please, answerfortably. I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯ve betrayed me,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong assured.

    "Ah¡­ I¡­"

    The other man stuttered for a moment, trying to think of an answer. Then, as if he had decided on a conviction at that moment, he responded, the light in his eyes showing his determination, ¡°That sort of thing will never ur.¡±

    ¡°What if someone offered you millions or even billions of dors?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong countered.

    It was actually a feasible scenario. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s worth was still skyrocketing, and there were plenty of people who were jealous of him as a powerful Hunter. In fact, there were probably even forces that would want to subdue him. In the future, his enemies would only increase. For Kim Su-Yeong, as someone who would stand by the side of someone like that, he would receive such offers countless times.

    "I will not betray you," Kim Su-Yeong affirmed.

    "What if the President¡­" Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped himself and took a moment to consider deeply before continuing, "No, what if it was the Association President that told you to betray me? What would happen in that case?¡±

    Eventually, Kim Su-Yeong had had enough. ¡°Are you a what-if person, Mr. Lee?¡±

    ¡°A what-if person¡­?¡±

    ¡°You keep asking questions about things that would never happen. This could only ever lead to issues. I will never betray you. Even if someone held a knife to my throat,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said with exasperation and started walking again.

    Behind him, Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself, ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case. I hope there will never be a day I will have to cut you off, Mr. Kim.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong stopped for a moment, but quickly hurried forward once again.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll give you everything as long as you do well for me.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a promise as he looked at the other man¡¯s departing back.

    Eventually, they were able to reach their destination.

    "It''s the Underdog!"

    "Wow, it really is the Underdog!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a lot of things he had to do after returning to Korea, but after joining Asgard and being given his first mission by Odin, all of his ns had to be reversed.

    <i>¡®Well, this was something I had to handle anyway.¡¯</i>

    If the mission were something that was pointless or unnecessary, then he would have rejected it. But, the mission he had been given fit perfectly into the tasks he had nned.

    ¡°Are we really raiding the gate with the Underdog?¡±

    It was a gate raid. More specifically, it was to raid a gate with Hunters he didn¡¯t know.

    <i>¡°There are many who doubt your strength. You¡¯ll have to gradually dispel such doubts and firmly establish your position, especially as you haven¡¯t earned a title yet.¡±</i>

    Although it was Odin¡¯s words, he was right. The Association President¡¯s ideals may have been wrong, but his insight, management, and mercenary skills were unmatched. At any rate, there was one other reason Lee Jun-Kyeong was willing to participate in the gate raid.

    <i>¡®I need to verify my condition.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he had undergone many changes while he was at the Catalyon Mountain Gate. However, he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to try to use his strength, nor was he able to verify if there were any problems that had arisen. So the gate raid would be a great help in clearing up his doubts.

    ¡°Do you think you could sign this for me?¡±

    There was a crowd rushing towards him. It may have been different if it was the general public, but all those who wanted to talk to him were Hunters.

    ¡°My name is Choi Su-Yeong from Chorong Guild!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you could sign this for me too?¡±

    They were the ones with whom he would be raiding the gate, so Lee Jun-Kyeong paused for a moment and tried to decline, ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t made a signature yet¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay! You can just write my name down!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    However, the Hunters persisted. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to sign their names.

    ¡°Kyaaaa!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as if everything was surreal as he saw people who had be his fans. There were more people interested in him as a person than the fact that he had defeated Heracles, and he found it confounding that their interest came from a ce of goodwill.

    Of course, there were also those that were jealous.

    ¡°Tsk. Wasn¡¯t he just lucky? Who did they say his Sponsor was?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the rumor? He only got there because the Association President pushed for it.¡±

    ¡°I also heard rumors that they paid Heracles and asked him to lose.¡±

    Regarding those stupid rumors, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the time or the openmindedness to pay attention to them. Instead, he looked over at the maliciously whispering Hunters.

    <i>¡®Illusion. A fear strong enough to make them abandon their weapons.¡¯</i>

    He stroked the ne, and soon, amotion arose.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    "M..Mom!"

    ¡°I¡­ I messed up! Dad!!!¡±

    He could see them making a riot as if they were terrified.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> apuds your childishness.]

    1. President of Korea.

 Chapter 59: Hyeon-Mu Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 59: Hyeon-Mu Pt. 2</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was utterly bored to death. If he hadn¡¯t realized it before he had arrived, he realized it after what had happened a little while ago, when he had decided to show an illusion with Merlin¡¯s ne.

    <i>¡®They actually cried for their parents. Even now, it seems as though they¡¯re still scared of their parents.¡¯</i>

    He was speaking about the Hunters who had cried for their mother and father, and as stated earlier, they were the ones who would enter the gate with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Wow..."

    They had only just be Hunters, and were basically children who had barely reached adulthood. Since they would be rated together, it meant that the gate they were to enter was graded low.

    <i>¡®F-Grade.¡¯</i>

    In fact, they were going to the Goblin Vige. The Association and the Underdog were basically holding an event in the name of hunting, capitalizing on the current public opinion of the Underdog that was rising day after day. It was meant to be done together with people who would be perfect for raising the rumors.

    <i>''To think this is the first mission Asgard had nned for me.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Still, while there were some that stood admiring the surroundings of the first gate they had entered and others that blustered about thendscape, there were some Hunters that didn¡¯t look half bad.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be moving on just the way you learned. Don¡¯t ever let yourself rx here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he lurched forward and walked away from the door.

    ¡°All you have to do is move forward slowly.¡±

    Either way, they had entered the gate alongside Association staff. The Association didn¡¯t send these newbie Hunters in to hunt.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Instead, they were all here to disy the power held by a Hero-Rank Hunter. The mes in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand shot forward.

    <i>¡®Reign of Fire has gotten much better.¡¯</i>

    Both the temperature and heat retention were better than before, and it seemed as though Reign of Fire had risen in level.

    A newbie Hunter gasped, "Wow..."

    "Will we be able to learn that skill too?" asked another.

    ¡°I mean, our Guild Master should be at that level too?¡±

    "Don''t say stupid shit.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he had utterly be a clown. He would have rather been back in the Catalyon Mountain Gate and been a clown there.

    <i>¡®At least back there, I was able to be a spectator eventually.¡¯</i>

    But, if he repeated what he had done at the Catalyon Mountain Gate now, the new Hunters would surely die. There was no reason, nor did he have any intentions, of doing anything of that sort here. So, Lee Jun-Kyeong just diligently continued his work.

    <i>¡®Next is¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>Swish!</i>

    He moved like the wind. His stats had been temporarily diminished following the events at the Catalyon Mountain Gate, but, as time passed, they had gradually begun to return to their original values. Now, they had risen to a higher value than they originally had been. Although they weren¡¯t at their new, maximum possible values, his body was still much lighter and more alert than before.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s faster.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out Muspel''s Spear, but he soon put it back into his inventory.

    ¡°...¡±

    An unpleasant memory arose from looking at it. Until he was able to have Park Jae-Hyun inspect it, he thought that he should refrain from using the spear. In its ce, he began to make a move.

    ¡°<i>Keeeeeh</i>.¡±

    ¡°<i>Keeughk!</i>¡±

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    He punched the goblins that had set out the arsonists who had set fires. Their weapons were never able to reach Lee Jun-Kyeong, and he hunted them all down, asionally using his fire to kill them. Although he was here, ying a clown for the new Hunters, he was still earning some experience.

    Of course, it was only a very minute amount, so minuscule to the point where it barely left a mark.

    <i>¡®Is this how Heracles feels?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he could finally understand what Heracles thought at all times, having to fight as if he was ying with countless weak beings.

    <i>¡®It''s a little¡­¡¯</i>

    If he had to repeat this sort of fight every time, even he would begin to want to take some risks. And he was someone who prioritized safety over all else! After a few minutes passed¡­

    [The gate has been cleared.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you a small amount of stats in honor of your clown persona.]

    Well, at least the endeavor wasn¡¯t without any ie.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finished the first mission he had been given by Asgard. Without even taking the time to ask Odin forpensation, he headed toward a gate.

    "Are you raiding another gate?" someone asked.

    There was a B-Grade Gate that had appeared nearby. It had appeared so suddenly that no one had reserved it yet.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s moderate enough.¡¯</i>

    It was a gate that wasn¡¯t ranked so highly that he wouldn¡¯t be able to run away in case of some sudden situation. He was pretty confident that he would be able to clear alone. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong went straight to the gate without a break.

    ¡°Clearing something of that level didn¡¯t take any strength,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded. He felt zero fatigue after finishing the F-Grade gate. As the gate raid had been sessful and he had obtained more than adequate verification of his skills, he felt as though he should try a real gate now.

    "I''ll be back."

    There were reasons why he had decided to head to the gate immediately, even though he wasn¡¯t able to use Muspel¡¯s Spear, and he had many other things to do.

    [You have entered the Graveyard of the Dead.]

    The first reason was that the gate that had appeared nearby was an undead type.

    "Hyeon-Mu,¡± he called.

    The second reason was that Hyeon-Mu had woken up.

    "Go ahead."

    The third reason was that Hyeon-Mu had a new ability.

    When a Familiar was said to be sleeping, it didn¡¯t mean death or the sleep that most people would think of. Rather, it was a stepping stone for growth. Typically, a Familiar would grow through sponsorship or by coincidence.

    <i>¡®It looks like it¡¯s reached the level.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s special ability was the yer. Furthermore, his Familiar, Hyeon-Mu, was an exception to other Familiars. A Familiar would inherit some of the characteristics of their owner. That was why Hyeon-Mu was also able to raise its level by hunting monsters and had now reached the required level for growth.

    ¨CI have received your orders.

    But, as if its personality was still the same as before, it answered reliably and began to fly around.

    ¨CI don''t see any suitable materials, but...

    "Hmm..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that meant that it had its own tastes. He eventually took a step forward, moving for the sake of raiding the gate. Unlike the F-Grade Gate, which couldn¡¯t even make him properly use even ten percent of his power, let alone require a strategy, the Graveyard of the Dead was a decent hunting ground.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    He muttered to himself, ¡°It feels pretty nice to hit.¡±

    It was also a good ce for him to gauge his level of stats and physical condition. The Graveyard of the Dead was filled with skeletons, ghouls, and duhans.

    <i>¡®The undead are high-level monsters.¡¯</i>

    Although there were those who thought that the undead would be low-grade monsters due to preconceptions formed from movies and such, most of the various undead were actually high-grade monsters, with the exception of zombies. They were monsters that didn¡¯t die easily, and were basically an immortal legion that would live forever unless a Hunter had a specific skill or a weapon.

    "Is this what they call death mana?"

    When he looked at his surroundings through the mana stream, he saw that the gate was full of an energy that he had never seen before. It wasn¡¯t mana, nor was it the demonic mana that he had seen at the Catalyon Mountain Gate. It was a little more murky and insidious. Some said that there was another type of corrupted mana in the habitat of the undead, death mana or death energy. That energy would constantly umte, damaging and fatiguing a Hunter.

    He cocked his head to the side. ¡°It looks like I¡¯m fine¡­?¡±

    Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong had confirmed the existence of death energy, for some reason, he couldn''t feel the burden death energy gave at all. He wondered if the rumor was wrong.

    <i>¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t have been just a rumor. Regardless of their level, many hunters had suffered the effects of death energy.

    He grinned. ¡°As expected, it looks like I have the same constitution as the Demon King."

    That was also a part of why he hade. Just to check the possibility that he could have been like the Demon King. The Demon King was a special person, a man whose existence itself was unaffected by death energy.

    <i>¡®That was how he must have led his undead corps.¡¯</i>

    But the Demon King¡¯s ability was neither from a sponsorship nor his special ability, so Lee Jun-Kyeong just thought it was something the Demon King had been born with. He had assumed it wouldn¡¯t have been the same for him.

    <i>¡®What the hell is this body...?¡¯</i>

    At that moment, the questions he had been holding back suddenly bubbled forth again, but he had to swallow them back down.

    ¨CI found it, master.

    He would have to think about themter. Lee Jun-Kyeong then turned his head towards Hyeon-Mu.

    ¨CWould you please take down that gang of skeletons?

    At Hyeon-Mu¡¯s courteous request, Lee Jun-Kyeong hit the ground running.

    "Of course."

    ***

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    He could hear grotesque sounds all around him. He ignored them and closed his eyes. Once the monsters had been dealt with to some extent, the mana of the gate, which had been chaotic, began to restore itself.

    Both death energy and demonic mana were floating around the gate, seemingly mixing into one another and repelling away at the same time.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then found something that surprised him.

    ¡°<i>Haa...</i>"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed in deeply. Then, the death energy that was rampant through the gate entered into his mouth and traveled toward his neck.

    <i>Cough.</i>

    He felt pain in his throat. He had forcefully swallowed the death energy using his mana stream, and it was absorbed by the ck bead in his neck, almost as if it had been sucked in. After a while, the ck bead spit back out the death energy it couldn¡¯t swallow.

    [Purification will be used.]

    The passive skill, Purification, was activated, and the death energy that started to spread throughout his body began to dissipate. All that was left were the ck beads, seemingly charged with death energy. But he still didn¡¯t understand how to use them.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡±

    He vomited blood as he tried to force the ck beads to move. He could feel it, and he knew he would have to find someone who could uncover what these ck beads were as soon as possible.

    <i>¡®It won¡¯t be easy, though¡­¡¯</i>

    Of course, he had considered asking Merlin for help, but soon decided against it. Merlin wasn¡¯t an ally. They were just working together in a temporary alliance after their negotiations.

    <i>Rattle! Rattle!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called the source of the continuous distracting sounds that wouldn¡¯t end.

    "Hyeon-Mu."

    ¨CMy apologies. It was because I haven¡¯t found everything that was to my liking yet¡­

    Hyeon-Mu apologized, but the noises still continued for quite a while, and finally, the sounds stopped.

    ¨CIt isplete.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over to the side.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¨CWhat is the matter, Master?

    "Is that... is that all?¡± he asked.

    ¨CYes, but... It seems as though Master must not be satisfied with my appearance.

    There, a skeleton stood, oddly, with a tiny head. Hyeon-Mu had always been floating in the air, but it had informed him that this newfound growth had given it the power to form a body. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had entered the undead type-gate, and here was where Hyeon-Mu had begun to make its body.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head. "Isn¡¯t your head too small?"

    ¨CI see.

    However, it seemed as though Hyeon-Mu had made a mistake, but eventually, it tried again.

    ¨CHow is this one?

    "This time it''s too big¡­.¡±

    ¨CI see¡­

    They stood in that manner, repeating their conversation over and over again for a long time before Lee Jun-Kyeong stoppedining. Finally, he approved of the skull¡¯s choice.

    ¡°You sort of look like one now.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu had be strikingly simr to the skeletons they had hunted within the dungeon. But, its pose was different from the rest. One of its eyes emitted a bluish glow that gradually turned murky and dark. Eventually, the light in its eye settled with a dark blue tinge.

    ¡°...¡±

    "Now, show me. Your strengthed ability."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the growth in Hyeon-Mu wasn¡¯t just limited to the ability to construct a body. The skeleton bowed at the order as if it was a chauffeur and began to move.

    ¨CI have received your orders.

    <i>Rattle, rattle.</i>

    The dark blue glow in its eye deepened, and the skeletons that Hyeon-Mu had collected to construct its body began to rise.

 Chapter 60: Hyeon-Mu Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 60: Hyeon-Mu Pt. 3</h4>

    <i>Rattle!</i>

    An unusual sight unfolded in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong, and it was something so rare that it couldn¡¯t easily be seen even if someone paid money.

    <i>Rattle!</i>

    These skeletons made the sound of grinding bones every time they moved, and they were the source of the weird noises. They moved without rest, swinging their swords relentlessly while taking down their fellow undead. However, on closer inspection, there were signs that they were different from the skeletons around them.

    <i>Rattle!</i>

    The normal white skeletons were being hunted by skeletons with bones that glowed a dark blue. They seemed simr, but they were different in every way, even down to the stats. The ones that glowed were much faster and much more powerful.

    <i>Rattle¡­</i>

    However, one of the blue skeletons copsed.

    <i>¡®It can''t be helped, it was outnumbered.¡¯</i>

    Although the blue skeletons were definitely more refined than the white skeletons and superior in all respects, they were significantly inferior in number. There were well over a hundred white skeletons, while there were only seven of the blue skeletons, or at least, there were seven before one had been attacked.

    <i>¡®Would it be six now?¡¯</i>

    The six blue skeletons began to be pushed back even though only one of them had fallen, their bones falling off and being reattached repeatedly. Although the fight seemed to being to an end¡­

    ¨CIt''s not over yet.

    The white skeletons didn''t have amander, while the blue skeletons did. The leader was a skeleton that had been protected by the six blue skeletons so far. The only difference between them was the dark blue glow emitting from one of its eyes.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiar made its move. It was different from the other blue skeletons. Instead of wielding a crude sword and shield, it carried nothing. However, its hands were glowing with blue light.

    <i>Hahahaha!</i>

    A light gleamed within the dark cemetery. Waves of blue and ck that seemed toe from the abyss soon swept away the white skeletons that had an overwhelming numerical advantage.

    <i>Rattle!</i>

    The blue skeletons quickly moved to take care of the stragglers.

    <i>p, p, p.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong apuded at the scene.

    <i>Clink.</i>

    Soon the skeletons started to fall apart, leaving behind a single skeleton that stood remaining, Hyeon-Mu.

    ¨CWas it to your liking?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it was a joke when it was only a skull that floated around, but looking at it now, it was quite different. Although it was still the same skull, seeing it move around with a body, whether it was its attitude or its mannerisms, it seemed very archaic.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled. "I''m satisfied."

    Whether it was with Hyeon-Mu¡¯s growth, newfound ability, or all of it, he was truly satisfied.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled broadly, and Hyeon-Mu''s dark blue eyes curved up into a grin.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the bracelet on his wrist. It was a grotesque bracelet decorated with two skeletons. Still, looking at it now, he felt as if it was a treasure worth billions.

    <i>¡®I wasn¡¯t satisfied before, but¡­¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky. The Familiars that would be gifted by a Sponsor were generally impossibly strong and unmatched. However, A Skull That Contains Souls, the Familiar he had been gifted by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, was only gaudy from the very beginning, as was Hyeon-Mu, who had appeared at the end.

    <i>¡®There were many shorings.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t shown much anticipation of its future growth, but, from the very beginning, there was a difference between the other impossibly strong and unmatched Familiars and Hyeon-Mu. His Familiar had no particrly defining abilities beyond its control of water and a fairly decent hunting aid. However, this Hyeon-Mu had ended its first growth and had transformed into somethingpletely different. It was a change so great that it shook Lee Jun-Kyeong to the core.

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s power to raise skeletons was originally supposed to be an Authority. Although it wasn¡¯t able to raise many, it was simr to an Authority that the Demon King had. In fact, the Demon King was able to raise an army of undead. However, that army was not raised not by the power of a Familiar, but by the power of the Demon King itself.

    This power was why people and Hunters had called him the Demon King. However, unlike the Demon King, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the ability to create an undead army by himself. He had been hoping that someday, <The Sky of the Apocalypse> would give him a simr Authority.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu, how many skeletons can you maintain at the same time?¡¯</i>

    ¨C As you can see, currently, the maximum is seven.

    Hyeon-Mu had obtained the ability to create skeletons, but it was still not powerful enough to form an army. Fortunately, there was another, better difference between its power and the Demon King¡¯s.

    ¨C The skeletons will share experience and my ability.

    These undead were not foot soldiers that would move as a troop, but rather, they were a small group of elites.

    <i>¡®All right.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t disappointed.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls is currently disabled.]

    A Skull that Contains Souls still remained as it had formed again after the birth of Hyeon-Mu. He wasn¡¯t sure how many of these would form, but it seemed they would form a party of elites.

    <i>¡®Even with two, it looks like I¡¯ve earned some great party members.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, it was a party formed by Familiars that would never stab him in the back. It was an ideal end result, precisely what he had wanted.

    "Hyeon-Mu,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out. He looked straight into the skull¡¯s eyes.

    "You''ll have to hunt hard from now on,¡± he said in a hopeful voice.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had joined Asgard, verified Hyeon-Mu¡¯s ability after its growth, and had ascertained his current physical condition.

    <i>¡®What¡¯s left is¡­¡¯</i>

    There was another thing that he had to do, and it was the most pressing matter too.

    <i>¡®Muspel''s Spear.¡¯</i>

    It was the thing he couldn¡¯t be without now¡ªa weapon.

    He had to go show Muspel¡¯s Spear to Park Jae-Hyun.

    <i>¡®I have to identify the ck beads as well.¡¯</i>

    It was imperative that he identified the ck beads that were stuck in his body and showed no signs of movement. They were unusual, strange, and grotesque. Furthermore, they were something that even he didn¡¯t know. And that was considering the fact that he had a bank of knowledge that even a schr would be proud of.

    After all, he had information about the future and from the Book of the Demon King. The strangest part of them was that he was able to feel <i>them</i> while he was in the undead dungeon that he had entered for Hyeon-Mu.

    <i>¡®They swallowed death energy.¡¯</i>

    The ck beads devoured death energy, which was an ability that most Hunters couldn¡¯t use. In fact, even only a few Hunters could handle death energy. It wasn¡¯t the concept of purifying or recing it with mana, either. They just swallowed it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that there weren¡¯t any changes to the ck beads after they devoured the death energy. He had checked them over and over again with his mana stream. The ck beads were clearly charged with death energy, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t feel any traces of it. It was an iprehensible situation. He had decided that regardless of the identity of the ck beads, he had to find out quickly. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself there again.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    As expected, <i>he</i> didn¡¯te to answer the door, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had to push the door open without saying a word.

    <i>Screech.</i>

    The unlocked door opened. Soon, he ran into Park Jae-Hyun.

    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>

    Like always, Park Jae-Hyun stood smithing. He kept hammering furiously as if he was concentrating heavily on the task at hand. Lee Jun-Kyeong found a quiet corner to sit down in and settled down so as not to disturb him.

    <i>¡®I can see it now.¡¯</i>

    There were more than a few things he noticed after returning to the smithy after undergoing growth. Not only did he feel as though the grade of the weapons around him were higher than he had initially thought, but also he thought that Park Jae-Hyun''s mana was denser than he had imagined.

    There was another thing.

    <i>¡®Is that the ability of cksmiths?¡¯</i>

    Just like how not just any Hunter could be a cksmith, he had also heard that cksmiths, who had to mold mana, needed special skills.

    <i>¡®So the mana flows into the iron and the mes ording to how they hammer.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to see the secret once he activated his mana stream and felt as though he could imitate it as well, even if it would be a bit clumsy.

    [You have discovered mana infusion.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed to himself at the notification.

    ¡°Huh? What is this.¡±

    Then, the man had caught sight of him.

    "Long time no see,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong greeted.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong for a long time, and then all of a sudden, Park Jae-Hyun asked a question, "Are you really famous?"

    ¡°¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong was taken aback.

    The smith then asked, "They called you the Underdog?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blushed. Although nicknames were a necessary part of earning fame, they often embarrassed the person involved. Lee Jun-Kyeong was no different.

    <i>¡®They keep calling me Underdog, underdog, to the point that I feel like a dog¡­¡¯</i>

    Truthfully, he was feeling strange due to the nickname that included the word dog.

    ¡°I heard you beat Heracles, too?¡± Park Jae-Hyun asked.

    ¡°It looks like you watch TV,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, trying to change the subject.

    The smith shrugged. "Yeah. Well, wait for a minute for now.¡±

    However, Park Jae-Hyun just started hammering once again, and it was only after some time that he couldplete the weapon he had been working on.

    ***

    "What is this¡­"

    Park Jae-Hyun was as flustered as the time when he had first seen the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    He was inspecting every inch of Muspel¡¯s Spear after Lee Jun-Kyeongid it down.

    "It could be dangerous,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to him as he recalled some bad memories.

    Park Jae-Hyun retorted," All weapons are dangerous. If you''re trying to find something that''s not dangerous, go visit ¡®DaisOh.¡¯¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his mouth. Despite Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s repeated warnings, the smith repeatedly inspected Muspel¡¯s Spear with eyes full of curiosity.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ What the hell did you do to this spear?¡± he finally asked.

    To be honest, Lee Jun-Kyeong was afraid of the ax-eyed Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s reaction.

    He muttered, "I spread something on it¡­¡±

    But he couldn¡¯t lie about it. It would only be fixable if the smith knew its exact condition. Weapons were just like humans.

    "So what was it?" Park Jae-Hyun asked slyly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded hesitantly, "You wouldn''t know even if I told you¡­ it was an ore that shines red."

    The smith blinked. ¡°Um¡­ something like a ruby? No, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. What, the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone you brought before? Is it something like that?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sheepishly replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that it was something as unique as the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.¡±

    ¡°Then..." Park Jae-Hyun continued while lifting Muspel¡¯s Spear, ¡°That must be the secret behind how you beat Heracles.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Heracles was defeated by the spear that I had made,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said to himself.

    ¡°<i>Pfft¡­</i>¡± The smith began to chuckle before eximing with genuine delight, ¡°Hahahaha! Good! Good! It looks like there was some good in smithing you a weapon.¡±

    "Yu-Jin would want toe back if she knew this!"

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He then put down Muspel¡¯s Spear and looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had thought of something.

    "Ah! You''re famous, right?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grimaced. "Well, that¡¯s..."

    "Do¡­ and you have a rtionship with the Association?" Park Jae-Hyun asked.

    "Something like that¡­?¡±

    To think he would suddenly shift to asking these sorts of questions after crazilyughing while inspecting Muspel¡¯s Spear. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that Park Jae-Hyun was even weirder today than usual.

    "Then..." But his question soon followed. "Can you find a person?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed.

    Park Jae-Hyun hastily interjected, "I''ll make sure to pay you back. I have some money saved up... It was a little hard to find someone I could trust."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong briefly pondered if he should just tell him the truth. But he wasn¡¯t such a fool as to give away free stuff. "What kind of reward?"

    The smith frowned. "Money? Or... Is there anything you want? If you find that brat, I¡¯ll do one favor that you want.¡±

    ¡°This is a promise, right?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong slyly.

    ¡°Are you going to find her for me?¡± Park Jae-Hyun asked, his eyes shining.

    "If you promise me a reward,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded blithely.

    "Yes! As long as you don¡¯t ask me to give you my life or to do something weird, I¡¯ll do whatever you want!¡±

    At his wild offer, Lee Jun-Kyeong briefly pondered whatpensation to expect.

    <i>¡®Should I ask him to make me armor?¡±</i>

    No, the smith would make him armor as long as he brought him any items that would satisfy him.

    <i>¡®Money?¡¯</i>

    No, he already was overflowing with it. So far, he¡¯d only been targeting gates, and he hadn¡¯t had a single moment to spend any of it.

    <i>¡®Fealty?¡¯</i>

    No, that was too severe. The only thing that would result in asking for something like that in return for just finding someone would be that their rtionship would be ruined. After much consideration, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided on the desired reward.

    ¡°Then should we first talk about who you¡¯re looking for?¡± he asked in a devilish manner.

    He had decided.

    <i>¡®I just want to hit him once.¡¯</i>

    1. Referring to Daiso, a famous dor store chain in East Asia. Its name is a homophone for ¡°I have everything¡± in Korean. Daiso Korea has split from Daiso Japan, however.

 Chapter 61: Land of Ice.

    <h4>Chapter 61: Land of Ice.</h4>

    ¡°<i>Ow¡­</i>¡±

    A handsome boy, about the age of a middle schooler, was rubbing the back of his head. Park Jae-Hyun stood there, ring at Lee Jun-Kyeong while nursing his injury.

    The smith snapped, ¡°Wait, did you really hit me?¡±

    The perpetrator smirked. ¡°All I did was im my reward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! What kind of reward is this?¡± Park Jae-Hyun shrieked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to tell you whatever reward I wanted?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t lose any ground. Park Jae-Hyun red at him even harder with his eyes zing.

    Heined, ¡°Still! Who in their right mind ims their reward in advance?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you take down payments?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong refuted.

    ¡°How is this the same as a down payment¡­ AHHHH!¡± Park Jae-Hyun shouted. Finally unable to hold it in, he picked up his hammer.

    ¡°Just because I keep letting things slide, you¡ª!!!¡±

    He was so aggrieved from being hit in the back of the head that he even started to shed tears.

    ¡°Are you seriously acting like this just because I tapped you on the back of your head a little?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked mockingly.

    In all honesty, it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary p on the back of the head.

    [Mana Stream has leveled up.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been trying to limate to his mana stream and grow to the level of using it anytime and anywhere. He had used it when he had pped Park Jae-Hyun on the back of the head, and seeded in only causing a lot of pain without leaving any aftereffects.

    <i>¡®I was originally only going to hit him once¡­¡¯</i>

    However, since it was a down payment, he decided that he would have to get a bnce as well.

    ¡°Hey! You bastard! Just see what happens if you can¡¯t find Yu-Jin!¡± Park Jae-Hyun yelled, threatening him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slyly in return. ¡°But I¡¯ve already found her.¡±

    ¡°W¡­ what¡­?¡± sputtered the smith.

    Seeing Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s bewildered expression made Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s stuffy feeling disappear. He had thought about messing with the smith a little more, but had decided against it when he saw the sincere and mature expression on the cksmith¡¯s face.

    <i>¡®To think this little brat could make an expression like that.¡¯</i>

    He remarked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to find her? I found her, Park Yu-Jin, Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s younger sister.¡±

    ¡°So then¡­ are you¡­ right now¡­ Are you messing with me?!¡± the smith shrieked.

    In the end, Park Jae-Hyun couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and ran at Lee Jun-Kyeong, hammer in hand. Of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong simply avoided the charging smith and hit him on the back of the head again.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    [Mana Stream has leveled up.]

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to use his mana stream.

    [Your understanding of mana infusion has increased.]

    Moreover, he had attempted to use the method that Park Jae-Hyun had used earlier while he was smelting the iron with his hammer to make a weapon. Park Jae-Hyun was now crouched on the ground while rubbing the back of his head.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve received the payment.¡±

    The smith wailed, ¡°You¡­ you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Park is in Ennd."

    Park Jae-Hyun, who was about to rush over again, suddenly froze.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°She was in Alchemy Street, a street where various alchemists hide themselves.¡±

    ¡°W¡­ what¡­¡±

    ¡°She seemed to worry about you quite a bit, Mr. Park.¡±

    The smith¡¯s expression shifted dozens of times while Lee Jun-Kyeong exined. He clearly wasn¡¯t sure if he should or shouldn¡¯t believe it. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be happy or worried.

    ¡°Ms. Park seems to be doing well for now."

    "Are¡­ you being serious?¡± Park Jae-Hyun asked in disbelief.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pped his own chest. ¡°Of course. You can trust it as the words of the Underdog, the man who beat Heracles.¡±

    The smith didn¡¯t react at all to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s yful teasing.

    ¡°Ennd¡­¡±

    All he could think about was the fact that Park Yu-Jin was in Ennd. Eventually, as if he had made up his mind, Park Jae-Hyun asked a question, "Is the flight to Ennd expensive?¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it would be problematic if the cksmith went to Ennd. Ennd was not only the territory of Olympus, but it also had the Round Table. If Park Jae-Hyun ended up going to Ennd, then there was a chance that he would end up involved in someplicated situations.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had to convince him to stay.

    <i>¡°I have a hunch that she will return to Korea.?And, even if she refuses toe back, it¡¯s not like you can interfere. You aren¡¯t even on speaking terms, right? Shouldn¡¯t someone stay behind here just in case?¡±</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun eventually agreed to stay after copious amounts of cursing. Only then was the smith able to pay attention to the changes in Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>¡°Just leave Muspel¡¯s Spear with me. I¡¯m not too sure about what kind of changes it has undergone¡­¡±</i>

    He then pointed at the sky and continually gestured.

    <i>¡®It says that it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡±</i>

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> frowns slightly and agrees with the statement.]

    Park Jae-Hyun was referring to the words of his Sponsor, the God of cksmiths. Although it was risky to take a Sponsor¡¯s remarks at face value, because of the reaction of his own Sponsor, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned home.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t return without another task.

    <i>¡°By the way, you know that red ore that you stered on the Spear? Bring me some if you can get your hands on it again.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Just be really nice about it.¡±</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought it¡¯d be great if she came back soon. In fact, he was anticipating Park Yu-Jin¡¯s return almost as much as Park Jae-Hyun. She was a cksmith who was almost as talented as Park Jae-Hyun. Although her smithing skills were slightlyckingparatively, her true talentsy elsewhere.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s skilled in all aspects of forging armor.¡¯</i>

    She even had an understanding of battle.

    If one considered Park Jae-Hyun as someone who was all-in on forging, then she was someone who could be regarded as an all-rounder. So when the two of them got together, they had more synergy than anyone else.

    <i>¡®Between the two of them, a true armor will be born. I need a shield as well.¡¯</i>

    During the continual raids, Lee Jun-Kyeong was constantly made aware of the importance of a proper shield. Although Muspel¡¯s Spear was an incredible weapon, his other equipment was unsightly byparison.

    He couldn¡¯t wait for her toe as he was raring to use a shield as a weapon. Still, regardless of the oue, he assumed that the issue regarding his weapon would be handled soon.

    ¡°Is it the body next?¡± he mumbled.

    He was referring to the ck beads; he had to deal with them. However, his body was full of mana and the ck beads were too peculiar, so he couldn¡¯t go to a regr hospital. As for Asgard, he intended to hide as much information about himself as possible.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t ept any aid from Asgard.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    As far as diagnosis and treatment were concerned, Lee Jun-Kyeong was utterly uneducated. Even with his wide range of knowledge, the actual medical portion required professional skills or ability. This meant that he would have to get help from someone.

    Still, there was one other method. There was a possibility that the illness could also be solved if he was able to master mana stream. However, it wasn¡¯t something he would be able to worry about currently.

    He considered for a moment about getting help from Seong-Gu, but he soon shook his head. Even if he got help from Seong-Gu Hyung, it would at most amount to that <i>woman</i> in Asgard.

    In the end, it meant that he had no other choice but to deal with it alone. Since it concerned medicine, there were only a few ces he had in mind.

    <i>¡®Would it be China, Europe, or Egypt?¡¯</i>

    He already coincidentally had ties with both Europe and Egypt. Unfortunately, his ties with Europe were negative, and he wasn¡¯t sure whether Egypt regarded him positively. All that was left was¡­

    China.

    "Whew..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a sigh and began to walk.

    ***

    ¡°No,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said in a determined manner. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t just stop there. ¡°To think you¡¯d want to visit China. Even Europe would be better. Athena still has one more favor that she has to grant with the agreement we had made¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong retorted, ¡°Do you really think that Asgard would stand by and just watch as you use that request for me? I told you: I don¡¯t want Asgard to know.¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been left with no choice but to ask Yeo Seong-Gu for help. Of course, it wasn¡¯t for help with diagnosis or treatment. Instead, it was for him to build a bridge so that he could travel to China. He thought that it would be possible for Yeo Seong-Gu, who had the power of Bifrost.

    ¡°China is still off the table.¡±

    As he had expected, Yeo Seong-Gu was just as adamant as before.

    ¡°Do you not know what sort of situation China is in right now?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked, his expression betraying his bewilderment. He had convinced himself that Lee Jun-Kyeong was only stating his desire to travel to China because he wasn¡¯t aware of the current situation the country was in.

    "I know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    The bald man frowned. ¡°You know, and you still want to go to China?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged helplessly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I can do.¡±

    Europe was off the table because of Olympus, and the Nile was in shambles.

    ¡°They also say that the two Hunters, Inebu and Numek, are under immense pressure right now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong noted.

    Even though Inebu had been given Osiris¡¯ Eyes, he had overstepped his ce for someone who had barely been one of themanders. Just having the item wasn¡¯t enough for him to decide to participate in the Round Table Council without permission, and he had even gone as far as to refuse to return when ordered.

    <i>¡®To think he would refuse while holding Osiris¡¯ Eyes, an Item of the Gods.¡¯</i>

    That was a crime where even being executed wouldn¡¯t have been enough of a punishment for a secret organization. It was a situation that could have easily been misunderstood as an act of betrayal.

    ¡°It¡¯ll quiet down soon enough,¡± responded Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Fortunately enough, Numek and Inebu were under immense pressure and anger, but it seemed unlikely that they would lose their lives. Inebu¡¯s backing was more reliable than Lee Jun-Kyeong had anticipated. He had considered going to the Nile, but it was too difficult to guarantee his safety.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t go considering the position the two who invited me are in.¡¯</i>

    Like Asgard, Nile was another den of demons. It was a secret organization with a profound background and had countless enormous powers lurking about. But, more importantly, he didn¡¯t have much information about them either.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided to take a safe path using the information he had on the future inbination with the information from the book of the demon king. He was sure it would be much more dangerous than he was anticipating if he had chosen the route he had no knowledge of. In the original history, the Nile had been mostly quiet, like the Round Table.

    <i>¡®When was that, again¡­?¡¯</i>

    But, history most likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to remember everything about them.

    Yeo Seong-Gu asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re insisting on going to China?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°For now, at least.¡±

    If things didn¡¯t work out there, then there was a chance he would have to look for another reliable Healer.

    "Then you should already know that it''s changed a lot,¡± warned Yeo Seong-Gu.

    It could be said that the whole had suffered from the advent of the Gates and Hunters. Still, among the various countries, there were some that had received more benefits than disadvantages, and some that had undergone hell. The country that was thought to have benefited the most was South Korea.

    <i>¡®Our country.¡¯</i>

    Although the advent of the Gates had killed a significant number of people and caused immense confusion, in Korea, many strong Hunters had been born. They had enough strength to create a secret organization strong enough to stand on the world stage, ¡®Asgard.¡¯ Korea¡¯s original strength as a country was not bad, but it had transformed into a Hunter-Powerful country, strong enough topete for the top spot in the world. On the other hand, the country most affected by the gates was China, the ce he had chosen to go.

    ¡°China,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu continued. ¡°...is a kingdom.¡±

    China had initially been amunist country, but it had shifted due to the advent of the gate. It had be a kingdom, and at this point, it had turned into a kingdom of monsters.

    The bald man cautioned, "You¡¯re about to enter a Kingdom of Monsters. It¡¯s a ce where we haven¡¯t even been able to tally the damages yet, and the Hunters on the front line don¡¯t even survive one day before they die.¡±

    Because it was a Kingdom of Monsters, Korea also was under tremendous pressure. North Korea had long been destroyed in a flood of monsters, and that flood had flowed into South Korea. Of course, South Korea had used powerful Hunters to defeat them.

    ¡°You¡¯re only thinking like this because you haven¡¯t seen the endless tide of monsters. No matter how strong a Hunter is, there isn¡¯t anything you can do in front of an attack of that size.¡±

    There were as many monsters as China had people, which had initially boasted the world¡¯s most significant poption. Hence, there was too great of a risk for the secret organizations that hadn¡¯t yet revealed all their power to make a move.

    Most importantly, there was one more thing.

    ¡°There¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, swallowing his saliva. ¡°Things could be even worse than you imagine.¡±

    There was something else that was hidden. Out of all the gates that had appeared in China, in the end, there were some that couldn¡¯t be cleared, even until the end. Eventually, they burst, causing an outpour of monsters to rampage forth. As a result, both Hunters and regr people died, creating a vicious cycle of gate breaks and monster attacks, further worsening the situation until things couldn¡¯t be handled. Eventually, tens of thousands of gate breaks had urred, forming the Kingdom of Monsters.

    China no longer existed.

    ¡°Hyung,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out in a calm voice. ¡°Did you think about what I had told you?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned. ¡°The great change you talked about? Something about a cataclysm¡­¡±

    It was the cataclysm. Lee Jun-Kyeong had exined about the huge changes and the cataclysm to Yeo Seong-Gu. But, of course, he hadn¡¯t exined all the details. He had just implied that there was going to be a great change, and that the World and Korea would suffer the same damages again as when the gates had first urred.

    Now, the time had arrived for him to tell his hyung the details. No matter what he thought about it, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that China was somewhere he had to go. So while he had to go because of his need to find a healer, he had been nning to go there anyway eventually.

    "China is the center of the cataclysm."

 Chapter 62: Land of Ice Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 62: Land of Ice Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Where did you say the center of the cataclysm is¡­?¡±

    The Cataclysm was the second change that would be brought upon the world after the advent of the Hunters.

    ¡°It¡¯s in China,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded clearly. He was able to reply with such confidence as he was someone who even knew the cause of the cataclysm. Although he had returned to the past and wasn¡¯t sure of what changes would ur because of it, he was confident in one thing.

    That the cataclysm would start in China.

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned. ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s true for now. But what does that have to do with you going to China?¡±

    He responded casually to the bald man¡¯s question, "I know where the survivors are."

    "¡­!"

    At his indifferent answer, Yeo Seong-Gu had an expression of disbelief, and he stood, surprised and rmed at the response.

    ¡°Are you¡­ being serious right now?¡± he asked somewhat shrilly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°It¡¯s one of the few things I know of. I can¡¯t guarantee that it would be all of the survivors. It¡¯s just a single city where the survivors have gathered.¡±

    China had be a kingdom of monsters and transformed into a barrennd. Many people had died, but some survived, waiting for rescue. The entire world had tried to save them, but it wasn¡¯t easy, as there was no way to precisely determine where the survivors existed in the vast expanse of China.

    All themunication facilities had been destroyed, and the mana that had exploded forth from the countless gate breaks continued to interfere with any further attempts at establishingmunication. Attempts were still going on, but there was still another issue.

    ¡°However, because of the barrier, it''s impossible to enter normally.¡±

    Theck ofmunication wasn¡¯t the only thing that resulted from the gate breaks. All of China had been put under a barrier due to the influx of mana. That was why no one could even set foot in China unless they were a Hero-Grade Hunter. That was why they were only able to send Hero-Grade Hunters to search for survivors.

    <i>''But we would need too many of them.''</i>

    However, it was impossible for the world to send the heroes of mankind to a ce where they couldn¡¯t even identify what sort of dangers they would be subject to. Therefore, the world tentatively concluded that all of China¡¯s government and poption had perished. They had decided to abandon China.

    The only information they had on the situation there was from the front lines of the battle against the monsters.

    ¡°Therefore¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Yeo Seong-Gu and continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I came looking for you, Hyung. If we leave the cataclysm to happen without doing anything, then many people who could have been saved will die.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded absently and mused over the situation for a long time. Finally, he looked over and said in a firm tone, ¡°Okay. I understand for now. I¡¯ll let you know after I think about it for a while. However, in return, it¡¯ll take some time.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed. He already knew when his hyung spoke in that tone that he had alreadye to a decision.

    Yeo Seong-Gu was going to send him to China.

    ***

    The First Hunters were extraordinary, with powers that transcended the ranks of ordinary Hunters. However, there was still a ce that struck fear into them, who held the world in their hands from within the shadows.

    That ce was China.

    Countries that had been destroyed by the appearance of the gates were corrupted and isted by the mana that emitted from the gate breaks.

    <i>¡®That was the beginning of the Cataclysm.¡¯</i>

    Even if one tried to warn others about the cataclysm, or even if the colossal secret organizations attempted to prevent the cataclysm by making a move, the result was inevitable.

    Moreover, there would be organizations that would have wanted to take advantage of the cataclysm and prepare in advance. If anything, there would be countless people who would only think about furthering their own ns and suppressing the spread of information.

    So, Lee Jun-Kyeong prepared for it by himself when it came to something like the cataclysm, as nothing could be changed about it anyway.

    He knew that if he at least prepared himself, step by step, it would be of some help against theing threat.

    His preparations were simple as well. He just had to get stronger and level up enough so that he would be even stronger.

    ¡®<i>At least as strong as Heracles.¡¯</i>

    He may not be able to reach the level of the leaders of the secret organizations, but he at least had to be at least the level of Heracles without the boost from the dragon¡¯s bloodstone or the red ore before the day of the cataclysm.

    <i>¡®I wonder if he¡¯s doing well.¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of Heracles. He had heard from Yeo Seong-Gu that the giant had woken up. Furthermore, he was sure that Heracles would have dealt with that fatal weakness of his.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s probably seeded in controlling his madness.¡¯</i>

    Not only would he have eliminated his weakness, but he would have also gotten stronger, able to control his madness as he pleased.

    <i>''Heracles...''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t quite understand the giant¡¯s special ability. His special ability as a Berserker was something that should have been suppressed in the past. In fact, in the previous history, the giant would have gone crazy over and over again, forcing Olympus to send him into battlefields that they had prepared. Only by umting resistance against the madness would Heracles would have been able to finally control the power.

    Also, he didn¡¯t know if they knew it or not, but Odysseus had died at the hands of Heracles in the original history. Now that Heracles had gained early control over his ability, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that as long as the duo¡¯s rtionship didn¡¯t get damaged, nothing would go ording to the history he knew.

    <i>¡®Also, Mr. Jeong¡­¡¯</i>

    He had heard about him as well through Kim Su-Yeong. Apparently, his partner would go in and out of gates every single day. The manager had said that the man was aggressively and decisively raiding gates to the point that he had actually raided more than Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Is he doing it by himself?¡¯</i>

    After the Catalyon Mountain Gate, everyone had been walking their own path. It was the same for him as well.

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    It was time for him to move on.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    Skeletons raised up around him even before he had called out.

    Hyeon-Mu had said that any skeletons that it had raised before would be stored in its inventory and could be raised at any time, or anywhere. Furthermore, even if they died, it said that they would return to the inventory. Once they had been given a certain amount of mana and stats, it would be able to return them to the state they were in before they had died.

    However, the price to revive them was high.

    ¡°It¡¯s a legion of immortality in its own way¡­ no, it''s more like a troop.¡±

    Hearing the murmurs of Lee Jun-Kyeong, Hyeon-Mu, who had grown a little further, responded.

    ¨C Did you, by chance, not know? If I grow more, then I¡¯ll be able to raise an army.

    It seemed to have gained confidence as their hunting progressed. It seemed as though the skull had realized it wasn¡¯t much help before and had suddenly developed aplex when Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t watching.

    Now, it had beenpletely reborn and was able to show its ability as a Skeleton Mage without regret.

    ¡°Did you study strategy and tactics, as I asked?¡±

    Furthermore, what Lee Jun-Kyeong expected from Hyeon-Mu wasn¡¯t just strength.

    ¨C I have read all the books as ordered.

    As the leader of the unit, it was training in order to use the skeletons in the correct ce more urately. Fortunately, as it was an undead, it didn¡¯t sleep. In addition, it also seemed to have developed more intelligence due to its growth, so it had be well ustomed to human strategy and tactics.

    <i>tter, tter.</i>

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    Now, they had arrived at a gate. Hyeon-Mu was standing next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, looking down at the battlefield. Naturally, his blue skeleton troops were slowly hunting the monsters.

    ¨C Focus on forming the phnx. Your life is my ability. Be careful and don¡¯t die.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu seemed to have the qualities of amander in its own strange way.¡¯</i>

    ¡°You¡¯re the first child.¡±

    ¨C ...

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s blue eyes widened, and it was unable to respond to its master¡¯s sudden remark. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the skeleton and raised his arm.

    <i>Clink.</i>

    A single small skull hung from his bracelet.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the future, right? Who knows how many of your siblings will be born? You¡¯ll have to work hard if you want them to listen to you quietly.¡±

    ¨C Ma¡­ Master.

    Hyeon-Mu seemed to feel touched by his words.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you regret it if your younger siblings outperform you just because you¡¯re a little bitcking?¡±

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s dark blue eyes zed with enthusiasm.

    ¨C Your order! I¡¯ve received it!

    ¨C Sweep through them!

    It seemed as though it had been moved, as the skeleton started giving unreasonable orders.

    <i>¡®How nice.¡¯</i>

    Even to Lee Jun-Kyeong, someone who was utterly ignorant of strategy and tactics, the skeletons seemed to be moving well as they hunted monsters. Hyeon-Mu and its skeletons had to hunt monsters to gain a lot of experience, so this outing was unavoidable.

    However, it wasn¡¯t as Lee Jun-Kyeong had nothing to gain from this.

    [A small amount of experience has been earned due to the Familiar¡¯s hunting.]

    In a way, it could be thought of as passive ie.

    As something free, it felt nice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed to himself and looked down at the battlefield. Eventually, he would have to join the hunt, but he didn¡¯t have Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡± he groaned in pain.

    ¨C Are you okay, master?!

    Moreover, waves of pain would wash over him from time to time. It was the ck beads. They had been quiet until now, but they were beginning to make their move.

    <i>¡®I have to go to China quickly.¡¯</i>

    He was afraid of the change. Since they were something foreign to him, he couldn¡¯t tell what sort of changes would happen. So he had to find a way to either extract them or use them.

    "Hyeon-Mu. Go and hunt..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gave an order to his Familiar as he closed his eyes while sitting cross-legged.

    [The mana stream has been activated.]

    He activated his mana stream. At the same time, mana, spread out seemingly in the form of a spider¡¯s web, began to appear around him in the gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his attention away from the mana within the gate and narrowed his view to only his body and its surroundings. Mana was running wildly, and at the center of it all was a specific ck bead. It beat as if it was a living heart, shocking him. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly moved his mana around it, enclosing it in the mana.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    It was the temporary stopgap to calm the ck bead that Lee Jun-Kyeong had recently uncovered. Then, as he manipted the mana stream around him, mes seemed to flicker in and out of existence.

    ***

    "<i>Haa-eup!</i>"

    A st of energy shot forward, apanied by a tremendous shout. A man moved forward like a bird while holding a sword asrge as he was tall. He mmed the ground with his foot, his body soaring into the air. As he swung down, the sword barrelled forward like the beak of an eagle diving toward its prey. The gigantic greatsword then split through the air and cut through the wind.

    <i>Slice.</i>

    It was even cutting through mana, and as the man and the greatsword fell, it eventually cleaved through a giant ogre.

    "<i>Keheuk¡­</i>"

    <i>Shimmer.</i>

    He could see the de of his sword shimmering with mana. Around it, swirling blue mana was spreading like fire. He flicked his greatsword, shaking off the ogre¡¯s flesh and blood.

    "What the hell is this?" he asked.

    He looked at the mes that stuck to the greatsword. Eventually, the mes faded away.

    "It keeps doing this."

    It had already been several days for Jeong In-Chang. He had once been the deputy guild master of the Northern Army Guild, but now, he was one of the most powerful Hunters who was working as a pair¡ªno, currently, solo. He had realized his shorings and hade out alone to grow. It had been almost a month since he had started hunting alone, but since yesterday, there had been a strange change in his attacks.

    He scratched his head. ¡°I mean, it''s nice because it cuts well, but¡­¡±

    Due to the nature of the greatsword, its blows were more akin to tearing through a body rather than slicing through it. As the friction required to cut through something with a blow was stronger, it required more force. Furthermore, it was difficult to chain continuous attacks. However, these shorings seemed to have disappeared as the blue mes asionally were generated.

    He muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not even a skill¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something that happened because he wanted to use it. The mes had suddenly appeared into existence naturally as he swung his sword. While he was wondering what it was, the appearance of some angry ogres forced him to stop thinking.

    ¡°<i>Keugahhh!</i>¡±

    He grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m never going to hunt ogres again¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked at the ogre that was running toward him and shortened the distance.

    ¡°This is nothing.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had been beaten day and night by a much greater number of ogres. Just looking at the iing ogres made him sick.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    He was being reminded of some bad memories, but, nevertheless, he continued to hunt the ogres for the past fortnight. More than ten ogres were running together toward him, clustering together, forming a cloud of dust.

    Then, there were more than ten ogres, who had eventually be one with the cloud of dust.

    ¡°...¡±

    In Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes, they only looked like a single figure, an enemy he never seemed to be able to ovee.

    <i>''Heracles.''</i>

    Although the giant hunter was smallerpared to the ogres, his strength was far greater than any of the ogres in the gate. The sense of shame that drove him was because of that Hunter.

    "Ha¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang let out a breath and moved his greatsword. Then, as the greatsword that was rising to the right was about to swing forth, something caught his eye.

    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s an ogre that I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡±

    Although he had raided numerous ogre viges for a full month, there was an ogre mixed into the herd he had never seen before.

    <i>¡®Red eyes?¡¯</i>

    It was a red-eyed ogre.

 Chapter 63: Land of Ice Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 63: Land of Ice Pt. 3</h4>

    Jeong In-Chang felt something instinctively. Whether it was the running ogres or the ogre with the unusual red eyes, he knew he needed to avoid them.

    There was something different.

    He shouted, ¡°You look just like that bastard!¡±

    Almost like Heracles.

    He thought that it must not have been a coincidence that the former ogres that had been gathered together looked like Heracles to him. It was because of that bastard, the red-eyed ogre. The energy and aura he exuded were so simr to Heracles¡¯ that he had mistaken them for him. Jeong In-Chang gave up on finishing the blow and turned around and threw himself to the side. Although he had to move on short notice, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s physical stats were outstanding.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>

    He seeded in dodging, and the ogres stampeded by where he had just been.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    He exhaled in relief.

    ¡°<i>Roaar!!!!</i>¡±

    However, it wasn¡¯t over yet. The ogres turned again, their eyes boring into Jeong In-Chang. The red-eyed ogre shouted loudly as if he had been infuriated by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s actions.

    ¡°What¡­ what in the world?¡± he sputtered.

    Something unbelievable was urring right before him.

    <i>Rip.</i>

    ¡°<i>Roar!!!!!</i>¡±

    The red-eyed ogre was tearing apart the ogres that were next to it. It seemed to be in a simr state to Heracles when he had been eroded by madness. Unable to distinguish between its enemies, it was only able to unleash its ferocity.

    Blood spewed from an ogre hit by the red-eyed ogre¡¯s furious blows. But, as if it wasn¡¯t enough, the red-eyed ogre started chasing after the rest.

    ¡°<i>Blech¡­</i>¡±

    Even considering his experiences as a Hunter, Jeong In-Chang felt nauseated at the cruel sight. However, he couldn¡¯t rx yet.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s strong.¡¯</i>

    It had the power to turn another ogre into a puddle of blood with only its fist and had enough strength to tear a fellow ogre apart with its hands.

    ¡°<i>Keugh¡­</i>¡±

    The other ogres didn¡¯t attack as they normally did when provoked but instead started to step back at the gruesome sight.

    <i>¡®It''s stronger than boss-level monsters.¡¯</i>

    .

    Goosebumps crept up Jeong In-Chang''s back. The ogre vige¡¯s boss, the twin-headed ogre, wasn¡¯t even as strong as the red-eyed one. He wasn¡¯t sure why there was a monster stronger than the boss or why there was a monster that didn¡¯t match the gate grade. However, the scene in front of him was real.

    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t look like I can even run away. Damn it.¡¯</i>

    The red-eyed ogre had already blocked his escape route.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s too fast.¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t even have the confidence to run fast enough to outrun the weird ogre.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    The monster¡¯s anger was unstoppable as it erupted in rage. It was a bastard that released its own anger by killing its own species.

    Jeong In-Chang could feel it.

    <i>¡®It¡¯sing soon.¡¯</i>

    Its anger would soon turn to him. However, he was conflicted. If he was going to run away, then he should have already begun. If he was going to fight, then he should have clearly made his stand.

    <i>¡°Think carefully about the identity of your Sponsor.¡±</i>

    But he just couldn¡¯t figure out why he was thinking of George¡¯s words at a time like this.

    He muttered, ¡°I mean, who the hell is <The Prince on a White Horse>?"

    He had already thought through it dozens of times, but he couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.

    ¡°Am I supposed to save a sleeping princess or something? Damn it!¡±

    It had already been a while since he had gotten tired of the unsolvable riddle. That was why he had gone hunting, in hopes of raising hisbat ability and hoping for more sponsorship.

    <i>¡®Why am I thinking about it again¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡°<The Prince on a White Horse>! <The Prince on a White Horse>! <The Prince on a White Horse>!¡±

    But no matter how much he rambled on to himself, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    ¡°Screw this. Let¡¯s fight!¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to do it anymore. He didn¡¯t want to think. Thanks to George, his courage to fight had reignited. He wasn¡¯t confident in using his head, so he decided just to hit the monster.

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t even forget to shout toward the sky, ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best! So, if you don¡¯t want me to die, please support me!¡±

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> looks at you with an inexplicable gaze.]

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    The voice of a Sponsor had rung out, and finally, the bastard that had finished killing its own species began to run toward Jeong In-Chang.

    ***

    When Jeong In-Chang was a child, he remembered that there was a child he didn¡¯t know who would torment him at the yground. The child would insult him with harsh words and actions that didn¡¯t match his age, and eventually, Jeong In-Chang had had enough and hit him back.

    The problem was what happened after that. That child had an older brother in middle school, and that hyung was the so-called Hyung who was in charge of the neighborhood. The child quickly had called his brother, and Jeong In-Chang had chosen to fight back instead of running away.

    There was no way that he, a fourth grader in elementary school, would have been a match for that child¡¯s older brother, but he didn¡¯t back down.

    <i>''Why am I thinking about that time?''</i>

    No.

    ¡°Actually, it kind of makes sense¡­¡± he said in an exhausted voice. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference between then and now. There was as much a difference in strength between him and the current bastard in front of him as there was when he was an elementary schooler facing a middle schooler.

    If he had to think of anything different from back then, then it was that the red-eyed ogre was much stronger than that middle school hyung.

    "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

    Moreover, the monster in front of him wasn¡¯t trying to punish him a little either. It simply wanted to kill him.

    ¡°You little motherfu¨C!¡±

    He was the same as well. Jeong In-Chang ran towards the red-eyed ogre, his greatsword swinging forward, striking the monster¡¯s fist.

    <i>ng!</i>

    As the fist of the monster collided with the greatsword, it sparked and made a sound as if he had hit steel. However, Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t stop.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The greatsword bounced off the fist, and as the monster moved, the sword flew again ordingly. He parried as if he had been possessed by something, as if he was dancing with his greatsword.

    Every time he was thrown back in the fight, he got up again and ran forward. As time went by, his movements became increasingly sophisticated and precise.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Nevertheless, the difference in power wasn¡¯t something he could ovee. In the end, the monster¡¯s fist nced off Jeong In-Chang¡¯s body, and even the force of that slight contact created an explosive sound. As a result, his shoulder immediately tore into ribbons.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i>"

    Jeong In-Chang took a step back and gasped for air.

    Still, he was satisfied.

    <i>¡®That bastard also has been hurt.¡¯</i>

    Although it didn¡¯t look like it was tired, Jeong In-Chang had mainly been attacking its leg joints. It was slowly reaching a point where it was taking a toll on the red-eyed ogre. Jeong In-Chang quickly took out a potion, poured some on his shoulder, and drank the rest. If he didn¡¯t take a potion to heal an injury when he had the time, it would be fatal.

    <i>¡®It''s already¡­¡¯</i>

    He realized it was the second day. Two days had passed since he had started fighting the red-eyed ogre. They had just been shing over and over again, not even taking the time to eat. To be honest, he had tried to run away several times, but the monster never lost sight of him.

    In the end, it was just an endless fight.

    <i>¡®Does this thing ever get tired¡­?¡¯</i>

    The red-eyed ogre showed no signs of exhaustion. If Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t attacked its leg joints, then there was a good chance that he would have already joined the ranks of the torn ogres.

    ¡°Keugah¡­¡±

    The monster stood there, looking at Jeong In-Chang. Its bloodlust was multiplying from the madness, its red eyes were bing even redder, and its appearance was turning even more menacing.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said in a self-deprecating tone. Fortunately, his stamina had still held up until this point. It was the result of the many sponsorships he had been granted while he had trained with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> restores a small amount of your stamina.]

    Moreover, he was able to hold on through the continuous support of <The Prince on a White Horse>. However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on this sponsorship forever.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to take him down.¡¯</i>

    He reaffirmed his goal. He wouldn¡¯t die. He would endure it. Three days, five days, even if it took a month, he would end the monster before him. His head was filled with such an unyielding attitude.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    He hadn¡¯t realized it, but all of a sudden, blue mes began to flicker in and out of existence around the de of his greatsword.

    ***

    Another day had passed, but before anyone knew it, both the red-eyed ogre and Jeong In-Chang had beplete messes.

    "<i>Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­</i>"

    "<i>Keugah¡­ Keugah¡­</i>¡±

    Their bodies were covered in a mix of each other¡¯s blood and stter in green and red. They had been covered in so many small cuts and nicks that their wounds seemed to blend together into gigantic scars.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang chucked to himself. Even he had to admit it. He had done pretty well. At first, the monster had felt like an iron wall, impossible to scale. But, as time went on, little by little, things changed.

    ¡°It¡­ seems¡­ like¡­ my stamina¡­ is better¡­ than yours¡­¡± he said to the monster in a dry voice. If anything, the situation had be amusing. After having fought continuously for three days, it felt like they had gotten closer.

    "<i>Keugah¡­</i>"

    The ogre let out a gasp as if in reply. Its red eyes still gleamed, but it was different from before. The red eyes that had shed ferociously until only just yesterday were now shining with a glimmer of affection.

    ¡°Let''s¡­ finish this¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Keugah¡­!</i>¡±

    The situation was amusing, but the two were still fighting an unfinished battle. It would only end by killing one another.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    Suddenly, without him even realizing it, a blue me appeared on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword. It morphed into a de-like aura and wrapped around the greatsword.

    <i>Slice!</i>

    Finally, he was able to cut through the steel-like flesh.

    ¡°Keugah!!!¡±

    The tiny cuts that he had only been able to inflict on the monster began to transform into proper blows. Jeong In-Chang moved as if he was possessed again, and the more he continued, the more the stiffness disappeared and began to flow naturally.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Now, the excess power he had been wasting began to disappear and became focused on the edge of his de. Jeong In-Chang had begun to learn how to achieve efficiency with the least amount of effort without even realizing it.

    <i>¡®Although I still have no idea who <The Prince on a White Horse> is¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>Swish! Puheok! ng!</i>

    Countless sounds echoed through the space. His sword cut through the monster and then returned to block its attacks. The sound of the angry ogre going crazy with madness and destroying the surroundings rang through the air. Jeong In-Chang continued to aim for the openings in the ogre¡¯s attacks, sweeping his greatsword while he thought about his Sponsor.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s hard to save a sleeping princess¡­¡± he muttered as if he was speaking to someone while swinging his sword.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to just¡­¡±

    <i>Puheok!</i>

    Finally, his giant greatsword pierced through the ogre¡¯s stomach. The monster mmed its fists forward in rage, but Jeong In-Chang decisively moved forward under the greatsword and shoved it in further.

    ¡°...enough to wipe out all the viins threatening the princess¡­?¡±

    He was speaking to <The Prince on a White Horse>, to the bastard who was impossible to identify. He questioned his Sponsor, wondering if it was enough just to wipe out all of the viins instead of protecting the princess.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang copsed at the dull blow, enduring the blow to pierce his greatsword through the ogre¡¯s stomach. Looking up, he could see the ogre¡¯s red eyes gradually disappearing. He took a second to process if he had won.

    No.

    <i>¡®Is this a pyrrhic victory?¡¯</i>

    Since both of them had reached the end of their ropes, he was sure he would die if left like this. The dull blow he had just endured had caused a great amount of damage to his endlessly exhausted body. He would die unless he consumed a potion immediately.

    ¨C Would you be okay with being given one mouth-to-mouth?

    ¡°...?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked forward with a nk expression. Suddenly, it wasn¡¯t the ogre¡¯s head but a floating skull, emitting blue light, that filled his sight.

    ¡°Hye¡­Hyeon-Mu?¡± Jeong In-Chang mumbled at the unbelievable sight.

    ¨C I mean, it¡¯s not necessary to do it this way anymore. But if you want it¡­

    Then, between his lips¡­

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    ¡­a potion trickled through. As Jeong In-Chang screamed, a notification rang.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> praises your achievement.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> grants you a title.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> reveals his true name.]

    [Congrattions.]

    The notification was for an achievement he had acquired.

    [You have acquired the title of Siegfried.]

    It was a title.

 Chapter 64: Land of Ice Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 64: Land of Ice Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°Are you feeling a little more lucid?¡±

    It was awkward for Lee Jun-Kyeong to be on the other side of the question, being the one to ask it instead of hearing it as always. Most of the time, he had been the person who had copsed, and someone else had been the one to ask him if he was aware.

    ¡°W¡­ where are we¡­?¡±

    However, things were different right now. Jeong In-Chang responded to him in a hazy voice, staring back at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been taking care of him.

    ¡°Where do you think we are? It¡¯s the gate,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded sarcastically and yfully. Jeong In-Chang immediately stood up. He could feel that his body was much lighter than normal.

    "W¡­ what did you do to me?" Jeong in-Chang sputtered, ¡°Can you not say things that could be easily misunderstood?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded by putting his hand on his forehead as he watched Jeong In-Chang fluster while groping his upper body.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was more focused on understanding the state of his body than paying attention to Lee Jun-Kyeong. He stood up and moved his body around and even kicked off the ground and ran for a bit.

    ¡°How did this¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s forehead furrowed in disbelief, almost like a question mark.

    ¡°Did you pick up an elixir somewhere along the way?¡± he asked.

    The fabled elixir. It was a legendary potion that was rumored to have been obtained by someone with a powerful Sponsor and was said to be able to bring the dead back to life.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    However, there was no way that something like that could have been given to Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>¡®Does he even know how precious an elixir is?¡¯</i>

    As if he didn¡¯t care what Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts were, rather than inspecting his own body, he looked around his surroundings as if he was searching for something.

    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He responded despondently as if he had lost the world, ¡°My sword¡­ I lost it¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had decided to swing his sword around after he had inspected his changed body, but there were no greatswords around him or in his inventory. Hence, he was looking around to find it.

    He was now awake and was in the best physical condition¡ªno, he was even better than that. The only issue was that his vision was a bit blurry because he had just regained consciousness. As his vision began to return, it was only then that he was able to find his sword.

    ¡°<i>Keugah¡­ keugah¡­</i>¡±

    He saw an ogre that hadn¡¯t stopped breathing yet, and his greatsword was piercing through its belly. The ogre was so gigantic that his greatsword seemed like an epee. Jeong In-Chang looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The other Hunter said dryly, ¡°We¡¯ve be too close for me to take thest hit away from you, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Jeong In-Chang was taken aback by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s remarks for a moment.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    He then began to approach the ogre, his staggering body slowly straightening upright. The ogre was definitely dying, but it was strange that it hadn¡¯t died yet. But, unlike Jeong In-Chang¡¯s body, which seemed much better than it had been before, the ogre in front of him was the same, on the edge of death.

    ¡°Also¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice came from behind his back. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s no longer a monster¡­¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang listened to the iprehensible words, he approached the ogre. The red-eyed ogre¡¯s eyes turned to look back at him. Although they were still ferocious, there was no longer any hostility in them, no longer any madness.

    Instead, even though it had been stabbed in the stomach by his sword, its eyes seemed gentle and warm.

    He could feel it.

    <i>¡®Did we form a bond?¡¯</i>

    It was a ridiculous notion. Still, he thought for a moment about the words Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that he couldn¡¯t understand.

    <i>¡®To think he would say that it¡¯s no longer a monster.¡¯</i>

    "It must have been excruciating,¡± he finally said to the ogre, unable to figure out what else to say. Even as he stood there, thinking, the ogre gasped for breath as it suffered. Although the creature may not have been able to understand what he was saying, Jeong In-Chang spoke with the utmost sincerity. They had fought to kill each other, but in the process, they had developed a strange bond. It was to the point where he felt remorseful for leaving it in this state for so long.

    <i>¡®Am I crazy?''</i>

    He was startled for a moment by the fact that he felt warmth towards a monster.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang grasped the handle of the greatsword in his hand. He could feel a strength he had never felt before in his grasp. It was time to let go of the ogre that must have been suffering greatly. Pulling it out would put an end to its misery.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t put his finger on why he had these feelings, but it was clear that he had been able to grow thanks to the ogre. Regardless of how it came about, he was thankful for the monster. Jeong In-Chang finished his goodbyes and pulled out his greatsword.

    Then, a voice rang out.

    [You have saved the princess.]

    ¡°The¡­ princess?¡± he asked.

    He really couldn¡¯t understand thest notification, but he soon began to hear a stream of more iprehensible statements.

    [<Ogre Prince Siegfried> has designated the Ogre Mage as a princess.]

    [<Ogre Prince Siegfried> heals the Ogre Mage.]

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell was going on. He just stood there nkly as the notifications flew in.

    <i>p, p, p.</i>

    After the notifications finished, he could hear Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s apuse in the background. In the middle of the unbelievable sequence of circumstances, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s next move was to speak to the ogre.

    ¡°You¡­ were, uh, are female?¡±

    He spoke to the monster that was suddenly being enveloped in a blue light.

    ***

    No one knew the exact identities or the purpose of the Sponsors. However, there were some guesses about their identities. These guesses stemmed from the titles they had given to the Incarnations they supported and the true names that they revealed.

    <i>¡®Park Jae-Hyun is in a simr situation.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had spected that Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s Sponsor was the God of cksmiths. Because of that, he had further spected that the Sponsor was the progenitor of the Dvergr race.

    The true name of a Sponsor referred to the Sponsor¡¯s presumptive identity, and it would only appear after it made its incarnation into a Hero.

    "<Ogre Prince Siegfried>..."

    Jeong In-Chang repeated the name over and over again as if he had been possessed by something.

    "The Ogre Prince¡­"

    Soon, the word Siegfried had been omitted.

    "Ogre..."

    Soon after that, the word ogre had been omitted as well. Then, his eyes turned to a single bizarre doll sitting on his shoulder.

    ¡°<i>Coo?</i>¡±

    It resembled the red-eyed ogre that he had fought with to the death, though it was wearing a red doll¡¯s dress that didn¡¯t at all match its appearance. He wondered what was so special about the princess¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s a Familiar,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted. It was because he couldn¡¯t just watch the Hunter mutter about nkly, as if he was still in shock.

    ¡°A Familiar¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked nkly.

    As a kind of sponsorship gifted by a Sponsor, a Familiar was meant to support the Incarnation of the Sponsor and therefore held a corresponding power. However, in the original history, Lee Jun-Kyeong had never heard of Siegfried having a Familiar, or even the existence of a princess.

    Although he couldn¡¯t bepletely sure, he inferred that it was most likely a Familiar.

    <i>¡®If I look at it using the mana stream¡­¡¯</i>

    The doll-like ogre that sat on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s shoulder was bound to the Hunter with something that seemed like a thick cord, just like he and Hyeon-Mu.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to Hyeon-Mu,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. "Ah¡­!"

    ¡°Congrattions once again. You¡¯ve finally be a real hero and earned yourself a title, although the Familiar is a bit surprising."

    "<i>Keugho!</i>"

    The ogre raised its hands high as if it was annoyed by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words. Maybe it was because of how it had shrunk or because of the dress it had been given, but at first nce, it looked cute to him.

    <i>¡®Has something been put into my eyes?¡¯</i>

    Though, the red eyes didn¡¯t change.

    <i>¡®To think the ogre mage has be a Familiar¡­¡¯</i>

    There was another thing that was odd about Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Familiar. It wasn¡¯t that it had been called a princess or even that the Hunter had been sponsored, something that initially hadn¡¯t existed. It was that the Familiar was something that Jeong In-Chang had fought and that he had been sponsored with a Familiar from a gate monster.

    <i>¡®I mean, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s never happened before¡­¡¯</i>

    But it wasn¡¯t something that he knew in detail. So with that thought, he said to Jeong In-Chang, ¡°You¡¯ll have to protect it well.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°It said that it was a princess. If <The Prince on a White Horse> can''t save a princess..."

    At the sight of Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugging without finishing his sentence, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face grew even redder. He still couldn¡¯t quite understand it.

    "Have you decided on a name?" asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Not yet,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, with an expression that said he had given up on everything.

    ¡°G¡­ ooongje.¡±

    "What?"

    The ogre doll had opened its mouth all of a sudden. It spoke an awkward but clear humannguage.

    ¡°G¡­ ooongje.¡±

    ¡°G¡­ ooongje? Is that your name?¡±

    It shook its head negatively at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s words.

    ¡°G¡­ ooongje.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­ are you saying that you¡¯re a princess?¡±

    The doll nodded, and the voices of the Sponsors rang out.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> smiles happily.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> bursts intoughter at the ridiculous situation.]

    As Siegfried had already heard its true name, the Sponsor had gone back to using the name <The Prince on a White Horse> again.

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang shut his mouth and started to walk forward.

    <i>¡®Hmm.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was lost in thought. It was good that Jeong In-Chang had been bestowed a title, and it was good that he had obtained the ogre mage as a Familiar.

    But, one thing bothered him.

    <i>¡®Did he really survive against the ogre mage?¡¯</i>

    If he exaggerated a little, the ogre mage had a level of strengthparable to that of Heracles. But, of course, it wasn¡¯t really of the right tier to bepared to Heracles. Although the ogre mage was utterly dominated by madness, and it mainly attacked with obvious patterns, Jeong In-Chang shouldn¡¯t have known about any of that.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was baffled by how the Hunter had survived.

    Even if he had learned a lot from the battle with Heracles, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy. Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided that the exact details would have to be foundter after he watched the Hunter for a while.

    "By the way, how did you get here?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "You really took your time with that one, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked. He continued in response to the question, ¡°I had heard that it took you a day or two at the most to clear a gate, but you didn¡¯te out of the gate that you had currently been raiding even after three days. So I came here because I was worried.¡±

    Of course, he also had some concerns because of the uniqueness of the ogre vige.

    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said, feeling touched.

    ¡°Also, I had something that I wanted to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ what is it?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed over at something. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to deal with that first and then talk?¡±

    It was the boss of the ogre vige, the twin-headed ogre.

    ¡°This was a gate you had nned to attack, so please see it through, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang took a step forward and started walking. He had wanted to end it himself anyway.

    <i>¡®This¡­¡¯</i>

    Whether it was regarding the changes to his body, or the power of a Hero running through his veins, Jeong In-Chang could clearly feel the Hero-Level strength he had gained by receiving a title. It was an explosive power that felt as if it was about to burst. He wondered to himself if he¡¯d be able to face Heracles now with this new power.

    But soon, he found himself shaking his head, dropping the notion. To think he would be that deluded. Although the power he had obtained at the moment was great, the image of Heracles running wild came up again in his mind.

    At least for now, it wasn''t enough

    However, he had still gained strength and grew even further. In the future, he¡¯d likely grow more!

    Jeong In-Chang ran forward and swung his greatsword as if he had been afflicted with middle schooler syndrome.

    <i>''Is that¡­''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong saw the blue mes emitting from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword. He was struck by the sight.

    <i>¡®A mana stream¡­?¡¯</i>

    No, to be precise, it wasn¡¯t exactly a mana stream. It was only a facet of the technique, one of the basic principles that was able to utilize a greater percentage of the mana one emitted, learned through a Hunter¡¯s repeated training and repetition.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was.¡±

    He could see how Jeong In-Chang had survived the battle with the ogre mage. Although it was only one of the principles of the mana stream, with that alone, one would be able to use a much greater power to some extent.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still confused as to how the Hunter had learned it.

    <i>¡®Even if it''s only a basic principle, it would still need an appropriate foundation of mana.¡¯</i>

    Then, he discovered the reason.

    <i>Sparkle.</i>

    It was the red Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone that was embedded in the Hunter¡¯s greatsword.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s that¡­¡¯</i>

    Although he was beginning to piece together what had happened, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and moved on. The important thing was Jeong In-Chang had survived, and even if his assumptions were correct, it wasn¡¯t as if this was something that would harm the Hunter.

    Rather, he thought that it might actually be beneficial instead.

    ¡°<i>Ha-eup!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang faced the twin-headed ogre with a shout, swinging his greatsword like a fish in water. However, this state onlysted for a short while.

    ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    A loud shout echoed through the gates.

    "Uh¡­?"

    "Uh¡­?"

    Both Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were left bbergasted, and their mouths fell open in bewilderment at the sudden situation.

    ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    It was that bastard that called itself a princess, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s Familiar, that sat on his shoulder.

    <i>Tear!</i>

    All of a sudden, the princess grew taller and tore apart the twin-headed ogre.

    ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    "It¡­" Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sight and spoke to himself. ¡°...doesn¡¯t look like it would need a prince¡­¡±

    1. The word for a princess in Korean is ?? (Gong Ju). However, as the ogre can¡¯t speak properly, it¡¯s not saying the word correctly.

    2. This may be moremonly known as Chunibyo, and is used to describe kids, usually in middle school, who have convinced themselves that they have some sort of secret power or knowledge and are the ¡°chosen one.¡±

 Chapter 65: Land of Ice Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 65: Land of Ice Pt. 5</h4>

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked like his spirit had left his body, and, surprisingly, it was the same with Lee Jun-Kyeong. Even he had an expression on his face that seemed as though his soul had been sucked out.

    ¨CMaster¡­

    Even Hyeon-Mu, who had been quiet until now, sounded as if it was terrified. The main character who had made everyone bbergasted, shocked, and embarrassed, the princess, cried out loud, ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    It tore apart the twin-headed ogre and another ogre that stood next to it.

    ¡°Prinnnncesss!¡±

    Then, it cried out, calling itself a princess.

    <i>¡®What kind of princess is that?!¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. There wasn¡¯t a single princess like that in any fairy tale. This princess had red eyes and tore her enemies apart, which was decidedly not princess-like. He swallowed the words he had wanted to say.

    <i>¡®It would probably eat a dragon if one tried to catch it.¡¯</i>

    The red-eyed ogre mage was truly something else.

    ¡°This is some sort of scam¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang smiled and muttered as if he was mocking himself.

    [The gate has been cleared.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> looks at everyone with a happy smile on its face.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> shakes its head in disbelief.]

    The gate had been cleared. Jeong In-Chang looked defeated; he hadn¡¯t even had a chance to use his new Hero¡¯s power before everything was done.

    ¡°This¡­ Is this really okay¡­?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess so?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered tentatively, unable to say anything else in response. The gate slowly copsed around them.

    ¡°Whew¡­ Well, please tell me now. What did youe to find me for?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked after he had calmed down a little.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and just got to the point. ¡°We have somewhere we have to go.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang frowned slightly. ¡°Somewhere we have to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Where would that be such that you woulde all this way¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked slyly before responding, "It''s China."

    "¡­?"

    Jeong In-Chang stood there with a dull expression. After that, a roar rang out.

    ¡°Gooooongje!¡±

    The princess was running over towards him.

    ***

    [Three dayster.]

    Finally, the long-awaited message from Yeo Seong-Gu had arrived, that he was ready to go to China. Lee Jun-Kyeong had also been slowly preparing for the trip.

    <i>¡®Is this really happening?¡¯</i>

    It all felt surreal. No one knew better than he did how dangerous China would be at this moment. Most of the other Hunters had never been to China after its copse.

    In fact, the Demon King had described in detail what had happened in China. After all, he was one of the Heroes who had established himself firmly after the cataclysm. Any traces of him before then were obscure, and most people didn¡¯t have any idea of his past or even his name. But he had suddenly appeared and was strong enough to astonish everyone.

    In the midst of the cataclysm, his presence shone.

    <i>¡®At that time, the Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    That was in China. It was an incredibly dangerous ce, but it was also a ce where one could grow. High risk, high return.

    The Demon King had originally been strong, but his experiences in China had allowed him to be even stronger. Lee Jun-Kyeong was also nning to go to China, which would be the center of the cataclysm. In addition, he had prepared a lot in order to do so. Although the presence of the ck beads had dyed the timing a bit, it didn¡¯t deviate significantly from his prepared n.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve listened to what you wanted to say.¡±

    A voice came toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You n on going to China?¡±

    A man spoke while looking at countless piles of papers. It was the Hunter Association President, Jang Hyo-Jin, Odin.

    ¡°And what¡¯s your reason? There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know about the situation in China.¡±

    Even Odin was wary of China.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me why?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chose to be silent again.

    "Hahaha." Eventually, the Association President burst outughing. ¡°You really seem to know me quite well."

    He took his eyes off the document in front of him and looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s as if¡­ It feels as if you¡¯ve known me for a long time. That¡¯s right, what are you going to surprise me with this time?¡± he said to Lee Jun-Kyeong in a voice full of anticipation and curiosity.

    The president continued, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you about anything else. As you¡¯ve requested, I¡¯ve granted the request for the Bifrost, but is there anything else you want?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was no longer a foreigner to Asgard. He was someone who had properly joined their ranks. In fact, he had wanted to join them for the purpose of getting ess to China.

    In addition, there were things that he needed to obtain before going there. Not many ces would have what he needed as they were all precious and priceless.

    ¡°I need help,¡± he admitted candidly.

    Asgard was the secret organization that ruled Korea, so it was well-suited to give Lee Jun-Kyeong the support he wanted.

    ¡°If it¡¯s some help that you want¡­ is it with an item? Or¡­¡± Odin mumbled to himself as if he was mired in a riddle. Looking at him acting that way, Lee Jun-Kyeong was struck again by what a crazy bastard the Association President was.

    It all seemed as if it was a joke to that man. Everything was just a device to satisfy his own twisted curiosity, and it seemed as if he only made a move ording to his selfish interest. However, it wasn¡¯t as if his behavior was iprehensible.

    <i>¡®If you have that sort of power¡­¡¯</i>

    It was to be expected. If one had the confidence that they could never die, if one had the confidence that nothing could harm you, then someone like that would be able to chase after any stimulus. For him, everything would be the same.

    Even something like China.

    <i>¡®It would at most be something inconvenient.¡¯</i>

    He wouldn¡¯t make a move for anything that wouldn¡¯t benefit him, and it wasn¡¯t as if he was afraid that China would be something that could threaten him either.

    ¡°Have you already been to China, sir?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    He was sure that the Association President had been to China¨C no, he would go soon again. Because he wasn¡¯t one to hold back his curiosity.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I did go,¡± the older man replied. He didn¡¯t ask how Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, but rather just waited for his answer with an interested expression.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong added, ¡°Then, I think it would be good if you could provide an appropriate level of support that you think is necessary. I know what the situation in China is, but I¡¯m not sure of the details. It would be greatly appreciated if you could provide a level of support as appropriate.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Odin said with a flustered expression.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    He soon burst out intoughter.

    ¡°Good. Well, I¡¯ll prepare it as I see fit.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. He wished for Asgard¡¯s support, but he had no intention of giving up his intentions or knowledge. He would get the support he wanted in this sort of roundabout method.

    <i>¡®It will be a very different China from the one you experienced.¡¯</i>

    The Association President should have already been to China, but he¡¯d only seen one side of it. Therefore, he was sure that Odin would go back.

    ***

    ¡°Did you arrive?¡±

    For some reason, Park Jae-Hyun, who always seemed to be hammering, was taking a break today.

    ¡°...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong silently gazed at the smith, as if he was seeing something novel for the first time.

    ¡°What are you looking at like that?¡± Park Jae-Hyun asked while muttering.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Nevertheless, his face was full of smiles. As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over to see what was going on, he saw something in the smith¡¯s hand.

    <i>¡®A letter?¡¯</i>

    In his hand was a letter adorned with an unusual flower. The smith waved it around.

    "Do you know what this is?" Park Jae-Hyun asked.

    Of course he did.

    ¡°Did you get a letter from Ms. Park?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked slyly.

    It was something that anyone could have noticed if they had any awareness.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°How boring."

    After a moment of silence, he stood up.

    Park Jae-Hyun surprisingly apologized, "I''m sorry for doubting you. Did you really meet Yu-Jin?"

    "Is there anything about me in the letter?" responded Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Yeah."

    He smiled strangely and looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Don''t tell me what it says,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    "¡­"

    He was a bit annoyed, but it wasn¡¯t as if he was curious either. He had already received his payment, so he couldn¡¯t hit him again. For a second there, he considered it.

    <i>¡®Should I just hit him?¡¯</i>

    But then he moved on.

    ¡°You came to get your spear, right?¡± asked Park Jae-Hyun. As if he had guessed by looking at his expression, the smith immediately changed the topic and headed over to the anvil. Muspel¡¯s Spear was ced in the midst of the other weapons he had made.

    ¡°It changed a lot, didn¡¯t it?¡± he said while holding the now clear spear aloft.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear had be very different in form and appearance. In the past, it waspletely red and had be a little more beautiful with the addition of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, but that waspletely different from what it looked like now.

    The smith added, ¡°It took a little work.¡±

    Now, the tip of the spear had split in two and had be even sharper, and the blood-red decorations were scattered here and there between them. The lower along the body he inspected, the more morous it became.

    ¡°I also added a changyoung. It¡¯s the mane of the Catalyon? You gave it to me earlier.¡±

    A changyoung was a tassel tied under the spearhead that lined up with the sharp tip and was meant to prevent the blood of the enemies from traveling down the body of the spear. Originally, Muspel¡¯s Spear didn''t have one. The smith had added it by using the mane of Catalyon as Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him that alongside some other items the other day.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any issues with blood dripping down the spear anymore. Well, it¡¯s not like I had to do much otherwise. The rest is something this thing did on its own,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said as he tapped the ground with the spear.

    There was also some red material decorating the body of Muspel¡¯s Spear along the area where its wielder, Lee Jun-Kyeong, would ce his hand.

    <i>¡®Is that the red ore?¡¯</i>

    As Park Jae-Hyun had said, it wasn¡¯t something that seemed to have been forged by human hands. It looked as if it was something that had flowed down and hardened, and it reminded Lee Jun-Kyeong of the red ore.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s really mysterious, the world of arms, I mean,¡± the smith said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Look at the ability details yourself.¡±

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun immediately threw Muspel¡¯s Spear after he spoke. Lee Jun-Kyeong held it aloft after catching it in mid-air.

    He grunted, ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s heavy, right?¡± Park Jae-Hyun teased.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses and was about to examine his spear, Park Jae-Hyun continued to exin, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of your own weapon.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t confuse which one of you is the weapon and which is the wielder.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He continued speaking with a serious expression on his face that Lee Jun-Kyeong had never seen before, ¡°The second you show a little fear¡­ you¡¯ll be consumed. Consumed by that spear.¡±

    ***

    <i>¡°That thing is now out of my hands. I mean, I¡¯ll still help you if you need it, but the big man from above said something as well, to be careful with it. It¡¯s something that happened because of you, so take responsibility for it.¡±</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s words were filled with the gravity of the situation. It just went to show how much Muspel¡¯s Spear had changed. It was a change that urred from thebination of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone and the red ore, and there was as much of a risk as there was an increase in ability.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t get consumed.¡¯</i>

    Of course, he had no intention of losing to a weapon.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    After thinking for a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Jeong In-Chang, who was standing in front of him, ¡°Do you really n on going like that?¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Why do you ask?¡± the other man replied.

    Jeong In-Chang stood there in shorts and a t-shirt. Even though he had most likely prepared some armor, Lee Jun-Kyeong still reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s cold there.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked confused. ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it summer?¡±

    ¡°Right now, China is¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong took something from his inventory and tossed it over to the Hunter. It was a thick parka. ¡°It¡¯s an endlessnd of ice.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded and caught the parka, and then, they heard a voice speaking to them.

    ¡°Are you the Underdog?¡±

    1. This is slightly in contrast to what the author had said about being wary of China earlier.

 Chapter 66: Land of Ice Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 66: Land of Ice Pt. 6</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the person who had called out to him.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t sense him?approaching?us.¡¯</i>

    He was perplexed. He could clearly hear a voice, but he couldn¡¯t feel the owner¡¯s presence.

    <i>¡®My mana stream should be active, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been continuously using the mana stream ever since he had learned it. There weren¡¯t many people who could approach him while he was in this state without being noticed.

    The person introduced himself, "I am from Asgard."

    "Wow¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth gaped as he nced over to the side. It wasn¡¯t an overreaction, either. The person in front of them, the one who was hiding their presence, the one who called him by his nickname, was so attractive that it was mind-blowing.

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡±

    Their mouths inadvertently dropped to the floor.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    The man was taken aback for a moment by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s meaninglessment. He immediately frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you. And you said this was Jeong In-Chang, right?¡±

    "Ah¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth dropped open even further as if he felt touched by the fact that he had been recognized.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve obtained the power of a Hero.¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s open mouth soon shut; the man had somehow known he had obtained the power of a Hero.

    Furthermore, there was something different.

    Jeong In-Chang could feel it, too, that the person in front of them wasn¡¯t an ordinary existence.

    ¡°Gooongje¡­¡±

    As if it was trying to warn him, the princess hanging from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s shoulder made a sound.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had stepped forward to fix the annoying situation. He reached his hand out towards the man who was so beautiful that it was as if he was shining.

    ¡°They call me the Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    The man smiled slightly. ¡°Oh, look at my manners. My name is Oh Hyeong-Seok.¡±

    He immediately grabbed Lee Jun-Kyeong''s hand and continued to introduce himself, ¡°I have the title of Baldur.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯vee to fulfill the request you gave Asgard, asking for support. But that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed slightly.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯</i>

    To think that they would send Baldur of all people. This was something unexpected. Baldur was a promising talent even within Asgard, so even Lee Jun-Kyeong was aware of his existence. Although he wouldn¡¯t be one of the Twelve Members of Eden after it got founded, he was still a Hero who had the same level of strength as them.

    Furthermore, he was also famous as someone who didn¡¯t discriminate against ordinary people. Therefore, he was praised by both Hunters and ordinary people for his excellent character.

    ¡°Is there something you¡¯re ufortable with¡­?¡± the man asked.

    The only thing making him ufortable was the man in front of him, as the only thing that people knew about him was the single side that he had portrayed.

    He btedly shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. But, by chance, is the support you¡¯re speaking of traveling to China with us, Mr. Oh?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked cautiously. Although he was definitely someone who would be of great help while they were in China, his request for support didn¡¯t mean he had been asking for a Hunter.

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted was items, not another Hunter. He didn¡¯t need an extra set of eyes, even if that set wasn¡¯t sent to be a watchdog. So there was no way that there would be anything good resulting from Baldur¡¯s participation with them.

    The man responded, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    It was a relief. He wasn¡¯ting with them.

    ¡°The item that was supposed to be given to you as support is quite valuable, so I came to hand it over myself. You could¡­¡± He continued speaking with a smile like a sun, ¡°You could think of it as a vacation. It hasn¡¯t been that long since I¡¯ve been able to return back to Korea. As you may already know¡­ Asgard is always so busy¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, that makes sense,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as if he was uninterested.

    <i>Thud. Thud.</i>

    However, his heart was racing inside his chest. He tried to control his heartbeat as much as possible in order to deceive the sensitive Baldur.

    ¡°Well, should we move to a different location first?¡± Baldur asked in a calm tone, as if he either didn¡¯t notice or he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just give it to me right now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he was trying to sound him out. His heart was racing as he had already guessed what he was about to be given, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal to Baldur that he already knew of its existence.

    ¡°As this item is a little special¡ªOh, and you can leave first, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Baldur replied ndly, ¡°This isn¡¯t an item open to outsiders of Asgard. In this situation, for you¡­¡±

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang trembled slightly at the sudden goosebumps that appeared on his body.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually already unprecedented for you to know any information about Asgard.¡±

    Baldur exposed a little bit of bloodlust, and Jeong In-Chang reacted even after obtaining the power of a Hero. Having read the room, he soon replied with a stiff expression on his face, ¡°All right.¡±

    <i>¡®It looks like I¡¯m still a long way off.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had definitely felt the power that could make his body tremble with only an aura. For a moment, he had thought about contending with Heracles after obtaining the power of a Hero, but he had soon realized that it still felt like an impossible task.

    It was the same with the existence in front of him.

    <i>¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯</i>

    The man in front of him was so strong to the extent that he thought that the man might be stronger than Heracles. He had heard a little bit about Asgard from Lee Jun-Kyeong, and every time he learned a bit more about them, his body would be filled with goosebumps.

    <i>¡®Honestly, how many people are there that have this sort of power¡­¡¯</i>

    Once again, he was terrified by the fact that there were even more such beings than he had initially thought.

    ¡°Is there something you¡¯re ufortable with?¡± the man asked again like a machine.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing."

    Jeong In-Chang began to leave first. Before long, Baldur ced a hand on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shoulder as he watched Siegfried leave.

    ¡°Shall we leave as well?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ironically thought to himself.

    ¡°Wee to Asgard.¡±

    Again, he found himself in Asgard.

    ***

    "You¡¯re here?"

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived earlier than expected."

    There were people who weed Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Jeong In-Chang.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that it looked as if the two had gotten a little closer. They had met asionally because of Lee Jun-Kyeong, and they seemed to have be quitefortable with each other.

    Yeo Seong-Gu asked, ¡°Did you visit Asgard?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And you received the item, right?¡±

    ¡°...By chance, were you the one who made the specific request, Hyung?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    He had gone to Asgard with Baldur, and when he had received the item, it was just what he had expected. More importantly, it was something that was necessary.

    The bald man shook his head. ¡°No. All I did was tell them not to send you a Hunter in support.¡±

    ¡°And they listened to that?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu chuckled. ¡°No, did you really think they would?¡±

    There was no way that Odin would have granted Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s suspicious request without a good reason of his own.

    ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s not much else they could provide you with other than that.

    ¡°...?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Guughed at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s suspicious expression. His suddenugh disconcerted Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Are there really things that you don¡¯t know? I justughed because it was funny.¡±

    ¡°There are¡­a lot of things I don¡¯t know, Hyung,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°I thought there wasn¡¯t?¡±

    "Gooongje."

    Jeong In-Chang had to leave to feed the princess, who wasining about being hungry, while Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu remained behind.

    As things were still in the midst of being prepared, they had some time to kill.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Yeo Seong-Gu said, ¡°It¡¯s just like you said that there would be a cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way. Did you tell that to Asgard?¡±

    A small leak of information like that could bring about a significant change, so he asked Yeo Seong-Gu over and over again.

    <i>¡®As expected¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered if it was a mistake for him to share the secrets.

    <i>¡®No¡­ this much should be fine.¡¯</i>

    As various concerns raced through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind, he was soon interrupted by Yeo Seong-Gu talking again.

    ¡°What do you see me as? That¡¯s not it. Rather, it seems like the <i>signs</i> you mentioned have started to appear.¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­ already?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong eximed.

    Yeo Seong-Gu shrugged slightly. ¡°Yeah. Well, it''s not as if it all could be the same as the things you knew. It looks like a few things have been found in the countryside. Odin took it seriously and called back the Heroes who had left on expeditions.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally understood what was going on.

    <i>''So that was why Baldur...''</i>

    It was iprehensible that someone as senior as he would havee to pick him up. Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that he had juste to see who the new member was because the other man had some time to kill after having returned to Korea between assignments.

    "Have you met Baldur?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    "What did you think?"

    He frowned slightly. "He seemed a little too strong?"

    ¡°Is that something you <i>know,?</i>or is it something you¡¯re <i>guessing</i>?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied with a smile at the hidden meaning behind Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s words, "Both.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m not the only one you know about.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu was clearly focused on something else as his response sounded absentminded.

    As he still hadn¡¯t received the answer to his question, Lee Jun-Kyeong urged him for an answer, ¡°Then, what¡¯s the reason that they gave me that particr item?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the Hunter manpower to help you when you go to China, but that doesn¡¯t mean we would send any dog or cow in their ce, and if it¡¯s an item¡­¡±

    His eyes scanned Muspel¡¯s Spear that Lee Jun-Kyeong had hanging on his back.

    "I don''t know if your weapon was made by a cksmith or gifted to you by a Sponsor, but it¡¯s not as if we could give you something better than that right now,¡± he said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had finished what he had been focusing on.

    ¡°But still, as it''s the first time Asgard is supporting you, we had to give you something that was appropriate. There¡¯s nothing else as good as that. They should have exined it to you, so you know how it works, right?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked. ¡°I already knew how it worked from before.¡±

    ¡°As expected. You also wanted it too.¡±

    "Yes."

    Yeo Seong-Gu smiled and continued, ¡°Use it when you¡¯re in an emergency.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t meant to be used on me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slightly even though he knew the other man couldn¡¯t see him and responded, "I¡¯ll use Idunn''s Apple on someone else."

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though his choice to go to China wasn¡¯t a mistake.

    <i>¡®To think the signs are already appearing.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that something was starting to change, and the best way to find out what was changing was to go to the ce where the most change would be taking ce.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m getting a little nervous.¡¯</i>

    The fact that the signs were appearing this early meant that China could bepletely different from the China that he had hoped for. Therefore, the risk would be even greater than he had expected, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was naturally nervous.

    "It is an honor to meet you like this."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was now bing a celebrity, and many people greeted him along the way. He talked and shook hands with each of them one by one. While not all of them had Hero-Level powers, they were all true heroes.

    "It''s a snow orc!"

    "Damn it¡­ It''s already been three hours..."

    This was the battlefront, and these Hunters guarded the front lines. A front line had been formed in Pyeongyang, the capital of the fallen North Korea. Monsters were pouring out from China, which had be the Kingdom of Monsters. asionally, they would cross the border to North Korea, and these very Hunters of the front lines would deal with those monsters.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ¡°If it¡¯s just this much, this can be easily handled.¡±

    A barrier of fire suddenly appeared, and the snow orcs that ran through it screamed horribly. Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently helping those on the front lines.

    ¡°Thank you!"

    The level of the Hunters who guarded the front lines wasn¡¯t all that high. Most of them were abandoned Hunters with no backing as they had subpar abilities.

    Their Sponsors were modest, there was no guild to raise them, and their need for money was urgent. They could make far more money in the front line than raiding the gates they could barely clear. Still, the mortality rate here was far more serious than within the gates, as there were no Heroes who wished to be stuck on a front like this.

    ¡°Are you really¡­ nning on heading over there?¡± someone asked. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response. He could see the exhaustion on the faces of everyone around him. Lee Jun-Kyeong passed them and continued to head toward the front line alongside Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    "It''s here."

    Finally, they had reached a huge wall blocked off by blue veils. They faced the wall. As if this was the first time he had actually seen it, Yeo Seong-Gu said quietly, ¡°How grave, I was curious because I couldn¡¯t reach it with the Bifrost¡­¡±

    Even the space traversing Bifrost wasn¡¯t able to enter into China. Therefore, even though he had been busy, Yeo Seong-Gu had traveled all the way with the duo to the entrance.

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang also asked with a trembling voice, as if he couldn¡¯t believe the scene in front of him. The only person who knew the answer was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s gatezation. The entire massive territory of China has turned into a gate.¡±

    1. The term for apple and apology is the same in Korean, and while mythologically, Idunn had an apple, we may switch to apology based on future chapters.

    2. The word for veil here is a military tent formation used during the Warring Era to cordon off areas or form blockades. Its primary usage was to denote if there were any invasions through any tears in the colorful fabric.

 Chapter 67: Land of Ice Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 67: Land of Ice Pt. 7</h4>

    Yeo Seong-Gu had a dark expression on his face as if he had realized something, but Jeong In-Chang looked as if he still didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on.

    He asked, "Gatezation?"

    Instead of exining, Lee Jun-Kyeong just walked forward faster. ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you see it for yourself.¡±

    Now that they had decided to go to China, he wasn¡¯t sure how long they would have to stay there, nor what sort of threats they would end up facing.

    ¡°This time around, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to help you, no matter what you have to face,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a determined expression. He was someone who had always helped Lee Jun-Kyeong whenever there were any emergencies.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and said to his unfailingly helpful hyung, ¡°Thank you for always helping me, but this is something I have to do alone.¡±

    This was a path he had to walk. Although he still needed help from others along the way, he was the one who had to shoulder everything and take responsibility, no matter what adversity or what nightmare he would face. So this was something he would have to solve himself.

    In fact, even if the only thing that was awaiting him was death, he couldn¡¯t stand still. He would have to continue, trudging along step by step. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have any intention of burdening the people around him.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sorry, Hyung.¡¯</i>

    Especially Yeo Seong-Gu. Whether it was the past, the present, or even the future, until the end, he felt sorry for Yeo Seong-Gu, who had to carry the burden of many.

    ¡°For now, take a step back.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu took a step forward as if he was trying to shift from the depressing atmosphere.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang stepped back, Yeo Seong-Gu ced his hand on the blue veil, which rippled as if it were waves.

    <i>¡®To think this would be a gate¡­¡¯</i> Yeo Seong-Gu thought as he slowly gathered his strength.

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had said about China wasn¡¯t something superfluous. To say that all of China had undergone gatezation was basically implying that the entire could end up with the same fate in the future.

    This process must have been the cataclysm that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been talking about. Yeo Seong-Gu had recognized the seriousness of the situation and was preparing for it in various ways, but the more he did, the more he felt the pressure of the situation.

    ¡°One month,¡± he said as he channeled his mana into the blue veil. Bifrost was slowly being activated.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back here in one month. I''ll be back next month if you don¡¯te out by then. I¡¯lle to wait for you here every month.¡±

    The blue veil covering the giant wall was a barrier. With the power of Bifrost, Yeo Seong-Gu was able to suspend the barrier temporarily so they could enter, and he needed to do it again when they exited.

    Although there was the chance that they would be lucky enough to escape past the barrier like the snow orcs and other monsters that charged the front line, it was highly unlikely that would ur. That was why Yeo Seong-Gu was telling them that he would be here to weaken the veil every month, which was why it was necessary to quickly finish their business and rush to the exit without dy.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    The blue veil began to shake as it absorbed Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s power, and soon, it started to turn into a rainbow color.

    Bifrost had been activated, and an Authority simr to Lightning was now beginning topete with the barrier blocking China.

    Slowly, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward.

    ¡°If¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Yeo Seong-Gu without looking back. ¡°If things go well inside, then there¡¯s a chance we coulde out on our own.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu smiled bitterly. ¡°I really hope so.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he and Jeong In-Chang finally disappeared into the veil. Yeo Seong-Gu stared at that singr point for a long time before he released his hold on the veil.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    The light of the rainbow that had dyed the blue veil slowly disappeared.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was working as hard as he said he would for the sake of the world.

    Yeo Seong-Gu affirmed to himself, <i>¡®I should get a move on as well.¡¯</i>

    First things first, it seemed as though he should prepare more thoroughly for the cataclysm so that he could save even one additional life. That way, he¡¯d be able to lighten the burden even just a little bit.

    The footsteps of Yeo Seong-Gu felt a little heavy as he walked away from the wall.

    ***

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang shivered like an aspen leaf in the wind. He was entirely wrapped in a thick parka. But, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he had also covered his entire body in mana. Unfortunately, the cold here wasn¡¯t anything near normal.

    ¡°This is insane¡­¡± he muttered.

    It was a cold that prated through thick clothes, through ayer of mana, and eventually transmitted itself directly to the skin.

    "<i>Ugh¡­</i> and you¡¯re sure that there are people in a ce like this?" heined.

    It felt like a ce no one could survive.

    ¡°Gooongje¡­¡±

    Even the ogre mage, a princess with thick leather-like skin and strong resistance to cold and fire, was trembling like a leaf and moaning.

    ¡°Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang soon realized his mistake and put the princess in his arms. The little doll soon warmed up and drifted to sleep.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong left the two behind and looked around at their surroundings, his brow furrowed in concern.

    "Is there something wrong?" Jeong In-Chang asked, his intuition alerting him that there was a problem.

    "It''s colder than I thought,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying,¡± Jeong In-Chang responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. "That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ I mean that it¡¯s colder than I expected.¡±

    Everything was frozen solid around him.

    <i>¡®It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this yet¡­¡¯</i>

    This was worse than he had thought. There definitely was something that was changing. Things were progressing faster than the original history.

    <i>¡®But how¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered what had made history change. The severity of the shift in history was too great to be attributed to a change he had caused by something he had been in contact with or aplished. He clearly hadn¡¯t caused this.

    The world was changing for some other reason.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud.</i>

    At that time, the ground began to tremble.

    "It''s a monster,¡± said Jeong In-Chang as he took out his greatsword in a rxed manner after sensing the presence. It may have been the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, but his greatsword didn¡¯t seem to be affected in any way by the cold.

    ¡°<i>Chwiiik!</i>¡±

    A horde of orcs, who seemed to be yelling or screaming from afar, was running toward their general vicinity. They were probably a lucky horde of orcs that had noticed the veil weakening.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this chance to raise my body temperature a little bit,¡± Jeong In-Changmented. The orcs had made a bad choice in running toward Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang. Jeong In-Chang began bolting forward in order to chase away the cold.

    <i>ng!</i>

    His gigantic greatsword shed through three or four orcs at once. Snow orcs were said to be stronger than normal orcs, but it was difficult for them to block Jeong In-Chang¡¯s attack as he hadpletely gained control over his Hero-Level power.

    However, the behavior of the snow orcs was strange.

    ¡°<i>Chwiiik!</i>¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Despite the fact that they were being cut down by his greatsword, the others didn¡¯t attack him.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud.</i>

    They began to put more strength into their legs and ran even faster.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Eventually, as they began to approach Lee Jun-Kyeong, he lit a ze. A curtain of red mes spread before the snow orcs. Since they were unable to cross the barrier, they began to melt from the extreme temperature.

    ¡°<i>Chwii¡­</i>¡±

    Reign of Firehad grown by several stages, so it was able to generate an extremely high heat that the snow orcs were unable to withstand.

    ¡°<i>Chwiiik¡­</i>¡±

    However, the expressions on the faces of the fallen and dying snow orcs weren¡¯t serious. Quite frankly, rather than struggling from the pain, they seemed to be relieved.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang felt embarrassed when they saw the faces of the monsters who looked happy to die in the warmth rather than feeling the immense pain.

    ¡°<i>Grahhhh!</i>¡±

    Eventually, a new monster appeared.

    "What is that¡­?"

    Jeong In-Chang saw the new monster after looking away from the dying snow orcs.

    ¡°The snow orcs were probably running away from it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a subdued tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s an ice troll¡­¡±

    Running toward Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong was a strong figure that wasn¡¯t the least bitckingpared to the snow orcs.

    ***

    Everything around them was white, while in the middle in front of them was sttered with blue blood and corpses.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang let out a breath. The battle felt as if it was never-ending, so he had many questions swimming in his head.

    ¡°What the hell is¡­?¡±

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Next to Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear from the corpse of a giant ice troll.

    "Something is strange," Jeong In-Chang said to Lee Jun-Kyeong. They had barely been able to handle the monsters before them. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like there would be any further monster attacks.

    ¡°There are too many monsters, and they are too strongpared to¡­ also¡­¡±

    ¡°Your mana is getting difficult to control, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted as if he knew what Jeong In-Chang had been thinking.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    The situation flustered Jeong In-Chang, but Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand why. He felt the exact same way. The entire maind of China was being turned into a gate. That meant it was currently being oversaturated with mana.

    Naturally, the monsters here would be much stronger than in typical gates. Furthermore, as a result, it was difficult for Hunters to control the deluge of mana into their system.

    Jeong In-Chang was currently feeling the effects of that.

    ¡°And we¡¯ve only just entered it too¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied. He looked towards the distance, and there were destroyed buildings everywhere. Everything around them was frozen, seeming as if they would crumble and crack with just a touch.

    "There is still a long way to go," Lee Jun-Kyeong said. They had only reached Pyongyang. There was still a long way to go to China.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    However, not all of Jeong In-Chang''s questions had been answered.

    ¡°The reaction of the monsters is strange as well,¡± he said with a slightly difficult-to-read expression on his face.

    ¡°While the monsters we meet at gates all have the desire to survive, it''s not to this extent¡­ But¡­¡±

    The swarm of snow orcs and ice trolls that they had just encountered were all behaving strangely. The way they fought, it was like they had obtained human thoughts and desires.

    They weren¡¯t driven by the desire for survival or ughter, but it was as if there was something they longed for and wanted. Jeong In-Chang seemed confused by the appearance of these monsters, who appeared to be able to think and act.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kept his mouth shut for a moment and then quickly stepped forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move for now.¡±

    China was now the kingdom of monsters, and the maind would be full of them. He didn¡¯t know how many monsters he would have to meet and hunt before he would reach his destination.

    <i>Shiver.</i>

    Nor did he know how long he would have to endure this biting cold.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Of course, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems for the two of them due to his Reign of Fire, but he was still concerned. If it was this cold now, was there anyone else left alive?

    The situation was so bad that he wasn¡¯t sure whether the ones he hade to find would still be alive.

    He did know that they were strong. In addition, they were protected by <i>that person</i>, who was someone that no one would be able to guarantee victory over. Therefore, he had thought to himself repeatedly that they should still be okay.

    ¡°How odd.¡±

    But, things were still unknown, and nothing could be confirmed. The vast mass ofnd was as full of secrets as it was filled with ice.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth opened as if he had remembered something. Reign of Fire would only be useful up to a certain point. In particr, as they moved forward, they would reach a spot where he would have to refrain from using it.

    ¡°Could you strip the hide from some of the ice trolls here?¡± he asked Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°M¡­me?¡± the Hunter responded.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong silently raised Muspel¡¯s Spear. It was clear that rather than peeling the hides off with a spear, it would be better to do so with a greatsword.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring a butchering knife?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "I forgot,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    "¡­"

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang slowly approached the corpses of the ice trolls. "<i>Whew¡­</i> but I''ve never done anything like butchery before¡­"

    ¡°You can practice if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had tried to use an excuse while pouting as he didn¡¯t want to skin the ice trolls, but it didn¡¯t work on Lee Jun-Kyeong. Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his arms while gesturing to Jeong In-Chang and pointed to thend of ice around them.

    He said flippantly, "It''s not often that you would be able to find so many materials to practice with."

    Not a single excuse had worked. In the end, Jeong In-Chang hurriedly approached the ice trolls rather than continue toin. Since Lee Jun-Kyeong had further deactivated Reign of Fire, the cold he felt had returned to the baseline biting chill.

    <i>Slice.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang used his greatsword to peel off the skin of a giant ice troll while speaking in an exceedingly low tone. He murmured like a mosquito, ¡°Bastard¡­¡±

 Chapter 68: Land of Ice Pt. 8

    <h4>Chapter 68: Land of Ice Pt. 8</h4>

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    Strong winds apanied by a frozen blizzard engulfed them. The cold alone was overwhelming enough, but that, added on with the other factors, forced them to take a break after time passed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±

    ¡°<i>Gasp, gasp¡­</i>¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang nodded and heaved for air, steam from his breath came out and froze into a tiny icicle that fell to the ground.

    ¡°Bullsh¡­¡±

    Whether he had realized it or not, Jeong In-Chang flopped to the ground as his swearing increased in severity. He had a hunch that he might have actually froze to death if he hadn¡¯t maintained ayer of mana around his body. He had to continue to maintain ayer of mana to resist the cold and wind, but the extreme consumption of his stamina and mana was beginning to take a toll on him.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out as he briefly looked over at Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    Soon, skeletons appeared, apanied by the tter of bones.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he saw them rise and appear out of nowhere.

    He asked, ¡°Is that really Hyeon-Mu?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was the first time the Hunter had seen Hyeon-Mu after it had grown. He tilted his head and answered, ¡°Yes."

    "Ah¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gave an order to the skeleton, "Dig some ground."

    ¨CI have received your order.

    Hyeon-Mu and his skeleton troop were undead. Their bones had been frozen solid, so it would be difficult for them to fight. However, they had a strong resistance to cold, so it was still possible for them to dig the ground or do misceneousbor.

    The skeletons began to dig under Hyeon-Mu¡¯smand, and little by little, a spacerge enough for them to hide their bodies was being created.

    ¡°By the way,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, his voice again reminiscent of a certain TV program.

    <i>¡®If you start your sentence like that¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried not to answer him as Jeong-In Chang continued to say useless things, but apparently, he had finally remembered it from before.

    ¡°About thest time, when I passed out in the ogre vige¡­ Hyeon-Mu was definitely there¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°At that time¡­ considering it had a body like that, it could have given me a potion with its hand¡­ Why¡­¡±

    <i>Scritch.</i>

    Hyeon-Mu, who had been digging the ground, flinched for a moment.

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    A strong wind blew again, and everyone shut their mouths except for the princess. She was staring at Hyeon-Mu, and her eyes had turned bright red for a moment.

    ¡°Gooongje¡­¡±

    ¡°How much further do we have to go?¡± asked Jeong In-Chang.

    Hyeon-Mu had dug a hole, and the party had hidden themselves within the ground as they warmed their bodies with Reign of Fire. After seemingly bing a little more alive from the warmth, Jeong In-Chang started asking questions again.

    ¡°On foot¡­¡±

    They were bound to battle with monsters along the way, and there were sure to have been various geographical changes in thendscape. Considering that maind China itself was extremely vast, ¡°About¡­ a month¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    Even if they ran the entire distance using their powers as Hunters, it would take them a month. Naturally, since they had to run while maintaining ayer of mana to prevent frostbite, it was more than likely that it would take even longer.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that we could get there any faster,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shut his mouth, but Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t finished talking.

    ¡°On foot, that is.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we could waste our time like that.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    They were currently in the ce where North Korea used to be. asionally, they could see broken-down cars lying about, but these cars had literally broken down into pieces and wouldn¡¯t start in the cold. So their method of finding a ride would have to be a bit different from conventional standards.

    ¡°We have to go find something to ride. Our first destination¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed at something with his finger, a mountain that stood tall even within the blizzard.

    ¡°...is Mt. Baekdu.¡±

    For now, they had to first find something to ride.

    ***

    The road to Mt. Baekdu was also as difficult as the rest of their journey. Firstly, there was the wreckage of the copsed buildings and fissures caused by the cracked ice.

    ¡°<i>Roar!</i>¡±

    Furthermore, because of the monsters that were traveling south without knowing whaty in wait, the group¡¯s steps had been slowed. The monsters themselves were strong, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to block their advance.

    ¡°<i>Roar¡­</i>¡±

    Eventually, they all fell down and became corpses. However, a massive amount of stamina was consumed, and continuing to battle in the cold was faring to be more difficult than they had thought. Jeong In-Chang was bing exhausted even though he had obtained the strength of a Hero.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was weak.

    <i>¡®The nature that had be a gate¡­¡¯</i>

    It was just that everything around them was freezing. Still, now and again, Lee Jun-Kyeong warmed their bodies using Reign of Fire.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Furthermore, after having collected as many ice troll hides as they desired, the princess had also begun to participate in the battles. Although they moved slowly, they were soon getting faster.

    "It''s Mt. Baekdu."

    Finally, they had arrived at their destination. Jeong In-Chang ate jerky as he stared at the mountain. This meat was made from the bodies of the trolls and orcs. They had plenty of food in the inventory, but it wasn¡¯t food meant for them. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong hunted monsters instead. At first, Jeong In-Chang was disgusted by the feeling of eating monster flesh.

    ¡°Wait, but this is so delicious!¡±

    But by this point, he was eating the jerky as if it was incredibly delicious.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°It¡¯s because orcs taste the same as pigs.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang paused his chewing. ¡°...it sounds like you eat them pretty regrly.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied with a smile.

    ¡°Also, thinking about it¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes looked toward Hyeon-Mu and its skeleton unit for a moment, which was making a shelter for the two of them. ¡°Can¡¯t Hyeon-Mu do the butchery? Its troops also use swords as well¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°W¡­Wait! You wouldn¡¯t have made me do it on purpose, would you?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the ground, ignoring his partner¡¯s protests.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go on watch.¡±

    "Mr. Lee Jun-Kyeong!"

    He could hear Jeong In-Chang¡¯s angry voice from behind him, but soon, the voice faded away as the distance between them increased.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head for a moment and exhaled, a warm breath emitting from his mouth. Unlike Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s clothes were light. He had a strong resistance to temperatures, and he was able to withstand the cold even without activating Reign of Fire.

    ¡°<i>Haa¡­</i>¡±

    In addition, red steam exuded alongside his breath. It was the mana stream, he was still circting it even at this moment.

    <i>¡®It looks like this application is difficult.¡¯</i>

    He was in the middle of researching various applications of the mana stream.

    [The proficiency of the mana stream has increased.]

    He heard a notification ring out. As he already knew various different methods to make use of the mana stream, his training was rapidly increasing his proficiency.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    He mixed fire energy into the mana stream and was thereby able to ward off the cold emanating from the ground he stepped on while searching for signs of life.

    <i>¡®Is it because it¡¯s Mt. Baekdu¡­¡¯</i>

    There might have been some truth to the story that Mt. Baedu had been a magical mountain from the very beginning, but even though gatezation was in progress, the mountain didn¡¯t lose its appearance. Of course, it had be a snowy mountain rather than a snow-tipped one, but it still wasn¡¯t a ce that monsters could easily ess.

    It was because there was something that protected the mountain.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes and began to spread out his mana. Thanks to the increased mana in the gate, his senses had risen even more. He had stretched out his mana like a spider¡¯s web and focused more while operating the mana stream as if he was trying to find something.

    After a while, he opened his eyes.

    "Is it this way¡­¡±

    He had guessed the direction where that punk was supposed to be. It was the only thing that the huge mana that seemed to cover the entire mountain coulde from. Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the origin of where he felt the energy for a moment.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although there was nothing there, it felt as though he was staring into the eyes of a beast.

    ***

    ¡°Is this what we¡¯re riding?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Although Jeong In-Chang hade to the base of Mt. Baekdu, he had begun to feel doubtful as they had stayed stagnant without climbing for several days.

    "For now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    "¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had seen for a moment what Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought back.

    ¡°They¡¯re deer,¡± Jeong In-Chang remarked.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±

    The deer that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought back after saying he was going on reconnaissance were no ordinary deer. They were deer that had changed under the influence of mana.

    ¡°Are they elk? Is this what you would call them?¡±

    They were incrediblyrge deer.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rolled his eyes. ¡°Do you even know what an elk is? Well¡­ although they¡¯re different, you can think of them as simr to one.¡±

    The giant deer were as big as the ice trolls they had continuously hunted up until now.

    <i>Purr.</i>

    Although they seemed so strong that even a snow orc would be fatally wounded if it got hit by their horns, they appeared remarkably gentle under Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s touch.

    ¡°You even know how to tame monsters? Wait, were you a tamer all this time?¡± Jeong In-Chang said a little excitedly as though he thought he had discovered another one of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s secrets.

    ¡°No.¡± However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer was merciless. ¡°It¡¯s not taming, nor is this a monster.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve never seen something like this before,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, confused.

    ¡°Well¡­ uhh¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke after thinking for a long time. He needed a good exnation.

    "It''s an animal that you can think of that has undergone monsterfication. Still, that said, it''s not really a monster either.¡±

    "What¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified as he got on top of one of the creatures, ¡°These creatures can wield a little bit of mana. Weren¡¯t humans reborn into Hunters just through their ability to wield mana? You can just think of them as something simr.¡±

    <i>Purr.</i>

    The giant deer shook its head as if it was in a good mood; it even sounded slightly mysterious to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Because they have the ability to use mana, there are ways to tame them,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as he began to move the deer.

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Seeing that, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes began to twinkle. Everyone had a dream of riding on the back of a mysterious animal.

    ¡°Could this be considered my white horse¡­¡± he muttered excitedly.

    This was especially true for Jeong In-Chang, who was someone who had <The Prince on a White Horse> as a Sponsor. His greed and desire for a steed surged, and he tried to mount the back of another deer that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The only result was the sound of a drum exploding.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    A blow had hit Jeong In-Chang due to his carelessness. The deer that he had been trying to climb on had knocked him over. It refused his touch, striking him firmly with its front hooves.

    ¡°You little!¡± he sputtered.

    As if it reminded him of Oggy, Jeong In-Chang started tussling with the deer.

    He could have killed it immediately if he had wanted to, but his purpose hadn¡¯t been to hunt the deer. He needed it as a steed. After wrestling with it for quite some time, Jeong In-Chang finally began to beg, ¡°Damn it. Is it really too much to let me ride you just once?¡±

    The deer shook its head in dislike.

    ¡°Try manipting your mana while you stroke its neck.¡±

    ¡°My mana?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him a tip. However, as Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know much about the mana stream, it wasn¡¯t easy for Lee Jun-Kyeong to exin the process to him.

    ¡°Umm¡­ like when you wield your greatsword¡­ no¡­¡±

    Suddenly, as if he had thought of a proper way to exin it, Lee Jun-Kyeong stated, ¡°Think of it as a greatsword. Then you¡¯ll be able to ride it.¡±

    It would be possible because Jeong In-Chang had been unconsciously learning one of the basic principles of the mana stream. Eventually, Jeong In-Chang began to shout excitedly, ¡°Whoa!¡±

    Finally, he had gotten on the deer¡¯s back. The deer still shook its head as if it was annoyed, but it seemed as though it had acquiesced to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s desire to ride.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s not right¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw it, he knew that Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t been sessful in getting the deer to submit to him.

    <i>¡®How useful that little doll is.¡¯</i>

    It was the princess in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms; it had subdued the deer by exuding bloodlust and a little madness.

    Seemingly knowing nothing, Jeong In-Chang was in a good mood and rode wildly on the back of the deer.

    ¡°From now on, please call me Jeong Snow!¡± Things had progressed to the point where he was speaking iprehensible nonsense.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression became extremely serious, and noticing the change, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression hardened in return.

    Soon after, Lee Jun-Kyeong stated, ¡°We¡¯ll be hunting from this point on.¡±

    ¡°Hunting?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes looked over toward the top of Mt. Baekdu.

    "We will catch the owner of this mountain."

    1. Baekdu literally means White Head, or white-tipped, and Mt. Baekdu is a very historical and mythological site to both Korea and China. In Korean Mythology, Mt. Baekdu is the birthce of Korea¡¯s god-king and founder, Dangun, the grandson of Heaven.

    2. This is a reference to Game of Thrones. It¡¯s funny, though, because he¡¯s essentially now, Last name, Nost name.

 Chapter 69: King of the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 69: King of the Mountain</h4>

    Blue deer that were the size of an ogre were climbing up the foot of the mountain. Their speed was so fast that it was difficult to believe that they were scaling up a steep mountainside. The way they ran was breathtaking, like acrobats prancing across the stage.

    ¡°How much longer do we have to go?¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang still felt like something was strange. The deer had definitely been climbing the mountain at great speed, but for some reason, the group still hadn¡¯t reached its peak. No matter how tall the mountain was, it was odd that they had been sprinting for half a day at this speed and they still had yet to climb even halfway up the mountain.

    ¡°Whoa, there,¡± Jeong In-Chang said while holding the mane of the deer as if it was a horse.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    In the end, he was thrown to the floor by the angry deer. After watching the debacle for a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong gestured to make his deer halt before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a break?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''s face brightened.

    ¡°It was so difficult I thought I was going to die¡­¡± he murmured. Riding a horse was something that required a lot of training, let alone riding on the back of a deer that was many times greater in size. In addition, there was the added difficulty of riding bareback while the deer ran through the steep mountainside like it was t ground. No matter how good one¡¯s athleticism was, this was quite difficult.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the deer. ¡°I think the deer needs a rest as well.¡±

    Furthermore, the trek was greatly exhausting for their steeds too. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided that they would take a break after scouting around for a while.

    "<i>Whew¡­</i>"

    Jeong In-Chang exhaled while enjoying the break that he had so desperately earned. Soon, he began to feel something strange.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong returned to the campsite.

    "There doesn''t seem to be anything dangerous around,¡± he said nonchntly as he took out the jerky and tore it in two.

    "Mr. Lee."

    "Yes."

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to get colder as you go higher in altitude?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    The fact that it wasn¡¯t getting colder even after they climbed further up the mountain felt weird to him.

    Jeong In-Chang continued, ¡°But it¡¯s warm for some reason?¡±

    Somehow, the biting cold had disappeared, and the warmth of a spring day had spread throughout the mountain. It was a situation that did not make sense, and the mountain didn¡¯t just have only one or two weird parts about it.

    Although Jeong In-Chang thought that he had been to plenty of gates, it was the first time he had such a strange experience. He had never climbed Mt. Baekdu before, but it was strange that he hadn''t reached the top even after running at this speed for so long. Moreover, the higher their altitude, the warmer it got.

    He remarked, "I didn''t even see any monsters the way here."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was tearing at the jerky, nodded to him before throwing out, "It¡¯s because they¡¯re protecting the mountain."

    "They¡­ are you talking about the person who owns the mountain?"

    "Well¡­" Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t give a clear answer.

    Jeong In-Chang pressed further, "Then, is it a monster¡­?"

    "Well¡­"

    "An¡­ an animal¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head before finally saying, "I don''t know how to answer you."

    It was difficult for him to find an exact answer, as the protector of the mountain was something that was difficult to specify.

    <i>¡®That punk is¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what was best to say. After thinking for a long time, he eventually got up from his seat without being able to answer hispanion.

    ¡°Although we¡¯ve been running around aimlessly so far, it¡¯ll be different from this point on,¡± he said.

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°Pardon?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. Suddenly, lines of mana that were invisible to others began to appear in front of his eyes. They were lines of mana that seemed especially even from a general perspective.

    Hemented, "I¡¯ll be breaking through the formation."

    It was a formation made by the being protecting this mountain, and it caused intruders to wander around the mountain aimlessly for the rest of their lives. He would have to break through the thing that was protecting the life on this mountain.

    ***

    A man stared out a window, his hand on his chin.

    The Heroes of Asgard were being called to Korea again.

    <i>¡®What sort of change is going to happen?¡¯</i>

    It was rare that all the Hunters who had left for expeditions would be called back to Korea. No, it was something that had never happened after they had left for the expeditions. The world had be chaotic after the birth of Heroes, but it had begun to regain stability. As long as people gave up on certain luxuries, humans would be able to enjoy life as it was now continually.

    <i>¡®Or so they had thought.¡¯</i>

    But just like that day, the very day that gates had appeared in the world¡­

    There were notable changes that were taking ce now as they had before that day. He was aware of the signs of change because he was stronger and held more power than anyone else.

    A smirk appeared on his face<i>.</i>

    These changes were something that was as expected as always. But, of course, there were always sacrifices

    <i>¡®As it was when the Gates had appeared, there will be sacrifices. Countless people will die, and countless civilizations will be destroyed.¡¯</i>

    However, Odin didn¡¯t care much.

    <i>¡®Then civilization just has to be rebuilt again.¡¯</i>

    He continued to think while looking out the window. The deaths of countless people, it was all for ¡°Evolution.¡±

    It was always a pleasant feeling for him to look out of the window of the high-standing association building. It wasn¡¯t because he found pleasure in looking down on anyone. Rather, it was that he was able to see everything, that every single thing was within the domain of his gaze.

    This was human evolution. There was a vast difference between someone who could manipte mana and someone who could not. It was only natural for those who couldn¡¯t use mana to be ughtered, and those who would survive through a great many adversities toe to be the heralds of the new generation.

    <i>¡®The New People.¡¯</i>

    He had made the decision to live for mankind when he had founded Asgard. Simrly, those with power were secretly using all they could muster to save the New People from the cataclysm. However, contrary to his initial purpose, Odin had decided that the only humans he would save would be the New People.

    The smirk on Odin¡¯s lips grew even deeper; he had been reminded of someone who had been entertaining him these days.

    It was the Hunter who had left for China. The Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®China is¡­¡¯</i>

    It was a ce that Odin had visited a long time ago. China had beenpletely closed off and had transformed into a kingdom of monsters, so it was a ce that had interested him. As expected, he made a move and personally traveled there. However, all he had felt from the wastnd was disappointment.

    Not only was it only full of monsters, but the climate had also drastically changed. There was nothing there that had even hinted that it could satisfy his curiosity. Although there were a few seemingly interesting things, they were things that weren¡¯t worth the risk it would take.

    So, he came back.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s that brat¡­¡¯</i>

    The Underdog still had many secrets that were unknown. After all, this was the guy who had defeated Heracles without even possessing the power of a Hero, so he might be able to find something that would attract Odin¡¯s attention.

    Odin had already begun to cherish Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t eat him in a hurry.¡¯</i>

    Delicious food should be savored slowly. One had to feel the different vors of food and search for ones that didn¡¯t exist. He was also a gourmet, so that was his philosophy.

    A knock echoed through the room. The door opened, and a man entered.

    ¡°The Heroes have gathered in Asgard."

    Odin slowly rose at the man¡¯s report and smirked again.

    To him, the great disasters and rampant chaos that were toe would be the greatest stimnt he could consume.

    ***

    <i>Tak, tak, tak, tak!</i>

    Deer the size of elks were climbing Mt. Baekdu, and their movements were not normal. Not only were they exceedingly fast, but their movements as they jumped over stones and stepped on trees also seemed to be closer to imaginary beasts than deer.

    ¡°<i>Blechhh¨C!</i>¡±

    And like that, alongside the vomiting Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong was climbing the mountain quickly. Things were different from before.

    <i>¡®To the left, that tree.¡¯</i>

    By activating his mana stream, he was guiding the deer by finding gaps in the enormous amount of mana that had formed a spider web that covered the entirety of Mt. Baekdu. Jeong In-Chang had extreme motion sickness from the deer¡¯s movements, so he merely followed along without knowing the reason. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t affected by hispanion¡¯s misery though.

    <i>¡®Odin.¡¯</i>

    He was thinking of something else. Although he was unveiling the truth of Mt. Baekdu with his eyes and guiding the deer with his hands, he thought of Odin. He knew that the Association President had been to China. Furthermore, he knew that Odin had returned only with disappointment.

    <i>''China and North Korea have changed into this.''</i>

    When the Leader of Asgard had visited China and North Korea, things had beenpletely different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong saw in front of him. In fact, thend didn¡¯t have the same secrets as it did now.

    <i>¡®He could have saved them if he had made up his mind to do so.¡¯</i>

    However, he didn¡¯t, nor was there any rhyme or reason for any of the other rtively distant secret organizations to attempt to meddle in their rescue either. If Odin had just saved China at that time, then many things would have been different.

    <i>¡®He probably wouldn¡¯t have thought that China wouldter be a noose around his neck.¡¯</i>

    A lot had changed in China since Odin¡¯s visit. The rapid gateization had given birth to many things that he had beenpletely unaware of.

    "¡­"

    <i>Tap, tap.</i>

    The deers¡¯ steps, which had only been progressing quickly, began to slow down.

    Of course¡­

    ¡°<i>Blech!</i>¡±

    While Jeong In-Chang was still heaving, he also noticed that the deer had stopped. He wiped his mouth gently and moved his deer to approach Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Did we¡­ arrive?¡± he asked.

    A magnificent view unfolded before their eyes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, "We¡¯ve arrived at Heaven Lake.¡±

    They were at the summit of Mt. Baekdu, Heaven Lake, the Divide of Heaven and Earth.

    It was a hugeke that exuded a noble beauty. Although many things had changed up to this point as the gateization had progressed, Heaven Lake had remained pristine.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang turned his head and looked around as if he was mesmerized by the beauty of theke.

    It was breathtaking. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the same.

    "Be careful."

    However, he wasn¡¯t able to fully ept the beauty of his surroundings because he knew he had to stay vignt.

    He murmured, "The owner of the mountain¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang finally came to his senses and remembered what they had climbed to the summit for. Lee Jun-Kyeong basically said that they would hunt the owner of the mountain.

    Furthermore, if their goal was to reach Heaven Lake, then that must have meant that the owner of the mountain would be somewhere nearby.

    However, he looked around, confused.

    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing here?¡±

    Because Jeong In-Chang had obtained the power of a Hero, he also had strong sensory abilities to search their surroundings.

    ¡°I noticed that too. For now, should we take a look around?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested.

    <i>Tap, tap.</i>

    The deer started walking, but soon, the deer stopped moving when they reached a certain point.

    <i>Jerk.</i>

    ¡°Why is it doing this?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang tried several times to make the deer move. However, the animal had stopped abruptly and refused to take a single step further. The same went for Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s deer. It was as if the two deer were stone statues, standing still in the same spot.

    <i>THUD THUD THUD!</i>

    Then, they suddenly started running as their giant bodies began to twitch.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Moreover, the deer had thrown the two off their backs first. Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang was able to right his bnce andnd safely as he had experienced this multiple times before.

    They looked over at the backs of the departing deer.

    ¡°What did they do that for?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked indignantly.

    ¡°We are¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly pulled out Muspel''s Spear and lifted it. At the sight of him brandishing a spear that he hadn¡¯t withdrawn since they hade to Mt. Baekdu, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression hardened, and he pulled out his greatsword.

    "¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°It means we¡¯vee to the right ce.¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Right then, something terrifyingly brushed past Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cheek and stuck to the ground. Jeong In-Chang turned his greatsword to face the direction the projectile had flown from.

    ¡°It¡¯s an arrow¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head and looked at the object stuck to the ground. It was a razor-sharp arrow.

    "Mr. Lee¡­" said Jeong In-Chang to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was facing the arrow on the ground. His head slowly turned toward where Jeong In-Chang was indicating.

    ¡°Over there¡­¡±

    Eventually, when Lee Jun-Kyeong finally followed Jeong In-Chang¡¯s gaze, he was greeted by a stark sight.

    ¡°...there are people.¡±

    There were a few people with bows and quivers on their backs, and even some strong-looking men with swords and spears.

    ¡°There are people here¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered as if he couldn''t believe it. He never could have imagined that the sudden enemy attack would have been caused by people.

    ¡°It¡¯s warm here, and there are no monsters. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s exactly the ce where people could live?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly raised Muspel¡¯s Spear and set his round shield forward. Jeong In-Chang simply stood there, bewildered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rx,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong cautioned. ¡°Everyone here is a Hunter."

    1. Lee Jun-Kyeong has not specified if the protector of the mountain is a person or not, while Jeong In-Chang is directly saying ¡®person¡¯ in his question.

    2. ?? refers to all mythical beasts but can also be a reference to the ?? or Kirin.

    3. One of the most important spiritual and historical sites to Koreans, it is theke at the peak of Mt. Baekdu. Its name, ?? is thebination of Heaven (?) and Earth(?) and is meant to describe the division of Heaven and Earth that you can see when you stand at the peak of Mt. Baekdu.

 Chapter 70: King of the Mountain Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 70: King of the Mountain Pt. 2</h4>

    "You¡¯re saying they¡¯re all Hunters?" Jeong In-Chang eximed out of disbelief.

    In hindsight, it made sense. They had been able to deceive Lee Jun-Kyeong and cut his cheek with an arrow. Furthermore, they were exuding mana.

    They could feel mana emanating from the group opposite from them, and they hadn¡¯t felt something like that before this encounter.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    At that instant, Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the ground and rushed toward the group.

    <i>Swish! Swish!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang deflected the sudden hail of arrows with his greatsword. All of a sudden, he could see Lee Jun-Kyeong sh with the people armed with bows. He didn¡¯t quite understand what the situation was, but because Lee Jun-Kyeong had pointed a spear at them, he knew what to do.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re the enemy.¡¯</i>

    There wasn¡¯t a need to worry anymore. Jeong In-Chang also began to sprint forward across the ins of Heaven Lake, dragging his greatsword along the ground.

    ¡°...!¡±

    One of the group members who hadn¡¯t noticed his approach suddenly looked over, and his eyes widened in surprise.

    <i>Lurch.</i>

    At that instant, Jeong In-Chang stopped for a moment. He hesitated as these were people.

    People, not monsters.

    It was difficult for him to cut them down just because Lee Jun-Kyeong viewed them as enemies.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    As he stood, bewildered, another hail of arrows came barreling down. The ogre princess tried to step forward, but Jeong In-Chang shed through the arrows with his greatsword and ignored her transformation.

    ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    "Good job,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had already neutralized most of the people while looking at Jeong In-Chang.

    He then added, "You must not harm them."

    Jeong In-Chang staggered after hearing that, looking at him for a moment with an absurd expression, then he whirled his greatsword around. Of course, he had aimed with the t of the de. The enemies hit by his weapon were left stunned as he grumbled in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to tell me that sooner?¡±

    He had almost cut through someone because Lee Jun-Kyeong had run off without any exnation.

    ¡°Are you the kind of person who would cut through people without knowing why, Mr. Jeong?¡±

    <i>¡®You little fu¨C¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was filled with anger for a moment when he saw Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s happy-go-lucky expression, but when he saw how the other man quickly turned serious, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

    As he watched, Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to neutralize the enemies with the shaft of the Muspel¡¯s Spear or with his round shield. Then, after he took away their weapons, he walked over to someone who was still conscious.

    ¡°I would like to meet the owner of the mountain,¡± he said in a calm tone.

    "¡­an intruder thinks... "

    The person¡¯s face was contorted in rage.

    Those who attacked Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang not only spoke Korean but also seemed to be Korean as well.

    Jeong In-Chang had thought that they had asian features, but he had been a bit confused by their exotic appearances. However, they had just confirmed it. The people they had met were Koreans.

    ¡°But you were the ones who attacked first. Regardless of the fact that we intruded first, if you shoot arrows at us endlessly, this is the natural result,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he lifted up the fallen man.

    "¡­"

    ¡°Also, look around. Although we could have killed, we left you all alive. We don¡¯t have any hostility towards you. You just attacked, so we defended,¡± he continued.

    Because Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong, the faces of the attackers became even more contorted.

    Their eyes grew sorge that it seemed as though they would tear apart.

    ¡°We¡¯vee to see Sangun.¡±

    "Who are you?"

    "That¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he was about to reply.

    ¡°Uncles!¡± a little kid interjected while running towards this ce. Those who had attacked Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were agitated by the appearance of the child.

    ¡°Sangun says to lead the guests over!¡± Their attackers¡¯ expressions hardened.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quipped. "You saw it, right? We are guests."

    Their expressions became even more twisted after that.

    ***

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang had entered China, they hade across a veil that was simr to a blue curtain that had been draped over the front lines. Surprisingly, such a veil was spread out over a part of Heaven Lake, and those that had attacked them looked over with expressions of displeasure.

    "¡­"

    "Mr. Lee¡­" Jeong In-Chang quietly and cautiously called for Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°Where the hell are we? And who are those people?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong acted as if he knew them, even about the owner of the mountain they were going to meet and even about the entity called <i>Sangun.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, "They are survivors."

    "Pardon?"

    "The survivors of the old North Korea,¡± rified Lee Jun-Kyeong,

    North Korea had long since disappeared. With the advent of the gate, thend of North Korea had been devastated. However, the actual destruction long predated that. The failures that had urred during repeated nuclear testing had turned North Korea into a wastnd long before the gates had even appeared, and most North Koreans had either migrated down to South Korea or had headed up to China.

    It had devolved into a situation where no one could evene close to North Korea due to the rampant radiation when suddenly, the gates appeared. North Korea was destroyed again through the advent of the gates, but a surprising benefit arose from the second destruction.

    <i>¡®The radioactivity was eradicated.¡¯</i>

    Mana had consumed everything, and the problem of radioactivity was solved as the gateization progressed. However, it was difficult to recover North Korea even once the radioactivity had been resolved due to the problems of the gateization and the influx of mass monsters from China.

    Now, in front of them were the survivors of the destroyed North Korea. They were those who had either fled to China to escape the radiation or had settled in Mt. Baekdu because they couldn¡¯t abandon their homnd.

    ¡°Who are you that you know about us?¡± said a man who had previously been struck by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s round shield and passed out with a wary look and a hostile tone.

    However, before Lee Jun-Kyeong could answer, a voice interjected, ¡°Uncle! Sangun said they were guests. How can you treat a guest like this?¡± The man kept his mouth shut when the little boy lectured him. However, the little boy¡¯s screams didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°And you just attack whenever you see anyone! He seems to be someone Sangun knows, so, of course, he could know about us too!¡±

    There weren¡¯t any facies with the little boy¡¯s logic, but the vignt eyes didn¡¯t go away.

    ¡°If they are the same as those bastards, then it will be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Even if they are guests of Sangun¡­right now, Sangun¡­¡±

    They continued to talk to each other while still being wary of Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others.

    "Mister."

    At that moment, a little child grabbed the hem of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sleeve.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t feel too upset about them,¡± he asked. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down at the child.

    ¡°Before, someone else hade here as you have, but that was a bad person who had tried to harm Sangun. Of course, he was defeated! But anyway, that¡¯s why the uncles are like this, so don¡¯t be too upset about it.¡±

    The child seemed quite mature for his age. Lee Jun-Kyeong patted the little boy¡¯s head gently and said, ¡°Little boy.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a mister.¡±

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    There was a sudden silence, and then, with the sound of something lifting, the veil covering their stronghold was lifted.

    "...!"

    Jeong In-Chang raised his eyes in surprise.

    "What?"

    "I heard there were guests?"

    "Sangun had said to bring them!"

    A vige had been revealed.

    ***

    It was like a movie location in the old countryside: shacks with thatched roofs. They had entered a ce that felt like they had gone back in time. Furthermore, the appearance of the people was the same. The vigers, including those that had attacked them earlier, wore unusual attire, simr to hanbok.

    Jeong In-Chang looked at them curiously and whispered to Lee Jun-Kyeong, "But don''t North Koreans speak a North Korean dialect? From what I know, it¡¯s supposed to be simr to our Korean but still different¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head slightly. "It has been a long time since North Koreans stopped using a dialect."

    "Ah¡­"

    Few knew the details of the situation in the copsed North Korea. The North Korean survivors who had flowed into South Korea were all quarantined in the aftermath of the radioactivity. Their children were all educated in South Korea, so it was safe to say that the North Korean dialect had all but disappeared. It had been a long time since their dialect had been abandoned, even in North Korea itself.

    Due to the copse of the leadership and various other events, the North Korean dialect had be almost a deadnguage, spoken by very few people.

    ¡°How long has it been since we had a visitor?¡±

    ¡°Looking at their clothes, don¡¯t they look like people from the outside?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the outside a wastnd?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wasn''t the only one who was looking at people strangely. The vigers also looked at them with eyes filled with curiosity while they spoke amongst themselves.

    <i>¡®There are about two hundred of them.¡¯</i>

    As they were being guided by the small child, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to investigate the people of the vige. There seemed to be about two hundred people living here, and¡­

    ¡°Most of them are Hunters¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s surprised exmation was true. Hunters were quite rare, but this vige was full of them.

    ¡°Because the only people who could survive such adversity are the strong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he chewed on his lip, reminded of someone as he spoke.

    <i>¡®Up to that at least is true¡­¡¯</i>

    However, he and that person were different.

    <i>''That''s as true as it gets.''</i>

    The reason he and that person were different. He had no intention of leaving the culled behind. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and followed the boy.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    The men of the vige blocked their way as they traveled somewhere.

    <i>¡®Their equipment is decent.¡¯</i>

    Unlike those who had attacked them before, the men in front of them held iron weapons and wore iron armor. Even the mana that spewed out from them was extraordinary. He wondered if they had reached the level of B-Rank Hunters.

    One pointed a sword and the other a spear, blocking Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    "Oh my!" the surprised vigers shouted as they watched the situation.

    ¡°You can¡¯t pass this point,¡± said the men as they spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed for a moment and then responded, ¡°Does this ce really treat its guests in this way?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    "Didn''t Sangun, the owner of the mountain, tell you to bring us? Are Sangun''s orders not important enough for you?"

    Although their expressions hardened, they had yet to step aside.

    "Uncles!" a little girl screamed out, but it was to no avail.

    ¡°No, it cannot be done. We cannot take them to Sangun.¡±

    ¡°You know how Sangun is right now, don¡¯t you?¡±

    They spoke to the child in a warm tone.

    ¡°As for how Sangun is¡­ it seems as though Sangun has a problem,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°You dog bastard!¡±

    The two attempted to charge at him at his offhandedments, but the girl opened her arms and stood before them.

    ¡°Seriously! Are you really going to keep this up?!¡± The girl¡¯s voice changed, "Uncles."

    It shifted, bing more serious and had a weight that didn¡¯t match her age. As Jeong In-Chang was bewildered by the disparity, the girl shouted, "As the Vige Chief of Heaven Lake Vige, Imand you. Step aside!"

    Heaven Lake Vige was apparently the name of the vige.

    ¡°V¡­ Vige Chief¡­?¡±

    When she said vige chief, she must have meant the chief of this vige. The girl had called herself the chief of the vige and had given orders to the men.

    Surprisingly, the two acted iprehensibly, given the attitude they had shown so far and obeyed.

    ¡°W¡­ we have received¡­ your order¡­¡±

    They spoke in a very formal way, as if they were offering their utmost respect. As if they had been forced by something, they stiffened up, and Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression hardened simrly.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It was as if he already knew everything.

    ¡°To Sangun.¡±

    He took the girl''s hand and walked slowly along the path.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    Before their very eyes, a cave appeared where the wind swirled around. Although the cave that appeared suddenly seemed just to be an ordinary cave, Jeong In-Chang froze solid in front of it.

    ¡°...Mr. Lee,¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Goongje¡­.¡±

    Even the princess¡¯s voice seemed to tremble with terror. It was an ogre mage. What could terrify a bloody ogre drenched in madness?¡±

    ¡°Why are we only feeling this immense mana now¡­¡±

    They now felt the mana emanating from within the cave. It was the same for Lee Jun-Kyeong as well. It was so dense that it made their hair stand upright.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke after throwing off the mana that weighed him down with a struggle, ¡°Sometimes, there are things toorge, things so vast that it is impossible for the eye to see.¡±

    He spoke vague words that were difficult to understand, but for some reason, Jeong In-Chang could understand him.

    ¡°But¡­ didn¡¯t you say that we would hunt the owner of the mountain?"

    He wondered if Lee Jun-Kyeong had meant that they would have to hunt the being in front of them. Jeong In-Chang wanted to turn his back and run away at the drop of a hat.

    <i>sh.</i>

    At that moment, something shed from inside the cave. It was something as massive as the entrance to the cave itself.

    An eyeball.

    ¨CCome in.

    A voice echoed in their minds.

    1. Both the terms uncle from before and the current, mister, are the same in Korean, but the context leads to different interpretations. Normally speaking, however, at this age, Lee Jun-Kyeong is expecting to be called hyung by the child, so he made a little joke in what was a very tense situation. It¡¯s a dilemma every Korean must face. In their twenties, they are too young to be seen as an uncle in their eyes, but to children under ten, they really do seem like uncles¡­

    2. Hanbok is Korean traditional clothing.

 Chapter 71: King of the Mountain Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 71: King of the Mountain Pt. 3</h4>

    "<i>Ugh¡­</i>"

    It was freezing cold inside of the cave. He wondered if it was because of the warmth of Mt. Baekdu. The cold began to creep even more bitterly and even more terrifyingly. Sangun, who ruled Heaven Lake Vige and was said to be the owner of the mountain, resided in this bitterly freezing ce.

    ¡°Hm hmm hmm.¡±

    The surprising part was that the girl who guided Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions was walking through the cave while humming. She was a child that was supposedly the vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige.

    ¡°Do you happen to know the myth of Dangun?¡±

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to Jeong In-Chang, who was stumbling with his steps.

    "The myth of Dangun¡­?" Jeong In-Chang murmured.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°One of the forgotten national myths is called the myth of Dangun.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had read and studied many books in order to move forward and grow further. He had alsoe across the myth of Dangun by chance.

    ¡°It¡¯s a myth that is simr to the founding myth that speaks of when Hwanung came down and founded the Korean people, that is, our country."

    As he didn¡¯t know Lee Jun-Kyeong all that closely, Jeong In-Chang looked confused.

    ¡°What are you talking about that for?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Because you might be a little more familiar with the beings here if you knew the myth.¡±

    <i>Screech.</i>

    Rather than try to make sense of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ramblings, he just drew his greatsword and moved forward.

    "Is this something we can hunt?¡± he asked. Jeong In-Chang had be worried about the fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong said he was going to hunt Sangun after having seen Heaven Lake Vige and after having understood the situation further.

    ¡°It seems as though this Sangun seems to be protecting these people¡­ is this something that we are okay to hunt? Or¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Is it even possible to hunt it?¡±

    In response, Lee Jun-Kyeong simply began to walk faster without answering, though the little girl must have heard what they were talking about.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    The little girl was still humming and walking ahead.

    "¡­"

    Then, they felt a vast mana that burdened their entire bodies.

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    Within the misty veil that resembled a mana stream, they finally realized that they had arrived. The little girl jumped forward and soon disappeared behind the veil. Jeong In-Chang was worried while Lee Jun-Kyeong was staring at the being shrouded in darkness.

    ¡°Are you Sangun?¡± he asked.

    It was an enormous mass of mana, with a body three timesrger than Catalyon.

    ¨CLooks like you¡¯re some special guests, ho ho.

    There was a giant Baekho crouched down, staring down at them.

    ***

    ¨CHow rude of me.

    As if it had just realized that the cave was dark, the tiger lit the cave up using its mana.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    However, the spirit fire floating in the air was oddly powerless for some reason and wasn¡¯t able to illuminate the inside of the cavepletely.

    It was just enough to reveal the tiger, him, and hispanions. The mes seemed quiteckingpared to the strength it must have had. The little girl was sitting on Baekho¡¯s palm and giggling.

    ¨COkay. Whether it¡¯s that you broke through the formation I set up or that you know who I am¡­ you seem to be a valuable guest in many different ways.

    It spoke in a hoarse voice that echoed in their heads. The cave trembled like thunder.

    ¡°Are you Sangun?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked again.

    ¨CThat¡¯s right. I am Sangun, who protects Mt. Baekdu. Didn¡¯t you know who I was?¡±

    The tiger slightly expressed his displeasure at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sharp tone. What followed was an outright provocation.

    ¡°What a mess you are.¡±

    ¨C...

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    A clear sense of diforty in the air, and after a heavy pressure, Jeong In-Chang called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had no idea that the man was going to begin the conversation like this.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re just wasting away.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s provocation hadn¡¯t ended just yet.

    ¨C...

    Nevertheless, the tiger stayed silent.

    ¡°The formation that protects Mt. Baekdu and your power to control the climate will all disappear soon, won¡¯t it, Sangun?¡±

    ¨C<i>Ahem¡­</i>

    The tiger murmured to itself as if he was acknowledging what the Hunter said as truth.

    It definitely had an enormous amount of mana. So vast, in fact, that it seemed to be connected to the entirety of Mt. Baekdu. It was enough mana that it was iprehensible.

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s dying.¡¯</i>

    However, Mt. Baekdu, the source of its mana, was being destroyed.

    ¨CWho are you...?

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed to himself; he was wondering why nobody was asking him this again. Well, he did know things that others didn¡¯t, and it was natural to ask someone how they knew secrets that should have been hidden.

    ¡°I am¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly closed his eyes and opened them. "...someone who will help you."

    ¨C...?

    "You''re not the one I wanted to meet, Sangun."

    Mana flowed out of Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the vast mana of Sangun¡­

    <i>¡®It¡¯s being pushed back?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t believe the situation. In a sh between power, of course, the one with the strongest power would win. The same went for mana. It was clear that Lee Jun-Kyeong was a great Hunter, but his mana was definitelycking aspared to the mana Sangun possessed.

    The expected result would have been for Lee Jun-Kyeong to lose.

    ¡°But, I want to meet the real owner of this mountain.¡±

    ¨CHow impudent!

    The cave began to resound like thunder, and the trembling transitioned over the mountain.

    The entire mountain was angry. Sangun and Mt. Baekdu were one.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you lose? After all, you had Mt. Baekdu taken from you. However, you, cowardly enough, seeded in sealing it away, but you definitely aren¡¯t the real owner. I want to meet the real owner of the mountain. Also¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said without any regard for the tiger¡¯s anger.

    ¡°I will save you and Heaven Lake Vige.¡±

    ¨C...

    The anger of the tiger slowly faded away, and Baekho¡¯s huge eyes were trembling in embarrassment.

    -You¡­

    Sangun asked once again.

    ¨CWho are you?

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m still shaking, Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Although Jeong In-Chang could see himself getting stronger the longer he spent with Lee Jun-Kyeong, it seemed as though his lifespan was being shortened ordingly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had actually provoked the huge tiger.

    <i>¡®This crazy bastard.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang forcefully swallowed the words that bubbled up to his throat.

    "Are you calling me a crazy bastard in your mind right now?"

    Jeong In-Chang became flustered. ¡°Uh¡­ C¡­ can you even read minds?¡±

    ¡°Haha, no. It just seemed like that¡¯s what you were doing.¡±

    "¡­"

    ¡°I mean, considering you saw me provoke a being with such immense power, it¡¯s warranted that you would call me crazy,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said calmly. He began to peel a single ripe potato and put it in his mouth. "You must have gotten tired of eating only jerky. Have some."

    "Ah, yes¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang epted the potato that Lee Jun-Kyeong gave him.

    "That was just an illusion it built for you to see."

    "Pardon?"

    ¡°Although the power it held really was vast, in reality, he only had a tiny amount it could wield. The power you felt earlier was only after various methods of intersecting amplifications.¡±

    <i>¡®There he goes again, saying something iprehensible.¡¯</i>

    So Jeong-In-Chang put down the potato he was about to eat. He wondered until when he would be like this.

    <i>¡®You can¡¯t continue being?the?idiot forever.¡¯</i>

    Originally, he wasn''t that stupid. He also knew a great many things, and he was someone who had ranked 3rd in the CSAT.

    There was no way that it was that he was the stupid one. It was just that the person in front of him knew too much. Regardless, it was time for him to ovee what he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Please exin it to me,¡± he asked. ¡°What kind of being is Sangun? Is it¡­ is it something simr to the deer that we rode?¡±

    It was definitely a beast, a beast of enormous size and mana. But still, there was something off.

    He then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it isn¡¯t a monster either?¡±

    No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand. Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong put down the potatoes he was eating.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ you can think of it as simr to the deer we rode. However, it¡¯s a bit more advanced than that.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sifted through his memories to give Jeong In-Chang the answer he was searching for.

    ¡°For now, to put it simply, you can think of it as a being that received mana from thend that turned into a gate and has changed its very nature and form,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exined.

    ¡°But it can speak the humannguage, and the enormous mana it possesses is too much to be regarded as a simple beast. Furthermore, it''s acting as if it is protecting the people here.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. "Yes. It''s because it''s a little bit special."

    "And by special, you mean¡­?"

    "He wasn''t a normal beast even before he was affected by the mana. Have you ever heard of a yeongsu?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°Whether it''s Mt. Baekdu or other special ces around the world, there are things that had already changed ording to omens of the area even before the gates appeared. They could be people, things, or anything you could imagine."

    Jeong In-Chang repeatedly blinked at the story that he was hearing for the first time in his life¨Cno, it wasn¡¯t just Jeong In-Chang, there probably weren¡¯t many people in the world who knew of something like this yet.

    ¡°Furthermore, these yeongsu were born from the omens of the gate. That is, from the process of the mana flowing from the earth. Unlike normal beasts, they have huge bodies and even more incredible strength¡­¡±

    He spoke as he rapped his knuckles on his temple.

    ¡°And, they¡¯re smarter as well. Yeongsu have lived for incredibly long times, so they eventually be the main characters in legends and myths. Sometimes they even act as if they are truly humans.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded slowly as if he was being convinced by the answer.

    ¡°Furthermore, that bastard, that is, the Sangun who protects Heaven Lake Vige, is even more special.¡± He paused before saying, ¡°It has a Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°...Ah, I see.¡± Jeong In-Chang nodded his head nkly.

    "Wait, what¡­?"

    He realized the strangeness of what he had just heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s also a Hunter. It¡¯s just currently wounded from the enemy who had invaded Mt. Baekdu earlier. Besides, that bastard isn¡¯t the thing we¡¯re supposed to hunt,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued with a smile. "Of course, we¡¯re after the intruder who hurt it."

    "¡­?"

    As Jeong In-Chang stood in shock for a moment, a voice came from outside, ¡°Uncles!¡±

    It was the little girl that had guided them to Sangun, the little girl who had been named the vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige.

    "Are you ready?"

    As they heard the bubbly voice of the mysterious child, Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from his seat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡±

    ***

    "I''ve never seen anyone treat Sangun like that!"

    The child constantly talked to Lee Jun-Kyeong the entire time they walked.

    "It''s also the first time I''ve seen Sangun so shocked! Who the hell are you, uncle?"

    ¡°I¡¯m not an uncle,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong patiently responded.

    The girl ignored him. ¡°Are you really going to save Sangun and Heaven Lake Vige?¡±

    "¡­"

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult, though. You could die, uncle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an uncle.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang awkwardly scratched his cheek at theedic sight of their constant bickering. Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t the end of it either. Around them, the chatter continued.

    ¡°Apparently, they¡¯re going to Heaven Lake¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    ¡°What if they just end up dragging us into something big too?¡±

    ¡°But Sangun approved it.¡±

    Perhaps they had heard about their meeting with Sangun, but the people of Heaven Lake Vige hade out to watch them.

    Watching them, who were headed for Heaven Lake.

    <i>¡®Heaven Lake¡­¡¯</i> Jeong In-Chang thought.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had made a promise with Sangun. He would defeat the intruders and save the mountain and the vige.

    <i>¡®I wonder what the price could be.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t able to hear what it was, as Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong had negotiated amongst themselves after sending him out along with the little vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige.

    All Jeong In-Chang knew was that the negotiation went well and that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression was good.

    With that, they began their journey to Heaven Lake.

    Their journey to defeat the intruder, the master of the mountain, Sangun, and to destroy the bastard that upied Mt. Baekdu.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± the little girl shouted aloud. The group stopped, and the onlookers couldn¡¯t approach as if they were facing a gue. Instead, they retreated far away.

    ¡°You have to jump in once I could to three, uncles!¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not an uncle. You¡¯re older than me too, but you keep calling me uncle¡­¡±

    The little girl refused to listen to Lee Jun-Kyeong even until the end, and yfully approached the huge Heaven Lake and raised her hands.

    The little girl¡ªno, the woman closed her eyes and chanted something.

    <i>Gurgle.</i>

    The surface of Heaven Lake began to vibrate.

    ¡°One!¡±

    The little girl¡¯s count had started.

    <i>Drop.</i>

    Alongside her count of one, the vibration stopped.

    ¡°Two!¡±

    When she called the second number, a huge vibration sounded out once again. It was as if there had been andslide, and the entirety of Mt. Baekdu resounded.

    "Three!"

    ¡°Oh, my god¡­¡±

    Finally, on Heaven Lake, a change took ce.

    The little girl cried out, ¡°Open, Heaven and Earth!¡±

    "¡­¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    As Jeong In-Chang nkly thought about the odd spell, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was standing next to him, kicked the ground and ran towards the opening like the wind.

    ¡°L¡­ let¡¯s go together!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang started running after him. Soon, the two threw themselves into the swirling, boiling Heaven Lake.

    <i>Gurgle.</i>

    ¡°Close! Heaven and Earth!¡±

    The woman recited a familiar spell once again, and the divide in Heaven Lake began to close its maw. The glint in her eyes shifted, and her youthful little eyes of a child became something that was both more mature and serious.

    "Come back alive. Oppas,¡± she muttered as even her voice had changed.

    1. Baekho, or Baihu, is one of the four symbols of the Chinese Constetions, otherwise known as the four Mythical Beasts. As the White Tiger, it is known as the king of beasts and the Guardian of the West. In Korean myth, it¡¯s often tied together with Sangun, sometimes synonymous with each other.

    2. ???, or doekkaebi, is often tranted as Korean goblins. However, doekkaebi are more simr to nature spirits or forest deities than western goblins, as theye from spiritual possession/awakening of inanimate objects to turn into spiritual figures. Therefore, instead of goblin fire, I tranted it as spirit fire.

    3. CSAT, or the College Schstic Ability Test, often abbreviated as ??(Suneung), is the Korean College entrance exam. It¡¯s given once a year on the third Thursday of November and is one of the most important days of the year in Korea. Businesses, military activities, etc., are all closed or canceled on the day of the exam.

    4. A yeongsu, or a yosu, refers to an auspicious beast, a beast that looks like an animal but can speak the human tongue. Consider the kirin, nine-tailed fox, etc.

    5. Female form of Hyung, a younger girl would say this to an older brother, but can also be used as a term of affection.

 Chapter 72: Heaven Lake

    <h4>Chapter 72: Heaven Lake</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang jumped into Heaven Lake, heading toward the abyss within the water with no bottom or end in sight.

    ¡°Where¡­?¡±

    When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a cave. However, it wasn¡¯t dark and damp like the cave from before.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Rather, it was a space filled with fluttering mes. A scorching heat enveloped the party. It was a world starkly contrasting with the outside, which was a frozen wastnd. It was a cave full of heated stones, as if¡ª

    [You have entered the instant gate, Seal.]

    He had just been thinking that it was a gate, but Jeong In-Chang was still confused. He asked, ¡°A gate within a gate¡­?¡±

    He had been told that North Korea and Maind China had been turned into a gate all the way up to the front lines. Then, that would mean that this was another gate that had formed inside the gate they were in. This type of gate was called an instant gate. Lee Jun-Kyeong was already familiar with the term as it had been widely spreadter in the future, but Jeong In-Chang was not. The man with the greatsword stood, seemingly confused by the notification he had heard.

    ¡°What is it now? What about an instant gate¡­?¡± he mumbled.

    However, more so than the confusion about the term, he seemed even more confused by the sudden change in temperature.

    ¡°Whew¡­ What sort of back and forth is this, hot, then cold¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡¯m something that is supposed to be quenched.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around and said to Jeong In-Chang. ¡°Let¡¯s consider it as quenching, then. Doesn¡¯t tempering make something stronger?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang heard another notification right after Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s remark, as if the other man had incited something.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> sponsors you ''Heat Resistance.'']

    Jeong In-Chang had obtained a new skill.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t even¡­¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought.

    Jeong In-Chang really had a wealthy Sponsor. Being rich in of itself was not the whole story. After all, Jeong In-Chang was technically <The Prince on a White Horse>. As the Hero who inherited the name of the Ogre Prince Siegfried, there was no way his Sponsor would spare any support.

    ¡°You might as well have given it to me earlier¡­ well, aren¡¯t you going to give me ¡®Cold Resistance¡¯ too?¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered toward the sky.

    ¡°Gooongje!¡±

    However, the only voice that came in response was from the princess, who seemed to bemunicating on behalf of <The Prince on a White Horse>.

    "Now, what do we do?" Jeong In-Chang said, immediately opening his mouth to change the topic as if he was embarrassed by the spectacle.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s always the same whenever we enter a gate.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Having heard Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response, Jeong In-Chang could feel it now.

    ¡°<i>Geugah¡­</i>¡±

    They couldn¡¯t forget where they were. Even if it were a gate within a gate, there were bound to be monsters.

    ***

    The monsters that appeared within Heaven Lake and the Seal were different from those on the outside. Instead, they were mainly monsters that specialized in mes and radiated heat. Especially prominent were the fire trolls that wielded burning clubs or other simr monsters such as medogs, which looked like dogs set ame.

    ¡°<i>Greugh¡­</i>¡±

    Furthermore, these monsters were powerful enough to fluster Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i> these things are also unusually strong¡­¡±

    In fact, they were much stronger than the monsters they had faced outside. Of course, Jeong In-Chang had obtained the power of a Hero, so he was able to sweep them away with a greatsword. However, the difference thaty here was that these monsters were strong enough that it defiedmon sense. It was to the point where it was more than capable to fluster him.

    <i>Pierce.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved faster and quicker than the flustered Jeong In-Chang and was making quick work of numerous monsters. Muspel¡¯s Spear stabbed, pierced, and thrust yet again through the monsters like the teeth of a ruthless predator.

    [Muspel''s Spear has consumed some mes.]

    This ce was like heaven for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although it was difficult to hunt many monsters at once using Reign of Fire, his weapon, on the other hand, was consuming mes even if he just stood still.

    [Your mastery of Reign of Fire has increased slightly.]

    Moreover, his mastery of Reign of Fire was improving just by his breathing. Jeong In-Chang swung his greatsword faster as if he didn¡¯t want to fall behind, but it was difficult for him to catch up with Lee Jun-Kyeong, who moved determinedly.

    Suddenly, they found themselves surrounded by monster corpses.

    "Whew."

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s over,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked.

    There were no other creatures around them. Considering that they were still only at the beginning, this was for the best.

    Even if he were only able to level up a level or two, it would be a win, as he hadn¡¯t even gotten a title yet. <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was still so stingy with his sponsorship, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was still looking for a way to grow stronger himself.

    ¡°By the way¡­ that vige chief? What¡¯s the hell with the little brat¡¯s identity?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he sheathed his greatsword.

    It was strange, no matter how he thought about it. At first, they had just thought she was an ordinary little girl. But, out of the blue, not only did ite out that she was the vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige, but she also wasn¡¯t shy with Sangun either.

    ¡°By chance¡­ this Seal thing. Do you think that woman made it?¡± he asked.

    Looking at the way she was able to open and close the seal, it seemed as though she was the one who had sealed the intruder who was said to have inflicted mortal wounds on Sangun. Jeong In-Chang had wanted to ask about it countless times, but the girl had always been with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Now, it was the time to ask. But, as always, Lee Jun-Kyeong always had an answer.

    "Yes. That girl made the Seal. However, rather than making the seal itself, it¡¯s more that she formed the seal using an existing seal itself.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang frowned slightly. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°The ce where we stand right now is the center of Mt. Baekdu, and it is the ce where all of its power is gathered. The power of Sangun that you saw before stems from this ce.¡±

    He could feel it too. As he made an effort to feel the mana around him, he confirmed that the mana in this space was simr to the vast presence that Sangun exuded. It was a hot yet majestic mana, and it was that very mana that warmed the entirety of Heaven Lake.

    ¡°So that girl, Ungnyeo, is able to use the energy of Mt. Baekdu. Also, Ungnyeo was the one who gave Sangun that much power as well.¡±

    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang made a nk expression as if his brain had frozen for a moment. He finally said,, ¡°Simply put, it''s not that Sangun is the strongest, but it''s actually the vige chief¡­ So you''re saying that the girl named Ungnyeo is the strongest?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can see it that way, sure,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true¡­¡±

    It was easy to tell what Jeong In-Chang¡¯s following words would be without even hearing them. If even Sangun and the girl had to join forces to seal it, then he most likely wanted to ask about the identity of the boss of this instant gate.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s even stronger than them.¡±

    Although there were a lot of things to consider, he knew at least that much to be true. The boss of this instant gate was the same monster who had inflicted mortal wounds on Sangun and had been sealed by the two of them. Thus, it could be said that it would be stronger than any boss monster they had ever faced.

    "So¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jeong In-Chang and continued, "Before you meet the boss, you¡¯ll have to grow as much as possible here."

    "¡­"

    "Oh, also..."

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang as if he had remembered something, ¡°Can you butcher some of the trolls and medogs? Later, once we leave Mt. Baekdu, it¡¯ll be cold again. Their hides retain and radiate heat on their own, so it would be good for us tobat the cold.¡±

    ¡°I told you to get Hyeon-Mu to do it¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang whined.

    Eventually, Jeong In-Chang was left to butcher monsters again with his greatsword. He ughtered them while grumbling to himself before finally looking over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°But her name is Ungnyeo? How unique.¡±

    The more unusual the name, the more unique it seemed, however, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded nonchntly, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. I don¡¯t actually know her name. Ungnyeo is her title.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stuttered, ¡°I¡­ if it¡¯s a title¡­¡±

    ¡°It means that she¡¯s a hero,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong confirmed.

    Jeong In-Chang started butchering again with tears in his eyes. He had just be a hero too¡­

    <i>''The world really is vast¡­¡¯</i>

    He felt an odd feeling of depression ovee him.

    ***

    Their hunting began in earnest. The gate really was vast. Even with the best use of his mana stream, it was impossible for him to estimate this space. At the very least, it seemed bigger than Mt. Baekdu.

    Common sense dictated that there was no way that the space created under Heaven Lake was bigger than the outside, but, seeing as where they were,mon sense had already gone out the window.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang continuously hunted without overlooking a single monster. There were three main reasons why Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to Mt. Baekdu while heading to China.

    Firstly, he wanted to reach Heaven Lake Vige, meet Sangun and Ungnyeo there, and y the intruder that had injured them after.

    Secondly, he wanted to reach this ce.

    It was where they stood, right there, right where Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing and traveling, the Seal of Heaven Lake Vige. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been unable to raid a gate after conquering the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

    Even if he had entered one, Hyeon-Mu had been the one to raid it. Thus, he hadn¡¯t been able to level up even once after the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

    [Heaven Lake Vige was an excellent ce to grow.]

    Those were the words of the Demon King.

    For someone like the Demon King and Lee Jun-Kyeong, who both had the Reign of Fire, this ce was the best.

    [Your mastery of Reign of Fire has increased slightly.]

    Just by breathing and hunting monsters, Reign of Fire was rising rapidly in proficiency. Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong also had something the Demon King didn¡¯t: Muspel¡¯s Spear. The efficiency was the best.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be hard to find a hunting ground like this for a while.¡¯</i>

    This ce had the best conditions for him to prepare for events that would ur in China and for him to get stronger for the cataclysm toe.

    Finally, the third reason was the boss of this gate.

    It was an intruder that had been sealed by Ungnyeo after having inflicted fatal wounds on Sangun. His sudden existence was also one of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s goals. Step by step, his n was proceeding smoothly.

    ¡°The regeneration rate doesn¡¯t seem to be going up too well,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as they had finished clearing out the monsters.

    He was referring to the regeneration rate of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It was definitely at around 15% thest time I checked. However, it¡¯s still standing at 15%.¡±

    The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone required the hunting of monsters and used their blood as a source of regeneration. Jeong In-Chang wasining that its rate was too slow, especially as he knew that he would be able to make use of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone once he had received a title.

    Now that he had received a title, his heart was in a hurry.

    ¡°How is it for you, Mr. Lee?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear. Like his greatsword, Muspel¡¯s Spear had also been set with a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. However, the regeneration rate of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone that had been rising smoothly had fallen even further and he said as much.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the regeneration rate dropped to zero and had to start regenerating again.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t seem to understand, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t bother to exin it to him. The reversal of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had urred due to the sh with the red ore. Basically, all of the regenerated dragon¡¯s blood and consumed monster blood had reversed and flowed into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body, forming the ck beads.

    <i>¡®Ugh.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, the regeneration rate of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had returned to its original value and was now being regenerated again gradually.

    <i>¡®Jeong In-Chang¡¯s regeneration rate is lower than expected.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch as to what was going on. Most likely, it was because of when he had been dealing with the ogre mage, now what was called princess. He had been using the blue me unconsciously, which was one of the basic principles of the mana stream.

    In principle, that was supposed to be impossible.

    <i>''It must be the effect of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.''</i>

    It meant that the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had begun to affect Jeong In-Chang in a very subtle way. That was why the regeneration rate had slowed.

    He said cryptically, ¡°You¡¯ll most likely be getting better resultster on.¡±

    "¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that once the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone hadpletely regenerated in the future, things would be different. After all, when Jeong In-Chang used it again, his body would perfectly ept the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone¡¯s power as it had already be ustomed to its power. Consequently, he would be stronger than the Siegfried from the future.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke strange words again, but Jeong In-Chang had gotten used to such things.

    ¡°Well, if you say so, then that must be right, I guess.¡±

    He shook his head, showing blind trust.

    "Gooongje!"

    At that moment, the princess jumped out of Jeong In-Chang''s arms and shouted.

    "What?"

    "Gooongje!"

    "You want to hunt too?"

    "Gooongje! Gongju!"

    ¡°How do the two of youmunicate¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. Jeong In-Chang and the princess were having a nonsensical conversation. He wondered to himself if that sort of conversation was possible, why did King Sejong go to such lengths to create an alternativenguage system?

    ¡°We just understand each other, though?¡± Jeong In-Chang scratched his head.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed out, ¡°It seems as though because it¡¯s your Familiar.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ the princess says it wants to hunt too. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong considered it for a moment, but he didn¡¯t take long to think it through.

    ¡°For now, we can try it out.¡±

    They still hadn¡¯t figured out exactly what the princess''s abilities were. As one of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s familiars, they would have to be together for quite some time. It was necessary to not only understand its powers, but also to gauge its growth potential.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided then if that was the case, then he might as well wake up his familiar as well.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called Hyeon-Mu, who had been sleeping on the bracelet.

    ¡°Move with the princess and try to match ordingly.¡±

    As soon as it woke up, it heard Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯smand.

    ¨CYes¡­?

    Hyeon-Mu looked flustered. The floating skull was looking at the little transformed princess.

    "Gooongje¡­"

    For some reason, the princess had furrowed its red eyes whenever it looked over at Hyeon-Mu. Hyeon-Mu seemed to sense an ominous feeling and felt fear.

    ¡°We¡¯ll most likely be hunting together more often in the future, so you¡¯ll have to learn to match each other¡¯s pace. The goal isn¡¯t just to grow stronger right now.¡±

    "Gooongje!"

    The princess also expressed a positive response after hearing that exnation.

    ¨CM¡­master¡­

    Before long, he saw Hyeon-Mu being dragged towards the monsters by the princess¡¯ hand.

    1. The author isyering the Korean foundation myth with a few other ones. Ungnyeo(??) directly trantes to Bear Woman and is the mother of the founding god-king of Korea, Dangun (as referenced in the previous chapter). See the trantor note for how this connects to Sangun.

    2. King Sejong was Korea''s most famous and greatest king. He was the one who created the written Koreannguage after getting tired of illiterate Korean farmers getting exploited by the Chinese tax collectors. His writtennguage is said to have been the single greatest contribution a person has ever made to Korea.

 Chapter 73: Heaven Lake Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 73: Heaven Lake Pt. 3</h4>

    Time passed quickly for Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party as they hunted with excellent efficiency. Whenever Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang rested, the princess and Hyeon-Mu rushed to continue the hunt as if they werepeting with each other for some odd reason.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong encouraged his Familiar, ¡°Don¡¯t get beat by the ogre!¡± After their short break, there were the sounds of things being pierced and flesh breaking, and, eventually, rising screams as well.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    <i>Pierce!</i>

    ¡°<i>Graah¡­</i>¡±

    The gate¡¯s monsters grew stronger as they advanced into the depths. Unlike when they began, the main monsters they had to deal with now were fire ogres and hell dogs.

    ¡°Goongj¡­¡±

    However, it seemed as though their progression was bing more smooth. The princess was an ogre mage. Among the ranks of the ogre-type monsters, it was at the top of the list. The other ogres were often intimidated by the princess and the aura of fear that it radiated. They froze involuntarily and ended up being helplessly swept away by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s spear and Jeong In-Chang''s greatsword.

    ¡°<i>Grr¡­</i>¡±

    The hell dogs were muchrger than the medogs. In addition, it may have been because the intelligence of their species had improved, but they seemed intimidated. Thus, their strength was stifled by the strength of their opponents.

    <i>Pierce!</i>

    They, too, ended up bing victims of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s spear and Jeong In-Chang''s greatsword. As the corpses piled up, the party continued to grow stronger. But, of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong showed the most spectacr growth out of all of them.

    Jeong In-Chang eximed in admiration, ¡°Your Sponsor seems really impressive, Mr. Lee.¡±

    He then asked, ¡°How much is your Sponsor supporting you that you can grow this much so quickly, Mr. Lee? If your Sponsor also sponsored me, Mr. Lee, then I probably would have gotten stronger too¡­?¡±

    He was speaking like this because he didn¡¯t know the truth.

    ¡°From my perspective, <The Prince on a White Horse> is much richer,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong quipped.

    Jeong In-Chang had received a lot of direct support, while Lee Jun-Kyeong had only been given the special ability <i>yer</i> from <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. He was simply leveling up by hunting monsters and gaining experience points.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t receiving anything at all from his Sponsor.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> snorts in offense.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> reveals its majesty and...]

    [Your stats have increased slightly.]

    He had been granted a small amount of sponsorship.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> hides a smile¡­]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> res at someone.]

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> quickly wipes away all emotion and looks away.]

    "Ha¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong massaged his temples at the iing messages.

    ¡°Hehe. As expected, your Sponsor really is impressive.¡±

    As if Jeong In-Chang had heard the messages, he looked over with his eyes shining even more. Thinking that further exnation was a waste of time, Lee Jun-Kyeong wiped the blood off Muspel''s Spear and sat down.

    "Let¡¯s take a short break."

    Having said that, Lee Jun-Kyeong handed Jeong In-Chang some jerky.

    "Are you meditating again?" the other man asked.

    While he ate, Lee Jun-Kyeong cultivated his mana stream. This ce was nothing more than a gathering ce of the enormous mana of Mt. Baekdu. The flow of mana was clearly visible.

    [The proficiency of the mana stream increases rapidly.]

    His proficiency increased the more he concentrated on circting it. This was the best ce for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who wanted to get stronger.

    "How strong do you think the boss would be?" Jeong In-Chang asked as he ate jerky.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered with his eyes closed, ¡°As long as we deal with the monsters that live here, it can still weaken a bit.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the monsters in a gate are rted in some way to its boss?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°That is correct with regards to this gate. There were originally no monsters here. It¡¯s just that the boss had vomited up what it had eaten outside, and it had be stronger as a result of them.¡±

    "¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t help but wonder again just how the hell did Lee Jun-Kyeong know these facts? He didn¡¯t want to hear someone calling him an idiot again, so he just sat quietly, eating the jerky.

    [The proficiency of the mana stream increases.]

    As time passed, Lee Jun-Kyeong was getting stronger. Muspel¡¯s Spear was lying on the ground next to him, and it was trembling. It, too, was growing stronger by consuming the endless mes in the environment around them.

    <i>¡®Muspel¡¯s Spear¡­¡¯</i>

    He had to make sure that the spear wouldn¡¯t grow faster than he would. But, as Park Jae-Hyun had said earlier, his weapon had changed. It was no longer just a growth-type item.

    He felt as though, more and more, that it might be a demonic spear.

    Although it was a title that was both terrifying and fear-inducing, Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked at the thought.

    ***

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks at you with its eyes shining.]

    The further they went down, the more messages he got from his Sponsor.

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, that punk, was watching him closely.

    It was acting differently from its usual conduct. <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had been like the old man in the back room, someone who asionally watched to see if his grandchildren were doing well. However, now, it was watching Lee Jun-Kyeong like a parent who followed him to sports day.

    Things had changed, and at the center of it all, it started from when they had entered the gate.

    It wasn¡¯t simply because his Sponsor was watching him. Instead, he had a feeling that his Sponsor was only watching him because he had entered this particr gate. Somehow, it was as if his Sponsor could feel it or maybe it even knew what would happen here.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of a question.

    <i>¡®<The Sky of the Apocalypse> was the one who sent me back into the past.¡¯</i>

    He definitely remembered it. When he and the book had been pierced by Heimdall¡¯s sword, there was a voice heralding the fulfillment of the contract.

    It had been the <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Furthermore, ording to the contract, it had been the one who had sent him back to the past, to the Age of Heroes, where the Demon King had existed.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a question.

    <i>¡®Is this bastard¡­¡¯</i>

    Was the Sponsor sponsoring him <The Sky of the Apocalypse> from the future? Or was it the <The Sky of the Apocalypse> from the past?

    Or, if neither option was right, then was time meaningless to the Sponsors?

    Sponsors were also called transcendents. Their exact identities would stay hidden until muchter, so it seemed as though it would be possible for them to manipte time, which was something that even the Hunters, who wouldter be imed as gods, couldn¡¯t do and wouldn¡¯t be bound by it.

    After all, <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had even sent him back to the past.

    But what he couldn¡¯t be certain about were the other Sponsors.

    Even when he considered the next closest Sponsor, <The Prince on a White Horse>, it seemed to be the same <The Prince on a White Horse> that had lived in this era in the past.

    As for <The Sky of the Apocalypse>...

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is scratching its cheek as if it¡¯s embarrassed.]

    <i>¡®What in the¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered what he was supposed to take from that sort of a reaction.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    ¡°Groar!!¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a long, endless sigh. Then, the trolls rushed at him, so Lee Jun-Kyeong moved mechanically and ughtered them.

    [Your level has risen.]

    Finally, he had leveled up, but there were still enemies around them, so Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t check the status window immediately. It wasn¡¯t until after he finished cleaning up the monsters alongside Jeong In-Chang that he was able to open it and check the level-up notification window.

    <i>''Status window.''</i>

    Although he had decided to stay away from checking his status window, as his level speed had severely slowed, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to check it during these rare asions. A blue window quickly appeared.

    [Lee Jun-Kyeong]

    [Special Ability: yer]

    [Sponsor: <Sky of the Apocalypse>]

    [Level: 54, Strength: 158, Agility: 171, Stamina: 167, Mana: 199]

    [Authorities: Reign of Fire Lv 9]

    [Familiars: Hyeon-Mu (growth phase), A Skull that Contains Souls (disabled)]

    His status window had clearly changed from before, and as for the skills, they had all gone up about a level or two. Because mana stream originally had a terrible growth rate, its level was still one, even though his proficiency had risen quickly.

    <i>¡®My mana seems to have already hit the wall.¡¯</i>

    His mana had stopped at 199.

    It was a number that had grown rapidly due to his mana stream. His obviously superior mana value aspared to his other stats most likely wouldn¡¯t rise any further unless he made a breakthrough in the mana stream or found some other methods.

    It had reached the wall. As his level rose, the other stats could rise, but his mana would only rise marginally. Most likely, it probably wouldn¡¯t even increase. Since he had much higher stats than he should have at his level, either his level had to increase to match the stats to some extent, or he would have to increase the level of the mana stream itself.

    Once the stat value of the mana exceeded 200, it would begin to rise normally again. Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to hurry up and cultivate his mana stream.

    Furthermore, he was confused by another part of his status window.

    <i>¡®Growth Phase?¡¯</i>

    The brat had grown up by a level and gained subordinates in the form of skeletons, and its growth could be seen through the change in its body.

    <i>¡®But this is the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tilted his head in thought. Even if he asked Hyeon-Mu, there was no way it would know the answer either. So he moved on.

    The final thing that drew his attention was his Authority, Reign of Fire.

    <i>¡®It seems that this has also hit a wall.¡¯</i>

    The tens digit of an Authority didn¡¯t change easily, as the ability of an Authority was already so great. In fact, if the tens digit was modified, it would be qualitatively different from what it was before.

    It could also be described as an evolution of the Authority. However, the Sponsors were notorious for not easily offering Heroes anything about the development of their Authorities.

    Of course, a Hero could raise them on their own.

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong was a special case, an Authority was one of the few things a Hunter could cultivate on their own. Naturally, the difficulty of raising the level of an Authority was iparably difficult for a Hunter aspared to Lee Jun-Kyeong, as the average Hunter didn¡¯t have the <i>yer</i>¡¯s characteristics.

    Once he had finished looking through his status window, he moved on.

    <i>¡®Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted Muspel''s Spear with a light heart and opened its information window.

    [Muspel''s Spear (Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone) (Lv. 5)]

    - Legendary, Demonic Spear (iplete)

    1. Increases the power of Reign of Fire.

    2. Fire resistance has increased by 60%.

    3. The weapon will grow as it is exposed to fire.

    4. Muspel¡¯s Spear will return to the user¡¯s hand when mana is sufficient. (Mana cost increases as distance increases.)

    5. Therger the size of the dragon¡¯s bloodstone, the higher the stats.

    6. This spear is transforming into a demonic spear. This change may be affected by the user¡¯s attributes.

    Compared to how much its appearance changed, its information window was rtively untouched. The only parts that had changed were the level and stats and the addition of one line.

    A demonic spear, and on top of that, to think it would absorb his attributes.

    <i>¡®A demonic spear consumes a target weaker than itself.¡¯</i>

    There was still something to be worried about. However, if a person subdued a demonic spear and became its true master, that user would gain even greater power. It was simple.

    High risk.

    High reward.

    Of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t worried. It wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t have any intentions of taking on risks.

    He swung the spear in his hand lightly. A de of me shot forward, drawing a long trajectory. Apanying it was the death cry of a hell dog.

    ¡°<i>Grahh!</i>¡±

    ¡°It seems there is still one left?¡± Jeong In-Chang questioned.

    He responded blithely, ¡°Yes. It was a punk that knew how to hide its mana.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly picked up Muspel¡¯s Spear, which had grown strong enough to kill the monsters in this area even through their considerable fire resistance, and walked forward.

    He added, ¡°Spoon, we¡¯ll be facing the boss.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Even if he hadn¡¯t said anything, Jeong In-Chang was already feeling it.

    There was a huge mana lurking in front of them.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang swallowed his saliva nervously again. Anotherrge fight was standing in front of him

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a message from his Sponsor again.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you curiously.]

    ***

    "Sangun."

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were advancing into the depths of Heaven Lake, all the people of Heaven Lake Vige had gathered around the shore to watch the entrance to the depths. Furthermore, their head, the vige chief Ungnyeo, was with Sangun.

    ¨CWhy are you calling me?

    "How is your body?"

    Ungnyeo''s voice as she asked was infinitely warm andpassionate.

    ¨CIt is the same as before.

    ¡°Looks like those brats have to seed.¡±

    Sangun was still dying. Not only was he protecting Mt. Baekdu and Heaven Lake Vige, but he also was using his strength to bolster the seal against the intruders. As a result, his lifespan was decreasing at every moment.

    Moreover, it must have been difficult for Sangun to have earned this strength.

    Although Sangun was a Yeongsu, it was still, in fact, a beast. Although its existence had changed when it had gained a Sponsor, it was still difficult for it to use all of its strength into Mt. Baekdu.

    On top of all of that, there was something else. She asked, ¡°Sangun, when do you think I will regain my strength?¡±

    Initially, the power of Mt Baekdu was something Ungnyeo should have taken charge of. However, Sangun had felt sorry for Ungnyeo, who was dying while bearing such great power, and shared the burden with the woman.

    That was how Ungnyeo was treated and why Sangun was dying from that huge source of mana.

    ¨CDon¡¯t speak rubbish.

    Sangun snorted and turned its head. Ungnyeo put her hand on Sangun¡¯s nose and said, ¡°They are strong, but¡­ those intruders are much stronger than that. So why did you send them into Heaven Lake, Sangun?¡±

    Simr to Jeong In-Chang, Ungnyeo also had not heard about what had urred between Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong. Therefore, she was asking about it now.

    ¨CHmm¡­

    Sangun looked at Ungnyeo with its huge eyes and replied carefully.

    ¨CIt wasn¡¯t that I was looking at him. I was looking at what stood behind him.

    As a Yeongsu, Sangun was able to see things that most humans couldn¡¯t. In particr, it was one of the few beasts that had developed a vision-rted ability and even had a Sponsor.

    ¨CThe intruder and that man have the same things behind them.

    Sangun had seen it.

    Something dark and yet darker still.

    There was something behind them, and it was something that could never be mixed with the world.

    1. There is a discrepancy in the status window. In Chapter 51, the Mana stat was at 120(200), but here it says 199. This seems to have been an error by the author in Chapter 51, as the 199 value is important here.

 Chapter 74: Heaven Lake Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 74: Heaven Lake Pt. 3</h4>

    Every part of Heaven Lake reverberated. Even the sky and the earth. Everything cried out.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    The source of the strength that astounded the sky and shook the earth was the intruder that had been trapped in the seal of Heaven Lake by Sangun and Ungnyeo. This was the same intruder who had inflicted mortal wounds on Sangun, who had to not only borrow the power of Mt. Baekdu, but also join forces with Ungnyeo to seal it.

    ¡°You mean that little kid over there is the boss?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stood, seemingly in disbelief, as he watched the little brat in front of him that had roared a moment ago. His reaction was warranted, as he had just found out that the boss of the seal was sitting in front of him and his party. Even stranger, it was a person.

    It was a boy who looked to be around ten years old and was roughly the same size as Ungnyeo. He had long gray hair, and he looked over at them before growling in a low tone.

    ¡°<i>Grrr¡­</i>¡±

    After continually advancing through the seal, Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally met their enemy. He was a brat who had spent his time sleeping to heal his wounds. He was the very same brat who had inflicted fatal injuries on Sangun and had to be sealed by the tiger and Ungnyeo.

    He had felt their approach. Thus, he woke up and cried out, causing everything around them to reverberate.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a stiff expression as he slowly got into position. Jeong In-Chang had never seen such a grim look on hispanion¡¯s face before.

    "That''s not human."

    "But..." Jeong In-Chang sputtered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head tersely. ¡°Not everything is as it seems. You should have realized this after havinge to Mt. Baekdu.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded and raised his greatsword.

    <i>¡®Not everything is as it seems.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t realized that there could be existences with such enormous power until he had reached Heaven Lake and met Sangun. He also hadn¡¯t uncovered that the little girl was named Ungnyeo and was the vige chief or that she had as much power as Sangun itself.

    What he could see in front of him now was clearly not human. Lee Jun-Kyeong had affirmed it, so it was something he could believe.

    ¡°It is different¡­¡± he muttered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slightly. ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Now that he had understood it wasn¡¯t human, he had begun to notice the differences. The boy¡¯s appearance was definitely irregr. It was evidently in the form of a boy, but there was something trembling behind him.

    ¡°That thing¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang could clearly see the evidence that the boy was not human, so he looked back and asked about something else instead, ¡°Can we really win against it?¡±

    He was facing something that had an incredible strength that might have been better left unseen. This power was on par with the power he had felt from that person.

    <i>¡®Heracles.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Soon, the boy cried out and waved his arms.

    <i>Dududu!</i>

    A slender arm that used to be as thick as a branch suddenly ballooned into a giant paw covered with white fur, crushing the ce where the party had stood.

    ¡°Goongje¡­¡±

    Afterward, the ogre mage, the princess, came out and inserted itself in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Princess!¡± Jeong In-Chang called out with concern as he knew the enemy was strong.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess refused to listen to Jeong In-Chang and began to run forward.

    "Hyeon-Mu!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Hyeon-Mu in a hurry. The princess¡¯ reaction was natural. It had felt the power that had exuded from the boy now, and it had judged it to be dangerous. Although it had been afraid of Sangun, who had shown them no hostility, an ogre mage would never back down in the face of hostility!

    Jeong In-Chang jumped at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shout after he heard that it would be dangerous for his Familiar.

    He unleashed a battle cry and started running forward as well.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu! Don¡¯t summon your skeletons. You¡¯re in charge of support instead!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmanded.

    ¨CI have received your orders!

    Skeletons would only be victims in this battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t want any of their stats to be lowered, so he gave Hyeon-Mu the support role instead.

    That would be enough.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also kicked off the ground.

    Every time the boy swung his arms and legs, a shadow shimmered around him as if he had been coated in an aura of another being. The visage of paws covered in white fur appeared around his limbs.

    It was almost like a wolf.

    Then, another notification came as Lee Jun-Kyeong stabbed Muspel¡¯s Spear forward with all his might.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> stares forward with hooded eyes¡­]

    [...and watches over every aspect of you.]

    ***

    <i>Shuffle.</i>

    The sun was shining. Under the warm sunlight, Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Association, was handling documents as per usual.

    There had been the appearance of a special gate. Not only had he be a bit busier with the return of the Asgardian Heroes, but he also could feel the beginnings of change, so he was busy making decisions regarding what benefits to focus on and the next course of action.

    Things were no different than usual for him, and everything was going smoothly. Although his decisions most likely caused some people to scream, those screams never reached his position.

    ¡°<i>Ahem¡­</i>¡±

    Although things were going as usual, Jang Hyo-Jin grabbed at his heart when a sudden shot of pain coursed through him. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t a simple feeling of pain either.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­!</i>¡±

    He had never felt this kind of pain before.

    <i>Throoobbbb.</i>

    The feeling didn¡¯t pass even after he circted his mana and quickly used a healing skill.

    <i>Throb.</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that he was taking any damage. He hadn¡¯t sustained any actual injuries, and it was just that the pain was at an iprehensible level.

    "<i>Ug¡­ ugh¡­</i>" he gasped.

    Jang Hyo-Jin soon came to his senses after holding onto his chest for a long time. The pain had passed. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, wetting the papers that he had been looking at.

    His missing left eye socket slowly began to emit light, and he turned his head towards the window. He stared outside the window, where the sun was shining.

    [<The Endless Investigator> is looking at you.]

    "How noisy."

    [<The Voiceless Sage> looks down on you.]

    "You dare!" Odin shouted to the sky. "Do not meddle in my affairs!"

    The screams that shook the space subsided, and Jang Hyo-Jin, Odin, looked out the window again.

    <i>''How¡­''</i>

    He wondered what was going on.

    Odin knew what this phantom pain really was.

    [Crisis Detection]

    It was the skill of an Authority he had obtained long ago. It had the ability to sense any absolute crises, but the criteria was high. It hadn¡¯t been triggered even when a special gate had appeared.

    It was a skill that had disappeared from his memory long ago. So, he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    What the hell was this Authority sensing?

    He couldn''t quite figure it out.

    He muttered, "I need to be more prepared."

    However, whatever it was, it was enough to arouse Odin''s vignce.

    ***

    "Hurry up and evacuate the children!"

    Heaven Lake Vige.

    It was busy at the vige that was tethered to the top of Mt. Baekdu.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The reliable Heaven Lake Vige, which had been under the protection of Sangun, was shaking. This had only ever happened once so far: when the intruders had been fighting Sangun.

    But now, heaven and earth were howling, and Mt. Baekdu was in agony.

    ¡°Get the kids first! Those who don¡¯t have any strength should retreat as well!¡±

    A little girl was shouting out in front of Heaven Lake Vige with both her hands outstretched. It was the vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige and a hero with the title Ungnyeo.

    ¡°We will follow the orders!¡±

    There was not a single person who refused, and they were fully open to hermands. Ungnyeo only had a child¡¯s body due to the excessive use of force and other various side effects. Usually, not only her body but also her mind were that of a child¡¯s, and the vigers of Heaven Lake Vige treated her ording to her physical appearance.

    However, whenever there was a time when she showed her true self like this, she was their leader with a power equal to that of Sangun.

    "Chief! Are you really okay...!" some of the vigers shouted anxiously.

    Amidst the destruction of North Korea and the endless emergence of gates, Heaven Lake Vige had been created and preserved through its own culture. The series of crises that had emerged from their peaceful lives were enough to cause them anxiety.

    "¡­"

    Ungnyeo shut her mouth for a moment.

    "Even if things go wrong, Sangun and I will fix it! So hurry up and evacuate the powerless!"

    ¡°We will follow the orders!¡±

    Ungnyeo''s words were absolute. She had always kept her word. As a result, the anxiety of the vigers had subsided significantly.

    Ungnyeo extended out her strength and embraced the seal in her mana.

    <i>¡®Sangun.¡¯</i>

    If, by chance, the Hunters who had gone into Heaven Lake failed, and if the intruder woke up, then Ungnyeo would defeat it together with Sangun, just as she had told the vigers.

    They would annihte the unsealed bastard.

    However, there was one problem.

    <i>''Sangun!''</i>

    He would die. He would die as he would have to use too much power. The fight wouldn¡¯tst much longer than a moment, and Sangun would disappear along with the intruders.

    Therefore, she prayed that the Hunters would defeat the intruders.

    "Come back alive!" Ungnyeo shouted toward Heaven Lake.

    Suddenly, a bronze sword appeared in her right hand and a bell in her left hand.

    <i>Ring!</i>

    With the sound of the bell, her eyes began to glow green.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thrust forward with Muspel¡¯s Spear, but the boy he was targeting had disappeared from his seat, leaving behind an afterimage.

    ¡°<i>Ha-up!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang swung his greatsword toward the location where the missing boy had appeared. The speed of the greatsword was iparably faster than before. His sword directly shed against the boy¡¯s skin, but that was all that it did.

    ¡°<i>Grah!!</i>¡±

    The boy howled like a beast and stretched out his hand, which turned into a huge front paw and appeared right in front of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    However, the princess had be enraged by the boy¡¯s constant evasion, so it grabbed the huge front paw and embraced it with both hands. Because the princess hadpletely removed its transformation, it had returned to the original form of an ogre mage. However, the boy¡¯s front paw wasrger than the princess.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had corrected his stance and rushed in again to aim for the opening. Jeong In-Chang did the same as well.

    ¨CWater Bomb.

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s attack had also exploded in the right ce.

    The boy had tried to shake off the princess and run away, but a water bomb had been waiting for it in its escape route.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The water bomb exploded with a huge burst of water pressure.

    <i>Whistle!</i>

    As if the boy¡¯s body was like a hot iron, when the water washed over him, it made a whistling sound, reminiscent of a boiling kettle.

    ¡°<i>Graah!!!</i>¡±

    As the boy writhed in pain, Lee Jun-Kyeong pierced the boy¡¯s shoulder with Muspel¡¯s Spear. At the same time, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword prated into the boy¡¯s shoulder on the opposite side.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    However, the boy responded with a howl, andva began to spurt from his feet. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang attempted to retreat immediately.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    However, they couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    The boy stood, holding Muspel¡¯s Spear in one hand and the greatsword in the other. The princess had already been embedded into the wall by its front paw a long time ago.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    It began to give strength to the hands holding Muspel¡¯s Spear and the greatsword.

    ¡°Oh¡­ oh my god!¡± Jeong In-Chang exined in surprise. Small cracks had begun to form along the greatsword, which hadn¡¯t been destroyed or even cracked in any way so far.

    <i>¡®Reign of Fire.¡¯</i>

    Right then, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved into theva. Reign of Fire had reached level 9 and was enough to move into theva. Theva that flowed around his feet was molded into a round spherical shape and shot towards the boy.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¨CWater Bomb.

    There was an explosion, and again, Hyeon-Mu had attacked at the right time. The meeting of fire and water filled the space with thick steam.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had seeded in removing his greatsword from the boy. He then took a step back and swung his greatsword in front of him. Thanks to his action, the thick steam around him was pushed away slightly.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    However, through the smoke, he could see Lee Jun-Kyeong with his neck caught in the boy¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s face was contorted as if he was in terrible pain.

    "Mr. Lee!"

    Jeong In-Chang quickly jumped in with his greatsword.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The boy quickly swung its other hand and knocked away Jeong In-Chang. He ended up embedded in the wall like the princess had earlier. The boy was definitely a monster, and using the word "overwhelming" to describe it was quite appropriate.

    Jeong In-Chang regretted thinking that it had been a person, even for a moment.

    "<i>Ugh¡­</i>"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed the hand of the boy holding his neck while throwing the round shield.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    He had tried to take off the boy¡¯s front paw by activating his strength stat, which was over 150.

    ¡°<i>Grrr¡­</i>¡±

    However, the boy felt pain but didn¡¯t let go of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s neck.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is watching you.]

    ¡°Let go¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could barely speak using the breath he had remaining. However, there was nothingpelling the boy to let go. Lee Jun-Kyeong pierced Muspel¡¯s Spear, which he had removed from the boy¡¯s shoulder earlier, into the boy¡¯s forearm again.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The boy¡¯s blood flowed toward Muspel¡¯s Spear and traveled up the body as if it was defying gravity. It wriggled before being absorbed by the spear.

    It was almost as if¡­

    ¨CDo you need power?

    It was as if it was asking him that.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡±

    However, instead, a vast amount of mana erupted from him. He had finally been able to remove the hand of the boy.

    At the same time, he felt an unbelievable force coursing through him.

    [The level of the mana stream has risen.]

 Chapter 75: Heavenâ€™s Lake Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 75: Heaven¡¯s Lake Pt. 4</h4>

    He could feel the mana thaty rampant inside the Seal. It was gathering around him. Reign of Fire burned even fiercer under the influence of his mana stream. His body drew out its potential faster and faster.

    As the power fueling it grew stronger, the mana within him didn¡¯t deplete whatsoever.

    ¡°Howte,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he rubbed at his neck that had been crushed in the boy¡¯s grasp. He wasn¡¯t talking to anyone around him, but rather, he was just speaking to himself.

    <i>¡®I had aimed for that to happen before that, however¡­¡¯</i>

    His mana stream had been extremely active duringbat.

    Inbat, one would be in an intense state of concentration while surrounded by danger. Those things would instinctively depend on how much one would be able to draw from one¡¯s potential and circte up to even the bare dredges of one¡¯s mana.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had maximized this as he had had his mana stream activated. Therefore, he had a hunch that his mana stream would improve during this battle. No matter how hard he had fought with the other monsters before, he hadn¡¯t felt as though he was in a crisis. This battle, on the other hand, sacrificed safety for a faster return on strength.

    The result was as expected as well.

    "It was a littlete, but it was a sess."

    He felt the power overflowing within his body. Every cell was wrapped in mana and evolving. The him before his mana stream had leveled up and the him after were worlds apart.

    What was he like now?

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He was faster.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    More powerful.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    More precise.

    In an instant, he had exploded forward and pierced forth with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°Roa¡ªhuh?¡±

    The spear was once again lodged in the boy''s shoulder. The boy had previously been evading all their attacks and beating them back single-handedly like a monster, but it had now suddenly realized there was something different.

    ¡°You should take a taste of your own medicine, too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong quipped.

    The situation had reversed, and Lee Jun-Kyeong wrenched out the powerful Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A small me spread across Muspel¡¯s Spear, eventually passing through the spearhead and condensing on its tip like a dewdrop. The mes on the spear werepletely different nowpared to what they had been before.

    ¡°This is going to hurt,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    The mes that had previously enveloped his weapons through Reign of Fire were literally just simple mes born of the me attribute. The only difference was that the temperature was extremely highpared to other mes, and they were difficult to smother without Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s permission.

    However, the red, dew-like mes on the tip of his spear were fundamentally different from the regr mes. Mana had been condensed to the point of igniting, and the me had hints of the essence of fire.

    He had finally achieved it.

    He murmured, ¡°Origin me.¡±

    It was one of the techniques the Demon King had most often used, a skill Lee Jun-Kyeong could finally control now that the level of his mana stream had risen. The principle behind it was a very simple technique if one considered how the mana stream circted.

    [You have acquired the skill Origin me without anyone''s aid.]

    [You havepleted an unbelievable achievement.]

    [Your unbelievable achievement grants you arge amount of stats.]

    [You havepleted two unbelievable achievements.]

    He heard a flurry of notification messages. Muspel¡¯s Spear had already been infused with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Origin me, so it flew through the air and hurtled toward the boy. It was as if a single line had gently touched the boy, almost like a single bright light.

    <i>Drop.</i>

    The space seemed to condense.

    The incredible heat of the Origin me distorted space and then expanded, devouring its target.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Soon after, a massive explosion urred. The st was like a visible phenomenon, almost like a ck hole.

    "Mr. Lee!"

    He could hear the screams of Jeong In-Chang, the princess, and Hyeon-Mu all at once. It was as if they could feel the pain from the intense heat as if their skin was melting off their flesh.

    He reassured them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The mes won¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    However, exmations of surprise came out when what he promised came true

    "What¡­?" Jeong In-Chang eximed. It really was as Lee Jun-Kyeong had said. The incredible pain they had expected never appeared as if the thought had been but a breeze. The mes that passed by avoided the party. The only being to be affected by it was the boy that had been consumed at the epicenter.

    ¡°AHHHHH!¡±

    [Reign of Fire has reached level 10.]

    [You havepleted the ¡®Ruler of Fire¡¯ achievement.]

    [Reign of Fire has changed to Monarch of Fire.]

    His stats weren¡¯t the only things that had changed with the growth of his mana stream. The Authority that had been blocked by the wall at level 9 had also broken through its barrier. It had been incredibly lucky timing.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been aiming for this to happen.

    With the sound of a whimper, the me died down, and eventually, the appearance of the boy, the boss of the Seal, was gradually revealed.

    It no longer had the appearance of a boy. Instead, the owner of the gigantic front paws that it had disyed earlier, a burnt white wolf, stood in front of them.

    It wasn¡¯t enough of a shock that the terrible fight had ended so abruptly, but seeing the boy¡¯s true body, Jeong In-Chang eximed out loud, "Wow¡­"

    He thenmented, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s weary visage expressed exactly how difficult the battle was. He had only said two words, but looking at the situation they were in, it was easy to see how heavy the expression itself was.

    It was his final words to an enemy, a tribute to a monster that had pushed him to almost beyond the brink of death.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong parted the overflowing mes like the Red Sea and walked forward.

    ¡°Roar¡­¡±

    The boy had transformed entirely into a beast and whimpered in a manner befitting its appearance.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked one step closer to the whimpering wolf as its eyes red terrifyingly at him. He felt an aura of fear exuding from its body as if it would tear him apart if he got any closer.

    ¡°How cheeky."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong waved his hand, dispersing the aura of fear exuding from its body, and walked forward faster.

    <i>¡®From the very beginning, you couldn¡¯t beat me.¡¯</i>

    His confidence was one that could be described as arrogance, but it was absolutely warranted. Although this was regarding Lee Jun-Kyeong, who hated the idea of birth, there was no way around it for something like this brat in front of him.

    This brat would never have been able to defy its nature.

    ¡°<i>Grrr¡­</i>¡±

    The light in the boy¡¯s eyes shifted. It had been ferocious and murderous, but a mild tone had started to spread within its re. The boy had been injured, and it had been beginning to lose its sanity.

    Therefore, it had rampaged into Mt. Baekdu and had fought the powerful Sangun in order to find a way to recover. It had never been a child who had harmed anyone without permission before. It had just been trying to find a way to heal by allowing itself to be sealed here.

    However, the heat here had driven it crazy. Therefore, considering that it had fought while it was aplete mess without any sanity, it hadn¡¯t been able to use even half of its power.

    If it had been able to use its full power, Lee Jun-Kyeong probably would have lost.

    In fact, he most likely wouldn¡¯t have decided toe if that wasn¡¯t the case. But, he had been sure of it.

    It was what he had read in the book and remembered.

    [I had passed through the mes and approached the brat.]

    <i>Step.</i>

    [It was a wounded beast. Its gaze, which had been distorted by both anger and pain, had suddenly changed to be filled with sorrow.]

    ¡°<i>Grr¡­</i>¡±

    [Because it had soon recognized something.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood right in front of it. Its huge eyes met his. As they stared at each other for a while, he noted something.

    Its eyes were like the abyss.

    [It had recognized its owner.]

    ¡°Huh¡­!!!¡± Jeong In-Chang eximed in surprise. The boss that had fought with its life on the line was now bowing its head. The wolf stood with its head bowed, and it looked even more noble and beautiful.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Its burnt fur returned to its original state, pure white, like the perennial snow that covered Mt. Baekdu. There wasn¡¯t a single speck of color to be found on its brilliant hide.

    ¡°<i>Growl.</i>¡±

    It bowed low to the floor towards Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand over its head.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks at you seriously.]

    It was the first time his Sponsor had looked at him this seriously.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ced his hand on the wolf¡¯s head.

    ¡°<i>Grrr.</i>¡±

    The wolf growled, and at the same time, the beginnings of a bond had formed.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> has sponsored you with a bond.]

    [A bond is possible. Would you like to proceed?]

    He had finally received an ability that quite a few Hunters had ess to.

    Bonding was a skill that created synergy when Hunters with the same Sponsor worked together¡ªbeing able to bond meant that they would have the same Sponsor.

    <i>¡®This brat¡­¡¯</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t have had a Sponsor¨Cno, it couldn¡¯t have one. The Sky of the Apocalypse only supported one Hunter. That was an unchanging fact.

    This little brat¡­

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks at the lost child.]

    It was presumed that it was a child of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, and <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Sponsor.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m¡­¡¯</i>

    He was the incarnation of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. This brat hade to its senses and recognized him as its owner.

    He began to stroke the wolf, and as if it had been a warmth it hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, the wolf quickly closed its eyes in peace.

    Although the wolf looked so gentle right now, it was known as one of the demons that had shaken the world together with the Demon King.

    It was apanion of the Demon King, a subordinate, and, like a child.

    [The Pure-White King, the Lord of Beasts, the Fangs of God. They were all names that the people had called it.]

    Its name was¡­

    ¡°Fenrir,¡± he stated.

    [Bond evolves into Servitude.]

    [Servitude is possible. Would you like to begin the contract?]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have to consider it. Then, all of a sudden, a bright light erupted from his hands and the wolf¡¯s body.

    ***

    ¡°Di¡­ did it end?¡±

    The earthquakes in Heaven¡¯s Lake Vige had stopped. All of a sudden, heaven and earth had be quiet, and only the sounds of birds chirping could be heard throughout Mt. Baekdu. The vigers of Heaven¡¯s Lake Vige talked about the event as they looked over the suddenly quiet vige.

    ¡°Vige Chief¡­¡±

    Yet, Ungnyeo still stood in front of Heaven¡¯s Lake with a bronze bell in one hand and a bronze sword in the other.

    <i>ng!</i>

    When the bell rang again, the world was wholly engulfed in silence. Then, in a silence that was so quiet that one could count the noises, a small reverberation rang out.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    Theke slowly split apart, and a man came out quietly and calmly from within the dividedke.

    ¡°You came back alive,¡± she noted.

    One man.

    Then, another.

    ¡°...¡±

    And, Ungnyeo closed her mouth. There was something in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands. It was definitely something she recognized.

    ¡°Sangun!¡± Ungnyeo shouted loudly.

    <i>ng, ng, ng!</i>

    The reverberation grew stronger. The residents of Heaven¡¯s Lake Vige saw that the situation had ended and had begun to rx, but the vibrations that followed soon forced them toy t on their stomachs again.

    ¡°...¡±

    Soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang stood up under the cold gaze from Ungnyeo.

    In Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms was a small naked boy.

    ¡°What did you do,¡± she asked. If she was given the wrong answer, then the bronze sword she was holding was poised to pierce through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom!</i>

    After loud thuds shook the ground, Sangun could be seen on the horizon. His body should have been covered in white fur, but it was stained with gray. It was the wounds from fighting Fenrirbined with the mark of time.

    ¡°Sangun has arrived¡­¡±

    ¡°What is¡­ what could be going on that¡­¡±

    The residents of Heaven Lake Vige didn¡¯t often see Sangun¡¯s visage, so their hearts tightened as they looked to the shore of Heaven Lake.

    On one side was a giant tiger and a girl, the other two men and a boy. Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke first, ¡°I¡¯m fulfilling my promise.¡±

    ¨CAre you trying to deceive me? Surely you must kill the intruder¡­

    ¡°I never said I was going to kill it. I was quite clear about it when I negotiated with you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong retorted gently as he looked into Sangun¡¯s eyes.

    Sangun looked confused as if he had noticed the change in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I said that I would reap the intruders trapped within the Seal.¡±

    ¨CThat is¡­

    He had definitely said that. But, of course, Sangun had assumed that the meaning behind the word was death. He didn¡¯t realize it was meant literally.

    ¨CBy reap, you mean¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s not dangerous,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he was persuading Sangun.

    ¡°This brat¡­ now he¡¯s not¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment. ¡°He won¡¯t be dangerous to you, specifically.¡±

    Just then, the boy opened his eyes.

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    Because he was the monster who had directly shed with Sangun, because Ungnyeo had seen the extent of his power, she stood, nervous, ready to attack at a moment¡¯s notice.

    "¡­"

    However, the first thing the boy did when he woke up was bow to the two who were watching him anxiously.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    He then raised his head and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong patted the boy''s head and said arrogantly, ¡°Did you see that?"

    1. We¡¯ve been switching pronouns for the boy/wolf based on how he¡¯s been portrayed. We¡¯ve made it a rule to make all monsters androgynous unless otherwise indicated, so once the boy had been exposed to be a monster, we reverted to the pronoun it. However, now that the monster has shifted to be a child of <The Sky of the Apocalypse> and a boy again, we are reverting to he.

 Chapter 76: Fenrir

    <h4>Chapter 76: Fenrir</h4>

    The Demon King had famouspanions, subordinates, and even familiars. Surprisingly enough, there were also those among his party who fulfilled all three of those roles. One of those very members of his party was the boy in front of him now.

    ¡°Kiiiiillllll?¡±

    ¡°Not kill, but Jun-Kyeong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°Kiiillll?¡± he chirped again.

    ¡°No, Jun-Kyeong, I¡¯m Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    The boy couldn¡¯t even say a sentence correctly. If anything, the only thing he knew how to do was growl like a wolf.

    ¡°<i>Grrrr¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Ha¡­ ha¡­</i> Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang appeared. Since he had already been directly in conflict with Fenrir before, he had a clear understanding of the power the wolf boy had.

    "Fenrir¡­ I am not an enemy..." he gasped.

    Fenrir growled, "<i>Grrr¡­</i>¡±

    So, even just meeting him like he was doing now made him ufortable. Fenrir crouched, guarded against Jeong In-Chang, but soon, he pounced toward the Hunter.

    ¡°Goongj¨C!¡±

    But the wolf turned to grab the princess and headed outside. It felt like something they had seen before¡­

    ¨CCough cough¡­

    Although Hyeon-Mu¡¯s awkward coughs could be heard in the background, the sound of Jeong In-Chang shouting as if he was ignoring everything around him rang out.

    ¡°No!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The kids are just ying,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang tried to object and say that was ridiculous, he was interrupted by the sound of notifications.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> has a sorrowful expression.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles triumphantly.]

    It may have been because they were both directly involved with the Familiars in question, but the two Sponsors showed very different reactions to the situation.

    ¡°Misters!¡±

    Then, another child came up to them. It was the vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige.

    ¡°...¡±

    At the sight of the little girl, Jeong In-Chang forgot his words for a moment. His face was full of uncertainty as he wasn¡¯t sure how to react. When they had escaped Heaven Lake, she had been the one staring at them with a frosty gaze, exuding tremendous energy.

    "Do you want to eat some potatoes?" she asked.

    But, at this moment, she looked just like a little child. Jeong In-Chang shivered at the sudden sense of incongruity.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Mister?¡± Ungnyeo asked.

    However, Jeong In-Chang just kept his mouth shut, which was the same way he had reacted when he was dealing with Fenrir.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too wary, Mr. Jeong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. He gave the uneasy Jeong In-Chang a look while epting the potato that Ungnyeo had offered him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°She¡¯s not like this because she wants to. You can think of it as a side effect. Her treating us like this right now isn¡¯t acting. Seriously.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying such big words, Mister,¡± Ungnyeo said while smiling as if she had at least inferred that he was on her side while wiping another potato clean with her sleeve and handing it to Jeong In-Chang.

    The other man stuttered, ¡°Th¡­thank you.¡±

    In the end, once Jeong In-Chang had epted the potato, Ungnyeo¡¯s demeanor suddenly changed.

    ¡°Okay, so what is the n for you two next?¡±

    Her voice and the aura around her had shifted to the woman they had met when they had exited the Seal of Heaven Lake.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mind was in chaos, and he felt like he was going crazy.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some air¡­¡± he whimpered.

    So he left, leaving behind Lee Jun-Kyeong and Ungnyeo, who were staring at each other.

    ***

    "What are you doing?" Ungnyeo asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong led her somewhere. He walked forward, and she followed, even though he was walking without saying anything about their destination.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    To Ungnyeo, he was a strange being. Having lived in Mt. Baekdu since infancy, she had grown up as a friend to the mountain and the animals that lived there. Then, when a nuclear test destroyed North Korea, her life had been forever changed when the refugees fled to Mt. Baekdu. She had found herself burdened with the responsibility of other people¡¯s lives.

    However, she had always wanted to live a normal life.

    <i>''I wanted to¡­''</i>

    But fate was harsh. She, who had been considered special even before the appearance of the gates, had be even more special. Even her body had be something that couldn¡¯t be regarded as normal.

    <i>¡®Make friends too.¡¯</i>

    She had wanted to share her feelings, share stories with the refugees. However, they were refugees to Heaven Lake Vige and were fleeing from a fallen country, so they had be her followers. Hence, they couldn¡¯t be friends.

    That didn¡¯t mean that they were bad, however. They were loyal and warm. The way they treated her, someone who changed moment to moment, was unchanging.

    Still, nevertheless, she still always had a curiosity toward the outside world.

    <i>¡®What sort of ce could the outside be?¡¯</i>

    Those who came from the outside were generally enemies, but the one in front of her was different.

    She wondered whether he was an enemy?

    Or was he a friend?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were an entity whose affiliations couldn¡¯t be determined.

    ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Ungnyeo shouted as she rushed to follow his rapid pace. Then, when they had finally arrived at their destination, she found herself at Heaven Lake.

    ¡°Why did wee here again¡­¡± she muttered.

    The two of them stood together in front of the vastke, and Ungnyeo shook her head and spoke with a tranquil gaze.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You must have seen this every day,¡± he replied.

    She nodded. Ungnyeo reminisced for a moment. If it hadn¡¯t been for this beautiful sight, then she might have run away from all of the responsibility.

    ¡°I made a promise to Sangun.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sments hade out of the blue.

    ¡°I will remove the intruders and help Sangun recover.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°And if I seed¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked straight at Ungnyeo. Ungnyeo, who still had the appearance of a young girl, turned her head for a moment, not knowing what to do.

    "I¡¯m going to take you with me."

    "¡­!"

    Ungnyeo quickly looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, the Hunter¡¯s eyes had turned back towards Heaven Lake again. Before Ungnyeo could even ask a question, Lee Jun-Kyeong gave her a notice without any consideration.

    ¡°But not yet. I¡¯lle to pick you up on my way back from China as soon as my business is over. I¡¯m preparing for it right now.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    And then, he withdrew a sword from his inventory, a sword that was unparalleled in its splendor. It was a sword more suitable for decoration rather than practicality. Ungnyeo flinched for a moment when she saw that he had withdrawn a sword, but then looked back once she saw its appearance.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong threw his sword at Heaven Lake. Heaven Lake swallowed the decorative sword, the sword skinning deep into its depths.

    ¡°Guard that sword until I get back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to make sure that no one can take it away. It would be nice if, like, you could do some rituals or something for it, too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    Before she was even able to ask what he meant by ¡°take her away¡± or even give any permission, she became bbergasted at the fact that the man was speaking as if all the ns had already been decided.

    ¡°That sword is important. Later¡­¡± he said, turning his head as if he was back to when he had firste here again.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it to someone,¡± he finished with an indecipherable smile.

    In the end, she was the one who was left speechless.

    ***

    <i>¡®Ungnyeo.¡¯</i>

    She wasn¡¯t one of the formerpanions of the Demon King. However, the Demon King had highly valued her.

    [She had talent and the power to match.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that the person he saw matched that description as well. The Demon King may have seen her as someone who simply was born with talent, but to him, she was a High-Level Hunter who had to be admired.

    Furthermore, she had skills that Lee Jun-Kyeong could never have.

    <i>¡®That girl is¡­¡¯</i>

    He needed her.

    And, if she stood with him, her abilities would be able to shine even further. He would always be able to help her deal with any changes that she would undergo. That was how he thought, so he said what he did without any hesitation.

    As for Heaven Lake Vige?

    <i>¡®Sangun will protect it.¡¯</i>

    In the future, if they wanted as well, they could leave Mt. Baekdu, and he would be able to help them meld into the world where people lived.

    If she really wanted to save and protect Heaven Lake Vige, then it wouldn¡¯t be by hiding out in this crater. Instead, she would have to follow him.

    <i>¡®Take her.¡¯</i>

    Those were the words that Sangun had said to him when they had made their agreement. Sangun had willingly¡ªno, with great heartbreak, allowed it.

    <i>¡®Sangun¡­¡¯</i>

    He knew about her aspirations, about her sorrows.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang waved to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was returning to Heaven Lake Vige with Ungnyeo. The Hunter wasn¡¯t alone either.

    ¡°Are you only returning now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You¡¯vee sote, young man.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the vige chief is with him too?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for your return!¡±

    The Heaven Lake Vige residents had gathered together to wee Lee Jun-Kyeong as well. There was the smell of bonfires and roasting meat, and the noise of people tickled his ears.

    ¡°Of course, we should have a festival,¡± Ungnyeo whispered quietly to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Regardless of what happened, whether it¡¯s Heaven Lake Vige, or Sangun¡­ or even me¡­ you saved us.¡±

    Having said that, she started running forward.

    "Uncles!"

    She had returned back to the form of a little girl again. Lee Jun-Kyeong also slowly walked forward toward them. He could see Fenrir ¡°ying¡± one-sidedly with the princess from far away.

    ¡°<i>Growl!</i>¡±

    ¡°Goongj...¡± the princess wailed.

    The people of Heaven Lake Vige smiled brightly toward him, regardless of who he was. Lee Jun-Kyeong headed toward them.

    <i>¡®These people¡­¡¯</i>

    Mt. Baedu was dangerous. China¡¯s gateization would elerate even further, and even now, the formidably strong monsters would be even stronger and more numerous, and they would invade the mountain and its inhabitants.

    How long could Sangun be able to protect them?

    This wasn¡¯t a problem that could be stopped, even if he went to China. Therefore, he refused to leave them behind. But, arrogance wasn¡¯t what made him think he had to save everyone.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll save everyone that I can see.¡¯</i>

    He would do whatever he could. As he thought, Ungnyeo approached and pulled his sleeve.

    ¡°Come quickly, mister! They say there¡¯s wild boar meat!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong joined them soon after.

    ¡°Well, about before, we apologize¡­¡±

    ¡°Whenever we talk about foreigners, we¡¯re referring to those who want to plunder us or have bad thoughts about us¡­¡±

    ¡°Who would ever consider vigers like us as people? We apologize.¡±

    The residents of Heaven Lake Vige took turns apologizing to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Looking over at Jeong In-Chang, it seemed as though he had already epted their apologies.

    ¡°I fully understand.¡±

    It was a situation where they could only stay closed off. Not only was it not enough for their nation to exploit them, but it had also then self-destructed. Then, monsters ran rampant and ughtered their people. In the midst of it all, there would have been no shortage of looters among the victims as well.

    One couldn¡¯t count out the people that must havee down from the north due to the monster attacks that were taking ce in China, and they must have had many demands for the peaceful town.

    Because the inhabitants were Hunters.

    Because there was Sangun, Ungnyeo.

    <i>¡®Because there was power.¡¯</i>

    That was the only way they had survived.

    "Please, eat."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them and the offered meat. The wild boar must have also absorbed mana, as it was massive.

    .

    Most of the vigers were Hunters, but if they could only grow properly, they would be of great strength.

    <i>¡®They could defend themselves.¡¯</i>

    It would be fine if they couldn¡¯t be extremely powerful. He just thought that it would be good if they could protect themselves.

    The man who had shot an arrow at Lee Jun-Kyeong when he hade to Heaven Lake Vige the first time asked, ¡°Do you drink at all?¡±

    ¡°Please give me one ss,¡± he responded genially.

    Today, Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided he would drink. The festival started when he took the cup, and Heaven Lake Vige had regained its light andughter for the first time in a long while.

    Sangun was alive and well through the help of Lee Jun-Kyeong, and as for the intruder who tried to destroy Heaven Lake Vige¡­

    ¡°Hoho¡­ I can¡¯t believe that little brat was the bastard from back then,¡± someonemented.

    Another person nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly back then too.¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    They all talked as they watched Fenrir ying in the fields with the princess.

    ***

    "Are you leaving already?" Ungnyeo asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered, stroking her hair.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± he exined.

    ¡°A.¡±

    Ungnyeo dropped her head as if she regretted asking that question. However, he responded to her pouting quickly, "I''lle to pick you up soon."

    "What do you mean?" she asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly at Ungnyeo, who couldn¡¯t remember what they had talked about. Ungnyeo''s side effects seemed to be getting worse.

    <i>¡®It didn¡¯t seem this bad originally.¡¯</i>

    He wondered if she had gotten to the point where she wouldn¡¯t be able to even connect the memories of when she changed personalities.

    "Ask Sangun about it,¡± he said as he looked toward the cave.

    A colossal being waited in the cave, Sangun. It satzily as it looked over at the two of them.

    The Seal¡¯s power had been restored, and as Ungnyeo didn¡¯t have to put any effort into maintaining the Seal, Sangun¡¯s treatment was being carried out effectively.

    However, the tiger was old.

    "Take care of your health, Sangun,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented offhandedly toward the cave.

    ¨CMove quickly.

    A voice traveled toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was turning away from the cave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Alongside him, Jeong In-Chang joined while carrying arge bag.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°You told them we were leaving, so they prepared a lot of potatoes for us?¡± Jeong In-Chang replied, not sure of it himself.

    ¡°Potatoes¡­¡± he murmured.

    Then, another newpanion approached.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Fenrir walked forward and stood next to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Then, the boy immediately turned his head and bowed toward Ungnyeo and the cave.

    In return, they heard Ungnyeo¡¯s innocentughter, coupled with Sangun¡¯s despondent chuckle, one after another.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    And like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang left Mt. Baekdu.

    1. The word ¡®kill¡¯ in Korean (??) is <i>somewhat?</i>simr to Jun-Kyeong, (Jookuh, Jun-Kyeong).

    2. I forgot to mention it earlier, but the child Ungnyeo and the Hero Ungnyeo have very different speaking styles. The child speaks with a lot of affectionate words and inflections, while the Hero speaks a very modified, older dialect, simr to how Odin speaks, but a lot more serious in tone.

    3. Specifically, bachelor, which is a term Koreans use to address younger, working-age men who aren¡¯t married.

 Chapter 77: Fenrir Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 77: Fenrir Pt. 2</h4>

    Since they didn¡¯t have close ties with the vigers of Heaven Lake, their farewells went quickly. But, of course, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t have any gloominess.

    Jeong In-Chang was wailing loudly as if he had be quite close with the vigers at the festival.

    ¡°<i>Sob¡­</i>¡±

    He really was a man of many feelings and emotions.

    ¡°We will return,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongforted him.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The color of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face instantly changed. The Hunter still didn¡¯t know the purpose or the ns of their trip. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if Jeong In-Chang had that much blind faith in him.

    <i>¡®Is he just stupid? Seriously¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew what Jeong In-Chang was wondering, so he rified, ¡°Don¡¯t we have to pass by here after we go to China? We¡¯ll being back to Heaven Lake Vige then.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang tilted his head with a questioning expression.

    ¡°But aren¡¯t we going to end the gateization of China, Mr. Lee? If that¡¯s the case, then whether it¡¯s through a ne or a portal¡­ wouldn¡¯t there be easier ways for us to go back once the gate has been cleared?¡±

    <i>Thump.</i>

    At thatment, the deer Lee Jun-Kyeong was riding stopped in ce.

    "Me?"

    Jeong In-Chang was bewildered by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sudden question.

    ¡°Is that not the case?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong held his forehead for a moment.

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you always take care of things? Not only did you take down Heracles, but also¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Grrr.</i>¡±

    ¡°Also, Fenrir as well¡­ Didn¡¯t you win against them all? So isn¡¯t the reason we are going to China to prevent the gateization too?¡±

    ¡°But all I said was that I was going to go find someone,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°Yeah, so we can do more than one¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stopped once he realized that Lee Jun-Kyeong was beingpletely serious about his intentions.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that he should at least clear up the misunderstandings at this point. ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Gateization isn¡¯t something that I can stop,¡± he emphasized.

    "¡­¡±

    None of what Lee Jun-Kyeong said was something to be taken lightly, as almost everything he had asserted hade true.

    ¡°Not only is my strength not enough¡­ But no one in the world would have the power to stop China frompletely turning into a gate.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s deer started walking again.

    ¡°...an unstoppable torrent.¡±

    ***

    The cataclysm wasn¡¯t something that could have been prevented. In order to prevent something, one had to know the exact cause behind it. Even Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know the precise reason behind the changes.

    He knew that the gate¡¯s sessive breaks had spewed out mana and slowly caused the gateization of the ground, but that wasn¡¯t the root cause behind the phenomenon.

    The root cause most likelyy with the sky that he was looking at.

    ¡°How cold.¡±

    The ce where everyone thought they would reside.

    <i>¡®The Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    ¡°I know, right¡­ Mt. Baekdu was nice and warm¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he trembled again from the cold climate. Still, the situation was better than before. They had taken the hides of the monsters they had ughtered at the Seal and made warm clothes from them.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>. I feel alive now,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    In addition, Lee Jun-Kyeong would sometimes put his hands on Jeong In-Chang, leaving him trembling as if he had just peed. It was Reign of Fire, the Authority that had now transformed into the Monarch of Fire.

    It had evolved to be somethingpletely different from before, leading to an unparalleled increase in efficiency and ability.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was now able to maintain the power of fire at all times without consumingrge amounts of mana.

    "But, by the way¡­" Jeong In-Chang said as he looked ahead, now that he was feeling a little better.

    In front of him was a in where nothing existed, just an endless field of ice. It felt as though this was a ce with no end in sight, like a desert formed entirely out of ice.

    ¡°What will we ride now?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    As soon as they had descended Mt. Baedu with the deer, the deer fled back to the ce they hade from. Any beasts transformed by mana preferred not to leave the areas they resided in, so it would have been unreasonable to think about riding them all the way to China in the first ce.

    "Goongje!" said the princess with both hands raised, having changed into a warm suit made of fire troll leather.

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°You want me to ride you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Goongje!¡± the princess responded while nodding in affirmation.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang mused over it for a little while.

    Of course, as long as the princess changed back to its original appearance, there would be no problem riding it as it was bigger than an average ogre. The huge, powerful princess could run fast for a long time with the strength it possessed.

    Thinking about it, even if you tried to look at it from this and that perspective, the princess would definitely be a good¡­

    ¡°You almost made me think I should ride you! No, princess!¡±

    ¡°Goongje?¡±

    ¡°My title was sponsored by <The Prince on a White Horse>. How could I go around riding a princess!" Jeong In-Chang concluded. Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a long sigh as he watched hispanion worrying all by himself and suffering under the brunt of a concern¡ªnamely, a ridiculously useless concern at that.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Then, he brought up their original intentions again.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you we were going to obtain a ride?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang blinked.

    ¡°I told you we came to Mt. Baekdu to find something to ride.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang paused for a moment. That was right.

    <i>''For now, let''s start by looking for a mount.''</i>

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong had directed them toward Mt. Baekdu, he had said they were going to go find something to ride.

    "But didn¡¯t the deer already leave?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked, confused. It seemed as though the steeds that Lee Jun-Kyeong had talked about had refused to leave Mt. Baekdu. Furthemore, the deer didn¡¯t have good enough stats to go forward.

    It would be possible for them to make the deer leave the mountain forcefully, but it would be inefficient in many ways.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°When did I say we were going to ride the deer¡­? Fenrir.¡±

    He called out to Fenrir, who was diligently following them.

    ¡°Ye-ah,¡± Fenrir sounded out as he had begun to learn words little by little, although there was the issue that most of the words were still only half-finished.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll probably get better gradually.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gave Fenrir an order while stroking his head.

    ¡°Take us for a ride.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang said, shocked at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words.

    That little child, that scrawny child¡­

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    It then dawned on him. He had gotten used to seeing Fenrir in his small white-haired boy form, so he had forgotten what he truly was.

    That boy¡­that boy was a wolf.

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Fenrir radiated light, and soon, in his ce, stood a giant white wolf.

    ¡°<i>Growl.</i>¡±

    It was a noble and gigantic wolf. Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed onto the wolf¡¯s fur, which could even be described as sacred, with one hand and vaulted on top of the wolf¡¯s back.

    ¡°Get on.¡±

    For a moment, Jeong In-Chang stood perplexed and looked back and forth between Fenrir and Lee Jun-Kyeong. It felt like something was strange and wrong with the situation.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t get on, I¡¯m just going to leave you here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong threatened.

    Jeong In-Chang had no choice but to ride on Fenrir¡¯s back. Fortunately, Fenrir didn¡¯t reject him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gave an order once the party had all gotten situated on the back of the giant wolf.

    ¡°Now run.¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl?</i>¡± Fenrir asked inquisitively.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you not been able to run for quite some time? You were wounded and trapped within the Seal. You must have wanted to run, right?¡±

    -Hooowlllll!

    Fenrir responded in a somewhat terrifying manner. A howl that seemed to resonate throughout space had erupted from his jaws. Jeong In-Chang had to cover his ears at the deafening resonance.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Soon, he was left with no choice but totch onto Fenrir¡¯s fur as if his life depended on it.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Eughk!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang covered his mouth.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over yfully at the visibly nauseous Jeong In-Chang, the corners of his mouth slightly rising.

    ¡°If you vomit on Fenrir¡¯s back¡­ it might be difficult for even me to cate him,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said jokingly.

    ¡°<i>Eughk!!</i>¡±

    On the other hand, Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t in a joking mood. Instead, he covered his mouth with both hands and shook his head back and forth.

    Eventually, there was a sound that shouldn¡¯t have been heard.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face turned bright red, and Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly put down the hand that was about to reach into his inventory to pull out a paper bag.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly thought to himself, <i>¡®I shouldn''t have said that¡­¡¯</i>

    The fact that he had bags in his inventory would be a secret from this moment on to Jeong In-Chang.

    The group sprinted across the continent.

    <i>Ta da dak! Ta da dak!</i>

    Fenrir''s speed was beyond imagination.

    Although Jeong In-Chang was someone who was prone to motion sickness, at this speed, his reaction was fully warranted.

    Fenrir was simr to a high-speed racer, sprinting across the continent at incredible speed, and nothing could stop him from racing faster and faster.

    ¡°<i>Eughk!!</i>¡±

    He would jump over wreckages of frozen buildings as if it was natural. For anything that proved too challenging to vault, he would bulldoze through it, smashing buildings into pieces in his wake.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    He was like a gale, a speeding bullet.

    ¡°<i>Euuughk!!</i>¡±

    Eventually, Jeong In-Chang emptied his stomach.

    ¡°<i>Bleghhhh!!!</i>¡±

    In an attempt to look at the bright side, Lee Jun-Kyeong consoled himself by thinking that at least the only thing Jeong In-Chang had eaten were potatoes.

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong still had to turn his head. It was never a good thing to see the insides of someone¡¯s stomach. Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t stop now that he had started, and the princess, who had been in his arms, suddenly backed away to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    ¡°Goongj¡­¡±

    Quietly, Lee Jun-Kyeong covered the princess¡¯ eyes andforted the doll.

    <i>Pat pat.</i>

    Suddenly, perhaps due to the fiasco, Fenrir finally stopped running.

    Jeong In-Chang reacted even more violently due to the sudden pause in movement.

    After a while, the hapless Hunter had finallye to his senses.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he weakly said.

    Having remembered Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s earlier words, the Hunter sincerely apologized to Fenrir. However, although the situation was a bit frightening, Jeong In-Chang realized that the situation wasn¡¯t exactly what he had envisioned.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking at something.

    Then, he felt it as well.

    <i>¡®Enemies.¡¯</i>

    There were monsters.

    Hundreds of monsters were swarming over. Orcs and trolls were ughtering each other to death.

    That was why Fenrir had stopped.

    ¡°<i>Growl</i>,¡± Fenrir said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Jeong In-Chang and the princess couldn¡¯t understand the wolf, but Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed as though he was able to.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered for a while. Then, he said, ¡°Eat them and clean them up.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The halted Fenrir barreled forward again. He had been starving because he had been locked in a Seal. Even if he had found any food, he had been so riddled with wounds that all he could do was wander without being able to digest anything properly.

    It would be prudent that they didn¡¯t forget.

    Fenrir wasn¡¯t human.

    He was a monster.

    <i>Tear!</i>

    ¡°<i>GRAAH!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Chwiiik!!</i>¡±

    A pure white wolf broke through the horde of trolls and ogres that were fighting with their lives on the line to destroy each other.

    <i>Tear! Chomp! Crack!</i>

    They were bewildered by the interruption, and they began to fall, apanied by a cacophony of sound effects.

    ¡°...¡±

    It all happened in an instant. The horde of monsters had been taken care of faster than it had taken Jeong In-Chang to clean his dirty mouth.

    It would be prudent that they didn¡¯t forget.

    ¡°What a monster¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang murmured.

    He was strong.

    The wolf started eating. Fenrir had been starving for quite some time, so he let out noises of contentment as he finally began to eat after a long dry spell.

    Jeong In-Chang turned his head away in disgust, but this was the normal appearance of the familiar.

    ¡°We should also rest,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he jumped off Fenrir''s back.

    He had no intention of disturbing the wolf, who could finally eat after a long time. Furthermore, they also had to take a look around at the surrounding terrain and figure out where their current location was.

    <i>¡®It looks like we¡¯ll reach Qingdao soon.¡¯</i>

    Qingdao had also been known as the city of beer, but now, it was and of ice and darkness where no life could be found. Their current location seemed to be roughly between Tianjin and Qingdao, and it looked like they still had a long way to go before they reached their destination.

    ¡°Eat well and gain some strength,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°<i>Growl.</i>¡±

    It seemed as though Fenrir would have to suffer some more. Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong called Jeong In-Chang over.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong.¡±

    The enemies they had to deal with from this point on were different from what the Hunter was used to. They were enemies that were as smart as humans and stronger than monsters. In order to deal with them, and for them to be able to reach their destination, their group would have to grow further.

    ¡°I have something I¡¯ll be teaching you from this day forward,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a slightly improvedplexion. He asked a question while looking into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, who looked back at him with a calm gaze, ¡°Is it that?¡±

    He thought he had an idea as to what Lee Jun-Kyeong was talking about, his ridiculous strength and incredible growth rate. Furthermore, there was something else as well, something he couldn¡¯t help but notice.

    Jeong In-Chang had known about it, but he didn¡¯t ask Lee Jun-Kyeong anything about it or ask him to teach it to him. He had just assumed that when the time came, that Lee Jun-Kyeong would bring it up first.

    ¡°That thing¡­ what is it called?¡±

    Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought it up first, Jeong In-Chang had asked the question he had been curious about until this point.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana stream,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a smile.

 Chapter 78: Fenrir Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 78: Fenrir Pt. 3</h4>

    The fact that the level of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana stream had risen meant that it was very different from a skill that could be obtained through the sponsorship of a Sponsor.

    When one was gifted a skill by a Sponsor, that meant that their ability to use it was intuitive. Basically, they used the sponsorship as a medium for channeling the skill. In other terms, it meant that one could use it unconsciously.

    <i>¡®Some other skills, though, including mana stream¡­¡¯</i>

    The stuff that Hunters created by themselves were different, though. The Hunters needed to have in-depth knowledge and enlightenment about mana and the skills themselves. Furthermore, when the level of those skills increased, it meant that their understanding of those skills would increase as well.

    Now that the level of his mana stream had changed, the world that Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to see had also changed.

    The flow of mana became more transparent, and his ability to handle mana had also improved.

    But the most significant change as the level of his mana stream went up was gaining the <i>qualification?</i>to pass on his skills to someone else.

    He stated, ¡°You¡¯ve already learned at least part of what makes up a mana stream, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    As his understanding of the mana stream had increased, it made it easier for him to transfer his understanding of the principle behind it. Furthermore, Jeong In-Chang had already partially learned about the principle behind the mana stream anyway.

    .

    Even while he was ignorant about the existence of the mana stream, he had gained the ability to use it through the blue mes on his greatsword.

    <i>¡®Is it because the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone is mixing with his mana and infusing into his body?¡¯</i>

    He had a hunch it was somewhat rted to the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone¡¯s ability. By looking at the state of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword, he could tell that its regeneration rate wasn¡¯t rising at the same speed aspared to before.

    ¡°So¡­ are you telling me to focus and look at the mana?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were meditating like that, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°To be precise, meditation is not the important part. It¡¯s about taking the time to see and feel the flow of mana itself. To get used to it.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said while gesturing at his chest, ¡°You¡¯re telling me to learn that, right?¡±

    "Yes."

    "¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang''s expression betrayed his massive concern.

    "Didn''t you say you wanted to be strong?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The other man hesitated and said, "It is, but¡­"

    To think that he was being told that he had to observe the mana flow without any notice. How was he expected to observe mana without even having any idea what it looked like?

    <i>¡®I probably won¡¯t be able to learn it¡­¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang had beenmenting about his intelligence these days. He wondered what he would do when faced with a way to be stronger. How much could he aplish when he seemed to have a useless brain and an inability to learn anything?

    As if he had noticed Jeong In-Chang¡¯s self-deprecating thoughts, Lee Jun-Kyeong approached and put his hand on the Hunter¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t learn something like this with your head.¡±

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    At that moment, Jeong In-Chang dropped to his knees. He screamed at the influx of mana that came rushing into his body.

    ¡°Goongje!!¡±

    The princess heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s cry and tried to run forward.

    ¡°...¡±

    But, after being on the other end of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze, it stopped immediately on the spot. The doll felt that he wasn¡¯t harming Jeong In-Chang.

    Instead, this entire event was for his benefit.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Eventually, as if the pain had subsided, Jeong In-Chang was able to take a moment to look over himself with a tear-drenched face.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have to learn it with your body.¡±

    He had realized it when the level of his mana stream went up. It had been pure coincidence that he had been able to learn mana stream through the book of the Demon King.

    <i>¡®I also¡­¡¯</i>

    He had also received help from the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. When it had reversed due to the unexpected sh with the red ore, he had gotten the trick. That was why he had been able to awaken mana stream.

    He had confirmed it now as his understanding of mana stream had increased. The easiest way for someone to learn how to use mana stream would be to be beaten by those who had already grasped it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong warned, ¡°Be ready. It¡¯s going to be so hard from this point on that you¡¯re going to want to die.¡±

    ¡°Gr¡­eat.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang passed out on the spot with his face red from pain and tears welling up.

    ***

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had done to teach Jeong In-Chang was to inject him with a flow of mana forcibly. Since it wasn¡¯t Jeong In-Chang¡¯s natural mana and was being forced into his system, it caused the flow of his mana to be entangled and damaged, causing great pain.

    However, it was the most efficient way to teach Jeong In-Chang at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s current level of mana stream.

    A few days had passed since Jeong In-Chang had started being taught.

    "<i>Ugh¡­</i>" he moaned.

    He had been forcefully imprinted with the flow of mana. At first, Jeong In-Chang had fainted after the injections of mana had ended.

    ¡°Th¡­ thank¡­ thank you¡­¡± he murmured over and over.

    Now, he had reached a level where he could keep his sanity. However, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn mana stream just by enduring pain. Even Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea when the Hunter would awaken his own mana stream.

    All he could do was just wait for that day and continue to ¡°teach¡± him over and over again.

    [The proficiency of the mana stream has increased.]

    Of course, this training hadn¡¯t only benefited Jeong In-Chang. Lee Jun-Kyeong also had to understand how best to forcibly imprint the flow of mana on his target.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Sweat trickled down his forehead. Whether it was the physical consumption or the dissipation of mana, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also felt the same.

    Therefore, this ¡°teaching¡± had also served as training, and his proficiency in mana stream had subsequently increased.

    <i>Ta da dak!</i>

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not getting any morning sickness anymore,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said from the top of the fast-paced Fenrir. After Jeong In-Chang had begun his hellish training, he had stopped getting motion sickness.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to die from pain every day. How would I have the time to get motion sickness¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang had said to Lee Jun-Kyeong after copsing after the day¡¯s training.

    ¡°You¡¯ll learn it soon enough,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a shrug.

    Jeong In-Chang asked desperately, ¡°If I can learn this¡­ how much stronger do you think I can get?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong observed him quietly.

    <i>¡®Looks like he¡¯s hit a wall.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that Jeong In-Chang was facing a bottleneck. He had been continually facing formidable enemies that kept appearing. He had grown much stronger, but with every enemy came another that was always stronger than him.

    No matter how much effort he made, his rate of growth was slow.

    That was because Jeong In-Chang was a normal Hunter.

    He basically had no choice but to rely on his Sponsor for growth because the reward for his effort was not as great as the effort given.

    He had reached the wall.

    ¡°At least this time,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with emphasis. ¡°You will finally be able to harvest the seeds of hard work you have sown properly, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang raised his head and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°In addition, once the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone haspletely regenerated in the future¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as he tapped Fenrir¡¯s back. ¡°You won¡¯t lose to him either.¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl.</i>¡±

    In response, Fenrir shook his head as if he was in a bad mood, and Jeong In-Changughed.

    ***

    Fenrir sprinted across the continent at an incredibly fast pace. However, it wasn¡¯t because there wasn¡¯t anything blocking them. Not only did he have to eat quite a bit due to his size, but the monsters that appeared also grew stronger as the party progressed.

    The worst of it was in Qingdao. As a coastal city, Qingdao had beenpletely submerged and frozen, and the whole city looked as though it had be a piece of ice.

    In the end, the group had no choice but to skirt around the city, which had taken a little longer than expected. If there was anything good about the situation, then it was the improvement of the rtionship between Jeong In-Chang and Fenrir.

    ¡°I''m sorry I didn¡¯t know before,¡± he said as he approached Fenrir. Fenrir had transformed into a boy so he could rest for a while. Its gigantic appearance not only consumed an incredible amount of energy, but also drew the attention of those around it.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Fenrir looked at the remorseful Jeong In-Chang and tilted his head.

    Jeong In-Chang admitted, ¡°Your back¡­ I didn''t know it was thatfortable."

    "¡­?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong saw the whole interaction and burst intoughter. Jeong In-Chang had been so sick from motion sickness that he hadn¡¯t been able to notice the most important thing.

    However, now that he had ovee his motion sickness through their practice of the mana stream, he had finally been able to see what he had never seen before.

    ¡°How warm it was! Hohoho!¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if he was in a historical drama and smiled cheerfully.

    Fenrir¡¯s back was as warm as it was on Mt. Baekdu. This was because he was bonded to Lee Jun-Kyeong. The energy of fire had enveloped him, maintaining his body temperature.

    Jeong In-Chang had only been able to feel the gratitude for that warmth at this point.

    ¡°Thanks to you also, Mr. Lee! Thank you for making me feel so warm! Hahaha!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was concerned.

    <i>¡®Could I be injecting him with the flow of mana in a way that is wrong?¡¯</i>

    He seriously wondered for a moment about if there was something bad that had happened to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s head, but he soon realized that the Hunter simply looked tired.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    The reason he thought that was that the Hunter soon fell asleep as if he was drunk.

    It made sense. He had immersed himself in his training without sleeping for several days. Even Lee Jun-Kyeong had been shocked enough for his jaw to drop.

    As Jeong In-Chang got used to the pain, he had begun to urge Lee Jun-Kyeong to help him even more, as if he was enjoying it.

    <i>¡®Little by little¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong believed that the Hunter was going to grow sooner orter.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Then, Fenrir got up and looked somewhere.

    "What''s the matter?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said, but the boy continued to stare at something without any response.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over in the same direction and then put his hand on Fenrir¡¯s shoulder and asked, "Do you want to hunt?"

    There was a monster where the boy was looking. However, it was something like an orc or a troll.

    [Fenrir''s favorite food is¡­]

    ¨CROAR!

    A roar was heard from afar. Just as Fenrir sensed it, it had sensed the wolf.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom!</i>

    The ground shook. The monster wasing this way.

    "What do you want to do?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said provocatively to Fenrir.

    For the first time, the boy answered with the correct pronunciation, ¡°I want to do it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pped Fenrir on the forehead with a thump and looked at the approaching monster.

    "It''s my first time hunting a drake¡­" he murmured.

    [Drake.]

    The drake was a high-ranking predator that would appear as a boss in an A-Grade Gate. Furthermore, this was a continent where the monsters were bing stronger as the continent progressed in its gateization.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s try it out, then.¡±

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong leaped forward without fear, and Fenrir roared as he watched Lee Jun-Kyeong going ahead.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    Suddenly, a white wolf was galloping across the white continent.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    ¡°Goongje?¡±

    ***

    The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong had suggested this hunt to Fenrir was simple. Although there must have also been a reason the boy had wanted to hunt the drake, more importantly, he had never had a proper fight alongside the brat.

    He had be another Familiar, and would be apanion with whom he would spend countless hours together in the future.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to test their strengths together properly. Until now, all they had done was move and let Fenrir hunt unterally.

    Another thing was that he needed to test his familiar¡¯s power too.

    They would soon reach their destination, and there would be dangers that couldn¡¯t bepared with the ones they hade across at this point.

    To prepare, he was teaching Jeong In-Chang mana stream. As for Fenrir, he needed to check out his strength.

    It was time. The strength that the boy actually had wasn¡¯t anywhere near what he had shown at Mt. Baekdu. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that he had been called names such as the Lord of the Beasts.

    But now? Fenrir could be said to be even weaker than he was at Mt. Baekdu.

    He had submitted, and they had united, and the wolf had be a Familiar.

    During that process, the wolf had be <i>¡®</i>sealed.¡¯

    Far from being able to grow his strength, he was still tied to the weak Lee Jun-Kyeong. Thus, many of his stats were still sealed. But, as it was difficult to check his detailed abilities, Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided to figure out the wolf¡¯s exact power through battle.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    A bright blue light beam flew towards them in a straight line. Although they were a subspecies of dragons¡ªor even although they were a disappointment to the name of a subspecies of dragons, there was one reason that they were constantly mentioned in the same vein as dragons.

    Their breath.

    The strength of a drakey in its ability to use breath.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong would find it difficult to stop a drake¡¯s breath at his current level of power.

    ¨CROAR!!

    But, before Lee Jun-Kyeong could even attempt to dodge, a white wolf blocked in front of him.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The white wolf gave a prolonged roar, and soon, a red beam of light sted forth from its mouth.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong eximed in bewilderment, ¡°This¡­? This was possible?¡±

    Fenrir was using breath too.

    ¨CGRAH!

    The blue and red rays collided and exploded, but that was only just the beginning. As the earth melted apart in a cloud of thick smoke, the white wolf advanced while bounding over broken fragments of ice.

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    The wolf bit the drake¡¯s neck and broke through its spine.

    ¡°Y¡­ you¡¯re really sealed, right?¡± he sputtered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to do anything, to the point where it was embarrassing that he had asked the wolf to hunt together.

 Chapter 79: Giants

    <h4>Chapter 79: Giants</h4>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang progressed, they couldn¡¯t hide their shock at the destion of China. China had be and of ice, but it still had all of the remnants of its previous civilization intact.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    They stood in front of a vast river, a river with no end in sight. Just as Qingdao had be a giant ice cube, this was another surprise on the way to their destination.

    A river had appeared in a ce that was unexpected.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not even on the map.¡¯</i>

    This vast river didn¡¯t originally exist, but it had carved its way into the terrain. Furthermore, this river seemed highly unusual.

    In this freezing weather, the water wasn¡¯t frozen. Instead, the water looked incredibly clear.

    ¡°Oh, my god¡­¡±

    It was so clear that one could see all the way into its depths. In this endlessly deep water were thousands of people who had yet to sink to the bottom of the river bed. Corpses had been buried alive in the torrents of the currents.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even Lee Jun-Kyeong had no words after seeing that. He had not only heard about the event by word of mouth but also had seen it in writing. Despite that, he still couldn¡¯t keep his jaw from dropping at the sight.

    It was a scene full of cruelty. Misery.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang asked if he had made up his mind somewhat.

    ¡°This cataclysm you¡¯ve been talking about¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in his eyes, his hands clenched and trembling.

    The teardrops dripped down his nostrils.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    They froze on the way down.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the entire world would be like this, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang pleaded, ¡°Answer me, please.¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong reluctantly nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°It might be a little ridiculous to talk about the severity right now, but it will still be a bit less horrifying than this, and more people will be able to survive.¡±

    China didn¡¯t have the chance to prepare¡ªno, it wouldn¡¯t have been able to anyway.

    The Hunters who could stop the gateization from spreading through arge tract ofnd and Hunters who could show powers beyond that of humans had had their hands tied. After all, the leadership of China refused to allow them to go.

    They refused to let such people wander around recklessly. It had even gotten to the point where politicians had even imprisoned the Hunters with their own two hands, in case these Hunters had a different agenda than they did.

    In the end, the result was that China, where there was already ack of Heroes, fell into shambles. Furthermore, the Heroes that did exist had also been viciously killed in theter gateization phenomenon.

    There were some survivors, but very few.

    As for the outside world, the situation waspletely different.

    ¡°There are Hunters in the outside world. Not only that, but there are also Heroes. It may be a daunting event, but there are also secret organizations,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s only for their own survival, those organizations will try to stop it. Don¡¯t worry about it too much,¡± he continued.

    However, he secretly clenched his fists. Even if everyone tried, there was still a particr ending that needed toe true.

    ***

    Crossing the river was too dangerous a task. Hyeon-Mu was the only one with water-rted abilities, and naturally, monsters would inhabit this river. If there was a battle in the river, although he most likely wouldn¡¯t lose, he wasn¡¯t able to predict what sort of damage he would be left with.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party took another detour, and they continued to walk along the river.

    "¡­"

    It was silent.

    Bodies were strewn everywhere and the harsh ice had frozen these horrendous sights just in time for them to be preserved in a horrific manner.

    Therefore, the group walked silently.

    As if Fenrir and the princess had realized something, they followed their masters in silence.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Seeing their respectfully quiet appearances, the atmosphere rxed a bit.

    "Hmm¡­¡±

    Eventually, they had found a ce where they could still cross. It was a part of the river with the other side visible beyond the horizon. This ce was unusually narrowpared to other sections, so it was their best bet.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested, "Let''s take a look around."

    Although it seemed as though they would be able to cross it in about an hour if they moved as fast as possible, nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still cautious about the situation.

    Jeong In-Chang nodded as he was reassured at the sight of hispanion being careful.

    Eventually, the party soon abandoned their search.

    "There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±

    No matter how hard they looked around, they couldn¡¯t find anything. In the first ce, there wouldn¡¯t be anything like a ship in an area that shouldn¡¯t have a river, and there was nothing that could be substituted for a boat.

    If they wanted to, they could be able to make a ferry, but Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested a different method, ¡°I¡¯d rather just use Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¨CIt is possible. However, the master''s mana consumption would be immense.

    "Then let''s do it."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had given his permission. He was attempting something he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do if the level of his mana stream hadn¡¯t risen, even with his naturallyrge reserve of avable mana.

    ¡°Freeze it!¡± hemanded.

    ¨CFrozen.

    At his order, a basic spell that most mage-type Hunters knew manifested. However, this river was a river that didn¡¯t freeze, even in the midst of this cold. There was definitely a secret behind this phenomenon, and it would be futile if they tried to freeze the entire river.

    <i>Crackle!</i>

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had chosen to do instead was make a bridge of ice. Hyeon-Mu shot a stream of water in advance and froze it as it fell while the group watched from behind. It was a way for them to cross the river withouting into contact with it.

    A frozen road was created in front of them, a bridge connected to the ground, fragile enough and seemingly about to copse at any moment.

    "Fenrir."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got Fenrir ready, and the group got on top of his back. Then, he said to Hyeon-Mu, ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    ¨CYes, master.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong warned in a way that sounded like a threat, ¡°If you make a single mistake, that means we all die.¡±

    They began to run forward after hearing that.

    ¡°<i>Growl!!</i>¡±

    ***

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    They were lucky. Some time had passed before they had been discovered by the underwater monsters. The creatures had tried to attack the party, but the group was fortunate enough not to be in their battle zone, the water.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong used his mes to kill the monsters as they hurried across. Finally, they were able to arrive across the river without any significant issues.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¨C<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i> Master, I¡¯ll just rest for a mom¡­

    ¡°Rest.¡±

    With its master¡¯s permission, Hyeon-Mu returned to the bracelet that it had originally appeared from.

    ¡°Do skeletons get tired too?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡±

    Fenrir was also extremely exhausted. Sprinting while walking over the ice bridges that Hyeon-Mu had been creating on the spot ate up not only a lot of mana but also mental strength.

    ¡°Fenrir, get some rest,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong ordered.

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    Fenrir immediately returned to his boy form and began to doze off next to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°From this point on, we¡¯ll have to go all out.¡±

    Even Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t expect such a change as the river. But, as he had said many times before, whether it was the book or the Demon King or what he knew about the future, there were many things that weren¡¯t included within them.

    This river was one of those missing bits of information.

    <i>¡®The entire thing was probably a shift from the future anyway.¡¯</i>

    He silently wondered if the past would really be the same as the future. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. Already, so much had gone wrong and changed from what he knew.

    There was only one thing that he needed to stay the same.

    <i>¡®As long as the main path doesn¡¯t change, then it¡¯s okay.¡¯</i>

    Because only then would he be able to overturn the main pathpletely. The process would never be smooth, and it would be impossible to say that the way would be easy, but he had to try.

    Fortunately, there had been no changes to the main path as of yet.

    ¡°From this point on?¡± Jeong In-Chang responded.

    ¡°From now, if we move quickly, it¡¯ll take a day or three days at thetest,¡± he rified.

    ¡°And where in the world are we going?¡± asked Jeong In-Chang.

    Although he had only just now begun asking for the location, Lee Jun-Kyeong answered promptly, ¡°Guangdong Province.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang frowned slightly. ¡°Guangdong Province?¡±

    ¡°You should understand it a little better if I say we¡¯re heading to Guangzhou.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded. It seemed as though their destination had been Guangzhou from the very beginning.

    After all, there were survivors there.

    Although there could have been survivors elsewhere in the vastnd that was China, there was only one ce that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew held survivors for sure. It was the ce where the Demon King hadnded and where he had seen them.

    <i>¡®I have to find that person there.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been hiding the pain and holding it in up until this point, but the ck beads had clearly been growing. It wasn¡¯t a matter of size; it felt as though the power they contained was increasing.

    Fortunately, as the level of his mana stream rose, the level of pain decreased. Apparently, the ck beads could be suppressed slightly.

    <i>¡®For some reason, it feels like they still grew even more.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, as the level of his mana stream rose, it felt like the ck beads had stored even more power. Something felt peculiar about it.

    He had to hurry up and find that person and return.

    "Then who the hell are we looking for?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    They had gone to even and annihted like this to find someone. Jeong In-Chang wondered how great that person could be that madeing to this ce worth it to find them.

    Although he did have a desire to save people, if he was being honest, Jeong In-Chang struggled to imagine that there would be any survivors.

    That was why he had assumed that the person would be a non-human being, like Hyeon-Mu or Fenrir.

    ¡°It¡¯s a man,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded clearly. "Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    ***

    After crossing the river, they rode on Fenrir¡¯s back less frequently. Instead, they traveled on foot, jumping and running over any obstacles.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°From this point on, we can¡¯t ride Fenrir. It could lead to getting some unwanted attention.¡±

    It was easy to see how a white wolf galloping across the icy in could attract the attention of many different groups.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression changed as he ran.

    "It''s warm again."

    They could feel a change in the weather again. Unlike before, in the freezing cold, the more they advanced, the more the cold receded. Of course, that was inparison to the ces around them. So it wasn¡¯t as if it was as warm as it was on Mt. Baekdu.

    "It means we are going in the right direction."

    This time, Jeong In-Chang just nodded in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words.

    The weather changing meant that they were approaching a ce where people could survive. Furthermore, there was another reason that they thought they were heading in the right direction.

    Jeong In-Changmented, ¡°There also aren¡¯t any monsters.¡±

    The more they progressed, the fewer monsters they encountered. There was other evidence that humans could exist around here as well.

    ¡°...¡±

    Specifically, the fact that there were traces.

    There were no monsters, nor were there any corpses.

    However, there were blood stains everywhere. It looked as though corpses had been dragged by something as there were long bloodstains traveling in the same direction as where the party was heading.

    Jeong In-Chang felt an inexplicable ominous feeling, but he didn¡¯t bring it up to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He would figure it out once they arrived.

    They continued to progress through the bloodstains, ruins, and ice when Jeong In-Chang, who was a little ahead, pointed at something with his finger.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    It was faint, but there was a ck speck on the whitendscape.

    ¡°It looks like a human!"

    From a distance, it looked like something in the shape of a human being. It had hair and even clothes.

    It clearly looked like a human from his perspective, but Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear with a hardened expression.

    ¡°Take out your weapons,¡± he ordered.

    ¡°What is going on? Is it simr to Fenrir again?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked as he drew his greatsword. He silently told himself that he shouldn¡¯t be deceived any longer by something¡¯s outward appearance again,

    ¡°No, this is different from Fenrir,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    "¡­"

    "Mr. Jeong."

    Even now, as the two of them were talking, the humanoid form was getting closer and closer.

    ¡°Do you really think that it would be possible for us to see a person with our naked eyes from this distance?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    The shape that seemed so far away had gotten close enough that he was able to see it clearly.

    The thing that was in the shape of a person, it was unbelievably massive.

    ¡°From this point on, it¡¯s thend of giants.¡±

 Chapter 80: Giants Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 80: Giants Pt. 2</h4>

    What was a giant? Were giants enemies?

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t ask any of the questions that rose in his mind.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom!</i>

    Just by looking at the giant barrelling through thend of ice, whoever it was, he could tell it was definitely an enemy. It was running at them with a frozen ax that appeared to be the size of a house

    ¡°<i>Roar!!</i>¡±

    The first of them to run forth was Fenrir, who swiftly transformed into a white wolf and collided with the giant.

    ¡°<i>Groooh!</i>¡±

    He had aimed his attack at the giant¡¯s nape, but the giant was very quickpared to its size. Fenrir ended up biting into the giant¡¯s right arm. The wolf bit harder, putting more strength into its jaw, and the giant toppled over.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get back up!¡±

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong ran forward, a thick me spewing from Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, mes were roaring into existence everywhere, even where the giant had fallen.

    ¨CGroooooh!!

    mes erupted, starting from the giant¡¯s feet. It screamed in pain as it struggled to get back upright. However, Fenrir didn¡¯t just stand there.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The wolf didn¡¯t miss this time and bit into the giant¡¯s nape.

    However, that wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°T¡­ that¡¯s absurd,¡± Jeong In-Chang said without slowing down as he ran forward with his greatsword. Fenrir, the giant wolf, had been thrown to the side by the giant¡¯s hand.

    Although it didn¡¯t look like the wolf had taken any damage, Jeong In-Chang was still amazed by the power the giant had, considering it had been able to throw Fenrir.

    ¡°How strong is this thing?!¡± he asked.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The mes spewing out from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear grew stronger and stronger. Muspel¡¯s Spear was too small to injure the giant, so it was being reinforced with fire and mana. This was an ability he had obtained ess to as his mana stream grew.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A sound that normally wouldn¡¯t be attributed to a spear piercing something rang out. It was as if a falling building had pierced the giant.

    ¡°Please finish it off, Mr. Jeong!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    Jeong In-Chang had gotten close to the giant. For a moment, he questioned himself.

    <i>¡®Can I really do this?¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any experience in huntingrge monsters. It was just that the feeling this giant gave him was different. However, his hesitation onlysted a short moment.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s focus.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t just been messing around¡ªhe had trained so much that he had even ovee his awful motion sickness.

    Although he hadn¡¯t fully learned it just yet¡­

    ¡°You can do it!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang hollered and stomped the ground, dashing forward. The frozen ground he had stomped on shattered into pieces like a frozen flower.

    All of a sudden, Jeong In-Chang was hurtling toward the giant¡¯s head, his greatsword rising high in the sky.

    ¡°DIIIEEEEEE!¡±

    ¡°<i>GROH!</i>¡±

    Although the giant hurriedly tried to knock away Jeong In-Chang, the Hunter moved even faster.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang took a deep breath and looked over to the side.

    The giant¡¯s hand had appeared right next to his ear. Jeong In-Chang involuntarily shuddered.

    It cast a huge shadow over him, but the giant¡¯s forehead had been pierced by the greatsword, and the hand that loomed over Jeong In-Chang lost its strength and fell over.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Within an instant, the giant hunt was over. Only then did Jeong In-Chang seem to realize it again.

    It seemed as though he had forgotten it for a while during their journey, as they had been able to reach this point without any major crises ever since they had left Mt. Baekdu.

    ¡°So this really is hell¡­¡± he murmured as he pulled out his greatsword.

    ***

    "What the hell is that?" he asked incredulously.

    After defeating the giant, Jeong In-Chang was able to see the giant''s face properly.

    Hemented, "It really looks like a human."

    It waspletely different from anything he had encountered before. He had hunted countless humanoid monsters, such as the undead or goblins. However, there wasn¡¯t anything as human-like as the giant that they had just hunted. The only visible difference was that it was massive and couldn¡¯t properly speak.

    It really looked like a human, so, having killed it, there was an unpleasant aftertaste in his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not human,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong adamantly said. ¡°This is a giant.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had a nk expression at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bold-facedments. Lee Jun-Kyeongughed, looking at the Hunter.

    ¡°It must be difficult to understand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang whined.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped what he was doing and made eye contact with Jeong In-Chang again.

    "This is the world we live in. Don''t try to dig too much into it. You¡¯ll just end up with a headache."

    "¡­"

    ¡°If you want to know the secrets, you have to survive. Survive up until the end.¡±

    <i>¡®We have to, because that¡¯s the only way to learn the secrets that even I don¡¯t know.¡¯</i>

    They were in thend of giants.

    Concurrently with the transformation of maind China into and of deathposed of ice, somethingpletely different had been expanding in one corner.

    Thend of giants was a ce that the Demon King had also traveled to. It was a ce where many secrets were hidden and the truth of the world was hidden around them as easily as one hid a single penny.

    As for the information about this ce, nothing had been written in detail in the future.

    In fact, anything regarding the giants had been erased. While meeting the giants, going to their dwelling, and any events that had happened while the Demon King was there had been recorded, there weren¡¯t any details about anything that had happened or the giants themselves.

    <i>¡®It was only because of Eden that I was able to learn about the giants.¡¯</i>

    It was information that had been passed down over the years, and it was a history that couldn¡¯t be forgotten.

    <i>¡®Gigantomachia.¡¯</i>

    It was by studying this that Lee Jun-Kyeong had learned about the giants.

    By studying it andparing it to what he knew, he had figured something out.

    <i>¡®There is a gap.¡¯</i>

    There was a big gap between recorded history and the book of the Demon King. After all, the Demon King had gone to thend of the giants but had returned from there without any problems.

    However, history described them as something else.

    They were called ¡®monsters.¡¯

    That was why there were a lot of issues, and it was part of the reason he hade to China. The Demon King had been entirely omitted from Gigantomachia. It was as if he hadn¡¯t participated. He had only reappeared after Gigantomachia had ended.

    It was a time when humans had been victorious against the gates. Furthermore, it was only after the victory of the humans that the Demon King had been referred to as the Demon King.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip.

    ¡°Are you saying that this ce is swarming with those things?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "Yes."

    ¡°But we are still going there?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You mother fu¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really craving some marinated crabs today,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he corrected himself, turning his head with a face full of dissatisfaction.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jeong In-Chang, then turned away and stated in a calm tone, ¡°Not all giants are our enemies¡ªno, not all giants should be our enemies.¡±

    ¡°You mother fucker¡­¡±

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang still said it out loud.

    ***

    There was no end to the giants rushing toward Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party. As they progressed, the number of giants running toward them increased more and more.

    At first, they had been somewhat flustered whenever they encountered a giant, but now, they were able to hunt them without much difficulty.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Although they were said to be strong at first, it was still at a level where Fenrir could hunt them alone.

    However, the fighting ability of each individual giant varied.

    ¡°Something is strange,¡± Jeong In-Chang noted.

    The giants were strange. At first, he had thought they were intelligent. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t taken the first initiative to hunt on purpose and instead only defeated the enemies that rushed to him.

    However, the more they hunted, the more he realized it.

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to have any intelligence.¡±

    The giant was a creature that deserved to be called a monster. But, as if they couldn¡¯t process higher thought, their patterns of behavior were simple.

    It was as if they were simple, starving beasts.

    They only ran towards them, recognizing them as prey from the perspective of a hungry animal.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also felt what Jeong In-Chang had noted. The giants rushing toward him and the others seemed to have no sentience.

    Hemented, ¡°It seems as though these are those that were abandoned.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rified, ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve been ousted from the group. Have you ever been to a gate where there are orc hordes?¡±

    In the early days, Lee Jun-Kyeong had attacked several gates where goblins and orcs usually appeared, and it was the same for Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The Orc Gate was a ce where many Hunters passed through in the process of bing stronger. A strong Hunter would have had at least one experience of having raided an Orc Gate.

    ¡°Orcs are a very tight-knit collective,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Yes, and?¡±

    ¡°And sometimes, you see an orc that lives alone within an Orc Gate.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with what Lee Jun-Kyeong was saying. Orcs were monsters very prone to collectivistic behavior.

    "Ah!" Jeong In-Chang eximed as if he had realized something.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, before saying a word, he shut his mouth and turned silent. He had definitely understood what Lee Jun-Kyeong was trying to say.

    ¡°Any orcs that are sick, or even needy because they are weaker than the strength of the horde, are separated from the rest and forced to move alone.¡±

    ¡°That means¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked over to the fallen giant as he listened to Lee Jun-Kyeong speak.

    ¡°Even if we know nothing else about them, it means that these giants are probably the weakest ones.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded. If they considered that the giants didn¡¯t live in groups, then there weren¡¯t any issues. However, the weapons and clothes they held and wore clearly showed that they had lived as part of a group.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongmented, ¡°There¡¯s no way of telling how strong they would be.¡±

    They had said that Fenrir could hunt giants alone, but if the rest were stronger than this, and there were a great many of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shook his head.

    ¡°Goongje.¡±

    "It looks like you¡¯re afraid of the giants too?"

    "Goongje!!!"

    After getting teased, the princess pinched Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arm.

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    Of course, with the power of the ogre mage, Jeong In-Chang squirmed in pain.

    As he cried out and twisted back and forth, a slight vibration was felt in thend of ice.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    They wondered if it was because Jeong In-Chang was squirming in pain and making a fuss, but the reaction of Fenrir, who raised his head after quickly pausing his feeding, made them quickly drop that idea.

    ¡°<i>Growl¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it through his mana stream as well. This was something that couldn¡¯t have been caused by Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    As proof of that, the vibration gradually grew stronger.

    <i>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!</i>

    Now, the ground was shaking as if there was an earthquake, with cracks forming in thend and permafrost.

    ¡°This¡­!¡±

    Knowing that they were faced with a dire situation, Jeong In-Chang quickly took out the sword he had sheathed.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be the time to make a fuss!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    It was easy for them to deduce that the approaching being was a giant. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t just one of them

    They had faced off against many giants already, so they could tell just by feeling the footsteps and vibrations. But, of course, there was also the fact that the flow of mana connected to thend of ice contained dozens of types of readable energy that helped determine it as well.

    They had encountered their first group of giants.

    The group''s expressions hardened.

    <i>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!</i>

    He wondered how he should describe the sight of colossal beings approaching them in groups. At one point, they had seemed to be dots, but they had soone closer.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang swallowed, feeling his throat dry. However, even faced with this situation, he didn¡¯t run away or run forward.

    ¡°Something is strange.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang repeated the same words over and over again as if he was trying to make the phrase trendy.

    However, he was right.

    The giants approaching them now were certainly odd.

    They were unlike the previous ones, the giants who would rush forward without any thoughts, like monsters.

    These giants kept a certain distance.

    It was almost as if they didn¡¯t hold any hostility towards them.

    They approached slowly, as if trying to express their goodwill. As they grew closer, Jeong In-Chang was able to take a good look at them, and his eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Their appearances werepletely different from the giants they had faced before.

    However, neither Lee Jun-Kyeong nor Jeong In-Chang opened their mouths to speak.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    As the ground vibrated, a single giant dismounted from an ice drake.

    ¡°<i>Growl¡­</i>¡±

    "Oh, my God¡­" Jeong In-Chang muttered, astounded by the fact that the giant had been riding an ice drake.

    As the giant slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, he spoke in fluent Korean, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Who are you that you are in this ce, and why are you hunting us?¡± asked the giant, its eyes gesturing to the corpse of the giant that Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had just in.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°<i>Keheuk.</i>¡±

    All of a sudden, they could feel a vast pressure enveloping their bodies.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    1. Gigantomachia, or the Gigantomachy, is the war between the giants and the gods in ssical Greek Myth. Coinciding with the deity motif and the introduction of Athena, a key figure in the Gigantomachia, as a member of Eden, unless it¡¯s rifiedter, we will be using the official term for the Giant Wars.

    2. Motherfucker is ??? or gaejasik in Korean, while the word for marinated crabs is ?? or gaejang.

 Chapter 81: Giants Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 81: Giants Pt. 3</h4>

    There was incredible pressure on their bodies as it was the weight of the giant¡¯s vast power.

    ¡°<i>Keheuk!</i>¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang was the only one to cry out in pain.

    "Mr. Lee..."

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Fenrir were able to push aside the pressure and stand upright.

    ¡°...¡±

    There was a glimmer in the eyes of the giants, and they looked at each other and spoke in anguage the party couldn¡¯t understand.

    <i>¡®They¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them and thought to himself. These giants had entirely different appearances from the giants the party had been hunting.

    Furthermore, they spoke in a humannguage and worked in groups.

    They were iparably stronger than the giants the party had hunted up until now, especially one particr giant.

    The giant that had walked forth as a representative and spoke to them seemed to have incredible strength.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong became aware of Jeong In-Chang all of a sudden. He had forgotten that the Hunter was still under the enormous pressure that the giant was exuding. He pondered for a moment about whether or not he should help Jeong In-Chang bear the pressure.

    ¡°Just think of it as training.¡±

    But he decided that there wasn¡¯t any reason for him to get involved.

    ¡°You mother¡­¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang frowned and was about to speak further, the giants began to move.

    Startled by their sudden movement, Jeong In-Chang shook off the pressure and drew his greatsword.

    ¡°See? You could do it too if you tried!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed out.

    Jeong In-Chang had no choice but to admit it too.

    ¡°I guess it does have some effect.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked confused upon seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s carefree attitude. The other Hunter hadn¡¯t even drawn a weapon.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to follow us for now,¡± the giants said. After a moment, they suddenly threw something into the air.

    It was a that wasrge enough to envelop Fenrir and the rest of their party.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Jeong In-Chand and Fenrir both shouted out, but Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand as if signaling them not to move.

    "Surprise."

    ***

    ¡°How insane are you that you¡¯d just say surprise in that sort of situation?¡± Jeong In-Chang askedter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°Well, considering they didn¡¯t have any hostility, I was just joking a little.¡±

    The reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had let the giants catch them in a was simple¡ªthe giants didn¡¯t have any bloodlust or hostility. Moreover, there was another reason as well.

    ¡°Look,¡± he said as he smiled softly and grabbed the in his fingers. Then, with a slight tremble, theting caught in his hands began to tear. He quickly let go of the strands and looked over at Jeong In-Chang as if nothing had happened.

    He said quietly, ¡°We can escape whenever we want.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang rubbed his temples.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    ¡°Humans should be quiet,¡± said a giant who seemed to be the leader who had made sure to use a Humannguage.

    ¡°What in the world is he saying?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as the giant had spoken in Chinese, anguage he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment. The giant had spoken in Cantonese. Considering that the giant had spoken in a dialect of Chinese, it meant that it had a pretty high level of intelligence.

    Gateization had started only about two years ago in China. To think that in that time, those giants¨Cno, that giant at least, had learned Chinese, which belonged to a group ofnguages known for their considerable difficulty.

    Moreover, to think that it had learned Cantonese, which had an even higher level of difficulty.

    It was easy to see that these giants could be quite intelligent.

    ¡°I guess, even if it¡¯s Mr. Lee over here, there¡¯s no way you could speak Chinese too,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if he had finally realized that the giants were speaking in Chinese.

    However, as soon as he had opened his mouth, he had no choice but to shut it immediately as he watched Lee Jun-Kyeong conversing with the giant.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked in Cantonese.

    ¡°Are you someone from thisnd?¡± the giant said as he raised his eyes to look at Lee Jun-Kyeong. All the survivors within the giants¡¯ territories had been moved into their cities. But then, a white wolf and men with immense power appeared.

    The giant had thought they were foreigners for a good reason, but had faltered for a moment after hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong speak in Cantonese.

    ¡°No, we came from somewhere else,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°...I see.¡±

    The giant immediately turned its head at the response and continued to walk forward.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others sat on the back of an ice drake wrapped in the, and Fenrir returned to his boy form from his wolf form.

    ¡°Seems you¡¯re with a special person,¡± the giantmented. They clearly thought that Fenrir was special.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only tied you up as a precaution because of him, so don¡¯t worry too much about what¡¯s going on,¡± the giant said in a subtly warm tone.

    <i>¡®It really is true¡­¡¯</i>

    These giants were markedly different from the giants of history. Unlike the recorded giants, who had been represented as beasts of ughter and destruction, these giants were very simr to humans, only differing in size and degree of simrity.

    ¡°Are we going to your city?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked a question again.

    ¡°Do you even know about our city?¡± the giant asked in response.

    ¡°Just a little,¡± he responded.

    The giantmented, ¡°You really are a strange little fellow. A special person and a unique little fellow. And there¡¯s even an ogre too. It really must be¡­¡±

    The giant''s gigantic lips twitched and made something resembling a smile.

    ¡°You really are someone who can¡¯t be thought of as a human being.¡±

    The giant stopped and continued to speak with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re right. We are going to our city right now. But you don¡¯t have to worry. We don¡¯t have any intention of harming you.¡±

    He then continued further, ¡°My name is Thjazi. I¡¯m the former leader of the great Frost Giant n.¡±

    ¡°Thjazi¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated the name of the giant and then offered his own in return, ¡°I¡¯m Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    "Hmm."

    The giant, who had introduced himself as Thjazi, looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong curiously.

    The man in front of him was definitely a strange person. Humans who would see them would generally either rush at them with iron in their hands or scream and run away.

    Or even they would copse on the spot and cry.

    However, the one in front of him portrayed great courage for a human.

    <i>¡®This really is a special one.¡¯</i>

    This man was someone who traveled with a pure white wolf and even with an ogre.

    ¡°How impressive. What an impressive name.¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Fenrir, who had been sleeping next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, raised his head for a moment with a drowsy expression.

    ***

    After the giant named Thjazi had revealed his name, the party had begun to converse quite a bit. The giants weren¡¯t hostile. They had only tied them down without warning as they were wary of Fenrir.

    Fenrir was a pure white wolf who could transform into a human and possessed incredible powers. To them, he was a creature they would call special.

    As the conversation continued, the topic drifted to the giants they had killed.

    ¡°The Nars¡­¡±

    The giants that had attacked the party as they had headed to this point were obviously different from the giants in front of them.

    The party of giants called them the Nar.

    ¡°They are the enemy,¡± Thjazi said.

    ¡°The enemy?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    "Although the Nars you defeated were beings who had been abandoned even from that tribe¡­ they are still those from another giant tribe that roamed thend. Not only are they our enemies¡­¡±

    Thjazi let out a deepugh.

    "They are idiots."

    ¡°AHAHAHAHA!¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡±

    The giantsughed wildly as if there was a running joke amongst them.

    ¡°Therefore, there are none among us who would use you, who killed these Nar, of anything. Rather, you should be rewarded.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Yi, er, san, si¡­¡±

    However, there was one person who couldn¡¯t join the conversation at all. Jeong In-Chang counted in Chinese as he sat next to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°For what reason is that fellow counting so much?¡± Thjazi asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out how to answer him. So, he changed the topic. ¡°Why are you taking us to the city?¡±

    Thjazi¡¯s face hardened for a moment. They had been dancing around the subject until this point, never directly addressing it.

    ¡°Our chieftain ordered us to gather the humans,¡± Thjazi finally responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tilted his head to the side. ¡°Gather them?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to think that it¡¯s weird. All we are doing is protecting those who want protection. So even with the group of you, all you will have to do is go into the city for a while, talk things out, and then if you want, we can send you back here as well¡­¡±

    However, Thjazi¡¯s expression, as he exined, was different from the expression he had shown before. It was as if¡­

    <i>¡®Is he ashamed?¡¯</i>

    It was an expression that revealed that there was something that was making him feel uneasy, as if he had a bunch of dirtyundry somewhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stake my honor on it. You¡¯ll be able to make the decisions you want safely. I promise in the name of Thjazi,¡± the giant said as he chuckled and ced his gigantic hand on his forehead.

    It seemed like it was simr to an oath from the giants. However, it was still true that something felt strange.

    <i>¡®So this is the city of giants.¡¯</i>

    It was a ce described only in rumors, the truth of the matter buried away. It was a ce that even Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea of.

    This was the ce where <i>¡®he¡¯</i> would be.

    The person that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade all the way to China to find.

    ¡°It sounds like that means there are still survivors,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Thjazi.

    The giant had said it clearly. If there were people who still wanted protection, then they would protect them. That meant that there would be many survivors there.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Thjazi said.

    After their conversation, the ice drakes started moving quickly. Finally, from a distance, something began to appear.

    "Wow¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang exhaled in admiration.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at something in front of them quietly. A massive stronghold stood in the distance, its round walls reminding him of an ancient fortress.

    "There it is,¡± Thjazi said proudly as he watched the party¡¯s reaction. ¡°This is our city.¡±

    It was the city of giants.

    China had transformed into and of ice, and a fortress of giants had been built on what used to be Guangzhou, China.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quieted his breathing and whispered the name of the city under his breath.

    ¡°Utgard¡­¡±

    ***

    "It¡¯s Thjazi!"

    ¡°Thjazi has finally returned!¡±

    The gates of the wall, impossibly bigger than anything the party could have imagined, opened. Following that, they, alongside Thjazi and the giants, entered the fortress of Utgard.

    ¡°This must be apletely different world¡­ no, maybe we¡¯re going through a dimensional shift¡­ we aren¡¯t doing anything weird like space travel, right?¡±

    This ce was incredible enough that Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand why Jeong In-Chang responded in that manner. It felt like apletely different world.

    ¡°How insane¡­¡±

    There were countless giants, and the buildings and fortresses they had built were so huge that it was impossible for the party to express their size easily.

    The giants around them stared back and forth between Thjazi and the party.

    "Wait, aren¡¯t they humans?"

    ¡°But why are they tied up in a?¡±

    ¡°Could they have done something wrong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± some shouted after they saw Fenrir.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡±

    Fenrir had shaken off his drowsiness and fully woke up, showing his teeth and expressing hostility. Although he still looked like a boy, the giants¡¯ eyes were focused on the powerful energy he radiated.

    ¡°What a special creature!¡±

    The giants shouted at Fenrir in the same manner that Thjazi had, their shouts reverberating to the point where it felt like the party¡¯s eardrums would tear apart.

    ¡°So then, did Thjazi catch something special?¡±

    ¡°Wait, is that the Vanagandr?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was taken aback. Vanagandr? He wondered why the giants were calling Fenrir Vanagandr.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s going on!¡± Thjazi shouted. ¡°We are going to the chieftain! Pave the way!"

    Upon hearing thatmand, the whispering giants moved aside.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party walked forward, surrounded by the giants who were so tall that it was difficult to see their faces even if the party looked straight up into the sky.

    These giants looked down at them, seemingly not sure what expression to make.

    "Calm down,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while stroking Fenrir. Although the boy gradually stopped baring his teeth, the hostility he radiated fiercely remained strong.

    As they traveled forward, even inside the fortress, the party had to cross over trails of ice.

    While they moved forward, although there were only a few of them, they could see humans from far away.

    ¡°There are people over there¡­!¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    They looked as though they were Chinese, and they watched the party while hiding in an improvised building that looked quite different from the structures of the giants.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party moved forward slowly.

    Suddenly, as Thjazi stopped, Fenrir pointed forward and said to Lee Jun-Kyeong,

    ¡°Kill. Enemy.¡±

    1. When Koreans say Chinese, they are generally referring to Mandarin. While Mandarin and Cantonese generally use the same writing system, they are mostly mutually unintelligible, as both the grammar structure and vocabry are different. Furthermore, Mandarin only has four tones, while Cantonese has nine. In Korea, Cantonese is taught at a higher level of study than Mandarin (or it was when I was in school).

    2. Thjazi, or Thiazi, is a Jotunn in Norse Mythos. He could turn into the form of an eagle and was known for kidnapping the Goddess Idunn, the goddess of apples and youth. After being killed for his crimes, his daughter Thjazi went to war with Asgard for revenge, only stopping once being given atonement and a husband, Njord. His eyes were ced in his honor as stars in the night sky.

    3. Utgard refers to a few different things, but in this case, it most likely refers to the Castle Stronghold of one of the most famous giants, Utgard-Loki (The Utgard modifier is to distinguish this giant from Loki).

    4. Vanagandr is another name for Fenrir, meaning monster of the river Van. The river Van is said to be a river formed from the saliva that drips from Fenrir¡¯s fettered mouth.

 Chapter 82: Giants Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 82: Giants Pt. 4</h4>

    "It''s okay,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he stroked Fenrir¡¯s hair.

    In the end, Fenrir quieted down and sat as he called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked forward and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s a pce.¡±

    In front of him was another fortress within the stronghold they stood in. It was so huge that it seemed as if it was perennially night as the shadows cast from its walls were blocking out the sun.

    Once they had been surrounded by the shadows with the darkness falling around them, Thjazi opened his mouth and stated, ¡°Tell them Thjazi has arrived.¡±

    Giants who stood outside the pce, acting as guards, soon went inside, and in the meantime, Thjazi said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, "Don''t be nervous."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    <i>¡®How interesting.¡¯</i>

    It had only been two years since the gates had appeared. Although China¡¯s gateization may have progressed rapidly, it should have been less than two years since these giants could have appeared in maind China.

    In that time, they supposedly had built these structures and formed these systems.

    <i>¡®What a ridiculous tale.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong snorted. These giants hadn¡¯t built their homes on some emptynd. To them, humans were the intruders.

    "Did you bring another intruder?"

    The gates of the majestic and gigantic royal castle opened, and a voice was heard from within.

    That being was the enemy that Fenrir was speaking of. Most likely, Fenrir had been injured by it, causing him to head to Mt. Baekdu.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s something else to that being¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the giant who appeared from within the royal pce. It was a giant that looked even bigger than the other colossal giants.

    The giant with the long white beard overwhelmed everyone and cast a shadow simr to that of the royal castle.

    ¡°The Chieftain has arrived,¡± Thjazi said as he knelt down on one knee.

    As he spoke, the giant who had emerged from the royal pce revealed a distorted expression.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see why.

    <i>¡®The way Thjazi referred to him was different from what he wants.¡¯</i>

    Obviously, this ce was a royal pce, and a royal pce was where a king would reside.

    However, Thjazi didn¡¯t refer to the giant as a king.

    Instead, he called the giant chieftain.

    The ufortable feeling they all felt was clearly from that difference.

    However, Thjazi continued to speak, ignoring the king¡¯s difort, "I brought the Vanaragandr and hispanions. The Vanaragandr ispletely different from what it was before, and¡­¡±

    Thjazi¡¯s huge eyes turned over to Lee Jun-Kyeong for a moment.

    ¡°It has subordinated itself under this person.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    The king¡¯s face contorted again.

    "Are you saying that Vanaragandr has be a subordinate?" the king asked.

    "That''s right, Chieftain."

    Things were ufortable. They weren¡¯t just simply giving and receiving a report.

    There was an invisible fight going on between them.

    It was a fight for power.

    ¡°Leave the intruders behind and go, ex-leader.¡±

    Thjazi got up and refuted, ¡°I have a request, Chieftain.¡±

    "What is it?" the king snapped.

    Thjazi stated, "I made a warrior¡¯s oath with this person.¡±

    "¡­¡±

    The king was visibly bewildered.

    ¡°I made a promise that they wouldn¡¯t be harmed at all while in ourpany and that I would help them return anytime they wished, Chieftain.¡±

    Even after Thjazi had finished exining himself, the king¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    There was just silence, and Thjazi continued, kneeling down on one knee as he spoke again, ¡°Please preserve my warrior¡¯s oath.¡±

    ***

    Thjazi had led Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party to the royal pce and left.

    ¡°I will call you when it¡¯s time, so please wait here.¡±

    And like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been abandoned. He was basically trapped somewhere in the royal pce.

    The space they were in was clearly made for humans and not giants. It was decorated in a Chinese style.

    However, when Jeong In-Chang tried to open the door, it stayed firmly shut and unmoving. It seemed as though they had ced some sort of magic on the door.

    ¡°I mean, if I really tried, then I could probably open it, but¡­¡± he grumbled.

    Considering his strength, it would have been possible for him to open the door by breaking open the magical barrier on the door.

    However, if that happened, then it was likely that they¡¯d have to deal with all of the giants around there. After all, this was still the residence of their king.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged as though he had responded.

    ¡°What in the world is going on in your head?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked in a frustrated manner. ¡°Is this really not dangerous? You also saw the being that they called the king of giants earlier. It definitely doesn¡¯t have any good feelings toward us. More importantly¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang paused and looked over at Fenrir, who was sleeping on a table.

    ¡°I thought I was suffocating when it looked over at him.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang then looked over at the smiling Lee Jun-Kyeong and sighed.

    ¡°At least tell me what the n is.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cheekily responded, ¡°It must be a big deal seeing as you¡¯re this curious, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from his seat and checked their surroundings with his mana stream.

    Although there were several surveince devices around them, Lee Jun-Kyeong just grabbed Merlin¡¯s ne and silently gave it amand.

    <i>¡®Deceive them.¡¯</i>

    Soon, the flow of mana he could see through his mana stream reversed.

    Furthermore, a sound rang out in the background.

    <i>Thunk.</i>

    "Huh?"

    Behind Jeong In-Chang rang out the sound of the firmly locked door opening.

    ¡°We can open the door at any time. We can get out any time if we want,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exined.

    Jeong In-Chang nodded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°If you think about it, can¡¯t we consider this as the first break in a long while? Let¡¯s rxpletely. We¡¯ll be spending quite some time here.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sighed. ¡°Whew. Understood. Princess, you should rx too.¡±

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang went over to the chair despondently and sat down with a thump.

    Still, his expression was good, as if the chair¡¯s softness was appealing to him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned away from Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>¡®We have to be careful.¡¯</i>

    He looked around with an even more serious gaze. Things were more different now than they ever had been. But, unlike how he had been able to make detailed ns for what was going on based on the information he had known, everything would have to be improvised in the city of giants.

    These giants were strong.

    <i>¡®That king¡­¡¯</i>

    He was a strong being that was difficult even for him to gauge.

    However, something was strange.

    <i>¡®Compared to humans, their level ofbat ability is not what it should be.¡¯</i>

    Although their individual abilities may be excellent, they had an insufficient number of extremely strong beings.

    At the current level, they would never have been able to drive away the humans of this era. Yet, Gigantomachia had been the worst war ever.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t understand it.¡¯</i>

    How had they been able to ughter so many Hunters?

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around and thought to himself, a knock sounded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly canceled his magic.

    <i>Thunk.</i>

    ***

    The sound of the water entering a teacup trickled melodically.

    ¡°Is¡­ is this¡­ is this enough¡­?¡±

    A weak-looking girl poured tea into the teacup with trembling hands. She was the same person who had knocked on the door from before, and was a child who was sent by the giants to serve them.

    "Do you treat everyone whoes here this way?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a calm and warm voice as if he was trying to calm the trembling child.

    The child''s expression brightened.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    They were speaking in Cantonese as the little girl was Chinese. She likely was a child who had survived by chance within this area.

    <i>¡®You must be a lucky child.¡¯</i>

    The fact that this child could have survived in China, which was bing and of death, meant that she really was really lucky.

    ¡°Then why are you treating us like this?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    The child hesitated for a moment and closed her mouth.

    <i>¡®Does she know about the watching eyes?¡¯</i>

    The child seemed to be well aware of how they had treated the humans who hade to the royal pce so far and what the situation was like in this room.

    The child¡¯s face had turned bright red, so Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to her while stroking her hair.

    "It''s okay. No one can see you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed toward an area on one of the walls.

    ¡°...how!¡± the child shouted in surprise.

    The ce that Lee Jun-Kyeong had pointed to was exactly where the magic circle that watched over the room had been ced.

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been anyone who has ever noticed that until now¡­¡± the girl mumbled.

    Of course, even with just his own strength, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have been able to sense the watching eyes. The only issue was that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to resolve it or determine the exact location on his own.

    However, there were other factors involved.

    <i>¡®After all, she is one of the strongest wizards.¡¯</i>

    She was an archmage who ranked among the top three of all mage-type Hunters.

    The ne that Merlin had given him in return for Excalibur¡¯s information contained incredible power. Furthermore, the magic level of the giants was incredibly lowpared to their fighting prowess.

    In any case, as if the child had been surprised by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s ability, she had started to calm down a bit.

    ¡°Yi¡­ er¡­ san¡­ si¡­¡±

    Of course, there was still Jeong In-Changmenting his plight of not being able to understand anyone again.

    "I liked Mt. Baekdu¡­"

    He sat in the chair despondently, reminiscing as if he had missed his bed from home.

    "What is your name?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    "My name is Jang Si-Eon.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Si-Eon. You can speakfortably while you¡¯re here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    He covered his lips with his finger. ¡°It¡¯s a secret when you leave.¡±

    Jang Si-Eon nodded.

    The kid was smart.

    She seemed to know that the person who would suffer the most would be herself if she told those outside of what they talked about here.

    ¡°Okay. Then how long have you been here?" he asked.

    She responded, ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s been about a year.¡±

    ¡°One year?¡±

    "Yes."

    The child spoke without any hesitation, seeminglypletely rxed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for about a year, and most of the other uncles and aunts have been here for about a year and a half.¡±

    "It''s been a year and a half¡­" Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered.

    That meant that Utgard had been here from that point on.

    ¡°Okay. Then why are we getting special treatment here?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took out candy from his inventory and handed it to the child.

    "Because you are strong,¡± she responded as she took the candy with an excited expression. ¡°The giants like strong people. Also, over there¡­¡±

    The child pointed over with trembling hands again to Fenrir, who was sleeping on the desk.

    ¡°I heard them say that you are the owner of a special being.¡±

    ¡°Someone special?¡±

    ¡°There was a raid on Utgard a little while ago. It was an attack by the Nar, but all of a sudden, them over there¡­ that¡­¡±

    ¡°You can respondfortably,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¡°That kid turned into a monster and killed a lot of giants.¡±

    A clue.

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong was finding out things that weren¡¯t in the Book of the Demon King.

    He was acquiring clues that hadn¡¯t even been found in the future.

    ¡°So?¡±

    The girl continued, ¡°At that time, the king and the monster fought! The king fought with his warrior giants and won, and¡­ the monster ran away.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took out another piece of candy again.

    Fenrir must have appeared on thisnd as suddenly as Utgard did.

    He had also collided with the giants for some reason, and it was clear that the king of giants had wounded him. It looked like Fenrir had run away and hid in Mt. Baekdu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself that he would have to ask Fenrir when he woke up.

    Of course, as they couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation, it should be enough for him to see if he could get a nod of some sort with this sort of a clue, as a master wouldn¡¯t be omnipotent regarding what a Familiar had to say.

    ¡°Then.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked directly at Jang Si-Eon¡¯s face and said, ¡°I can give you a lot of candy and choctes if you can do me just one favor. Do you think you can do it?¡±

    She shook her head."I don''t need something like that."

    "What?"

    ¡°If you have anything made of iron, then give me that. My mom is sick. If you have iron, then I could sell¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyung''s eyes twinkled. However, it wasn¡¯t for any nefarious reasons.

    <i>¡®The child¡¯s mother must be sick.¡¯</i>

    What she had told him wasn¡¯t good news, but it meant that she would do it.

    ¡°Find one person for me. Their name is Won-Hwa.¡±

    The child blinked. ¡°Huh?"

    As soon as she heard the name Won-Hwa, her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Are you talking about Hua Tuo?¡± she responded excitedly as if she knew the name.

    1. The name Won-Hwa seems to refer to the spiritual leader Won-Hwa. Back in the 6th century, there was a caste of female warriors loyal specifically to the King of Korea called the Wonhwa. These female warriors were chosen for both their beauty and skill and were deemed by some as the King''s ythings and by others as terrifying martial masters. However, due to a case of murder among their ranks, they were quickly disbanded and reced by the Hwarang, a group of elite warrior male youths. The Hwarang were simrly famous for their beauty and skill, often called Hyangdo (the fragrant ones). Their spiritual leaders wereter called the Won-Hwa, possibly in reference to the caste of warriors that preceded them.

    2. The original Korean, Hwa-Ta, means talented doctor. However, ites from the word Hua Tuo, which is the name of a famous Chinese Physician from the second century. This doctor was the creator of the Wuqinxi, or the Exercise of the Five Animals, an exercisemonly referred to in many foundational techniques in wuxia and xianxia. Because it¡¯s referring to a Chinese Healer, we¡¯ve decided to keep the Chinese name rather than use the Korean title.

 Chapter 83: Hua Tuo

    <h4>Chapter 83: Hua Tuo</h4>

    A few days had passed since they had entered the royal pce of Utgard.

    During that time, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party stayed rather quiet. Their meals had been served on schedule, and while they were asionally allowed to wander around the castle, that was all they did.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re trying to mess with us,¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a dissatisfied expression.

    He continued, ¡°I mean, if there¡¯s nothing going on, then they should let us go. What sort of situation is this?¡±

    He was quite miffed that the giants seemed to be doing nothing. Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand where he wasing from.

    It wasn¡¯t something that would make someone feel good to go from moving every day, acting with a purpose, to being locked up for no apparent reason at all.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that we have so much time for training thanks to them?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Jeong In-Chang.

    The two were walking through a garden in Utgard.

    Of course, it was only called a garden by the giants. For Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, it was more like a forest.

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang paused while stopping and then said, "I''d rather just die if we have to stay locked up like this."

    ¡°But they let us walk through the garden, don¡¯t they?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded yfully. However, he had stopped as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said to Jeong In-Chang. "I''ll make sure you don''t get bored."

    Jeong In-Chang blinked. "How?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was short on time, so he had felt the same as Jeong In-Chang, "I''m thinking about trying out some armed protests."

    "An armed protest?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t do something if there were an armed protest or something.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang chuckled. ¡°Are we finally going to break it all down?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Are we not?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong worried about how he seemed in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes. After all, hispanion usually overflowed with a sense of justice, but he was seemingly excited with the prospect of destroying everything around them. He took a moment to collect his thoughts.

    ¡°It seems this ce isn¡¯t to your liking whatsoever.¡±

    As soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, Jeong In-Chang responded with a sincere expression, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t. We don¡¯t see any other people, just giants. Also, that giant they call the king rubs me the wrong way¡­ something just feels weird.¡±

    ¡°It just feels like there¡¯s something suspicious about the whole thing,¡± he continued.

    ¡°You could be right, but that¡¯s why we have to have incite the armed protest in order to uncover what¡¯s suspicious, right?¡±

    ¡°So then how are we¡­¡±

    Before Jeong In-Chang finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong drew Muspel¡¯s Spear from his inventory and grabbed its body.

    The giants hadn¡¯t even taken their weapons from them when they entered the royal pce. But in a way, it made sense.

    They had even left Fenrir, who had killed giants and fought a fierce battle with their king, alone. It was a sign of their confidence and their arrogance regarding their own power.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong, he thought it would be good to surprise them a little.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡±

    "Pardon?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never fought with me before, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°I mean, no, but¡­¡±

    "Do you not have any confidence?"

    Jeong In-Chang ended up drawing his greatsword. ¡°You may end up regretting this. It might be difficult for me to win, but I won¡¯t lose easily.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang looked over at one another and smiled.

    "Let¡¯s start."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the ground and thrust with Muspel''s Spear. He appeared about a spear¡¯s length away from his opponent before spinning. Using the force from his rotation, Muspel¡¯s Spear barreled toward Jeong In-Chang.

    Then, Jeong In-Chang suddenly heard something.

    ¡°Whoever loses has to grant a request.¡±

    ¡°Aaack!¡±

    Because of that, the flustered Jeong In-Chang absurdly gave up the first move.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    An explosion began in the royal garden.

    ***

    "Ah ha ha ha ha!"

    The former leader of the Frost Giant n, Thjazi,ughed boisterously.

    ¡°The royal pce must have be a wastnd!¡±

    The reason he wasughing was that he had heard the news from the royal pce, and it was news that something incredible had happened in the royal garden.

    Half of the garden had been destroyed, and it had been the humans that he had brought that had done it.

    When he had heard that the owner of the Vanargandr had caused all of this, he couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    "It''s a pity I couldn''t see the chieftain''s face,¡± Thjazi said as he pped the back of his subordinate who had told him the news.

    "¡­"

    And eventually, soon, as one corner of his mouth lifted up, he muttered to himself, ¡°How fun. It was good that I brought them.¡±

    They had met by chance during their regr reconnaissance to prepare for any raids from the Nars, but these humans genuinely were giving Thjazi pleasure.

    The rtionship between Thjazi and the chieftain was not good.

    <i>''In the first ce¡­¡¯</i>

    They were from different tribes. Moreover, the current chief didn¡¯t call himself a chieftain, but rather, he called himself a king.

    Basically, he had changed.

    Despite the wishes of the Frost Giants, a group of warriors, the chieftain seemed to want something else.

    <i>¡®Could it be war¡­¡¯</i>

    He had gathered iron and summoned warriors.

    Giants, as a species, weren¡¯t afraid of war. Instead, befitting a species that lived for quite some time, it was customary within giants to be ashamed of any member who hadn¡¯t experienced war before they died.

    However, who was their enemy?

    While giants loved fighting and war, that didn¡¯t mean that they would ughter without reason.

    They strived for noble concepts.

    Pride.

    Honor.

    They fought ording to their values.

    Yet, it seemed as though the target of the chieftain¡¯s war was unclear.

    <i>¡®I hope you choose your enemies well, Chieftain.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Chief Thjazi."

    At that time, a subordinate warrior rushed into the post where Thjazi was.

    "It''s the Nars!"

    There was news that the enemy had appeared.

    Thjazi held his axes in both of his hands and quickly ran out of the post.

    "Let''s go!"

    ***

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Within a silent room, there were two chairs ced in front of a huge table.

    Two sat across from each other in the two chairs, seemingly having a normal conversation.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, even without looking closely, there was an apparent strangeness to the scene disyed.

    In one chair, there sat a being suitablyrge enough for the size of that chair. However, as for the other chair, there sat an absurdly small man who seemed utterly ambivalent to how giant his chair was.

    Eventually, the colossal giant opened his mouth.

    ¡°Whew¡­ it is a great sin to damage the royal garden¡­¡± The giant shook his head. ¡°However, it is our mistake in not asking you about your customs as well.¡±

    ¡°We apologize,¡± the little man responded at the giant¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know our people well, but it is customary for our people to train by running wild within a forest.¡±

    "Is that so¡­"

    It was an absurd custom, but there was no way for the giant to have known that.

    To the giants, these people themselves were even more unusual. They could see many Chinese people as they lived in Utgard, but the man in front of him was from apletely different country.

    He had said that he was from Korea.

    ¡°However, I am deeply sorry about my sin of damaging the royal garden¡­¡± The little man bowed his head and said sincerely, ¡°...and I will providepensation for it ordingly.¡±

    "Compensation?"

    The giant''s eyes shone.

    These guests may not know it, but the situation within Utgard was taking a turn for the worse.

    All they had left was Utgard, and most of what they had had was stolen by the Nars.

    Even more importantly, there was nond or anything from which they could procure any resources.

    "What kind ofpensation¡­?"

    ¡°We will try to fulfill any request you may have.¡±

    "Hmm."

    The giant nodded happily.

    ¡°Then, for now, do you think you could start with this?¡± he responded.

    ¡°The reason we had brought you here was, just like the situation we are in right now, there are so many things that we don¡¯t know. This strangend seems to be filled with things unknown. Therefore, please let us know your story,¡± the giant continued.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jeong In-Chang answered.

    ***

    While Jeong In-Chang was speaking with the giant, Lee Jun-Kyeong was lying on a soft bed in the room.

    The winner of the match with Jeong In-Chang was, of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Please cooperate with the giants.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked him to cooperate with the giants, to listen to everything they had asked of him.

    To do anything they may want.

    <i>¡®You mean anything?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was clearly perplexed.

    <i>¡®No, you just have to pretend like you¡¯re cooperating. Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter what you do. It would be nice if you could get some information from the giants.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®But¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®I believe in your ability to react to the situation and handle it.¡¯</i>

    At that point, the giants, who had noticed the disturbance in the garden, arrived.

    The giants had tried to take both of them, but they had no choice but to focus on Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°It looks like you haven¡¯t been hurt all that severely.¡±

    When the giants had arrived, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked as though he was bleeding dangerously at first nce. It was a wound that had been deliberately caused by receiving Jeong In-Chang¡¯s blow with his greatsword.

    Although the giants had been deceived, it didn¡¯t seem enough to deceive the old man in front of him.

    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve made a fool¡¯s errand,¡± the old man remarked.

    ¡°Please heal me,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    "I heard that you are Korean, but your Chinese is quite good,¡± he said.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap.</i>

    He lightly tapped Lee Jun-Kyeong''s body. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s wounds, which were still bleeding freely, clotted in the blink of an eye.

    It wasn¡¯t just that either. The wounds started to heal at a visible rate.

    Although it wasn¡¯t as quick as what would have happened if he had poured a potion over them, it was still a great increase in recovery.

    "Thank you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked over behind the old man¡¯s back.

    There was Jang Si-Eon, with whom he had built up a rapport for a while, smiling.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Although part of the reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong had intentionally gotten wounded by Jeong In-Chang was to avoid wasting time interacting with the giants, more importantly, the man in front of him was the main reason.

    "It is an honor to meet you, Hua Tuo."

    Hua Tuo.

    He was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to China, and the reason why they had gone through all that hardship.

    They hade to China to find this person.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± the old man, Hua Tuo, said as he tilted his head.

    ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it seems as though you had heard about me from Si-Eon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but don¡¯t you think it would be nice if we got to know each other from now on?¡±

    ¡°What a foolish young man,¡± the old man clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the old man said to Si-Eon. Then, as they were about to leave the room, Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected as he blocked them from taking another step, "The treatment is not over yet.¡±

    The old man turned and looked over at him.

    ¡°Hua Tuo, do you really want to leave behind a patient without fully treating him?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hua Tuo''s face contorted.

    "No matter how you look at it, there doesn''t seem to be any problem with you."

    ¡°It¡¯s not an external wound.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rolled up his wrist.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Hua Tuo could make such judgments without so much as even thinking about measuring one¡¯s pulse,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while smiling.

    However, his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    "It was my mistake."

    Hua Tuo didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, but he soon approached Lee Jun-Kyeong again and began to measure his pulse.

    ¡°Even after taking a second look, it seems as though there aren¡¯t any issues. Then, if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±

    Hua Tuo soon turned around and left the room.

    "¡­!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the door where the old man and Jang Si-Eon had left, bewildered.

    He hade all this way to China and had found him.

    <i>¡®Is it possible that he hasn¡¯t acquired the skill yet?¡¯</i>

    No, that didn¡¯t seem to be it.

    He could obviously feel mana emitting from Hua Tuo, and that meant that Hua Tuo was a Hunter. Moreover, the skill that had healed his wounds was an advanced skill that even most healers couldn¡¯t easily do.

    No, he was sure that the old man was the right person. However, there was no way that he couldn¡¯t have noticed anything even after measuring his pulse.

    It couldn¡¯t be.

    There was a reason why the name, Hua Tuo, had spread throughout the world.

    "Just how¡­"

    This time, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to panic.

 Chapter 84: Hua Tuo Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 84: Hua Tuo Pt. 2</h4>

    He had known that something could have gone wrong. He had kept in mind that the history he knew and the history that he would have to go through could be different.

    However, did the great Hua Tuo only amount to this much?

    After all, Hua Tuo was a god-like entity.

    He was one of the few surviving Chinese Hunters, and he was someone who had healed many heroes, including the Demon King.

    Everyone praised his skills.

    [We called him God.]

    There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to find Hua Tuo. Although there were countless stories of people who he had healed, more importantly, there was something more important that only could be seen in the book of the Demon King that other people had no knowledge of.

    The Demon King had stated that he had started his mana stream in thend of giants. Complete proficiency had beenpleted a long timeter, but this was definitely the ce where he had started it.

    The Demon King had said that he had been inspired by something here, which had helped him think of creating the mana stream.

    However, devising and creating something was never easy.

    At the beginning of his journey to develop the mana stream, the Demon King suffered a mana reflux.

    It was a side effect simr to that of the one Lee Jun-Kyeong had undergone when his mana had run rampant due to the impact of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone and the red ore.

    Mana reflux was a terrifying event. A person¡¯s own mana began exploding uncontrobly, destroying themselves from within.

    However, the Demon King had ovee it with the help of Hua Tuo.

    [Hua Tuo, that person was enough to be called God.]

    <i>¡®Did Ie too early?¡¯</i>

    He wondered if Hua Tuo hadn¡¯t grown to that level yet because of ack of time. He couldn¡¯t be sure what could be the case.

    <i>¡®Still, something is strange.¡¯</i>

    However, it was still true that Hua Tuo was very different from what he had heard.

    Although he had no idea of what he was supposed to look like because there hadn¡¯t been any descriptions or photos, he knew that Hua Tuo shouldn¡¯t have been someone who would have been that rude to someone who asked him to measure their pulse for treatment.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Right then, Jeong In-Chang had returned and was smiling brightly.

    <i>¡®I thought you would have gone through a lot of trouble.¡¯</i>

    Regardless of their reason, they had destroyed the royal garden.

    <i>I still had faith that they wouldn¡¯t hurt us, but¡­¡¯</i>

    He had assumed that they wouldn¡¯t break their warrior¡¯s oath simply due to a ruined royal garden. Thus, in order to obtain some time, he had entrusted the role of distracting them to Jeong In-Chang.

    However, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s chipper mood was still unexpected.

    "How did things go?" he asked.

    "Well, about that¡­" Jeong In-Chang¡¯s smile grew wider as he approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and whispered, ¡°They asked me to be one of their warriors?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang stood back again, smiling as if his mouth would tear.

    It was only after a while that Lee Jun-Kyeong could process what he had just been told.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ***

    Utgard.

    The ce that they had provided for human habitation there couldn¡¯t be said to be very good. Initially, there wasn¡¯t an area for humans to live in Utgard, and it had only been created a year and a half ago.

    There wasn¡¯t a proper house in sight. Just some structures barely fit for living in.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    The door to one of the shacks opened.

    "I''ve returned,¡± the man who entered the house said.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    ¡°It hurts so much!¡±

    However, it was incredibly noisy within the shack.

    It was a small space, but it was full of people who were screaming or moaning as if they were sick. Many of those in the house were unconscious.

    The man who had entered the house looked around, roughly hanging his bag as if he was used to the chaos around him.

    ¡°Are you back?¡±

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    People in the house greeted the man. After the man epted their greetings one by one, he took out various things from his inventory and handed it over to someone.

    ¡°Here are some herbs and¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you for this again.¡±

    An old man took it and thanked him.

    The man smiled and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll get ready quickly and help.¡±

    As if his aid didn¡¯t end after handing the items over, the man quickly headed upstairs.

    ¡°You will be fine soon.¡±

    Downstairs, there was another old man treating people with the herbs that the man had brought.

    The old man¡¯s title was Hua Tuo, and he was an Eastern physician who treated the people who lived in Utgard.

    "Whew¡­"

    Unlike the others, he was a Hunter. However, either because his age betrayed him or because there were an umonlyrge number of patients in Utgard, the old man looked exceedingly tired.

    His whole body was wet with sweat.

    "Thank you!"

    "Thank you!"

    Regardless of his exhausted stamina, however, Hua Tuo¡¯s medical skills were excellent. Every patient he touched was soon rejuvenated, andter they were busy thanking him. He had always been an excellent doctor, so once he became a Hunter, he transformed into someone with enough skills to be called a god by ordinary people.

    Among the survivors gathered in Utgard, he was one of the few who could heal the others.

    Soon, the other man who hade into the house had returned after getting ready.

    ¡°Forgive me for beingte.¡±

    Color had returned to the faces of the old man and the people around him.

    ¡°Would you like to take over the serious cases?¡± the old man asked in a warm tone.

    The other man smiled back warmly and nodded.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    An acupuncture set appeared from within his arms, and the man grabbed it and started moving quickly.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    He moved at a speed unbelievable for a human being, and his craftsmanship was so immacte that the people he treated quickly forgot their pain and fell asleep.

    As the two doctors treated the people around them, a woman among them who had finished the day¡¯s treatment stood up from her bed.

    ¡°Si-Eon, let¡¯s go,¡± the woman said as she took the child¡¯s hand.

    Jang Si-Eon.

    It was the child who hade in and out of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s wards.

    She walked over to the old man and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to be bothered today because of me.¡±

    The old man smiled and stroked the child''s head.

    As she went back to her mother¡¯s side and left the house, she turned back and loudly bid her farewell.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hua Tuos!¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Two voices responded in kind.

    ***

    At first, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it had been a joke.

    He couldn¡¯t understand it conceptually.

    To think that the giants would ask them, who wereplete strangers, to assume the role of a warrior. This was the same as bing one of their soldiers.

    Moreover, this happened after they hadpletely destroyed the royal garden. Because of that, he had no other choice but to be suspicious of their request, which seemed as if there was no other rhyme or reason.

    <i>¡®Still, it''s not apletely iprehensible situation either.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t until after he had heard the detailed exnation from Jeong In-Chang that Lee Jun-Kyeong understood the situation a little better.

    The reason they had offered them the position of a warrior was simple.

    The situation within the city of giants, Utgard, was not as good as it seemed.

    There was another group of frost giants, but they were traitors.

    They were called the Nar, and it was said that they were building their city not too far away from here and that they were waiting vigntly toe to invade Utgard.

    There was another problem for the giants as well.

    <i>¡®There are fewer here than I thought.¡¯</i>

    Not only had their numbers fallen after the traitors had left, but there was also another reason that contributed to the small number of giants in the first ce.

    But it didn¡¯t make sense to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Gigantomachia was¡­¡¯</i>

    Gigantomachia was one of the greatest battles in history, having taken ce on an incredible scale.

    It was a war that had involved an incredible amount of damage ordingly, and it was a known fact that the number of giants was much more significant than those currently around him.

    <i>¡®Could the reproductive cycle of the giants be short?¡¯</i>

    It was the only reason he could think of, but he wasn¡¯t sure of it yet.

    In any case, the number of warriors was too small to protect Utgard from both the monsters and the traitors.

    As long as it helped strengthen the giants, they were willing to get help from the humans.

    <i>¡®Was there anything specific or unusual?¡¯</i>

    There was another thing that the giants had wanted.

    <i>¡®They asked a lot about the outside world.¡¯</i>

    The outside. Jeong In-Chang informed him that the giants had been digging into the circumstances of the ce from which Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had crossed over from. Everything from poption to culture and characteristics.

    Even power.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good result.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a smile on his face, looking as if he didn¡¯t want to sit still.

    ¡°Did you find the person you were looking for, Mr. Lee?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been looking for someone and had assumed that he would meet that person today.

    ¡°Oh, no, which is why I said it was a good result. I think we have to search a little longer.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head toward him.

    ¡°But, why are you acting like what you did was a good thing? Originally the n was to go find the person I had needed to find and go back. To think they would ask you to be a warrior. I wonder what went on in your head to agree to do something like that, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang turned around as if he was offended.

    ¡°I mean¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice quieted down a little.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about it from that child, Jang Si-Eon? The people who live here are not in a good state. The giants don¡¯t force them to stay, but even those who want to leave can¡¯t because they know that if they leave Utgard, they will die,¡± he continued.

    That was why Jeong In-Chang hated the ce they were in.

    ¡°And, there is one more reason.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''s eyes glimmered more than usual.

    ¡°These giants¡­ Something is strange about them. Regardless of how they came about, aren¡¯t they still intelligent beings? But they are too warlike.¡±

    Whether it was meeting Thjazi or the stories they had heard while living in the royal pce, they had been greatly illuminated by the giants¡¯ proclivity to violence and militancy.

    ¡°I think we should figure out how strong the giants are, just in case, and that we should find out what they are thinking.¡±

    "¡­"

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked as he felt as if Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes were boring a hole through him.

    ¡°You are a better person than I, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s words were sincere.

    <i>''I didn''t even think of that.''</i>

    If he had really met Hua Tuo, then Lee Jun-Kyeong had only thought to leave Utgard with the physician and a handful of people. He hadn¡¯t considered the rest or what would happen to them.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve been fixating on moving safely too much.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that he had started to abandon the little things because of his desire to change the world.

    He had been about to sacrifice the small for the many.

    At first nce, it seemed like the right choice.

    He muttered to himself, ¡°I almostmitted the one act that I hate the most.¡±

    Unfortunately, that had been one of Eden¡¯s mottos.

    ***

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if the n was for Jeong In-Chang to fully transition into bing a warrior of Utgard. Instead, the deal was that they would participate in the duties of the warriors for the duration of the desired contract in the form of a mercenary.

    The reward for this contract had been a share in whatever the giants had gathered, but instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted something different.

    He wanted to live in the area where people lived.

    The giants were quite concerned about Fenrir, but they told them that they would allow it as they believed in Im Chang.

    Im Chang was the name that the giants used to call Jeong In-Chang.

    He had said that he had been able to converse with the giants using trantion magic, but it felt as though the level of trantion magic was very low.

    Regardless of how it had happened, in the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong entered the vige where the gathered humans lived.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Jun-Kyeong, and I¡¯ll be staying here for the time being.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been given a shack along the path where simr structures, resembling huts from slums, were lined up.

    "What is this?"

    "Isn''t that the owner of that wolf?"

    "It seems like it."

    The residents gathered and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong curiously as they talked amongst themselves. However, no one approached him easily.

    After all, he was aplete foreigner.

    At least for these people, they were able to hold onto the fact that they were all from the same country and that they had been here for quite a while.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was aplete stranger who didn¡¯t fall into any of the categories or had any of the traits that held themunity together.

    There was only one person that was different.

    "Mister!"

    "Si-Eon."

    Everyone was like that except for Si-Eon. Although he had only been in the royal castle for a short while, he and Jang Si-Eon had developed a pretty close friendship.

    Of course, it had been through the power of candy.

    Furthermore, because iron was currently being sold at a high price in the city, he had handed over the cheap iron armor that he had stored in his inventory.

    ¡°My mom has been fully healed because of you, Mister!¡± Jang Si-Eon shouted in genuine happiness as shetched onto Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sleeve.

    "What¡¯s going on?¡±

    "Was that person the owner of the iron armor that Si-Eon brought?"

    ¡°I mean, but then again, where else would a child get something like that?¡±

    The people around him talked amongst themselves more and more, but some of them began to approach and greet him.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you."

    It was good for his image to be someone friendly to children.

    Then, someone said, ¡°It looks like your body seems okay.¡±

    It was Hua Tuo, the old man who hade to treat Lee Jun-Kyeong. He was one of those that had greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong from the crowd.

    1. In Eastern philosophy, all intelligent beings strive for peace, and only savages and the ignorant solve issues with violence/war.

    2. You may have noticed how we spelled Hua Tuo, but naming conventions will change when tranting Chinese names and Korean names ording to how bothnguages prefer to romanize their names.

 Chapter 85: Hua Tuo Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 85: Hua Tuo Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sped his hands with Hua Tuo again. He looked over at the old man with a look of slight anticipation.

    "Hmm."

    However, the old man was just in a hurry to leave as if he felt burdened by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel wellter, thene find me. I¡¯ll take another look then,¡± he said.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression was not good.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s like this again.¡¯</i>

    The old man hadn¡¯t noticed anything again.

    This time, Lee Jun-Kyeong had even intentionally reversed his mana''s flow on purpose using his mana stream. Anyone sensitive to mana should have been able to notice the strangeness within his body.

    However, the old man they called Hua Tuo didn¡¯t notice it.

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had even sent mana into the old man¡¯s body through the handshake to test if it was that the old man was just hiding his ability.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    The Hua Tuo in front of him wasn¡¯t the same person he had been looking for. The old man hadn¡¯t noticed that Lee Jun-Kyeong had inspected his body with mana. Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that he was just an average Hunter.

    <i>¡®Is the information¡­¡¯</i>

    Was it wrong?

    That could have been it. Whether it was the Book of the Demon King or information from history, they could have been wrong.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was lost in thought, bewildered by the chance that the information had been wrong, he started to notice something strange.

    As he greeted the residents one after the other and shook their hands, he felt that something was off.

    <i>¡®Most of these residents have the same traces of mana.¡¯</i>

    He could feel the same traces of mana emitting from most of the residents he shook hands with. The fact that he could feel such intense mana from these people, even after some time seemed to pass, could only mean one thing.

    <i>¡®I found him.¡¯</i>

    The owner of the traces of mana he felt now must have been the one he was looking for.

    There really was someone named Hua Tuo. It was just that the one he had met before wasn¡¯t the real one.

    ¡°Then, please take care of me,¡± he greeted the residents.

    ***

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re asking how many giants there are?¡±

    As they hadn¡¯t been contacted about what they should do as a warrior of the giants yet, from the next day on, Lee Jun-Kyeong wandered around the vige in order to collect information.

    "Yes."

    "Well¡­ maybe about a thousand or so?"

    "Hey, what do you mean a thousand? There must be more than ten thousand of them!"

    "Really?"

    ¡°Of course! It only looks that little because they''re massive, and they all look the same. I¡¯m telling you, there are tons of them!¡±

    The reason he was trying to determine the number of giants was to understand what had changed aspared to the number that was written in the original history.

    Whether it was a thousand or even ten thousand, there were definitely fewer of them now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then asked another question, ¡°Then¡­ who exactly are these beings they call the Nar?¡±

    He knew that they were considered traitors and that they were warped or corrupted for some reason.

    However, that was all he knew.

    ¡°The Nar?¡± The viger that Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked his question to looked around, startled, and put a finger to his lips. ¡°You have to be quiet about that. I¡¯m telling you, the giants go crazy even at the slightest mention of the Nar¡­!

    "So¡­"

    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    Fortunately, the surviving residents had been in Utgard for a very long time and therefore had quite a bit of information.

    The viger began, ¡°Originally, there were a lot of giants in Utgard. Maybe around twice as much as there are now? Or maybe even three times as many.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes lit up as he listened to the story.

    ¡°Then those giants¡­¡± he asked.

    The viger continued, ¡°Well, I mean, what was it again¡­ I can¡¯t remember his name. However, the Nar had their own leader. He had taken a group of giants away, and they are who are called the Nar.¡±

    ¡°As for the rest of them¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong probed.

    ¡°They died.¡±

    The vigers looked at each other and nodded.

    ¡°Some of them died in the fight between those giants¡­¡± one chimed in.

    Another added, ¡°Yeah. And didn¡¯t they say there was some sort of epidemic that circted in the beginning, too?¡±

    "That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right."

    It was the first time Lee Jun-Kyeong had ever heard of an epidemic.

    ¡°All I heard was that the giants were struggling to adapt to ournd and that some had contracted a disease and died. All that remains in Utgard is whoever survived.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, that¡¯s right. This used to be ournd¡­¡±

    ¡°Think about how you¡¯re still alive. As for the rest¡­¡±

    It seemed as though the residents had recalled bad memories as they spoke, as their reactions began to differ. Their stories seemingly turned down different paths.

    Then, the mood began to shift as the residents started to question Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°How are things on the outside?

    It was clear that they had many things they wanted to ask him.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there some among you that came from the outside?¡± he asked in response.

    They responded quietly.

    ¡°I mean, there were some.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    <i>Thud. Thud. Thud.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s heart started beating violently. Before he had arrived, there had been other foreigners.

    <i>¡®In China¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered who would have been able toe to this ce as the secret organizations had banned any expeditions to China in fear of sacrificing Heroes.

    It was possible that there were still a few people who didn¡¯t value their lives and had ventured into China, but there were only a few who could survive in thisnd of extreme cold and despair.

    <i>''Perhaps¡­''</i>

    Furthermore, there was another reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong was so surprised that his heart was pounding.

    That reason was¡­

    <i>¡®The Demon King.¡¯</i>

    ¡­the Demon King was said to have entered China and visited the city of giants.

    However, the exact whereabouts of the Demon King had been unknown at this point in time. Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that this could be a massive clue in determining if the Demon King still existed after he had returned to the past.

    Someone said, ¡°There was someone, but he simply left.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± he asked.

    ¡°But this isn¡¯t someone who we saw in person. The giants just said that they had found an intruder simr to us. But, he just left without doing anything.¡±

    "¡­"

    Apparently, none of the residents had ever seen a visitor.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that he needed to ask the giants to get more information regarding this issue.

    Although he had a mountain full of things to say, the task in front of him was also important.

    ¡°I¡¯ll begin exining the circumstances of the outside.¡±

    ***

    "Whew¡­" Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    It had already been several days since they had entered the human residential area, and within that time, he had obtained various clues and stories about the giants.

    <i>¡®Hua Tuo.¡¯</i>

    Even a clue rted to Hua Tuo.

    However, the man the clue led to hadn¡¯t returned to his residence for several days.

    <i>¡®Most likely, that man is simr to you and your friend. What was it again? That¡¯s right. He was the one who stopped the giants¡¯ gue. That¡¯s why he gets called to the pce often and takes so long toe back.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself if he had known that this would have been the case, then he would have stayed in the royal pce.

    While he stood, regretting his decisions, he consoled himself that he had at least uncovered a lot of important details.

    There was quite a lot of information from the Chinese living in Utgard, and most of it was of excellent quality.

    Things about the giants, the nars, even stories about Utgard and the various Frost Giant tribes were all information he got.

    At this point, it was time for him to search for information from the giants.

    ¡°Hohoho! And who do we have here?¡±

    Thjazi.

    The giant smiled and waved over to Lee Jun-Kyeong, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for quite some time. The size of his hand was sorge that the wind blew around like a typhoon from its slight movement.

    ¡°They said that you set the royal gardens on fire?¡± Thjazi asked. He was in a great mood as if he was the one to have ruined the royal garden himself.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Let¡¯s talk amicably for now.¡±

    However, when Lee Jun-Kyeong didn''t respond to him, Thjazi moved on to their main topic.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯ve decided to help us even though we are of different races. Whether it''s the dwarves or the Vanir, those bastards absolutely hate us giants,¡± Thjazi said with sincerity.

    He reached out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, seeming to indicate for the Hunter to climb up onto his hand.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    Fenrir didn¡¯t seem to like the prospect, but following Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s guidance, the two climbed onto Thjazi¡¯s palm.

    <i>¡®Looking at it from up close, he really seems even bigger.¡¯</i>

    Even from afar, they looked like colossal giants, but looking at it up close, the giant really was enormous.

    ¡°Today, you¡¯ll have to go outside,¡± the giant said.

    ¡°Outside?¡±

    ¡°Yes, to the ce where you came from.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression stiffened after hearing Thjazi¡¯sment.

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it!¡±

    Thjazi realized his mistake and shook his head hard enough to send spit flying.

    That saliva, as if by fate, ended up sshing onto Fenrir¡¯s face and body.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was barely able to calm Fenrir, who was about to run rampant due to the spit.

    ¡°Not outside outside, but outside of Utgard.¡±

    Behind Thjazi, many giants were seen moving out, and they were all armed.

    "The attacks of the Nars are bing more frequent."

    It was clear that they were preparing for a fight.

    ¡°Do you think we can view some of the skills that burned the royal garden down?¡± teased Thjazi.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong simply nodded in response.

    ***

    It was his first job after bing a mercenary warrior for Utgard.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved with Thjazi, while Jeong In-Chang moved with the other giant warriors.

    <i>¡®We will be catching the Nar.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong would be hunting the Nars that had attacked with Thjazi, while Jeong In-Chang was tasked with securing food by hunting the nearby monsters.

    <i>''Well, this isn''t bad either.''</i>

    This ce was a barrennd filled with only ice. The only thing here that they could use as a food source were the monsters, and the monsters nearby made for a great food source.

    Just like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong headed forth to the battlefield.

    ¡°Fenrir, you can run wild today.¡±

    Fenrir had been asleep for a while, but now seemed bored after having woken up. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he had gotten simr in familiarity with the wolf as he had with Jeong In-Chang, having been taught how to speak alongside them, spending quite some time together.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    Although the wolf snorted as if he was irritated, he acted as though he had read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts. The wolf definitely preferred moving his body rather than thinking and moving.

    "It''sing soon."

    <i>Tremble!</i>

    The ice drakes that the giants were riding on stopped.

    <i>¡®Now we can see them.¡¯</i>

    Eventually, they could see another group of giants, arriving in a simr manner from before, riding ice drakes from afar. They were a little different from Thjazi¡¯s group, however.

    These giants wore ck beast fur, which was unlike Thjazi and the others, who wore white beast fur.

    <i>''Is that a particr color of the Nar?''</i>

    Distinguishing between groups by color was a standard method that could be seen everywhere.

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see Thjazi¡¯s agitated face.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Growl.¡±

    In that time, even Fenrir had also finished preparing for battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood simrly prepared while waiting for theing battle.

    The battle with the Nar.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s my first time fighting a real giant.''</i>

    Disregarding the fights against the lesser giants who had been exiled from among the Nar, it was his first battle with an actual giant.

    These were giants who had intelligence and could use skills.

    This would be a battle against powerful beings.

    Steam began to emit from Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had begun circting Monarch of Fire.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    But then, Thjazi raised his hand and stopped the group.

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know the history behind it, but the faces of the other giants around him all wore strained expressions.

    It looked like they were all feeling strong, conflicted emotions.

    <i>''Love and hate?''</i>

    They seemed to all have simr emotions: empathy, guilt, and even longing.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was because they were of the same race. Were they sad that they would have to aim at each other with their swords?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to empathize with the same emotions they were feeling.

    Then, the ground trembled.

    <i>Boom. Boom.</i>

    The Nar didn¡¯t just have the ice drakes. There were also giant wolves with ck fur. At first nce, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that they seemed simr to Fenrir.

    <i>¡®White fangs.¡¯</i>

    However, upon closer inspection, they were on apletely different level from Fenrir.

    A giant approached, escorted by the white fangs.

    ¡°Thjazi¡­¡±

    It called out to Thjazi.

    Thjazi walked out slowly by himself in response.

    Their parties tried to follow the two, but they both raised their hands and stopped them.

    Eventually.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    The two ck and white contrasting giants met on the icynd.

    The giant in ck called out to Thjazi again, ¡°Thjazi¡­¡±

    In response, a bitter voice echoed along the frozen earth, and Thjazi called out to the ck-d giant, ¡°Thrymr.¡±

    1. Keeping with the Norse mythology theme that East Asia seems to have in this story, the Vanir are a race of Earth Deities in Norse mythos. Oftenpared to the Chthonian deities in Greek mythos, the Vanir became subordinate to the Aesir after a great war.

    2. Thymr is the King of the Jotnar, the frost giants in Norse Mythos.

 Chapter 86: Hua Tuo Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 86: Hua Tuo Pt. 4</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the giant covered in ck fur they called Thrymr.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it emanating from him. The giant was filled with dense mana, and his physical abilities didn¡¯t seem like they wouldck inparison easier.

    Even if it was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to urately measure the abilities of giants urately, even while using his mana stream, he was sure about one thing.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s stronger than Thjazi.¡¯</i>

    Among all the giants he had seen so far, the strongest had been either Thjazi or the giant whom they called the king or the chieftain.

    However, the giant named Thrymr in front of him seemed to be simr to, or even stronger than the chieftain.

    <i>''This could be dangerous.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong signaled Fenrir and waited.

    ¡°...¡±

    Thrymr and Thjazi, who had been standing silently, began to speak.

    <i>''Damn it.''</i>

    Watching them, Lee Jun-Kyeong was left cursing in his mind. Although he had studied manynguages and could speak even more, he couldn¡¯t understand a single thing they were saying.

    <i>¡®Am I going to have to learn thenguage of the giants as well?¡¯</i>

    Thjazi had been speaking in Chinese up to this point out of consideration for Lee Jun-Kyeong, but was now speaking in his ownnguage in his conversation with Thrymr.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong listened to the two giants speak while bewildered, he heard a voice ring out.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> pities you.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you the ability, ¡®Language, Jotnar.¡¯]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked in astonishment. What just happened?

    For the first time in a while, he had been given useful support.

    <i>¡®Thank you.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sky for a moment and then listened to the conversation in front of him again.

    ¡°What do you think about considering it again now?¡± asked the giant named Thrymr.

    Unfortunately, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no idea what they were talking about before he acquired his newnguage.

    ¡°I no longer have any reason to waste thought on a traitor.¡±

    Thjazi seemed angry while Thrymr spoke in a calm, dry tone.

    ¡°Do you n on following that idiot around and calling him king? To think the Frost Giant n could fall this low. We are not traitors here. The only truth is that we aren¡¯t the owners of Utgard at the moment,¡± Thrymr said, a smirk forming on his lips.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°To think you would support that idiot as your chieftain. How low the name of the Former Leader¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± shouted Thjazi.

    Suddenly, two axes appeared in his hands.

    "It''s been a long time since we¡¯ve done this," Thrymr said as he also raised his ax in response. So it was a situation where a single spark could bring about an explosion.

    The warriors of Utgard all seemed to be nervous as they prepared for battle.

    "Is that the special being over there?"

    Right then, Thrymr''s eyes turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Fenrir.

    "Why is that thing here¡­ and even a human?"

    There was a look of interest in Thrymr''s eyes, and then the giant left a single remark as he turned to leave.

    ¡°It¡¯s been fun. Let¡¯s meet again soon.¡±

    As Thrymr turned around and was about to leave, Thjazi hurled an ax at his back. Though it may have been called an ax, a boulder of metal with a massive haft the size of a building hurtled toward Thrymr like a hurricane.

    <i>ng!</i>

    However, the ax fell short of the giant. Some sort of veil blocked it from moving forward, and the weapon floated in the air as Thrymr extended a hand to grab ahold of it.

    <i>Split!</i>

    He threw the ax back toward the group.

    ¡°...¡±

    The ax split the ice in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Fenrir, deeply embedded into the ground.

    ¡°See you around, special being. Same goes for you, special human.¡±

    Having said his farewell, the ck fur-covered giant named Thrymr disappeared into the flurry.

    "Ugh."

    Thjazi looked at Thrymr with a face distorted in anger.

    Thrymr had been the one to find the situation fun when he had firstid his eyes on Lee Jun-Kyeong and Fenrir, but now Lee Jun-Kyeong had also felt the same way staring back at the giant.

    <i>¡®How quaint.¡¯</i>

    He thought to himself that it would be prudent for them to find out exactly what had happened between these giants.

    ¡°Leader! Are we not going to chase them?¡± one of the warriors shouted as if their existence was an insult to his very being.

    ¡°They still have Thrymr. If we fight with them now, our warriors will die.¡±

    Thjazi had chosen to retreat to preserve the lives of his warriors.

    From Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s perspective, although he hadn¡¯t been able to fight them, he had been able to observe the giants at least¨Cno, at least <i>those</i> two giants, and definitely see their skills firsthand.

    Furthermore, he had uncovered their unusual rtionship.

    He was satisfied.

    This wasn¡¯t entirely a fruitless expedition.

    ***

    Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang was extremely busy.

    "Oooh!"

    "Princess!"

    "Goongje!"

    Jeong In-Chang and the princess were a fantastic duo.

    It may have been because of their Familiar rtionship, but the connection between the two was so seamless and perfect that it was impossible to tell if their hands and feet were one. It was to the point where it wouldn¡¯t have been odd to question if they were originally one body.

    ¡°Sweep them all away!¡±

    The two were preupied with hunting monsters.

    Jeong In-Chang was moving further and further away from Lee Jun-Kyeong as he hunted for food with the giants. As he hunted a horde of ice trolls, the giants with him shouted at his performance.

    ¡°Wow! That human fights well!¡±

    "Humans are pretty good!"

    ¡°What are they shouting about?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    However, there was no way for him to understand what they were saying.

    He then shrugged. ¡°Well, at least it seems likepliments. Thanks, anyway!¡±

    After shouting back, Jeong In-Chang resumed hunting.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> grants the skill ¡®Meant to Be¡¯ to you and your soulmate princess.]

    Contrary to its cringeworthy name, Meant to Be was an effective skill that would increase their stats when they were together.

    ¡°We are meant to be, Princess!¡±

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    He wondered how long it had been since thest time he had been able to hunt properly. The current situation was more than enough to allow Jeong In-Chang to destress from his tiring burdens.

    All of a sudden, he had in all the trolls in the vicinity. The giants gathered all that he had hunted alongside their own spoils, wrapped them in a, and attached them to the back of an ice drake.

    ¡°So this is enough for today, it seems.¡±

    It was impossible for them tomunicate verbally with each other, but Jeong In-Chang soon realized that their nonverbal forms ofmunication were actually a decent substitute.

    "Okay!" Jeong In-Chang said as he turned his gaze away.

    <i>¡®I wonder if Mr. Lee is doing well.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that he was going to battle with the giants. That task was much more dangerous than hunting monsters, which obviously made Jeong In-Chang worried.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m the one who¡¯s worried.¡¯</i>

    However, the more he thought about it, the more Jeong In-Chang thought it was funny. Lee Jun-Kyeong was much stronger than he was. Furthermore, there was also the monster named Fenrir with him.

    Moreover, he also had the halfway decent skull Hyeon-Mu with him.

    ¡°Goongje?¡±

    The princess suddenly shrunk and returned to Jeong In-Chang''s arms.

    ¡°He probably is doing fine,¡± Jeong In-Chang reassured himself.

    However, he still felt a little worried. He wanted to be of use, but it was proving harder than he had thought to help Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was too incredible.

    <i>¡®I mean, if he were able to get sick at the very least, then I would have sat by his bedside.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, due to the nature of the powers of a Hunter, Lee Jun-Kyeong would never suffer from any sort of disease, so that would have been impossible.

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t suffered any injuries since he had the battle with Heracles.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just do what I can.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang made a promise to himself and followed behind the giants.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    As they progressed toward Utgard, all of a sudden, the giants in the front stopped.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The ice drakes then stopped as well, with the others behind stopping soon after.

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t see what was going on as his view was obscured by the height of the giants, but he could still feel the ominous aura that emitted from the front.

    <i>¡®This¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡°ROAR!¡±

    The giants suddenly roared and began to draw their weapons. At that time, even Jeong In-Chang, who couldn¡¯t even talk to the giants, understood what was going on.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Nar!¡±

    It was the word Nar. And that meant.

    Enemies.

    "Princess,¡± Jeong In-Chang said in a calming voice, distinctly different from when he was hunting monsters.

    Suddenly, the princess appeared by his side in ogre mage form.

    ¡°It¡¯s an attack! Protect the food!¡± the giants screamed as they started moving.

    The ground rumbled like an earthquake as the colossal giants moved rapidly. As they drew their weapons, mana raged like a storm.

    ¡°Human! Run away if it gets too dangerous!¡± a giant shouted at Jeong In-Chang, but as if he seemed to know what the giant had meant, he shook his head and started to run forward.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    His field of view widened with every giant he passed.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to fight too!¡±

    Eventually, he was finally able to see those beings they called the Nar. They definitely resembled the giants that had attacked his party before. However, they also had a different aura and feeling.

    They looked as if they were well-armored warriors.

    <i>¡®They seem stronger than the Utgardian warriors!¡±</i>

    Furthermore, it was easy to see thatpared to the Utgardian warriors, the Nar warriors were stronger.

    However, it was meaningless to think about who was strong and who was weak.

    Right now, the only thing that mattered was who was his ally and who was his enemy.

    "Princess!" Jeong In-Chang shouted as he approached the front row where the battle was taking ce.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess hadn¡¯t fallen behind and understood what Jeong In-Chang was trying to convey.

    ¡°Ha-eup!¡±

    The princess lifted Jeong In-Chang by the leg and threw him.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang flew across the sky like a bird.

    He was able to make eye contact with the giants who had seemed impossible to reach through the incredible strength of the princess.

    ¡°Ooah?¡± said a Nar, confused.

    As the giant in ck fur responded in bewilderment when Jeong In-Chang appeared in front of him, Jeong In-Chang thrust his greatsword into the giant¡¯s shoulder.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    ¡°Graaah!!!¡±

    The greatsword pierced into the shoulder like cutting through tofu, and under the weight of Jeong In-Chang, it began to drag down toward the ground from the force of gravity.

    <i>Tear!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang dropped down to the ground, holding the greatsword that had been embedded into the giant¡¯s body.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    He flicked his de and sttered the giant¡¯s blood and flesh.

    ¡°...¡±

    All of a sudden, the reaction of the Nar began to shift. They turned agitated upon uncovering Jeong In-Chang¡¯s existence.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    In an instant, Jeong In-Chang started running forward toward the transformed atmosphere, and the giants behind him followed while beginning to attack savagely.

    They were sessfully pushing back their enemy, but as soon as the atmosphere was bing overwhelming for the Nar, Jeong In-Chang suddenly stopped moving.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''s face contorted in embarrassment, and he tried to pull his greatsword back quickly.

    <i>ng! sh! ng!</i>

    However, noises rang out in session.

    In order to prevent Jeong In-Chang from escaping, his opponent continuously thrust forward with a long spear.

    The opponent had high-level spearmanship, but the real reason Jeong In-Chang was flustered was different.

    ¡°A¡­ are you a human?¡± he gasped.

    The opponent in front of him looked like a human.

    A human dressed in ck was attacking him, fighting on the side of the Nar.

    That person continuously said something to Jeong In-Chang, but he wasn¡¯t able to understand him.

    ¡°...¡±

    Soon the Nar began to retreat. However, the Utgardian warriors didn¡¯t pursue them.

    They were content with having protected the food they were guarding and having won the battle.

    ¡°Im Chang! Im Chang!¡±

    They rejoiced as they changed Jeong In-Chang''s name.

    However, the Hunter¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good.

    <i>¡®Why are there humans¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered why there was a human colluding with the Nar.

    <i>¡®I should tell Mr. Lee what happened.¡¯</i>

    In the midst of that confusion, Jeong In-Chang was diligently doing his part.

    1. Lit. Jotun Language.

    2. In-Yeon(??) literally means Fated Rtionship and is often used as the title of a song. The English equivalent would be as if a couple told you they were star-crossed lovers.

    3. In English.

    4. This is referring to Fenrir¡¯s incredible strength, not that Fenrir is a monster himself.

    5. Sitting by one¡¯s hospital bedside and cutting apples is a verymon way for Koreans to at least feel like they are being useful.

 Chapter 87: Hua Tuo Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 87: Hua Tuo Pt. 5</h4>

    As Jeong In-Chang was being cheered by the giants, Lee Jun-Kyeong was mired in theplete opposite situation.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had gone out to find food, but had returned triumphantly after defeating the attacking Nar.

    <i>¡®It looks like there aren¡¯t any stragglers, at least.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone out specifically to hunt the Nar, but was now returning without having been able to spar against them properly due to Thrymr¡¯s appearance.

    The footsteps of the returning giants were heavy, and the expressions on their faces heavier still.

    <i>¡®But Thjazi didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡¯</i>

    If anything, Thjazi¡¯s behavior had been surprising considering the tendencies of the warlike, battle-loving giants.

    Thjazi was in no waycking inparison among these giants regarding his skills as a warrior, but he, of all giants, had decided to retreat in order to preserve the lives of the warriors.

    <i>¡®Of course¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that the battle would have begun when the giant had thrown the axe. It seemed as though it had been thest expression of Thjazi¡¯s pride.

    Still, in the end, the giants had returned with heavy footsteps.

    While he mused over Thjazi¡¯s actions, he silently hurried his steps.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>¡®What sort of rtionship do they have?¡¯</i>

    It definitely seemed as though Thjazi and the chief of the Nar, whom they called Thrymr, had some sort of a rtionship. It wasn¡¯t because they were of the same race, but rather because it felt like there was something different between them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was curious about what was going on between them.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he stroked Fenrir¡¯s hair.

    The wolf seemed to have been excited by the prospect of finally being able to run around for the first time in a while, but seemed dissatisfied when they had turned around in vain.

    ¡°It¡¯¡­s fine¡­¡±

    However, Fenrir responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s apology in Korean, which he had been practicing a little. The Hunter patted the boy¡¯s head again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to turn away, but his eyes widened suddenly, almost tearing at the seams.

    ¡°...!¡±

    <i>¡®Is that a person?¡¯</i>

    A man stood within the path of the giants, seemingly not minding the procession of the giants around him, as if he was absorbed in something else.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Thjazi.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although he had just wanted to see if the giants had seen the man as well, it seemed as though the giants already knew him. Even though the giants clearly saw the man, they hurriedly walked around him without saying a word.

    ¡°Thjazi.¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Thjazi.

    "Who is that person?"

    It felt awkward asking questions due to the despondent mood, but he had no choice but to ask.

    "Ah."

    Thjazi rxed his furrowed brow for a moment at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question.

    "A mercenary warrior."

    "A warrior?" Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    Thjazi nodded his massive head.

    ¡°He is simr to you. He¡¯s been helping Utgard.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes were fixed on the man. As the man got closer, the outline of his face became visible.

    The man was young and seemed to be digging through the ice, looking for something.

    "Heads up,¡± Thjazi called out as he waved his hand, having noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s curiosity.

    The man soon looked up and over at them, nodding a greeting.

    "Are you looking for medicinal herbs again?" Thjazi asked.

    <i>''Medicinal herbs?''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes lit up.

    "Yes," the man answered quite simply.

    ¡°The Nar are nearby. It could be dangerous, so what do you think about returning with us?¡±

    The man nodded in response before replying, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find what I was looking for anyway, so I was going to head back soon.¡±

    He then also joined the procession of giants, seemingly having decided to return at that time as well. Soon, he came face to face with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The man looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a sparkle in his eyes, and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back with the sparkle in his eyes even more brilliant than before.

    They stood, matching each other¡¯s gaze, observing each other for a long while.

    ¡°This guy is Ju Gyeung. He¡¯s a new mercenary warrior of Utgard.

    Thjazi looked back and forth between the two of them and continued, ¡°And this is Ha Ta. A mercenary warrior and also a physician.¡±

    A smile formed on Lee Jun-Kyeong''s lips.

    <i>''I found him.''</i>

    It was clear that he was the person Lee Jun-Kyeong had been looking for.

    ***

    "Have you returned?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived at Utgard. Jeong In-Chang had returned first and had been waiting for him.

    ¡°Something good seems to have happened?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    Jeong In-Chang greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong with a smile as if something good had indeed happened to him.

    ¡°Ipleted an incredible task today. While we were hunting, we were attacked by the Nar, and they were forced to flee due to my actions,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he shrugged.

    ¡°...¡±

    As if he wasn¡¯t focused on whether Lee Jun-Kyeong was paying attention to his words or not, Jeong In-Chang took off his ice troll leather clothes and hung them over the bed.

    ¡°And it must have been something, as you should have heard how the giants praised me as they chanted my name! It was so much that it was a little embarrassing. Right, princess?¡±

    ¡°Goongje.¡±

    ¡°See? It was. Huh? Mr. Lee?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had been excitedly talking to himself, had finally realized that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t very good and called out to the Hunter.

    ¡°Was there anything special about today?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Jeong In-Chang pondered for a long time and talked about the thing that he thought Lee Jun-Kyeong would have been curious about.

    "There was a human in the group of Nar that attacked us."

    ¡°A human?¡±

    And lo and behold, the response he had been looking for had arrived.

    ¡°Yes. He looked like he was Chinese, but he also was someone who could casually block my greatsword. Also he used the spear, the same as you Mr. Lee, but it was a long, strange-looking spear."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes lit up.

    <i>¡®Ha.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t decide whether tough or cry at the Hunter¡¯s honest reaction. He then snorted at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s attitude as the Hunter was seeminglypletely disinterested in his own escapades.

    "So?"

    ¡°What do you mean, so?¡±

    However, at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s subsequent question, Jeong In-Chang seemed frustrated to the point of tears.

    ¡°I had wanted to ask some questions to the giants and also to the residents here, but I just can¡¯t understand¡­ I couldn¡¯t do anything and just returned home and rested.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up toward the sky.

    <i>¡®Why aren¡¯t you giving himnguage skills?¡¯</i>

    <The Prince on a White Horse> was usually extremely generous with its sponsorship, so Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand why the Sponsor didn¡¯t just give thenguage understanding skill to Jeong In-Chang.

    However, soon, a hypothesis came to his mind.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s face hardened as he muttered, ¡°Does that mean he¡¯s so stupid that he can¡¯t learnnguage skills¡­¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ what did you say?¡± Jeong In-Chang interjected.

    "I didn''t say anything."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly realized he had identally said that thought out loud and quickly changed the topic.

    ¡°I also found something as well.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°The person I was looking for.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang pped his hands and grinned. "How great."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, "However¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just worried that I might be disappointed again. I¡¯ll be back after I meet that person. Considering we had just returned together, I was thinking I should go have a conversation with him. Would you like toe with me?"

    Jeong In-Chang shook his head as he mournfully replied, ¡°Even if I went, I wouldn¡¯t be able to understand anything¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed a little, removed the ne around his neck, and ced it on Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Then would you like to do something else? If it''s you, Mr. Jeong, whom the giants favor so much, then you would definitely be able to aplish it.¡±

    Merlin¡¯s ne would be able to help Jeong In-Chang converse, so after having exined the situation and giving the Hunter the ne, Lee Jun-Kyeong left the house.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sighed to himself as he was left alone.

    It was because of what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s you, Mr. Jeong, whom the giants favor so much¡­¡±</i>

    Why? Just why.

    ¡°Why am I popr with everyone except for women?¡± he wailed.

    He couldn¡¯t understand it.

    ***

    <i>Knock knock.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knocked on the door in front of him and opened it immediately.

    "Hua Tuo! Hua Tuo!"

    "Help me!"

    "Aghhhhh!"

    Beyond the door was pandemonium. Thousands of people were screaming inside Hua Tuo¡¯s house, desperately searching for the physician.

    ¡°Endure it for a little longer!¡±

    Then there was the Hua Tuo from the royal pce he had seen previously.

    And.

    ¡°You will be fine soon.¡±

    There was another Hua Tuo there.

    The man he had met as they had returned to Utgard with Thjazi and his party.

    Surprisingly, the man had also been another Hua Tuo.

    <i>¡®To think Hua Tuo wasn¡¯t a title.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had definitely thought that Hua Tuo would have been a Hero¡¯s title.

    However, Hua Tuo was both a title but yet not a title at the same time.

    <i>¡®In China, any physician with excellent medical skills is called Hua Tuo.¡¯</i>

    That described the old man. That was why the old man Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen at the royal pce had been called Hua Tuo.

    As for the man he had met.

    "Please wait a little longer.¡±

    The man who had spoken to him with a dull expression was a Hero with a title.

    The house was overflowing with screams and patients, and the two Hua Tuo were busily treating the patients.

    <i>¡®But why?¡¯</i>

    It was the first thing he had felt as he entered the house.

    <i>¡®Why are there so many patients?¡¯</i>

    He had thought when he entered his residential area that there were fewer people than he would have expected, but now he felt as though he knew why.

    It was because there were so many patients lying on these beds that it seemed as though there were fewer people than expected.

    <i>¡®Jang Si-Eon also said that her mother was sick.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that there was some sort of unknown issue going on in this ce. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood still for a moment and watched them quietly.

    ¡°Excuse me¡­ Hua¡­ Mr. Hua Tuo¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, hesitating for a moment at the awkward title.

    ¡°Over here! Quickly!¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment!¡±

    Both of the physicians were very busy. Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped trying to call them and just walked over.

    Then, he took out something.

    ¡°It''s a potion.¡±

    It was a potion. He had an inventory full of them, so he handed it over to the physician.

    A question appeared on Hua Tuo¡¯s face as the man held the bottle.

    ¡°I just thought that it may be of some help¡­ you are free to use it however you wish.¡±

    "Thank you."

    Hua Tuo did not refuse, and began to indiscriminately treat the patients around him using the potion.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting."

    Due to the rapid treatment, the patients in the house quieted down, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was finally able to converse with the physician.

    ¡°It was no trouble.¡±

    ¡°My name is Won-Hwa,¡± the Hua Tuo in front of him said, introducing himself, as he extended a hand.

    They had been unable to converse on the way back because of the giants that surrounded them. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the old man after he had heard the name of the younger Hua Tuo.

    ¡°My name is also Won-Hwa. It¡¯s a coincidence, so don¡¯t think anything weird about it.

    The old man spoke with a grateful expression, perhaps due to the potion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given earlier.

    He then suggested, ¡°Should we talk outside?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°Come back after you rest for a bit. I¡¯ll look after the patients."

    "Understood."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Hua Tuo left the house and briefly wandered through the dark streets of Utgard.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t say anything and just waited for something to happen.

    "If it''s not rude."

    Finally, he was hearing what he had been waiting for.

    "Do you mind if I take a look at your pulse?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made an expression as if showing he couldn¡¯t understand Hua Tuo¡¯s reason and then said innocently, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°I thought there was something weird from when we interacted before. Not only that, but I definitely also felt something strange when we shook hands¡­ Don¡¯t worry; that wasn¡¯t an urate diagnosis. I just wanted to confirm something, just in case.¡±

    This man truly was the Hua Tuo that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been looking for.

    He was sure of it this time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong held out his hand, filled with the excitement of having finally found who he was looking for.

    ¡°All right."

    Hua Tuo¡¯s expression shifted at every moment as he read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pulse.

    Eventually, Hua Tuo asked another question, seemingly having found something strange in the initial read.

    "It may be a little painful, but¡­ would it be okay if I check a few things?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    <i>Glow.</i>

    A weak blue light began to emanate from Hua Tuo¡¯s body, soon migrating over to his hand and flowing into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong widened his eyes in surprise. The physician¡¯s use of mana was very natural.

    Hua Tuo was now poking around Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body with his mana and using it to understand the Hunter¡¯s condition.

    However, Hua Tuo¡¯s mana control wasn¡¯t the only reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong was surprised.

    <i>¡®There isn¡¯t any rejection¡­?¡¯</i>

    Taking in another person¡¯s mana wasn¡¯t an easy task. Even if the original mana within one¡¯s body allowed the other mana to enter, it would still be a burden on someone¡¯s mana pathways to be infused with someone else¡¯s mana.

    That was why Jeong In-Chang had felt so much pain before.

    However, the mana that Hua Tuo had infused him with was coursing through his body without any hesitation. It almost seemed as if the mana that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been infused with was originally his.

    ¡°..."

    Surprisingly, Hua Tuo was simrly astounded.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Hua-Tuo looked at each other. Somewhere along the line, Hua Tuo¡¯s hand dropped from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s wrist.

    The two faced each other and spoke at the same time.

    "Have you learned internal qigong?"

    "Have you learned mana stream?"

    1. The names of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Hua Tuo are written modified, subtly representing the giant¡¯s unfamiliarity with humannguage.

    2. Quite a few historical texts refer to the spiritual leaders of the Hwarang as the Won-Hwa. There are often two portrayed as their teachers, guiding the youths into bing one with both nature and each other.

 Chapter 88: Mana Stream

    <h4>Chapter 88: Mana Stream</h4>

    <i>Trickle.</i>

    Tea filled the teacup as it sloshed about.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong silently took the teacup and drank without a word.

    ¡°...¡±

    His expression was one mired in bewilderment.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was the same for Hua Tuo as well.

    The person that he had been looking for pointed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pulse.

    <i>¡®Internal Qigong?¡¯</i>

    Hua Tuo had asked him if he had studied qigong. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked the physician if he had learned mana stream.

    Although the method that Hua Tuo had used seemed a little different from his mana stream, there was something simr in the principle that they used.

    <i>¡®Just how¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong found it interesting and strange that Hua Tuo had even known about the principles behind the mana stream.

    ¡°It seems you are flustered,¡± Hua Tuo said.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re just as flustered as well, Hua Tuo,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°Please, call me Won-Hwa.¡±

    Apparently, the physician still felt ufortable with the title Hua Tuo.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t reached that level of skill yet. That title just feels like a burden.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say something, but he just ended up drinking his tea without anyment.

    ¡°How did¡­¡±

    ¡°How did¡­¡±

    The two then spoke at the same time, and Won-Hwa motioned for Lee Jun-Kyeong to continue first.

    ¡°Have you learned the mana stream?¡±

    ¡°Mana stream? Here, we call it internal qigong.¡±

    ¡°We¡­?¡±

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had paid attention to was the word ¡®us,¡¯ not the reference to internal qigong.

    ¡°The mana stream¡ªno, you mean that there are other people that have learned internal qigong?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They are¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa¡¯s face hardened abruptly.

    "They are with the Nar."

    It was clear that he was referring to the humans that Jeong In-Chang had met.

    There definitely was something strange.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s some sort of secret.¡¯</i>

    Especially considering that there were people that knew about mana stream.

    For now, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to focus on why he hade this far to find the physician.

    ¡°Have you noticed anything special after having read my pulse?¡± he asked eagerly.

    ¡°Your blood flow is turbid and¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa exined what he had felt from when he had read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pulse earlier.

    ¡°The flow of energy is unnatural. It looks like something is clogging your pathways. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was earlier as I only had taken a cursory read, but do you have a specific problem?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it. This person definitely had skills.

    He decided to confide in the physician about his situation.

    ¡°I had a problem as I was cultivating my mana stream¡ªno, my internal qigong. Do you know anything about demonic mana?¡± he asked.

    The physician responded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it''s the energy that is emitted by monsters.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Yes. It ended up flowing into my body.¡±

    Won-Hwa seemed surprised by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s words as his expression was both bewildered and interested.

    ¡°Therefore, in some parts of my body, the demonic mana, along with some other foreign energy,bined to form some bead-like shapes. The aura of the beads is bing stronger, and I sometimes feel pain.¡±

    "¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong described his condition in detail as if he had been asked a question.

    ¡°I have absolutely no idea what the beads could be. Even if I use internal qigong, nothing changes.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa got up from his seat and approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Do you mind if I measure your pulse again? This time, it won¡¯t be a cursory read, but rather, a measurement taken properly¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa''s eyes twinkled.

    "It can be dangerous."

    To think that the physician would say that it could be dangerous even though it was just simply taking one¡¯s pulse.

    ¡°Great.¡±

    However, that was exactly what Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted.

    ***

    Sweat dripped down Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the sheets on the bed where he was lying were soaking wet.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    Fenrir¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good either, as if he could also feel his owner¡¯s pain.

    Moreover, it was the same for Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa¡ªno, Hua Tuo.

    It had been more than ten hours since Hua Tuo¡¯s treatment had begun. Jeong In-Chang, Fenrir, and the princess had blocked anyone from essing their residence.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong moaned.

    The treatment continued on.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it really was a hellish experience.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡¯</i>

    He realized that it hadn¡¯t been an exaggeration when Won-Hwa had said it would be painful. It felt like something was tearing through his flesh and digging through his intestines.

    ¡°Endure it.¡±

    However, Won-Hwa continued to instruct Lee Jun-Kyeong as his mana circted around.

    <i>¡®Is this how Jeong In-Chang had felt back then¡­¡¯</i>

    If, by chance, Jeong In-Chang had felt the same pain that Lee Jun-Kyeong was undergoing currently back when the Hunter was being trained¡­

    <i>¡®I should be better to him.¡¯</i>

    The treatment was so painful that it was making Lee Jun-Kyeong consider those types of thoughts.

    ¡°The zhuo qi is in disarray. I¡¯ll have to continue to stimte it to try to disperse it.¡±

    Won-Hwa referred to the ck beads as zhuo qi.

    He said that the zhuo qi had aggregated together and formed into disordered masses, and the energy they continuously emitted was causing pain.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Keugk¡­¡±

    The two both moaned in exertion, and the treatment continued.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Eventually, Won-Hwa released his hand.

    A long day had finally ended.

    Won-Hwa sat down heavily in his seat.

    ¡°Is¡­ is it¡­ is it over¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the physician as he got up painfully.

    ¡°You really are amazing¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa had been exhausted by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mental strength. The method he had used on Lee Jun-Kyeong definitely must have felt as though his intestines were ripping themselves into pieces.

    It was an experience of pain that had to be endured without any anesthetic due to the method stemming from an internal maniption of mana.

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t faint a single time during the process. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t made him stop due to the pain.

    However, no matter how impressed or how much pity he felt, Won-Hwa wasn¡¯t able to lie about the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s face hardened.

    ¡°However¡­ the beads of zhuo qi that you have, Mr. Lee, are incredibly unique.¡±

    "¡­¡±

    ¡°Originally, zhuo qi is something that eats away at a person¡¯s very being and causes rapid depletion of someone¡¯s vitality. However¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°The source of the zhuo qi in your body is something different. Oddly enough, it instead stimtes the flow of energy, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that the zhuo qi isn¡¯t causing much harm to you, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t understand what Won-Hwa was saying.

    ¡°But what about my pain¡­¡± he protested.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr in nature to the treatment you¡¯re undergoing. Because it forcibly stimtes the flow of qi in your pathways, it is inevitable that it would cause you pain. Still, even if we say that it¡¯s a good thing, zhuo qi is still something dangerous.¡±

    Won-Hwa brushed off his pants and stood up, continuing, ¡°Just as your power is being strengthened by the zhuo qi, the zhuo qi is also bing stronger through your strength.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If the zhuo qi ever bes stronger than you, one day, there¡¯s a chance you could be devoured. You will have to work diligently¡­ if not¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa¡¯s voice changed.

    ¡°You could very well be a madman driven insane with bloodlust.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However, strangely enough, your intense mentality seems to work to suppress the zhuo qi. Still, I can¡¯t bepletely certain as I don¡¯t know for sure myself.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered to himself.

    The mana stream that he used was the Demon King¡¯s method..

    <i>¡®Maybe¨Ccould it be rted?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked one more question, ¡°When you say a madman driven insane with bloodlust¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa was started by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s abrupt words.

    ¡°Are you referring to the Nar that are abandoned in the icy wastnd?¡±

    ¡°..."

    Won-Hwa stayed silent in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question.

    ***

    <i>¡®Insane ughterers, internal qigong¡­ the humans on the side of the Nar.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t all of the new information he had gathered either.

    <i>¡®Thjazi and Thrymr. Even Utgard¡­ the giants¡­¡¯</i>

    There were more problems here than he had expected. Furthermore, they hadn¡¯t been able to find an answer to them yet

    The only answer that he had found so far was that the ck beads within him weren¡¯t dangerous for now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had originally thought that they may eventually be a problem, which was why he hade to find Hua Tuo, so it could be said that he had found the answer to that problem.

    Furthermore, the physician had told him: ¡°It may be a little dangerous, but your mana stream is currently stimting your growth, Mr. Lee.¡±

    If that was the case, then his situation was even better than expected.

    At least, that was the conclusion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had reached. He already had the view that it was only natural to take risks if it meant that he could be stronger even a little bit faster.

    It was no different from entering a gate and hunting monsters.

    He was willing to take the risk if it meant that he would get stronger.

    In return, he would search for the answers.

    The things he didn¡¯t know right now were the things he needed to know.

    <i>¡®The Demon King had started studying mana stream after he had visited China and the city of giants.¡¯</i>

    Originally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that the Demon King had started studying mana stream because he had be stronger. However, he changed his mind after seeing Hua Tuo using what they seemed to call internal qigong.

    <i>¡®He may have been inspired to use and study mana stream after witnessing the internal qigong that Hua Tuo and the other Hunters in China used.¡¯</i>

    If so, then that meant that this was an opportunity for him to raise his mana stream. They should know the source of the mana stream, and it meant that he could further develop his understanding of the mana stream.

    Finally, Hua Tuo could possibly help him.

    ¡°Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to find Hua Tuo as the physician was taking a break.

    ¡°Do you have some time to talk?¡±

    Although the physician¡¯splexion still didn¡¯t seem very good, he seemed to have recovered somewhat on his own.

    A ce for them to talk was quickly set up, and the two started conversing.

    "I have a lot to ask you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "I have a lot too,¡± Hua Tuo responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested, ¡°Then shall we each ask and answer questions back and forth?¡±

    ¡°That would be great.¡±

    Both of the men thought that it was an effective way for them to have a conversation, and so they continued in that manner.

    The first question that Lee Jun-Kyeong asked was about the patients.

    "Why are there so many patients here? They haven¡¯t engaged in any battles, nor have they been put in any danger. I can¡¯t seem to figure out why there could be so many patients."

    "That¡­"

    Won-Hwa began to answer the question.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the qi here is too massive.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°A vast amount of originally invisible qi has wrapped itself around maind China and transformed the ce into and of ice.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong surmised that the qi that Won-Hwa was referring to was mana.

    ¡°Hunters who had Sponsors who could help them get ustomed to the vast amount of qi and adapt to it were fine, but the others had a problem. They weren¡¯t able to handle the vast amount of qi, and therefore got sick.¡±

    "Then¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if <i>that</i> could be the reason there were so many patients.

    Gateization.

    <i>¡®Then, if the whole world ends up undergoing gateization¡­¡¯</i>

    That would mean that thend would be uninhabitable for the ordinary people.

    The world from the future he had lived in had been okay because the Heroes had ended the upheaval and had slowly cleared the gated area.

    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn,¡± Won-Hwa said.

    <i>¡®He probably is going to ask about mana stream.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see that Won-Hwa was very curious about his mana stream. The curiosity on the physician¡¯s face seemingly betrayed his intention to ask about it.

    ¡°What was your purpose ining here?"

    The question was different from what he had expected.

    ¡°Before the gateization, I had lived in the outside. I had been studying medicine in Europe. But then, I had heard about the troubles in my hometown and forcefully brought myself here. I felt as though even my weak strength could be of some help,¡± Won-Hwa said.

    ¡°From the outside, this ce should be called thend of hell where escape was impossible and the King of Monsters. What type of insane reason could you have for stepping foot into a ce like this, Mr. Lee? Could it be¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa was finally getting to his real question.

    ¡°Is there a rescue teaming?¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong only responded with the truth he knew, ¡°There is no rescue team right now, and there will never be one in the future, ever.¡±

    Won-Hwa''s face suddenly darkened, and it was easy to tell why.

    <i>''These people''s lives...''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered the expression on Won-Hwa¡¯s face when the physician was treating the people who were sick and dying in this city.

    It was a face of mourning and hopelessness.

    <i>¡®It seemed like¡­¡¯</i>

    It reminded him of his past self.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see the resemnce with the old him, who hadn¡¯t been able to do anything when he didn¡¯t have the power of a Hunter.

    Just as he must have had such despair at that time, Won-Hwa¡¯s face was stained with despair at the words he had just been told.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to fix that.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the rescue team has already arrived.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised a finger without saying a word and pointed toward himself.

    1. Literally, turbid energy, takgi, or zhuo qi in Chinese. It is often a side effect of qi derivation and leads to damaged pathways. It can also be referred to just as impurities.

 Chapter 89: Mana Stream Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 89: Mana Stream Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Ha¡­ haha¡­¡±

    Won-Hwaughed in disbelief.

    ¡°To think only two¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°We also have Fenrir, the one who caused the giants to suffer greatly, and two others as well. The first¡­ may not be a human, but¡­ well, if you want to specify it like that, then we also have a skull.¡±

    ¡°So you havepanions¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa smiled bitterly.

    "Is that enough to say that it would change anything?"

    "¡­"

    ¡°Let¡¯s say that what you said abouting all the way here was true, Mr. Lee. However, rescuing us means that you would have to take us all out of here. Would that be possible?¡± Won-Hwa asked.

    "No."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°Then what are you trying to do here¡­"

    Won-Hwa¡¯s voice was filled with anger, as though he thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong was ying with people''s lives.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it on my own. It¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to exin some more things first,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked at the physician.

    ¡°Tell me more about the humans who sided with the Nar.¡±

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong said wasn¡¯t a lie. He wouldn¡¯t be able to bring back this many people alone. He wasn¡¯t even sure if it would be possible even using Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s Bifrost.

    It would be difficult for them to make a passage into the gateization-undergoing China using Bifrost as they hadn¡¯t even been able to use it when they had entered.

    Therefore, the humans would have toe together.

    "I will get their help."

    ***

    <i>¡®That is an absurd statement. What do you even know about them that you would¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Even still, please let me know.¡¯</i>

    Faced with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s determination, Won-Hwa shared the story eventually.

    He spoke of Nars, the frost giants who had betrayed Utgard, and alongside them, were those who had abandoned the humans residing in Utgard.

    <i>¡®The Hunters.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had noticed that there had been very few Hunters among the humans that resided in Utgard.

    To think that there was this sort of reason behind it.

    No matter how many were said to have died during the gateization, it hadn¡¯t made sense that there were this few Hunters among the survivors in Utgard.

    <i>¡®What was the reason behind it?¡¯</i>

    Since the Hunters had sided with the Nar, naturally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked why.

    <i>''I do not know.''</i>

    <i>''You don¡¯t know?''</i>

    <i>''I really don''t know. At that time, I had left to find medicinal herbs, and when I had returned, the civil war with the Nars had already ended. And¡­''</i>

    Hua Tuo had said that there was a Hunter among the group who had been the one to gather up the other Chinese Hunters. It was the same Hunter who had brought the others to betray Utgard and stand on the side of the Nars.

    <i>¡®At least up to that point, it wasn¡¯t until after the betrayal that the giants mistreated the humans.¡¯</i>

    After the Hunters had taken the side of the Nars, the supplies that were given to the humans had dropped drastically. It was basically as if they were getting no supplies now.

    That was why Won-Hwa would always go out to help the giants and collect medicinal herbs.

    <i>¡®A Hunter who would be able to rally all the Chinese Hunters¡­¡¯</i>

    There wasn¡¯t anyone that came to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind. Even in the future, the Heroes who emerged from China were few, as there were only a few people who had survived and escaped from China in the first ce.

    Either way, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to get help from them.

    Only then would he be able to escape with the rest of the humans as he had promised Won-Hwa.

    In order to do so, Lee Jun-Kyeong added another request.

    <i>¡®The mana stream¡ª¡¯</i>

    There was something that Won-Hwa could do for him.

    <i>¡®No, I would like to learn the internal qigong.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, at this current moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was helping out the physician because he had some leeway in entering and exiting as a mercenary warrior for Utgard.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go search for some medicinal herbs first. People here are dying day after day. Over a thousand people died in this past month alone.¡±

    "All right."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong aided the physician in gathering herbs even though he had many potions. After all, he wasn¡¯t able to save the people with them.

    In the short-term, the potions would be effective. Unfortunately, as gateization progressed, the effects would taper on those who were several mana sick. Basically, it could only serve as a temporary measure.

    That was why Won-Hwa had devised a concoction through intense trial and error that could slow the degradation of the body from the mana.

    That was why he and Won-Hwa were searching around the barren wastnd currently.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    Fenrir looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do you want to go hunt nearby in the meantime? I¡¯m going to have to help with this for a little while.¡±

    Fenrir immediately shifted his appearance and ran across the icy ground with a resounding thud.

    "How did you tame that monster?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied with a smile at Won-Hwa¡¯s sudden question, ¡°He was given to me by my Sponsor.¡±

    It was only half true that the wolf had been given to him by his Sponsor. He had been given the opportunity and the chance to connect with Fenrir by the Sponsor, but he was still the one who had actually subdued Fenrir.

    "I envy you. I wish I had one too,¡± said Won-Hwa wistfully, speaking just for the sake of speaking.

    ¡°Why do the giants call the humans invaders?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Won-Hwa. They were now friends, so he feltfortable asking.

    "The giants¡­" The physician stopped searching for medicinal herbs and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that they had suddenlynded here.¡±

    "¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics. The giants are reluctant to speak about that matter. However, I¡¯ve heard that they had also undergone a sudden change, just like the humans.¡±

    Won-Hwa continued to exin the situation, ¡°And¡­ many of them had died, and the giants that had arrived here were only a part of them. Moreover, a lot of them had also died from the gue, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why did the Nar betray them?¡±

    ¡°That too¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa knew much less than Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected.

    No, that made sense.

    <i>¡®The giants of Utgard are hiding information.¡¯</i>

    The physician clearly knew nothing, but Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered.

    <i>¡®Could the secrets that the Hunters learned be why they had gone to stand on the side of the Nar? The Nar definitely wouldn¡¯t have hidden anything.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that must have been the case.

    "It''s done,¡± Won-Hwa looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was still thinking about the information he had just uncovered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had an expression of suspicion as he didn¡¯t know the reason for the sudden pause, but it was rather Won-Hwa who was more flustered.

    "Didn''t you say that you wanted to learn internal qigong?"

    "Yes¡­ I did."

    ¡°I set up a formation around here, so no one will be able to tell what we are cultivating.¡±

    Won-Hwa exined what he had been doing kindly, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out what the physician had meant.

    Won-Hwa exined again, ¡°As we searched for medicinal herbs, I also set up a formation. The flow of qi won¡¯t be able to escape the formation, so we will be able to practice internal qigong.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying we need these types of formations in order to practice internal qigong?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, bewildered.

    Won-Hwa became even more bewildered.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? Internal qigong is a method to absorb the surrounding qi, use it to strengthen one¡¯s abilities, and store the qi inside one¡¯s body. The changes that ur in the process to the qi can be quite severe, so the giants, who are sensitive to qi, can easily notice it,¡± Won-Hwa exined.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, because qi is something so difficult to collect, it¡¯s only really feasible to practice internal qigong by blocking the flow of qi using a formation in this way.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ are you looking at me like that?¡±

    Suddenly, an expression of hope crossed Won-Hwa''s face.

    ¡°Your qigong, Mr. Lee¡­ no, your mana stream. Are you saying it doesn¡¯t need this sort of process?¡±

    As he spoke, Won-Hwa couldn¡¯t hide his expression of surprise.

    "Oh, my god."

    Now that he knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t require such a cumbersome process to train, Won-Hwa couldn¡¯t close his jaw that had dropped to the floor.

    ¡°Just who the hell is your teacher? What sort of internal qigong did you learn that¡­ that doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡±

    "Is this really so great?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°You have a considerable amount of qi, as much as the amount of mana you have as a Hunter, Mr. Lee. I had thought that it had been because of your incredible mental cultivation, but¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa shook his head.

    ¡°To think it was different from the first ce. Your method, Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong heard Won-hwa''s words, he realized it again.

    <i>¡®The Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    The mana stream he had created.

    Of course, other heroes, including Yeo Seong-Gu, had helped, but from the basic principles to itspletion, it was little different than if the Demon King had aplished it alone.

    <i>¡®How great is he? He¡­¡¯</i>

    At that point, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the wall once again.

    The unassable wall between him, who had returned to the past, and the Demon King, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

    There was still the possibility that the Demon King¡¯s existence had disappeared due to his return.

    ¡®<i>It could have been better if the Demon King was around.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was worried that history would be turned upside down because of his own existence, and that it would flow into a worse direction.

    The Demon King had been more of a genius than he had thought, and he was even stronger than he had imagined.

    To think that there were enemies who could take down that sort of a Demon King.

    <i>¡®Will I be able to take people like them down?¡¯</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong fell into despair, Won-Hwa interjected, ¡°Looks like a heart demon.¡±

    .

    ¡°A heart demon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s most likely the zhuo qi that is continuing to bring this negativity to you, Mr. Lee. Your mental cultivation is incredible, and it¡¯s impossible to gauge how strong it is, but there are definitely areas of issue for you. No¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa looked directly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It feels as though you¡¯ve never had proper instruction from a teacher.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that such a basic issue could arise with that level of mental cultivation, so you either obtained that level of training by cheating, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Please stop there.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly and finally said, ¡°What you said is right, Mr. Won-Hwa. However, it¡¯s a little difficult to understand what you¡¯re saying, Mr. Won-Hwa. So¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was asking him to begin the training.

    ¡°How fortunate,¡± Won-Hwaughed at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s reaction. "I mean, how fortunate that I can be of some help to you.¡±

    Just like that in the middle of the frozen wastnd, Won-Hwa and Lee Jun-Kyeong began their cultivation in the middle of a formation.

    <i>Whistle.</i>

    The mana within the formation began to swirl.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    Fenrir was biting into an ice drake, but he looked over in the direction of Lee Jun-Kyeong for a moment.

    "Grrr."

    As if in a good mood, the wolf had a smile on his face.

    ***

    "So¡­"

    A ck fortress.

    It didn¡¯t have the grandeur of Utgard, as it hadn¡¯t been that long since it had begun construction. Instead, it gave off a rather gloomy and terrifying feeling.

    It was a fortress carved out of stone and ice, built seemingly to suit the icy wastnd around it.

    In that fortressy someone who was speaking.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that you saw someone who you¡¯ve never seen before, and it was an incredibly skilled Hunter.¡±

    It was a person who was receiving a report.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Hyungnim.¡±

    The man giving the report was someone who had recently left the fortress on a mission to attack the Utgardian warriors. He was the one who had shed with Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°But how¡­¡±

    The man receiving the report had a confused expression.

    "Could someone have finally sent a rescue mission?¡±

    As he struggled to understand with an expression of confusion, the man who had given the report stood quietly waiting.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be it, Hyungnim,¡± said another man to the man receiving the report.

    ¡°If there was a rescue party, then there would have been no way that the Nar wouldn¡¯t have seen it. Most likely, at best, there wouldn¡¯t be more than ten of them.¡±

    Even if new people hade to Utgard, there most likely wouldn¡¯t be many of them, because the Nar were always monitoring the area around them and Utgard.

    If they had avoided them, it meant that there couldn¡¯t be many of them at all.

    ¡°Everything muste around eventually.¡±

    ¡°Hyungnim.¡±

    ¡°Hyungnim.¡±

    The two younger men, feeling the man¡¯s concern at the report, hardened their expressions.

    ¡°I have betrayed humanity for the sake of a cause, but¡­ the situation seems to go toward an unknown road again,¡± the man who had received the report said as he rose from his seat.

    "How is the growth rate of the Hunters?"

    "It¡¯s great. The support they are receiving is quiterge as they hunt diligently.¡±

    "What about you?"

    "We are the same as well."

    The Hunters who stood on the side of the Nar spared no effort to grow.

    They had to grow stronger.

    And then they had to grow even stronger still.

    ¡°For the cause.¡±

    At the words of the man they called Hyungnim, the two younger men followed.

    ¡°For the cause.¡±

    ¡°For the cause.¡±

    The cause.

    For that, they had abandoned the humans of Utgard. It was the reason why they had no other choice but to stand up to the giants who had abandoned their own people and turned away.

    The cause.

    ¡°I heard that Thrymr is going to attack again in a few days,¡± the man said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also set out at that time. I feel as though I should introduce myself to the new people who havee,¡± he continued.

    ¡°ording to your will, Hyungnim!¡±

    One man spoke with a loud voice.

    ¡°ording to your will, Hyungnim.¡±

    Another with a calm voice.

    Hyungnim, the man, turned around, hisrge ears fluttering.

 Chapter 90: Mana Stream Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 90: Mana Stream Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel his mind calming down.

    <i>¡®The flow of mana¡­¡¯</i>

    He never knew it was this warm. Whenever he had activated his mana stream, it felt as if a storm of energy was flowing through his body.

    However, what he learned from Won-Hwa waspletely different.

    ¡°You can continue with how you¡¯re doing it.¡±

    It was incredible.

    He could feel the mana flowing through his body powerfully but freely, just like how water coursed through the Yangtze River without freezing.

    Won-Hwa concentrated and ced his hand on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    The physician was helping him guide the mana as that would be the easiest way for him to learn internal qigong.

    Won-Hwa instructed, ¡°You have to remember it.¡±

    Internal qigong had a lot ofplicated parts. He had to follow the flow of mana properly, and he would have to weigh itspatibility with the mana stream he had self-learned.

    The training itself wasn¡¯t something he could easilyplete, even if he wanted to.

    Nevertheless, it was amazing.

    This method had its own merits. It waspletely different from his mana stream. Although it had the same principles, it was apletely different skill with apletely different origin.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong became deeply immersed in the flow of mana that Won-Hwa was sending into him. Furthermore, that mana began to move toward a special ce.

    ¡°I¡¯ll begin to approach the zhuo qi. It will be a little painful¡­¡± the physician warned.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Before Won-Hwa had even finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong groaned.

    The ck beads that existed all over his body suddenly started emitting light.

    As the ck beads emitted light, it meant that the zhuo qi that was contained in them¡ªthat is, the demonic mana and the dragon¡¯s blood¡ªand also the Madness that was mixed in, had appeared.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa¡¯s expression contorted in bewilderment. He had known the zhuo qi was there, but it was astonishing how much there was.

    The power of the ck beads was beyond imagination. Won-Hwa concentrated even more and tried to put the zhuo qi to sleep and guide his mana. However, it was easier said than done.

    ¡°<i>Cough cough¡­</i>¡±

    Won-Hwa admonished. ¡°You can¡¯t make a single sound!¡±

    He could feel Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pain getting worse. There was no way that it wouldn¡¯t.

    <i>¡®The flow¡­¡¯</i>

    The flow of the mana that Won-Hwa was guiding had changed. If the mana he had been guiding had been like the haughty Yangtze River before, the power that the ck beads in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body were radiating was like a tsunami!

    It devoured both Won-Hwa''s and Lee Jun-Kyeong''s mana and was tearing through all of the walls.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit down on his lips, but there was nothing he could do about the blood that seeped through them.

    <i>¡®No, this can¡¯t be¡­!¡¯</i>

    Won-Hwa had no choice but to admit that he had made a mistake. The zhuo qi in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body was special, and it was an incredible thing that went beyond imagination.

    Now, because of his mistake, Lee Jun-Kyeong was experiencing intense pain.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t let it.¡¯</i>

    He would have to do it. He had to take responsibility for the mess he had made.

    Won-Hwa drew out even more strength and forced it into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Every second felt like a year.

    The space that Lee Jun-Kyeong and Won-Hwa were in, the formation created by Won-Hwa, fluctuated and consumed all of the mana outside around them.

    Everything was in shambles.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    In that space, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Won-Hwa were breathing heavily and recovering their strength.

    ***

    "What¡¯s this?" asked Thjazi.

    The giant felt something as he stood, guarding the post.

    In the frozen wastnd, he could sense it.

    <i>¡®A great energy is fluctuating.¡¯</i>

    It was an unprecedented event, and it came from the outside.

    <i>¡®Is it Ju Gyeung¡­? Or Ha Ta¡­?¡±</i>

    Or even, it could be the Nar as well.

    However, Thjazi already had his suspicions.

    <i>¡®Thrymr.¡¯</i>

    He thought it would be the Nar¡ªno, Thrymr.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Hua Tuo¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t at this level. Thrymr was the only entity capable of emitting such powerful energy.

    Thjazi''s expression contorted, remembering the time he had met Thrymr a few days ago.

    ¡°The Warguard of Utgard will prepare for battle right now."

    This time, even if he encountered Thrymr, he would not run away. With that in mind, Thjazi gave his orders.

    "Leader!" one of his subordinates shouted with a worried expression.

    "The king will not allow it!"

    "The chieftain will never allow¡­¡±

    His subordinates continued to mention the king or the chieftain.

    That being wanted to conserve power, which was why he expected them to act passively in any raids the Nars did so that he could maintain the bnce.

    However, Thjazi disagreed.

    ¡°How long are we going to live like this?" hemented.

    "How long will I have to hold my breath, and how long will I live wary of the enemy? Where have the pride and honor of our frost giants gone!"

    "However¡­!"

    Thjazi¡¯s warriors attempted to dissuade him. The power of the chieftain who had be king was strong. If, by chance, things went south this time¡­

    ¡°Even if youe back alive, it won¡¯t mean that you would still survive,¡± they finished.

    There was no way that the chieftain would be able to lead the warriors if he left those that failed alone, so they were worried about Thjazi¡¯s life.

    ¡°I will take responsibility for everything."

    However, Thjazi''s eyes and tone were incredibly firm.

    .

    ¡°We have received the order!¡±

    Eventually, the frost giants began to pick up their weapons that had not yet rusted.

    <i>Booooo!</i>

    A horn trumpeted, announcing the call to war. All the giants began to panic. However, the warriors who protected Utgard were different.

    ¡°Prepare the ice drakes!¡± he shouted.

    They calmly prepared for the battle.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The anger that had umted until now¡­

    Countless colleagues had been turned into victims by the traitors.

    Even the painful days of falling into an unknownnd.

    All of it.

    "AHHH!¡±

    The suppressed emotions all began to emerge.

    ***

    "What is this¡­"

    Giants dressed in ck looked outside and could feel a huge energy welling up beyond the walls of the fortress they were building.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    It was a very sudden burst of energy. There were very few individuals who could show this level of power.

    Thrymr had an inkling of who it may have been.

    <i>''Thjazi... ? No, Thjazi is not like this.''</i>

    Only one individual could have emitted such immense power outside their walls.

    <i>¡®The chief!¡¯</i>

    "Assemble the warguard!" Thrymr shouted.

    The giants roared in unison, "Ooah!"

    The warguard had gathered. Since he had left Utgard under the banner of the Nar, Thrymr had never summoned all of the warguard in one ce.

    The fact that Thrymr was now summoning all the warriors means that an unprecedented battle would take ce.

    "We will upy Utgard!" Thrymr eximed.

    Hismand meant that they would be going into an all-out war.

    Thrymr had been looking for an opportunity so far, so the reason why he gave themand now was simple. The king had closed himself off in the royal pce and hadn¡¯t appeared until now.

    If that king were outside, then this would be a great opportunity to catch him, as it would be difficult to defeat him inside Utgard.

    <i>¡®Although I don¡¯t know what his reason is¡­¡¯</i>

    Thrymr wasn¡¯t sure as to why the king had emerged to the outside or why the king had left his fenced-off protection.

    It could be a trap.

    However, he was determined to turn it into an opportunity.

    Regardless of what it was.

    With a harsh re, mana began to fluctuate around Thrymr, his fighting spirit revolving around him.

    One of the frost giants approached him.

    ¡°Thrymr.¡±

    ¡°Did they arrive?¡±

    The humans had arrived. The strength of the Nar wasn¡¯t just limited to the giants. While there may not have been as many beings of strength among the humans as the giants, there were still some humans with abilities superior to those of the giants.

    These humans were called the Hunters.

    ¡°We will go with you,¡± said the leader of the Hunters.

    Thrymr snorted and spoke to the man with the gigantic pping ears.

    ¡°Tsk. You say that as if it wasn¡¯t something that was guaranteed.¡±

    <i>¡®The time has finallye.¡¯</i>

    The leader of the Hunters had waited and waited for this moment: the moment of capturing the king of Utgard.

    This was why he had betrayed Utgard in the name of a cause and sided with the Nar.

    ¡°Brothers, prepare.¡± He announced, ¡°Today, it¡¯s the day we capture the king.¡±

    Within the fortress of the busily moving Nar, a massive amount of mana began to shift.

    ***

    ¡°Damn it. To think this sort of thing would happen when Mr. Lee isn¡¯t here.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good as he was suddenly called to answer the giants. He had been called with the information that an all-out battle with the Nars had begun.

    <i>¡®Of all the time, to think that this mess had happened when Lee Jun-Kyeong isn¡¯t here.¡¯</i>

    "Princess."

    "Goongje¡­"

    "It¡¯ll be fine."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t just a colleague; he was more than that. He was someone Jeong In-Chang could rely on and, therefore, someone he could trust.

    In that manner, he was someone who had taken away his worries. He was someone who seemed to know everything and was always able to point out the next path.

    An all-out battle with the Nar meant that there would be war. Jeong In-Chang was astounded. To think, in all the years he had lived, he had never thought that he would fight in a war of this scale, especially for beings that weren¡¯t even human.

    <i>¡®Is he okay?¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang was also worried about Lee Jun-Kyeong. There was no way the Hunter would be unaware of such amotion. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s senses were far beyond the ordinary. Even Jeong In-Chang, who held the power of a Hero, couldn¡¯t keep up with him.

    If things had gotten so serious that even he could feel themotion¡­

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way that he¡¯s already shing with them, could it?¡¯</i>

    If it was <i>that</i> person, then he may have already approached the Nar first and started the battle. That was why Jeong In-Chang was in such a hurry.

    "Quickly! Quickly!" shouted the giants.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud.</i>

    Even though there was no way that they could have understood the shouts, the ice drakes still increased their speed.

    At that moment, Jeong In-Chang noticed something.

    "Fenrir!" he shouted.

    A giant wolf wasing toward them with a corpse of a monster dangling from its jaws.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    Fenrir quietlyid down the monster''s corpse and opened its jaws, seemingly to say something.

    "Grr."

    However, Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t understand the wolf, and finally, Fenrir shook his head and started running.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    He raced toward the direction of the giants¡¯ march, the ce where the Nar was supposed to be.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way.¡¯</i>

    Could he have shed with them first?

    <i>¡®If Fenrir is running to reach his master¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang jumped from the top of the ice drake.

    "I¡¯m going first!"

    He bolted off in a run after having conveyed his intentions roughly with hand gestures to the giants, barreling off at full speed.

    His thighs felt like they were going to burst, his calves swollen, and his muscles tearing. Still, Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t slow down.

    "¡­!"

    In front of him, he saw a ck vortex¡ªa vortex swirling in ck and red mana.

    ¡°...¡±

    In front of it stood a wolf guarding anyone against approaching and giants dressed in ck.

 Chapter 91: Romance of the Three Kingdoms

    <h4>Chapter 91: Romance of the Three Kingdoms</h4>

    With a vast vortex of mana spiraling between them, finally, they had all gathered in one ce.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    The Utgard warriors were dressed in white fur.

    The traitors, the Nar, were in ck.

    There were even the humans, who were all dressed in their own colors.

    They stared at each other through the ck vortex.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    The two giants, Thjazi and Thrymr, spoke simultaneously.

    "It was you."

    "It was you."

    They both uttered the same words at the same time, like a pair of doppelgangers.

    The two leaders of the giants had thought that the sudden phenomenon that had appeared on the ground, a sinister ck and red vortex, had been created by the other.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

    They questioned each other. Right then, they realized that the situation was different from what they had imagined.

    "¡­¡±

    "¡­¡±

    ¡°Is the king within this thing?¡±

    Thrymr was the first to speak again, pointing toward the ck vortex and asking if the Utgardian King was inside.

    ¡°The king?¡± Thjazi replied with a puzzled expression. They were both bewildered.

    <i>¡®Something is wrong here.¡¯</i>

    Both sides, whether it was the Nar or the Utgardians, had realized that neither of the two sides had created this ck vortex.

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    Now they both had the same question going through their minds.

    <i>¡®What the hell is this ck vortex?¡¯</i>

    Thrymr made the first move, slowly approaching the ck vortex.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    However, the giant white wolf, Fenrir, moved forward in response, guarding the front of the ck vortex and blocking Thrymr from moving forward.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang saw the wolf¡¯s protective action and was convinced of a certain fact.

    <i>''Fenrir is protecting it¡­which means Mr. Lee is inside that thing!''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had left Utgard with Hua Tuo, and Fenrir was definitely protecting the ck vortex in front of him. Therefore, Jeong In-Chang knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong was rted to this whole thing.

    Jeong In-Chang looked around.

    He was in the middle of a situation in which everyone around was bewildered and unable to make their next move easily.

    <i>¡®Could it be dangerous in there?¡¯</i>

    Moreover, he was worried about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He really wanted to know why something like that had been created and why Lee Jun-Kyeong was in it.

    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t trust you about this.¡±

    Eventually, Thrymr drew his ax.

    ¡°I won¡¯t trust anything you say any more. I won¡¯t even try to convince you any further.¡±

    Thrymr raised his twin axes and pointed them toward Thjazi.

    ¡°Whatever happens today, I will see it to the end today. Finally¡­¡±

    Thrymr scanned the Utgardian camp. Almost all of the warriors of Utgard seemed to be there, just as he had desired.

    <i>¡®Although the king isn¡¯t here¡­¡¯</i>

    If they were able to wipe out all the warriors in front of him, then it would be worth it to continue advancing to Utgard and wage war against the king.

    <i>Clink!</i>

    However, Thjazi wasn¡¯t just standing still as two axes suddenly appeared in his hands.

    The two sides stood there, one ck and the other white, with a ck vortex in between them.

    <i>Booooooh!</i>

    The battle was about to begin, and the horn of the giants trumpeted throughout the icy wastnd while the vortex continued to get stronger.

    As the mana that emitted from the vortex began to spiral into a hurricane, Thrymr and Thjazi shouted at the same time.

    ¡°Nar!¡±

    ¡°Frost Giants!¡±

    ¡°Oorah!¡±

    ¡°Oorah!¡±

    The battle had begun.

    ***

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes.

    He wondered at what point he had lost consciousness. The excruciating pain he had felt before then was something he never wanted to undergo again. Havinge to his senses, he looked around him.

    It was dark.

    ¡°...!¡±

    In the darkness, he could see the form of Hua Tuo, Won-Hwa.

    The physician was standing upright with his hands outstretched toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    The physician had been frozen in that state.

    Hisplexion was stark white. Upon closer inspection, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see that the physician¡¯s body was aging in a shriveled manner. His firm hands had suddenly be wrinkled, and those wrinkles crawled from his hands to over his entire body.

    In an instant, he could see Won-Hwa getting old in front of him.

    ¡°Have you¡­ woken up¡­¡± Won-Hwa managed to croak out to Lee Jun-Kyeong in a dry voice. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ it¡¯s not over yet¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear Won-Hwa¡¯s voice gradually losing its vitality as the man talked. Although it must have been difficult and immensely painful, Won-Hwa continued, ¡°This¡­ the congestion in the formation¡­ the congregation of energy¡­ absorb¡­¡±

    He stopped, unable to speak anymore. Won-Hwa struggled to breathe and was seemingly unable to even muster the energy to open his mouth anymore.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong could still feel the physician¡¯s pulse and the flow of blood through his veins.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s still alive.¡¯</i>

    The physician was just hanging by a thread.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly thought of a passage he had seen in the book of the Demon King.

    [Hua Tuo had lost many things in return for healing me.]

    [He had sacrificed his youth to save me.]

    His youth.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to tell from this situation that it meant his lifespan.

    In addition, Hua Tuo had overdrawn on his own potential.

    As Won-Hwa had said earlier, it was the energy brought forth by drawing from one¡¯s potential that consumed one¡¯s life force as a source.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that it was dissipating. That was why Won-Hwa was losing his vitality and was growing old.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around. As the physician had been trying to say, this ce wasn¡¯t justpletely filled with mana.

    <i>¡®He wants me to absorb this¡­?¡¯</i>

    It was vast¡ªno, it was even bigger than that. So much so that it would be dangerous to even attempt to absorb it. Despite that, he didn¡¯t feel trepidation.

    <i>¡®I think I can do it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confident for some reason. He believed that the current him would be able to gather and consume all the mana in the destabilized formation. Just as Won-Hwa had said, he would try to be a vessel for all of this mana.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you die.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened the inventory and pulled out something.

    A golden apple.

    It was the support he had obtained from Asgard.

    <i>¡®The apple of Idunn.¡¯</i>

    To be honest, he had only brought it out of precaution. Based on the book of the Demon King, Hua Tuo would have had to lose his youth in exchange for treatment. The Demon King had saved Hua Tuo with the elixir in his possession.

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong needed to follow the same procedure as the Demon King, the he also needed a way to save the physician.

    The golden apple he was holding in his hand was Asgard¡¯s elixir.

    It was a little different from a conventional item, but it had a simr effect. In some ways, it was an item that actually had a better effect than the original elixir that the Demon King used.

    Especially when it involved the lost potential.

    It was a magical item that would restore the loss of vitality.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shoved the apple of Idunn into Won-Hwa¡¯s mouth roughly. Even though the doctor couldn¡¯t chew properly, the golden apple melted like water and ran down the physician¡¯s tongue and throat.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard to absorb the apple of Idunn well, too, Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    Havingpleted Won-Hwa¡¯s treatment, now, it was his turn.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sat down on the spot and closed his eyes.

    <i>¡®Mana stream.¡¯</i>

    It was a priceless secret method created by the Demon King, containing a magical strength that even Won-Hwa had described as iprehensible.

    As he activated his mana stream, he remembered how Won-Hwa had used his mana to guide the flow within him.

    <i>¡®He said to move it like this.¡¯</i>

    It felt like all of his cells were waking up. A huge sense of vitality filled Lee Jun-Kyeong''s body.

    <i>Thump. Thump. Thump.</i>

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly began to absorb the magic around him.

    It was something he hadn¡¯t been able to do before, no matter how hard he would have tried.

    If absorbing the mana around oneself and making it one¡¯s own was an easy task, then everyone would have been strong.

    It was a difficult and strenuous task.

    <i>¡®It works.¡¯</i>

    However, now, Lee Jun-Kyeong was seeding in absorbing the mana that congested the formation to the brim.

    The mana flowed in a rapid torrent, spewing into Lee Jun-Kyeong like water being sucked down a sewer drain. It still brought him pain, but it wasn¡¯t like before.

    <i>¡®My body¡­¡¯</i>

    Although his body was being destroyed by the rapid influx of mana, it was recovering faster than the damage was taking ce.

    As the cycle of destruction and restoration repeated itself, the pain gradually disappeared. He could feel more and more incredible strength from every corner of his body.

    The current of the torrent of mana continued to grow faster and faster, and the mana within the formation was being consumed at an even more rapid rate.

    Within the vortex, Lee Jun-Kyeong was creating his own vortex.

    <i>Crreeak.</i>

    Suddenly, light emitted from within Won-Hwa after the physician sessfully absorbed the apple of Idunn. At the same time, from within Lee Jun-Kyeong, darkness erupted with the sound of scraping iron.

    ***

    The all-out battle between the colossal giant had started suddenly, and now the conflict was as massive as their physical size. It was cruel and brutal.

    ¡°Oorah! Ooorah!¡±

    It was horrendously savage.

    As soon as someone was injured by one of the axes wielded by the colossal giants, it would rain blood.

    <i>Drip, drip.</i>

    Huge amounts of blood gushed out like fountains and wet the icy wastnd.

    The colossal giants didn¡¯t die easily.

    Their regenerative powers were as strong as their size was vast, and they wouldn¡¯t leave the battlefield until thest breath left their bodies.

    Furthermore, there were the Hunters.

    "Defeat the Frost Giants!"

    The Chinese Hunters on the side of the Nar were also doing their part. Although one Hunter couldn''t defeat a giant, several Hunters were able to take down a giant by joining forces.

    <i>ng! sh!</i>

    Of course, there were also three Hunters that stood out as they were able to take down a giant alone. Moreover, they could even overwhelm them.

    One of them approached Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Looks like we have met again!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang recognized him as well.

    It was the same Hunter that he had met during the raid of the Nar the previous time he had gone hunting. He recalled that this Hunter used a slightly strange spear.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang raised his greatsword and blocked the iing attack. He was also someone who was able to handle two giants at the same time, but he felt something different from this Chinese Hunter.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯</i>

    It seemed he would have to deal with this man one on one.

    ¡°Princess!¡± he shouted.

    Naturally, the Utgardian warriors were being pushed back on the battlefield as they were inferior in power. He knew that if he was tied up in a fight now, Utgard would suffer great damage.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Therefore, in his ce, he summoned the princess.

    <i>¡®Doesn¡¯t she seem somehowrger than before?¡¯</i>

    The princess had clearly increased in size, and she seemed to be showing off her evenrger frame.

    "It''s a monster!"

    A single ogre appeared in the midst of the giants. It was a monster that was sure to die instantly if an ax moved by it at even the slightest angle in the wrong direction. However, the princess was different.

    ¡°Goong¨Cje!!¡±

    As the princess ran forward, she mmed into a giant Nar that held the front line.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    The screaming giants fell down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight properly then!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    ¡°A Korean?¡± asked the Hunter facing him.

    Jeong In-Chang was now able to mark the Hunter with peace of mind.

    The fight gradually intensified.

    All of a sudden, a long spear¡ªno, someone wielding a strange weapon too odd to be called a spear, joined the battle.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you as well.¡±

    ¡°Hyungnim!¡±

    The man who interfered had previously expected that the duel between the two would have ended quickly, but it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°How cowardly!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    However, this was war.

    In the name of victory, war was a ce where no cowardice existed or vile actions mattered.

    ¡°Oorah!"

    The giants of Utgard fell.

    "Oorah!"

    And the giants of the Nar were torn apart.

    "Ahhhhk!"

    In the midst, humans struggled to survive.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    And a ck vortex emitted intense light.

    1. The original term here, Seon Cheon Ji Gi, is both an energy and a method. Oftentimes, you¡¯ll see it in Chinese wuxia or xianxia novels where the MC has to burn his blood essence or overdraw his potential to burst with even stronger energy, oftentimes crippling one¡¯s foundation, or even dying. This term refers to both the method of burning through one¡¯s potential, but also the energy that is created by doing so.

    2. Marking is a term in fightingpetitive sports where one person picks someone to match and keep from interfering from their teammates.

 Chapter 92: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 92: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 2</h4>

    Before the ck vortex had begun to glow, there were two giants who shed with their axes at formidable speeds in the middle of the brutal carnage.

    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>

    They were the tworgest and strongest of the warriors.

    The white fur coat was stained with blood, and the ck fur coat was smeared with flesh.

    ¡°Thrymrrr!¡±

    ¡°Thjaziii!¡±

    The shouts of the two giants pierced through the heat of the battlefield and echoed in the air.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The four axes collided at the same time again, and sparks flew through the air while blood poured down like rain.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger!¡± Thrymr shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯ve stayed the same!¡± Thjaziughed.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    However, a huge wound appeared on Thjazi¡¯s shoulder right after.

    Thrymr hadn¡¯t progressed at all, while Thjazi had grown stronger.

    Nevertheless, Thjazi still wondered if he still wasn''t able to reach the other giant. His face contorted in pain.

    Thrymr had been hailed as one of the strongest warriors in all of the tribes of the frost giants. He had been an honorable warrior and was spoken about with respect regardless of who mentioned him.

    ¡°Why?! Why did you betray your people?!¡± Thjazi screamed, asking Thrymr a question he had never asked before.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The ax wasn¡¯t a weapon made for slicing flesh. It was a weapon meant to cleave through flesh and sunder bones.

    Blood spurted from Thrymr¡¯s forearm¡ªThjazi¡¯s attack had been sessful.

    "Why?! Why have you forsaken us!" Thjazi cried out as he rampaged forward with an even greater speed.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Thjazi¡¯s and Thrymr''s axes collided, and Thjazi''s ax was shattered by Thrymr''s force and fell to the floor. Thjazi had suddenly lost his weapon, but the giant clung onto Thrymr as if he didn¡¯t even need one.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He fell onto thend covered in ice with Thrymr.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    The bloodthirsty ughter that was waged through axes held and flesh torn had now turned into a fight¨Cno, a brawl.

    ¡°Are you telling me that I should just allow that bastard to act as if he was our king?!¡± Thrymr finally shouted.

    All of sudden, the top and the bottom had reversed.

    Thjazi, who had been attacking Thrymr indiscriminately, fell to the ground, and Thrymr mounted on top of him and started mming his huge fists down.

    "That motherfucker changed everything for us all!"

    Thrymr also said something to Thjazi that he had never said before.

    ¡°Did you even know?!¡±

    A blue light zed from Thrymr''s fist.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    His fist mmed toward Thjazi. It was an attack that could kill anyone in a single hit.

    However.

    "¡­"

    Thjazi was still alive. Thrymr¡¯s fist had smashed into the ground instead of Thjazi''s face.

    "He¡¯s the one¡­"

    Thjazi''s eyes trembled as he heard Thrymr''s words.

    "That bastard is the one who killed my brother and your father, Avaldi.¡±

    "What¡­?" Thjazi looked at Thrymr with a look of disbelief.

    "Loki! That motherfucker is the one who killed Alvaldi!"

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    At that instant, light began to spew out from the ck vortex.

    ***

    It felt amazing. His body was so light. Even though he hadn¡¯t moved yet, he could tell that his body had be lighter, and his senses were magnified.

    The mana around him was aiding him.

    ¡°...¡±

    And just like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes.

    Before his eyes, a harmony of gold and darkness was unfolding with a red light glinting between them. Lee Jun-Kyeong moved.

    His legs had been floating in the air and now touched the ground.

    <i>Throb.</i>

    As he made contact with the earth, the dense mana that filled the ground around him came rushing in.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa."

    Won-Hwa had regained his vitality by eating the apple of Idunn.

    However, it looked like the full effects of the item were not being shown yet.

    The apple of Idunn was, in some ways, more effective than the Elixir.

    After all, it induced growth.

    It was a treasure among treasures that could increase one¡¯s stats just by eating it. However, with Won-Hwa, the changes to his body could be said to have only been slightly better than before. There was no significant increase in ability that could be seen.

    <i>¡®Is that because of me?¡¯</i>

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong had been trying to absorb all the mana that was inside the formation, apparently, he had even absorbed the mana that was contained in the apple of Idunn.

    As proof of that, Lee Jun-Kyeong sped his hands and spread them out.

    He marveled, "I can''t believe it."

    mes appeared and disappeared. He had gotten iparably strongerpared to before.

    He felt as though he could even beat Heracles now.

    ¡°Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called the physician again, but there was no answer.

    Most likely, Hua Tuo was either still in the process of healing or he was unable to wake up due to some side effect of maintaining the formation.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly tried to gather the scattered mana.

    He had to take Won-Hwa to Utgard and¡­

    ¡°...!¡±

    As if he hadn¡¯t fullye to his senses till this point, after Lee Jun-Kyeong had absorbed the remaining mana, he had finally felt a presence outside of the vortex.

    There were dozens of auras outside of the vortex he was within.

    <i>¡®No, it¡¯s not dozens.¡¯</i>

    As the veil of mana faded, beyond the rotating mana that began to swirl more and more, he could finally see something. He gasped involuntarily, ¡°There are hundreds¡­ no, thousands?¡±

    He could feel the energy of a huge number of people, including those with great power.

    Some of them were familiar.

    <i>¡®Mr. Jeong.¡¯</i>

    There were even Jeong In-Chang and Thjazi.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered why there was a battle. But then, he felt their energies exploding outward fiercely.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hurried to absorb all of the mana. The rotating and swirling types of mana began to sh with each other and began to spit out light. As the emitted light grew stronger and blocked his view, finally, the formation had been lifted.

    "¡­¡±

    "¡­¡±

    Then, in front of the gaze of everyone, someone opened their mouth and said, ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    It was Jeong In-Chang, speaking to him with a face covered in blood.

    ¡°What a relief!¡± Jeong In-Chang continued.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scanned his surroundings.

    It was the scene of a gruesome battle, but it was a battle that had been put on hold momentarily due to his appearance.

    Most likely, they had stopped fighting for a moment due to the strange energy that had been emitted from the destruction of the formation.

    Within all that, Lee Jun-Kyeong noticed something.

    <i>¡®Those people are the Chinese Hunters.¡¯</i>

    They were Hunters who had opposed the warriors of Utgard. He also noticed Jeong In-Chang and even Thjazi and Thrymr.

    The eyes of countless giants were gathered on him.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    A blood-stained Fenrir snorted and greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, things didn¡¯t end with just the gazes upon him.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> expresses his dissatisfaction with you.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was bewildered.

    Why was his Sponsor expressing dissatisfaction all of a sudden¡­?

    At that time, a voice rang out.

    [You havepleted an unbelievable achievement!]

    [The level of the mana stream has risen by one.]

    [The level of Harmony, Purification, and Demonic Mana Resistance has risen.]

    [Harmony, Purification, and Demonic Mana Resistance havebined into Purity.]

    [Hyeon-Mu has grown by one level.]

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s bracelet glowed.

    [The seal of Fenrir is released by one stage.]

    The white wolf also radiated light.

    "¡­"

    Without anyone noticing it, the battle had stopped.

    However, with the shout of a Hunter, the battle ensued again.

    "Now is our chance! What are you doing?! Move!"

    The giants of Utgard, who had lost their minds for a while, were distracted by the Hunters¡¯ attack, and the Nar came to their senses and mustered to drive their warriors forward again.

    "Hyeon-Mu!" Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    When the light illuminating the battlefield disappeared, the light from Lee Jun-Kyeong''s bracelet soon turned into darkness that stood in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CI await your order¡­

    Suddenly, a Skeleton appeared in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡ªno, it seemed too hard and too agile to call it a skeleton, and knelt down on one knee while emitting a ck aura.

    Soon after, the skeleton said again.

    ¨CI have received it.

    A set of troops then appeared behind Hyeon-Mu''s back.

    Although their numbers hadn¡¯t increased, each individual soldier seemed to have grown even stronger and more sturdy. In particr, blue mes emitted from their eyes, and their bones seemed to have gotten thicker and stronger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong handed Won-Hwa to Hyeon-Mu. The skeleton¡¯s job was to protect Won-Hwa, who was still unconscious.

    "Fenrir!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then immediately called Fenrir. The pure white wolf exuded an even purer beauty.

    "Grrroar!"

    He ran to Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Nar who were blocking his path all fell down at once and rolled on the ground.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly climbed on the wolf''s back.

    "Let''s go!" he shouted

    Fenrir started running.

    "Thjazi!"

    The first destination that Lee Jun-Kyeong had chosen was to reach Thjazi, whose life was in danger.

    The giant Thrymr had been gazing at Thjazi with an indecipherable expression and looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already arrived by Thjazi and Thrymr¡¯s side like a sudden gale before the giant could react.

    "Ha-a-ap!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong jumped off Fenrir''s back and immediately hit Thrymr''s face. His fist ached as if he had hit a rock, but soon a sound rang out.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    <i>Thud!</i>

    With the sound of a leather drum popping, Thrymr copsed.

    It was an incredible power, impossible to describe.

    ¡°Thrymr has¡­¡±

    The giant Thjazi looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong again with an expression of disbelief. The Hunter came and stood next to Thjazi.

    But, soon, he had no choice but to draw Muspel¡¯s Spear because of the powerful bloodlust he felt from behind him.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    "Fenrir. It''s okay to run free."

    As if he had been waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong''s permission, Fenrir rushed into the battlefield. The warriors of Utgard, who had been pushed back, soon saw hope.

    As for what Muspel¡¯s Spear was blocking.

    "Who the hell are you?"

    It was a sword¡ªa Hunter, the Chinese Hunter, had shed his sword at him.

    <i>Screech!</i>

    However, he was facing Lee Jun-Kyeong who had the power to defeat even Thrymr in one blow. With a flurry of sparks, Muspel¡¯s Spear flung aside the opponent''s sword.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pierced forward toward his confused opponent.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    His target was the man¡¯s shoulder. The moment he had thought about stabbing the Hunter in the shoulder, Muspel¡¯s Spear had reached that point.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    As Muspel¡¯s Spear was about to break past the man¡¯s armor and pierce through the skin with a groaning sound, someone knocked the spear tip aside.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°Hyungnim!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t just one intruder as there was another Hunter as well. A total of three hunters were looking down at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    One held a sword, another a long serpent spear, and thest a guandao.

    They shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong, "Who are you?!"

    "That¡¯s¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong changed his stance and prepared to attack, after which he said, "That''s what I wanted to ask. Who are you?"

    He had felt the strength of the opponents when he had blocked the attack previously. These three Hunters were strong.

    In particr, the strength of the two men, the two who used the guandao and shemao as weapons rather than a sword, was not something he could ignore.

    If he had fought any of them individually, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up against him. However, if he had to face all three of them at the same time¡­

    <i>¡®Could they reach a simr level to Heracles?¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t even guess who they were. At their level of skill, he felt as though there was a chance that he had heard of their identities in the future.

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    It was the man who had attacked him earlier with a sword. His big ears pped as he said, ¡°They call me Liu Bei.¡±

    1. This brother is referring to a bosom friend, not a familial brother.

    2. If you remember back when Utgard was introduced, this is referring to Utgard-Loki, the Jotunn, not Loki the Asgardian (but also still a Jotunn).

    3. Skeleton the monster, not the bones.

    4. The guandao is famously a weapon created by Guan Yu, and was known to be an imposing weapon that terrified all that saw it. Visualizing it, it is essentially a massive saber connected to a heavy and long handle, forming a terrifying halberd. Guan Yu¡¯s guandao was called Green Dragon Crescent de.

    5. The shemao is an odd weapon. As referenced above by the name serpent spear, it is a triangr spear, but not in the way one would expect, with the spear point being the tip of the triangle. It¡¯s more of an inverted triangle de, with the de edges themselves being wavy like a kris. The shemao is most famously the weapon of Zhang Fei.

 Chapter 93: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 93: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 3</h4>

    In the midst of a battlefield where life was dying, a man with a sword, who Lee Jun-Kyeong presumed was leading the Chinese Hunters, had introduced himself as Liu Bei.

    <i>¡®Liu Bei¡­¡¯</i>

    He and the other two heroes were all strong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong searched through his memories, but he couldn¡¯t recall what their identities were. It was possible that they had died, unable to leave a name in history or to instill a strong memory in the mind of the Demon King.

    Then, as he was trying to ce their faces, Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered something and said aloud, ¡°The direct descendant of the General Secretary¡­?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Liu Bei and the two Hunters responded to hisment with silence.

    That man who had introduced himself as Liu Bei was the son of Zhang Taofeng, the former General Secretary of the copsed China. Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard stories of Zhang Taofeng¡¯s son, who supposedly struggled to revive destroyed China as a Hunter.

    For some reason, he had died before he had been able to see the light at the end of his efforts. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t really remembered much about them.

    ¡°To think you¡¯re someone who heard about me¡­ how interesting. So, it¡¯s time for you to tell me who you are,¡± stated the man named Liu Bei. He stood off to one side, forming a formation with the two other Hunters, as he faced Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    ¡°Are you a Korean?¡± Liu Bei asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had revealed his name to the Hunter before him. He still wasn¡¯t sure whether the man in front of him was a direct descendant of the fallen General Secretary or whether he was trying to rebuild China.

    All that mattered right now?

    <i>¡®He¡¯s the enemy.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made his move. Bursting forward quickly, he forced his way into the midst of the three Hunters.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let them gather in one ce.¡¯</i>

    The synergy between the three was impable. When they were together, they could rival the strength of Heracles. It would be foolish of him if he left them to fight in the manner they werefortable with.

    ¡°Keheuk!¡±

    The man wielding the guandao blocked Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s blow, but then groaned and stepped back. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s movements didn¡¯t stop there. Instead, he turned around, shed down at Liu Bei¡¯s sword with his spear, and then pierced the tip toward the man wielding the shemao.

    <i>ng!</i>

    However, the one wielding the shemao struck back at Muspel¡¯s Spear, knocking it aside.

    Nevertheless, he achieved his goal; the formation had copsed.

    ¡°...¡±

    They tried to make the formation again, but the mes that bloomed in front of them stopped them from proceeding.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    It was an incredible ze. Now that the limit of mana that he could handle had increased, the heat radiating from Monarch of Fire had also grown stronger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s gaze pierced through the me and turned over to Thjazi.

    "¡­"

    Thjazi¡¯s expression, who had been facing Thrymr, was greatly distorted.

    However, it was clear that his expression was one of confusion, not pain.

    <i>''If it continues like this...''</i>

    They would lose.

    With theirmander in that state, there was no way that the giants of Utgard would be able to use their strength.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang, the princess, and Fenrir were maintaining the bnce of the battlefield.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to take care of Liu Bei and his party quickly, and he now had enough power to do so.

    However, suddenly, he thought of something.

    "I have a question for you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved the mes to surround only the two other Hunters, releasing only Liu Bei from the ze.

    ¡°What made you betray your own people?¡±

    It was a question that had been on his mind. The man in front of him had been a Hero in history, and one who had given his life for the reconstruction of China.

    But the person standing in front of him at this point was one who had betrayed his own people and stood on the side of the Nar.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Liu Bei opened his mouth. He seemed to have intuited that he wasn¡¯t Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s opponent.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t betray them.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    This is a path I¡¯ve made for them. It is a path to the cause.¡±

    <i>¡®The cause?¡¯</i>

    "What sort of purpose is it that¡­"

    ¡°The reconstruction of China. Thrymr promised¡­ if we are able to take down the King of Utgard¡­ He promised to restore ournds.¡±

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°But couldn¡¯t you make a pact like that with the King of Utgard¡­?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± Liu Bei trembled in anger.

    ¡°We can never make a pact with him,¡± Liu Bei said as he pointed his sword forward. Lee Jun-Kyeong could clearly feel the man¡¯s will to not back down.

    The Hunter snarled, ¡°That bastard killed our people. Justifying it by saying we were the cause of the epidemic, he secretly ughtered countless humans. But our people were never the cause of the epidemic!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened as he heard the side of the Chinese Hunters for the first time.

    "I will never join hands with someone like that."

    This was most likely what he had heard before.

    <i>¡®This is probably the incident that had happened while Won-Hwa was away and is the story that only the Hunters know.¡¯</i>

    That was the only way it all made sense. Not only were there too few human survivors in Utgard, but also it ounted for the betrayal of the Hunters.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still had his concerns.

    ¡°Even if we say that¡¯s true, do you really think that it was the right move to abandon the people of Utgard and stand on the side of the Nar?¡±

    The cause.

    Although he understood that it was for the reconstruction of China, even though the King of Utgard had done such a thing, even though the man¡¯s reasons were valid, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    He pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s not like you brought them with you when you joined the Nar either.¡±

    It was a cause he couldn¡¯t understand.

    <i>Shiiing!</i>

    Therefore, for now, he would knock the Hunters down. However, he decided he wouldn¡¯t kill them.

    It seemed as though the man had more information. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it would be better to subdue him and listen to his story.

    However.

    "Hyu¡ªhyungnim!"

    ¡°Hyungnim!"

    Surrounding them were the most intense of mes. But, while it was clear that their entire bodies had to have been scorched while they pierced through the wall of mes, the two Hunters appeared, standing by Liu Bei.

    They had recklessly pierced through the superheated mes using their bodies.

    ¡°How impressive.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely admired them.

    Even though it was evident that they must have undergone immense pain, their faces remained firm. It was a testament to their will and their strength.

    The three of them joined together again and radiated an even stronger power, as if they were proiming that nothing could break them apart again.

    They were showing him their will to not give up.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had heartfelt admiration for them.

    "I!" Liu Bei settled into a stance with his sword pointed forward. "I didn''t throw them away!"

    There was no need for Lee Jun-Kyeong to attack again.

    The three of them started to press in on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ***

    "¡­¡±

    Thjazi didn''t say anything further, he just continued to swing his fists and run forward in order to take down Thrymr.

    <i>¡®The one that killed my father is¡­¡¯</i>

    The king of Utgard.

    It had been Loki?

    He couldn¡¯tprehend what Thrymr had said.

    Why?

    That had been his first thought.

    Originally, the frost giants had been a species that formed into a number of separate tribes. However, due to the sudden great war, many tribes had disappeared.

    The remaining tribes had gathered in Utgard.

    Utgard had been a fortress that had been built to withstand anything.

    Of course, as there were many tribes gathered, there had to have been a generalmander.

    However, it wasn¡¯t easy for them to select a chieftain.

    There were three candidates for the chieftain position.

    There was Loki of the Utgardian tribe, who was the current ruler of Utgard.

    Then there was Thrymr from the ck Frost n who was currently shing with Thjazi.

    And finally, thest was Alvaldi of the Blue Frost Tribe, and Thjazi¡¯s father.

    <i>¡®But¡­¡¯</i>

    There had been no reason for Loki to kill his father.

    In the beginning, Loki¡¯s position had been unassable.

    After all, the Utgardian tribe had created Utgard, and Loki was someone with enough strength that he could rise to the rank of chieftain without having to do anything.

    "Your father, Alvaldi¡­" Thrymr said, blocking Thjazi¡¯s fist and bringing his gigantic face to Thjazi¡¯s own.

    ¡°He knew Loki¡¯s ambitions.¡±

    ¡°Ambitions¡­?¡± Thjazi asked.

    ¡°Loki,¡± Thrymr continued. ¡°He nned on causing the great transference over here.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    The great transference was the cataclysmic event that had happened in Jotunheimr, thend of the frost giant tribes.

    It had appeared suddenly and killed many frost giants. In the end, it was the catastrophe that had dropped the giants in this unknownnd.

    ¡°If! If he wasn¡¯t able to cause the great transference again¡­!¡±

    However, the great transference was something that even Loki couldn¡¯t bring about again.

    ¡°He wanted to make thisnd into a new Jotunheimr.¡±

    Jotunheimr, the world that they had lived in¡ªto think that the king had stated that he had desired to make this ce into a new Jotunheimr.

    "What are you¡­?" Thjazi asked.

    Thymir screamed, ¡°He wanted to purify this world and make it and of giants. Annihte an entire race, leaving only the giants left!"

    Thjazi¡¯s fist mmed into Thrymr¡¯s throat, and Thrymr paused, choking for a moment. Thjazi looked down at him in that state and said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying Alvaldi had wanted to resist the will of Loki! And that was why he died!¡±

    But, he couldn¡¯t understand it.

    "Why¡­! Why didn''t you tell me?!" he howled.

    If that was the truth, he felt as though the giant should have told him. If, the father he had thought had died in a simple ident, but had in fact been killed by the chieftain he was currently serving, then the other giant should have told him.

    Thjazi felt intense pain in his chest.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    He punched out with both fists.

    They were covered in a fierce aura, a power wielded by the frost giants.

    Galdr.

    It was a technique that exploded by releasing condensed power all at once.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Thjazi''s fists exploded forth, rupturing the space. They finally reached their destination: Thrymr¡¯s hands.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Thjazi didn¡¯t use his skill and released it at thest moment. He couldn¡¯t use it.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you block¡­¡± he asked, angry and perplexed.

    He couldn¡¯t because Thrymr didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of blocking.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ lose you too, Thjazi.¡±

    Thrymr then said with a dry voice, ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t tell you¡­ it was because I knew that it would only hurt you to know this.

    Thjazi¡¯s gaze turned to question.

    "You are a loyal warrior of the frost giants. You have honor flowing through your veins, so would you be able to betray the chieftain if I had told you he was the one who killed your father?¡±

    Thrymr broke off with a quiet sob and then continued, "Look at yourself. Even after you found out the truth, a bit of fighting spirit still remains in your body. It¡¯s the desire to fight against me, in order to eradicate a traitor. So¡­¡±

    Thrymr''s fist shone; it was the same power that Thjazi used: Galdr.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The skill burst out, hitting Thjazi¡¯s face directly.

    Thjazi dropped to the ground, still breathing, but he apparently fainted.

    "Sleep until everything is over."

    Thrymr looked over the battlefield. A tight bnce was being maintained, but it was time to wrap things up.

    <i>¡®Even if it¡¯s just a little more¡­¡¯</i>

    They had to advance to Utgard while maintaining their strength. There was already no way back from here.

    He would have to march to Utgard like this, kill Loki, and be king. That was the only way to direct Thjazi¡¯s allegiance to himself.

    <i>¡®Or I die.¡¯</i>

    Thrymr''s eyes shone fiercely. The first thing he wanted to sort out was, of course, a single human.

    "¡­¡±

    The human figure stared back at him after having dealt with the other Hunters that had been on his side, the side of the Nar.

    ¡°How amusing.¡±

    Thrymr felt the same feeling now as the time when he had first seen him.

    He was a special existence, a special person.

    The man in front of him was more dangerous than Thjazi and just as dangerous as Loki.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Thrymr circted all the power in his body. Galdr began to spread throughout his body, burning up from the ends of his feet as if it was about to explode.

    It was an incredible power.

    He had saved it in order to deal with the king, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore the man in front of him.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong surprised him, speaking while raising both hands, ¡°I surrender!"

    1. Currently, every mention of Loki is the giant king, Utgard Loki.

    2. This is not Gigantomachia.

    3. This word stumped me. In Korean, it reads ???, which means to choose, but it is being used as a noun in this sense as the name for a skill. Therefore, the closest thing I could think of in Norse mythos was galdr, or the incantations used to cast spells, create enchantments, etc. This may be revisited because Galdr isn¡¯t just a giant thing, but everyone can use it, so I may rece it with a new word if ites upter with Odin.

 Chapter 94: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 94: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 4</h4>

    Thrymr¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "¡­!"

    "Pardon?" Jeong In-Chang asked while the strength in the hand that was holding his greatsword diminished.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    On the other hand, Fenrir snorted that he didn¡¯t care as he had gotten to run freely as much as he had wanted.

    ¡°Oorah¡­?¡±

    The giants were perplexed. Even the Nar stopped moving after hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sst statement. The whole absurdity of the situation kept them still.

    ¡°Please drink these.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong handed potions to the three fallen Hunters, which was Liu Bei¡¯s group.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even they had expressions of bewilderment. This was an enemy who had attacked them like a beast a while ago and had defeated them. But, now, he was giving potions to them.

    Moreover, after having won the battle, he raised his hands in surrender.

    Why?

    That was the question on everyone¡¯s mind.

    "There is no reason to fight,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he was reading their minds. "Themander of Utgard has fallen."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Thjazi and continued, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve learned the reasons of what had happened¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his palms again and reiterated his point. "As just mercenaries, we will remove ourselves from the battle."

    Sheer bewilderment descended upon everyone in the field.

    However, Thrymr was different.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    He had almost be the chief of the giants, so he possessed extraordinary observation skills and insight. He understood the meaning of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s surrender.

    "I ept your surrender."

    With a simple sentence, the entire atmosphere of the battlefield changed.

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    It may have only been the surrender of a single mercenary, but the morale of the Utgardian warriors, whosemander had fallen, dropped to the ground.

    They had been defeated.

    As they began to realize that they had suffered aplete defeat, eventually, one by one, they began to fall to the ground.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    "Don''t kill them!" Thrymr eximed.

    It was bad enough that they had to kill their fellow giants in the Utgardian Civil war, their kin. Having already won this victory, he didn¡¯t want to force his warriors to bear the burden of the blood of those who used to be friends and kin to them.

    Eventually, the battlefield cleared up.

    Fenrir and Jeong In-Chang had left after Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s surrender, and naturally, the bnce had also been overturned.

    "¡­"

    Liu Bei, the Hunter, was looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at Liu Bei, who was staring at him in disbelief and said, "I will watch over your cause."

    The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong had dered surrender was because of what Liu Bei had said while they had been fighting.

    <i>¡®I never meant to abandon them!¡¯</i>

    Liu Bei had no choice but to betray Utgard. However, then why had he joined the side of the Nar, leaving the humans at the mercy of the King of Utgard, who had indiscriminately ughtered them?

    <i>¡®Because only then was it safe for them.¡¯</i>

    The King of Utgard had said that he felt uneasy due to the existence of the Hunters. Since the number of Chinese Hunters had been quiterge at first, the king was afraid that their forces would threaten him.

    They had thought that the other humans would be in danger as long as they were with them, so they decided to side with the Nar. Basically, they believed that if the giants believed that the normal humans hated the Hunters, then they at least would be kept alive.

    <i>¡®We will kill the king. We will find an opportunity, take down the king, and save the people.¡¯</i>

    They hadcked strength at first, so they had no choice but to obtain help from the Nar.

    Rather than the King of Utgard, who definitely wasn¡¯t on the side of the people, they chose to side with the Nar, who lent them strength as their goals were the same.

    ¡°Show me.¡±

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had surrendered so easily. He had already thought from the beginning that he would only be able to save the humans with the Hunters¡¯ help anyway.

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    Morale began to rise due to the victory among the Nar. Conversely, the remnants of the Utgardians stared at him.

    "There was no reason to fight with my life on the line in the first ce."

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been on Utgard''s side from the very beginning.

    "Mr. Lee."

    Jeong In-Chang was next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, as were Fenrir and Hyeon-Mu. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party had gathered together again.

    What was unusual was¡­

    ¡°...why is that person like¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    He was referring to Won-Hwa, who was being held in the arms of one of Hyeon-Mu¡¯s skeletons.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged.

    "I¡­"

    Next to them, Liu Bei and the other two Hunters approached.

    ¡°Guan Yu.¡±

    ¡°They call me Zhang Fei.¡±

    They had finally introduced themselves even though it was a bitte.

    They looked pitiful as they still showed marks of being scorched by the Monarch of Fire.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong handed them another potion, and Thrymr gathered all of the Nar and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We will advance straight to Utgard!¡±

    It was the best time for them to aim for Utgard. All of Utgard¡¯s troops had been defeated, while the Nar was still in good shape.

    <i>¡®Now¡­¡¯</i>

    There were only a handful of giants defending Utgard.

    ¡°The King¡­¡± Thrymr murmured to himself. ¡°We will take down the King.¡±

    He was thest barrier that protected Utgard and their greatest enemy.

    However, Thrymr never thought for a second that he would lose. Although there was the chance of great danger because that being¡¯s base was in Utgard¡­

    ¡°We will take down Loki!¡±

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    The giants shouted in response to Thrymr¡¯s rallying cry.

    ¡°Loki¡­?¡±

    Moreover, alongside hearing the name of the King of Utgard for the first time, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the messages from <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks down at everyone with an ufortable gaze.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> forms a sneer on its face.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was embarrassed by the sudden reactions of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    ***

    The march of the Nar had begun, and only a few Nar had been left behind to protect the defeated giants.

    Among the fallen Nary Thjazi, still groaning and unable toe to his senses.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you betraying them?¡± Thrymr said while looking down at Lee Jun-Kyeong with his gigantic head. Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions were riding on Fenrir¡¯s back.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong corrected him, ¡°In the first ce, we were only mercenaries."

    There was no such thing as a side for a mercenary. Moreover, they hadn¡¯t even gotten anything in return for it either.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth lifted into a smirk, and he continued, ¡°If you give me a little bit of remuneration, I¡¯m even thinking of possibly fighting as well.¡±

    Thrymr turned his head and said, ¡°How amusing.¡±

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    With Thrymr¡¯s order, the Nars'' troops began to advance. Their speed was neither fast nor slow. Now that almost all of Utgard¡¯s forces had already been defeated, there was no reason for them to rush.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang whispered into Lee Jun-Kyeong''s ear. "Is this really okay?"

    Jeong In-Chang seemed flustered and worried by the sudden situation. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and responded, ¡°Is there something that wouldn¡¯t be okay about it?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? From the very beginning, we weren¡¯t on anyone¡¯s side. Our purpose ofing to China has already been achieved¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed toward himself and also at Won-Hwa.

    ¡°Now that we have also obtained the help we needed to help those that remained in Utgard¡­¡±

    "Did you not tell me? From the beginning, we were not on anyone''s side. The purpose ofing to China has already been achieved... ."

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s finger turned toward the silently advancing Hunters.

    "Isn''t this the best ending?"

    "That¡¯s true,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, nodding as if he understood it now. There was only one thing that still bugged Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Thjazi.¡¯</i>

    At least among the giants, he was the one with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had the most encounters with. A small part of him was worried about the giant.

    ¡°Thjazi¡­ don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Thrymr said as if he had read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts.

    Thrymr was as kind to him as how Thjazi had been when they had first met. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that was a proper representation of the characteristics of a giant who respected the strong.

    <i>¡®Or is it because he cares about Thjazi?¡¯</i>

    Thrymr seemed to know that he and Thjazi had a good rtionship. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that was why the giant was treating him well.

    <i>Tadak. Tadak.</i>

    Whether it was the white fangs, the ice drakes, the frost giants in ck fur, the Nars=, or even the Hunters, they had all reached their destination.

    Thrymr announced, ¡°We have arrived.¡±

    Before their eyes was a giant fortress, Utgard.

    <i>Booooooh!</i>

    At the posts of the Utgard Fortress, the few remaining warriors blew their horns to signal the attack of the Nar. The number of giants standing on the walls of the fortress was exceedingly few.

    ¡°Break through the gates,¡± Thrymrmanded.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    At hismand, the white fangs surrounded the stronghold.

    <i>Boooom¨C</i>

    The ice drakes began to use their breath as well.

    ***

    Inside the Utgard Fortress.

    <i>Tadak. Tadak.</i>

    The ice drakes were leisurely walking through the fortress.

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    The Nar in the ck fur were advancing slowly, looking around the city they had returned to.

    Although there had been a small battle, the Nar had been able to subdue all the Utgardian warriors without any casualties and entered the fortress. The giants looked at the approaching warriors in ck fur with anxious eyes.

    ¡°...¡±

    People went into their houses to hide and hold their breath, while some were even watching the advance of the Nar, ncing from the alleyways.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong woke Won-Hwa.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to wake up now.¡±

    However, the physician still hadn¡¯t regained consciousness and didn¡¯t respond to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Eventually, in order to wake him up, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to use arge amount of mana.

    ¡°Keheuk!¡±

    Won-Hwa woke up screaming, and all eyes fixed on the sudden outburst.

    After he woke up, he looked around for a while and then looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    No matter how much he thought about it, nothing made sense. Not only did he wake up suddenly in Utgard when he had been teaching internal qigong to Lee Jun-Kyeong in the formation outside of the fortress, but around him, the ce was also full of Nar and the Hunters who had betrayed them.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Moreover, it didn¡¯t even feel as though Lee Jun-Kyeong had been taken prisoner. Rather, he seemed to be proudly riding Fenrir and marching along with the Nar. Won-Hwa''s expression was terribly distorted.

    "There¡¯s no way¡­"

    There had been one thing he had doubted about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Were you a traitor from the very beginning?¡±

    He came to the conclusion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been a spy sent by the Nar.

    ¡°I¡­ I can''t believe I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡± he sputtered.

    Therefore, he felt as though he had been used in order to learn internal qigong.

    Won-Hwa mustered up his energy, and he could tell that it had grown even greater than before. Although it could be said that Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken away a lot of the effects of the apple of Idunn, a considerable amount of mana had still been passed on to him.

    Won-Hwa felt the increased power and wondered where it hade from for a moment, but twisted with rage, he didn¡¯t seem to have the space to care about that at this moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke calmly to the physician who was trying to attack him by pulling out an acupuncture set.

    "What are you talking about? I told you."

    "¡­"

    Wonhwa''s anger subsided for a moment at his unnervingly calm response.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled brightly at him and pointed around.

    "The rescue team has increased a bit."

    ¡°...¡±

    Won-Hwa nkly kept looking at his surroundings, not knowing how to react.

 Chapter 95: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 95: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 5</h4>

    Won-Hwa still hadn¡¯t fully grasped the situation, so Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ¡°You must hurry.¡±

    ¡°About what¡­¡± the physician asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gave a signal to Liu Bei, and the Hunters on Liu Bei¡¯s side approached Won-Hwa.

    ¡°Please protect the humans with these people. It¡¯s okay to gauge the situation and leave the fortress as well.¡±

    Won-Hwa looked confused. "Pardon?"

    "These are Hunters branded as traitors. If they go alone, the people may be terrified, so please go save the people yourself, Mr. Won-Hwa. If it¡¯s you, the Won-Hwa who everyone has always had faith in, you will be able to rescue these people without muchmotion."

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s what¡­¡± Won-Hwa sighed and quietly nodded. ¡°But okay.¡±

    It was because he could clearly feel Lee Jun-Kyeong''s desire to save people.

    Moreover, although the Hunters in the ck clothes had betrayed him and his people, it was clear that something important had happened while he was unconscious. Right when Won-Hwa was about to head to the residential area of the humans, he turned to look back at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Just answer one thing¡­¡± Time was running out, but Won-Hwa still wanted to ask this question. "How is your body?"

    It wasn¡¯t just a simple question asking about his physical condition. The internal qigong that he had been trying to pass on had caused a huge side effect, causing them to be caught in a vortex of immense mana, and they had nearly lost their lives.

    However, they had both survived, and so Won-Hwa had wanted to know if his efforts had worked.

    Of course, the Lee Jun-Kyeong in front of him looked fine, but the external appearance of a person wasn¡¯t everything.

    Won-Hwa waited for an answer anxiously.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at the physician and continued, ¡°It''s the best it¡¯s ever been."

    As if satisfied, Won-Hwa hurriedly moved his feet.

    ¡°What an interesting person,¡± Thrymr said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and smiled.

    ¡°...¡±

    Liu Bei''s group nodded in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s direction as if they were grateful.

    "Go ahead."

    They began to advance again.

    ***

    They faced the royal pce inside of Utgard Fortress. It was the residence of the King of the frost giants named Loki.

    <i>¡®Loki¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated the name over and over again. It was a name he had never heard of.

    <i>''It''s not unfamiliar.''</i>

    He felt a sense of intimacy for an unknown reason. To think he would feel a familiarity with just a name, it was something that had never happened before except with Heimdall.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> furrows his brow.]

    Furthermore, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, that bastard''s reaction, was also strange. It felt as though it was the reaction of someone who was trying to give a signal over and over again, but there was nothing that Lee Jun-Kyeong could glean from it.

    Of course, this was the second time it had happened.

    ¡°So it seems a filthy turncoat has stepped foot again in the royal pce.¡±

    This was only the second time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had met the king.

    Thrymr and Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived at the royal pce without shedding any blood. The giants guarding the royal pce had attacked Thrymr, but they had been suppressed without suffering a single wound. The defeated guards were then tossed out of the castle.

    Therefore, thest remaining giant of the royal pce was¡­the King.

    Thrymr looked at him and muttered softly, ¡°Utgard-Loki.¡±

    The king had arrived.

    "Thrymr, I should have killed you sooner,¡± the king said. Even in front of hundreds of Nar warriors and human Hunters, the king was calm.

    <i>¡®How ridiculous.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see why the king could stay so calm. He wondered if it was because he had grown a little further, but the power of the king seemed a little clearer.

    He was strong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that he matched up well with Thrymr, but it was actually different.

    The king was overwhelming, but he didn¡¯t think it mattered.

    <i>¡®There isn''t much he can do when he¡¯s this outnumbered.¡¯</i>

    Even if the king was strong, Thrymr was also strong and confident in his chances, while there were also many people, including Fenrir, with him. It would be a tough fight, but their victory was already predestined.

    "Are you regretting not killing me like Alvaldi?¡± Thrymr said coldly.

    The king guffawed, ¡°As expected¡­ so that was what your betrayal was about.¡±

    Thrymr snarled, ¡°You bastard.¡±

    An explosive energy began to emanate from him. Galdr had started to kick in. However, the king was still calm.

    <i>Shiiick.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stiffened from a sense of heterogeneity, tensing for a moment.

    Then.

    ¡°Oorah¡­"

    "Oorah!"

    "Oorah¡­"

    They began to hear strange voices. Clearly, this gigantic reverberating sound was clearly emanating from giants, but something was different.

    It couldn¡¯t be.

    ¡°The Nar¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been told that their names were the Nar, and they were the first giants he had ever seen. They were insane halfwits that had lost their sanity and obsessed over ughter.

    These exact same giants were appearing all over the royal pce.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    A terrifying sound came from Thrymr''s mouth.

    "What the hell did you do¡­ no way¡­ ."

    The Nar.

    It was said that the grotesque Nar that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen were those born in the aftermath of the epidemic.

    He had heard that those of the Nar that Thrymr had taken away that had lost their sanity due to the gue had either been granted eternal rest or were banished to wander the earth.

    <i>¡®They said that it was simr to the side effects of the internal qigong¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the approaching Nar¨Cno, the insane giants. Their appearance and conditions seemed to be the same as the giants that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen. However, when it came to their strength, it waspletely different. They were all radiating immense strength.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t somethingparable to Thrymr, the king, or even himself, butpared to the ordinary giant warriors, it was strong enough to take the advantage.

    They were clearly different from the giants he had seen in the icy wastnd. In addition, unlike the banished roamers, who were ignorant and driven mad by bloodlust, these giants were under themand of the King, Utgard-Loki.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them carefully, and over to the side, he could hear the voice of the startled Thrymr.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­!¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    At the same time, Thrymr kicked off the floor of the royal pce using his explosive Galdr and rushed toward the king. He rushed in without even taking down the enemy¡¯s frontlines. It was a reckless charge, but it was brought on as he was furious enough to lose his temper.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Something collided, and alongside that collision was a huge sound that filled the royal pce.

    However, Thrymr wasn¡¯t able to reach the king.

    The King of the giants, Loki, sneered and said, "I needed an army that obeyed only me, and what an honor it is for them to fulfill this duty,"

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s expression hardened.

    The words that Utgard-Loki had just said had led him to make an assumption, and the more he thought about it, the more that assumption had be fact. All the puzzle pieces hade together, and Lee Jun-Kyeong finally knew what had happened.

    Thrymr had been the first to notice, while it took Liu Bei and his party quite some time to notice. Amidst the shocking truth, everyone¡¯s expression hardened.

    "My loyal soldiers. Tear the limbs of those traitors!" the king ordered.

    ¡°Ooah¡­ ooah¡­¡±

    The insane giants started attacking at the king''s orders.

    ***

    "Mr. Lee!" Jeong In-Chang called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, dodging the attack of an insane giant.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out Muspel''s spear from a giant''s chest and looked over at him.

    ¡°What the hell is this sort of situation?!¡± Jeong In-Changined, as if he didn''t understand the reason for what was going on.

    Some, including Lee Jun-Kyeong, had realized the seriousness of the situation. On the other hand, many people, including Jeong In-Chang, struggled to understand this situation.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The royal pce was in chaos, and the battle against the monstrous giants summoned by the king began.

    The giants were fighting by destroying everything as if they had specialized in street fighting. The number of insane giants were smaller than that of the Nar, but their strength was more than expected.

    ¡°By chance...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang faced each other.

    What Jeong In-Chang was asking wasn¡¯t why the battle had suddenly started, but rather, what the hell did the king do to make everyone astonished?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang talked even though they were surrounded by giants.

    "That being over there, the king of those giants¡­ He seems to be the culprit behind the strange giants we saw in the icy wastnd."

    "Pardon?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but the king needed more powerful giants, so it seemed as though the insane giants were born in the process of creating those giants. The giants from the outside were the failures of his experiments."

    The insane giants were basically a species of giant that didn¡¯t exist originally. Created in the aftermath of the gue, these giants did not exist before Utgard had appeared on Earth. They had said that the gue had spread to giants after they had arrived on Earth, and that was how the insane giants were formed.

    <i>¡®It seems as though it must have something to do with internal qigong.¡¯</i>

    However, Won-Hwa had said that it was rted to the side effects of internal qigong.

    They were madmen as they suffered a disease of insanity instead of obtaining great power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that was probably the case.

    "What kind of experiment did he do?!¡± Jeong In-Chang eximed.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that the king of the giants over there had wanted to start a war and wanted to raise an army that obeyed only his orders. He must have known that some of the Chinese Hunters had special powers, and wanted to make use of them,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exined.

    He paused before continuing, ¡°As a side effect, the gue spread and the giants died. Those who survived had be experimental subjects, andter, the insane giants. If that¡¯s not the case either, then it was a lie that the giants had died because of the gue from the beginning, or¡­¡±

    There was also the possibility that the king had used giants in experiments by telling the public that they had died from the gue.

    "Are you saying that he killed and tested on his own people?" Jeong In-Chang asked in disbelief.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded in a firm manner, "Because he is the king."

    The king, and the power granted by that name. Many kings saw their people as mere tools, which was why the king in front of them had thought he could use them as he pleased.

    Jeong In-Chang frowned and looked at the king. ¡°What a psychopath.¡±

    He was standing far away, and approached where they were while being protected by mad giants.

    ¡°He¡¯s a monster,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented, thrusting Muspel''s spear at the giant guarding the front.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a psychopath as well, too,¡± he corrected himself.

    An insane giant caught fire and began to run rampant.

    "Let''s talk more about itter! I¡¯ll trust this side to you!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to respond to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s cry, as he quickly moved through the gaps of the colossal giants.

    <i>¡®There won¡¯t be an end if things keep going this way.¡¯</i>

    No, it would be a defeat for the Nar if things kept going this way. Even now, the Nar were being pushed back, and the insane giants of Utgard rushed forward like berserkers, even if they were wounded.

    The solution was simple.

    <i>¡®I have to overturn everything.¡¯</i>

    The easiest way to do that was in front of him.

    ¡°Take down the king.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong passed the giants and arrived at the king''s level. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t the only one who had this thought.

    ¡°We were enemies before, but this time, it seems we¡¯vee andbined our strength.¡±

    Liu Bei and the two Hunters had also appeared.

    ¡°Oooooah!!!¡±

    Moreover, even Thrymr, entrenched in anger and sorrow, exploded forth while casting a Galdr.

    It was a strangebination of allies, but they were all headed for the King.

    ¡°Oooah¡­ oooah¡­¡±

    However, the king still had hidden giants in reserve. Because of the giants that were attacking them from every nook and cranny, like swarms of zombies, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party struggled to advance any further.

    Thrymr, Lee Jun-Kyeong, even Liu Bei and his two fellow Hunters pushed back the giants with all their might, but it wasn¡¯t easy.

    "Have a good time,¡± said the king as he watched Lee Jun-Kyeong struggle, smirking as he turned around. He was returning to the royal pce.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let him enter the royal pce!¡± Thrymr eximed.

    ¡°If he enters the royal pce, it¡¯ll be harder to defeat him! Once he¡¯s inside the royal pce of Utgard, his power grows stronger!¡±

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    At Thrymr¡¯s cry, a huge me erupted and blocked the entrance to the castle. It was an incredible ze, Lee Jun-Kyeong had used an incredible amount of mana to strengthen the fire.

    <i>Drip, drip. Drip.</i>

    The entrance to the royal pce melted into molten ore and dripped to the ground.

    ¡°...¡±

    The king looked at it with an angry expression.

    ¡°I bought us some time, but it won¡¯tst long,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Thrymr and Liu Bei.

    Although the ze was being powered by mana that had been increased so much that it could be said to be overwhelming through the help of Won-Hwa, it wasn¡¯t an easy task for Lee Jun-Kyeong to strengthen the ze enough to hold back the king of giants.

    Now, even at this moment, the mana that was flowing into the fire like a river was rapidly disappearing.

    ¡°Grahhh!¡±

    Thrymr began to move even more furiously and cut through a path.

    ¡°Little brothers!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Hyungnim!¡±

    Liu Bei and the others also made use of their cooperation and took down more giants.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not going to work.¡¯</i>

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think they would be able to clear the path. The insane giants that were being pushed back and taken down continued to flock to them and blocked the path to the king even as they were being cut down.

    To make matters worse, the Nar that could have helped were in a bad situation at this point as well.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    An explosion was heard from behind them.

    They felt the approach of many auras.

    ¡°Ooooah!!!!¡±

    Out of those auras, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt one that was familiar. He turned around, and he saw a being standing there. It was a giant who wore white fur and shed tears of sorrow with bloodshot eyes.

    The Warguard Leader of the blue frost giants, Thjazi, and the warguard of Utgard.

    They, no Thjazi, with tears in his eyes, spoke out.

    "The path¡­ I will open it!"

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The giant warriors began to draw their axes and throw them, their axes piercing into the mad giants.

    As the axes flew through the air and collided with the giants, soon, Thjazi¡¯s voice boomed out again, "The road is open."

    1. Lee Jun-Kyeong is fixating on the name Loki, which does not rify whether he¡¯s fixating on the god Loki or the Jotnar Loki.

 Chapter 96: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 96: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 6</h4>

    Thousands of emotions flickered across Thrymr¡¯s face in an instant at the sudden intrusion of Thjazi.

    "Why are you¡­¡± Thrymr mumbled to Thjazi, dazed and confused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t miss this chance!¡±

    However, he woke up at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s call.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    Thrymrpletely drew out the power of his Galdr. At this moment, he was a true giant warrior.

    As the insane giants fell and the path had been fully cleared, the first to charge toward the king was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Ha-a-eup!"

    mes flickered forth from Muspel''s Spear and drew a long line. Lines of pure destructive red fire appeared.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Just like that, Muspel¡¯s Spear plunged into the king¡¯s forearm.

    <i>Gurgle!</i>

    With a strange sound, the wound began to spew fire, and the king¡¯s arm burned ck.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    The king was enraged and seemed to be bewildered as if he hadn¡¯t thought that they would have been able to clear a path. However, the king was strong, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had to back up in order to avoid the fist the giant had thrown at him.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear returned at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s call.

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong readjusted his stance, Thrymr rushed to the king. The collision of the two colossal giants created a huge shockwave.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom!</i>

    The entrance to the royal pce that had turned to molten ore due to the wall of fire that Lee Jun-Kyeong had ignited copsed.

    "Ha-a-eup!"

    Their attack wasn¡¯t over yet either. Even Liu Bei and his brothers joined them. The three forces surrounding the king had begun to attack. Fortunately, the battle behind them had noticeably improved with Thjazi¡¯s intrusion.

    ¡°For the sake of peace¡­!¡± Thjazi cried out among the giants and took down the insane giants with his bare hands, not needing an ax. They had gained the upper hand in numbers as the appearance of the giants, expressions twisted in anger, was changing the situation.

    "Fenrir!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided that it was the right time to call Fenrir, and a white wolf came bounding forward.

    Across the garden they had destroyed, Fenrir raced forward, his footsteps marred in mes that would burn everything.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    He pierced his thick teeth into the king¡¯s neck. With an eerie sound, the king screamed, ¡°Eeuuaghhhhhhh¨C!¡±

    He turned and was about to knock Fenrir down with his fists, but was only damaged further at that time by Thrymr, Liu Bei and his party, and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Looooookiiiiii!"

    As Thrymr erupted with his dr and was about to unleash another blow onto the king, the king, Utgard-Loki, finally invoked his own dr.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Know your ce¨C!¡±

    A ck and golden light emanated from him. The light was directed toward his fist, and the two fists connected blows.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a huge explosion, and a st of mana raged forth like a typhoon, shaking the humans and forcing the giants to avert their eyes.

    <i>Bang! Crash! Bang!</i>

    The explosions didn¡¯t end there. Thrymr rampaged to the king like someone who had nothing left to lose. The ck light emanated from him and the ck and gold light from the king inundated the royal pce.

    The force from their blows rampaged out like explosions.

    Even if the king¡¯s fists crushed holes into his body and his flesh was torn apart, Thrymr rushed forward again and again, acting as if he was an insane giant¡ªno, acting even more insane than even those mindless creatures.

    It was as if a typhoon had formed, each fist forming incredible gales of wind.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and the other Hunters struggled to enter between the gaps in the force explosions.

    ¡°...¡±

    At this point, if they had identally forced themselves into the middle of the fight, they would end up only being a hindrance rather than a help. Instead of being able to help kill the king, they would just die.

    <i>''That power¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though there was something alien about the power of the king. Now that his sensitivity to magic had reached its peak, he could tell something was different. Although he had seen the power of Thrymr, Thjazi, and the other giants, the Galdr used by the king, Utgard-Loki, contained something alien or foreign.

    <i>¡®What could it be?¡¯</i>

    He continued to think about it, but he wasn¡¯t able to figure it out.

    <i>Bang! Bang!</i>

    Unbelievable blows continued to explode forth.

    The king and Thrymr were strong, and it wasn¡¯t an easy decision for him to make to throw himself into the wake of those explosive forces.

    However¡­

    "¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t give up.

    <i>¡®The king¡­¡¯</i>

    He would kill him.

    It didn¡¯t matter if the wake between the blows were dangerous. Even if Thrymr¡¯s rage was even greater, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of conceding the final blow.

    <i>¡®I will be the one to kill the king.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong affirmed his conviction again and looked for an opportunity.

    Thrymr hadnded wounds on the king at his own expense, so Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s opportunityy there.

    [There are 5 minutes left on the mission time limit.]

    In fact, this was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong was trying to be the one to defeat the king.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is urging you to hurry and kill the shameful bastard.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is...]

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse> was urging Lee Jun-Kyeong. That had been the voice he had heard when he entered the pce.

    [You have been granted a mission!]

    [Defeat the impersonator.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had absolutely no idea who was being impersonated, but he definitely knew that the impersonator in the message meant the king. That was why it was time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently imbuing all of his strength into Muspel¡¯s Spear. The more power he imbued, the more the flickering mes along its body dimmed down. Muspel¡¯s Spear slowly began to lose its light.

    [The magic infusion has reached its limit.]

    He had learned this while watching over Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s shoulder. Lee Jun-Kyeong pumped all of the enormous mana he now had in his possession into his weapon.

    Then, he quickly ran through an opening he saw in the fight between the king and Thrymr. Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel his skin tingling as if he had entered the midst of a storm. Even though he had strengthened his skin with mana, the storm that rose by the mana they emitted was dangerously sharp.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Thrymr had lost all reason and was running wild to the point that he didn¡¯t even notice Lee Jun-Kyeong''s intrusion.

    The king, on the other hand, grew even stronger as his anger rose. His ck and gold Galdr grew a little darker. The Galdr exploded around them like a bomb, forcing Thrymr and Lee Jun-Kyeong back.

    <i>Bambambambam!</i>

    The king''s Galdr smashed the debris around them into even smaller pieces. It was an incredible power.

    <i>¡®This is the full extent of the king¡¯s power¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    However, that was the reason Lee Jun-Kyeongughed.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s matchable!¡±

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself into the ck and golden Galdr and thrust forward with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The ck and gold Galdr was engulfed in mes.

    "You deserve it!"

    ***

    "Cough!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong vomited blood and stepped back. He had blocked the blow that hade toward him, but the aftershock still damaged his organs. This showcased how strong the king¡¯s fist had been.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    Thrymr¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t normal either. Rivers of blood flowed from the holes in his body, and the shredded flesh on the ground piled up like a gruesome mountain. Due to their intense battle, the royal pce was also beingpletely destroyed.

    Nevertheless, Thrymr still murmured like a madman, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±

    He would kill. Kill the King.

    There was clearly only one thought left in Thrymr¡¯s head.

    Furthermore, the king wasn¡¯t in a normal condition either.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    The king had also received sessive blows from Lee Jun-Kyeong and Thrymr. Especially from Lee Jun-Kyeong, as every time he attacked the Hunter, he also took damage.

    <i>Hiss.</i>

    [You have exceeded the limit.]

    Muspel¡¯s Spear, which had seemed to have lost its heat, glowed red again. The heat from the spear was enough even to hurt Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand, whose fire resistance had already reached its peak. This same heat was what had been damaging the king this entire time.

    <i>''A little more.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised even more power from his core.

    "DIE!"

    Moreover, Thrymr had rushed forward again, and his fist had finally connected with the king¡¯s face.

    "Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong concentrated his mana even further, and his mana stream and the flow of mana started to move more slowly under the influence of his internal qigong. He drew in thetent mana around him and injected it into Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear has leveled up due to the strong heat.]

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t satisfied.

    <i>¡®A little more.¡¯</i>

    He continued imbuing the spear with mana, and his weapon continued to endlessly fill up with energy.

    A strange heat emanated from the spear. The heat was so hot that it even burned the very air itself, and it continued to condense and condense onto the weapon.

    <i>Crash! Bang!</i>

    As if he had caught on to what Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing, Thrymr exerted himself even more in order to force the king to spend more energy.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    However, the king wasn¡¯t standing still either.

    <i>¡®I only have one shot.¡¯</i>

    The power of the king was strange. The more his body was damaged, the closer he got to death, but his strength continued to get stronger. The more they damaged him, the more damage he would inflict on Lee Jun-Kyeong and his allies.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he had to do it.

    <i>¡®Once. Only once.¡¯</i>

    He had to end it with one blow.

    Eventually, another notification rang out.

    [The maximum limit of me that Muspel¡¯s Spear can contain has been exceeded.]

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear has begun to break.]

    As soon as he heard the notification, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw his spear as hard as he could. It flew through the air, and then it suddenly disappeared.

    It had obviously been thrown, but no one could see anything. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knelt down on one knee and fell to the ground.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    An immense wave of exhaustion echoed through him, and his body felt as heavy as if a thousand pounds was weighing down on him.

    He had taken everyst dreg of mana from his body for that blow, even up to thest drop of the incredible mana he had obtained through the help of Won-Hwa. It even included the zhuo qi that Won-Hwa had spoken of.

    <i>¡®Could it have helped me?¡¯</i>

    What he had done had been possible because the ck beads had given him strength. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly raised his head and looked ahead.

    ¡°Whew¡­ahem.¡±

    Then, he stood up, his legs trembling. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him and the king.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The reason was simple.

    "Uh¡­ eughk¡­ uh¡­"

    The king was someone who had ruled Utgard and manipted the frost giants, and he was the one who had chased away Thrymr and killed Thjazi¡¯s father.

    He was the same impudent being who had upset <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is satisfied.]

    [Mission Sess]

    That very being had a gaping hole in his chest¡ªa hole toorge even to consider that Muspel¡¯s Spear could have made it. It was a massive hole as if a stake had fallen from the sky and pierced through his chest.

    <i>Sparkle.</i>

    That hole waspletely empty, and through it, the sun could be seen shining.

    ¡°The¡­ The sun?¡±

    The Hunters were puzzled when they saw the sunlight. There had been no more sun in China, which had turned into and of death. Thend around them only had a softly shining light.

    However, the sun that had once disappeared, had now risen.

    "Whew¡­"

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled again, the sun that had shone for a moment disappeared.

    <i>Squelch! Woosh!</i>

    Destroying everything in its path, burning it all to bits, apanied by a hair-raising sound, Muspel¡¯s Spear appeared back in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    [You havepleted an unbelievable achievement!]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Raises the Sun¡¯ achievement.]

    [Your affinity to fire greatly increases.]

    [Mission rewards have been granted.]

    [Your stats have greatly increased.]

    [Your state has beenpletely restored.]

    Several notifications rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    "¡­"

    A silence emerged.

    Just like the voice in the notification had said, Lee Jun-Kyeong had just aplished an incredible achievement. Filled with a deep feeling of satisfaction, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the giants.

    ¡°...¡±

    They stared back at him, breath caught in their throats.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    One of the giants dropped an ax.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    A person close to Lee Jun-Kyeong growled pleasantly.

    "Mr. Lee¡­ Are you really human?" said Jeong In-Chang, spewing bullshit.

 Chapter 97: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 97: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 7</h4>

    Unbelievably, the king of Utgard, Utgard-Loki, had died. Not even his body was left. A fire had zed forth from the king''s pierced chest, devouring his body as if the mes were alive. His body disappearedpletely and turned into ashes as everything around it burned.

    The insane giants had also suffered a simr fate. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn''t sure what method the king had used, the insane giants began to run rampant after they lost their master. Rampaging thoughtlessly without any semnce of control, they were quickly killed by the remaining giants.

    If anything, it seemed as though being cut down was a relief for them.

    "Thank you¡­"

    In the end, an insane giant thanked Thjazi right before he had been killed as if his mind had returned somewhat the moment before death.

    Now, the king was dead, the insane giants cleared out, and the royal pce was in ruins.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around with the energy he had been restored, feeling a sense of contentment after being sponsored by the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    <i>''It''s not over.''</i>

    "Mr. Lee¡­"

    Jeong In-Chang stood next to Lee Jun-Kyeong alongside the pure white wolf, Fenrir, who also stood guard.

    As for the rest of their allies, they each went off toward their respective sides.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    The Nar had gone to Thrymr¡¯s side while the Utgardian giants over to Thjazi.

    ¡°...¡±

    Finally, the humans went toward Liu Bei.

    The four factions stood in their respective ces. While the battle was over, the tension had not been relieved.

    <i>¡®The fight may not be over yet.''</i>

    Now, they found themselves in a standoff where anyone could be an ally or an enemy. The only exception was Lee Jun-Kyeong, who stood watching from the side as a bystander.

    <i>¡®Will they split into three sides?¡¯</i>

    Thrymr¡¯s Nar, Thjazi¡¯s Utgardians, Liu Bei and the Chinese Hunters, the three sides were like a lit fuse, where any movement could cause mayhem that would never end.

    However, Thrymr spoke out, calling for someone, ¡°Liu Bei.¡±

    The giant¡¯s body was punctured with holes from the king¡¯s blows and his voice betrayed his exhaustion as he said to the Chinese Hunter, "I will keep my promise."

    Even in the shaky and weary voice, a firm conviction could be heard alongside the promise.

    Liu Bei nodded with satisfaction. After all, a considerable number of Human Hunters had also been sacrificed in the intense battle.

    The giant continued, "Thjazi."

    He looked at Thjazi. Facing him, the giant could see that Thjazi¡¯s face was as full of conflicting emotions as his own. There were as many wounds on Thjazi¡¯s body as there were on Thrymr.

    The two looked strikingly simr.

    Thrymr stated firmly, "Kill me."

    "¡­!"

    The giant fell to his knees and continued, ¡°Regardless of the reason, I am a traitor covered with the blood of my people. My vengeance and cause have ended here. Just¡­¡±

    Thrymr shook his head and looked at Thjazi.

    ¡°The only thing that I ask¡­the ones that followed me, the Nar¡­I just ask that you let them live¡­¡± he said, lowering his head again.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    The colossal giant Thjazi walked toward Thrymr.

    "¡­"

    All of a sudden, he was holding arge axe in his hand.

    Everyone held their breath.

    Now, at this moment, no one was allowed to advise Thjazi. This was Thrymr''s resolve and Thjazi''s choice. They were two giants who had fought for their race.

    Their intentions were the same, but their methods were different. They may have gotten the result they had wanted, but the aftereffects of their choices were different.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Because of that, with a quiet voice, Thjazi¡¯s ax fell.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    ***

    "Thjazi,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the giant lying on the bed. The giant was a mess. However, even still, there wasn¡¯t a single bandage to be seen on his body.

    <i>¡®I guess¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if there was even a bandage he could put on the giant. There was a chance he would have to uproot the very foundation of Utgard in order to find a bandagerge enough to cover Thjazi¡¯s wounds.

    After the rebellion had ended, everyone who eventually learned about Utgard¡¯s internal affairs had been bewildered.

    There was nothing left in Utgard.

    While they didn¡¯t know where in the world and on what the king had spent all of the resources, the few remaining supplies were already disappearing. It was a situation in which all the giants could starve in a short time if this continued.

    Things had gotten so bad that they had reached the cusp of a revolt.

    ¡°Jugyung. Have you arrived?¡±

    ¡°I told you, my name is Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    Lying on a hospital bed, Thjazi turned his eyes to look at Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter was smiling like someone who had made a harmless joke.

    "Don''t you hate me?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked the question he had held in his mind, his clear eyes staring back at the giant.

    If he hadn¡¯t dered his surrender at the crucial moment, then many things could have ended differently. He may not have been able to defeat Thrymr, but he could have led the retreat and returned to defend Utgard once again.

    <i>¡®No, I could have taken him down too.¡¯</i>

    Regardless of what could have happened, it was undeniable that his choices had a profound effect on these giants.

    However, to his surprise, Thjazi expressed his gratitude, "Thank you."

    The giant continued, "Thanks to you, I was able to make the right choice. You¡­"

    Thjazi raised his thumb toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was a thumb that seemed to be at least three times taller than Lee Jun-Kyeong''s height.

    "You are no different from our warguard."

    He was being called a warguard rather than a mercenary. Lee Jun-Kyeongughed bitterly. "I don''t have enough potions to restore your body."

    He threw in some jokes to loosen the awkward atmosphere.

    ¡°Ha Ta is helping me a lot. He also said that he wouldn¡¯t be able to give me acupuncture. Something about it not being any different than getting bit by a mosquito,¡± the giant responded.

    The two of them chatted for a while. Then, the light in Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes changed.

    They seemed a little more steady and a little bit worried.

    "Thjazi." Lee Jun-Kyeong carefully asked his next question, "Do you not regret your choice?"

    ***

    ¡°To think he would say he didn¡¯t have any regrets¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured to himself as he walked down the streets of Utgard.

    When he had asked the giant if he had any regrets, Thjazi had responded without any hesitation.

    <i>¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±</i>

    Seeing those unshakable eyes and hearing that unwavering voice, it was as if he had asked something that he shouldn''t have even questioned.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chuckled. It was good to have no regrets about what happened.

    <i>ng, ng!</i>

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around the noisy street.

    "Let''s fix this from this side first!"

    "Be careful!"

    The giants were repairing the city that was destroyed by the rebellion. Originally, it should have been impossible to restore due to theck of materials.

    <i>¡®To think they would destroy the royal pce and use its materials.¡¯</i>

    Thjazi had been more decisive than expected. Instead of restoring the ruined Utgardian royal pce, he instead had itpletely disassembled and used its parts as materials he supplied to the giants.

    Although that alone most likely wouldn¡¯t be enough, it would have to do for now as it was something that had to be done urgently.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked down the street, his surroundings getting noisy and noisier.

    <i>''Good.''</i>

    The street was full of life.

    It really was strange. The king who had ruled and ordered them around had been killed by a rebellion, and the rebels had taken over the fortress.

    However, the giants, who could be called civilians, were busy moving even more vigorously than before.

    <i>¡®Had he been a tyrant?¡¯</i>

    The king was someone who had been confusing at the very least. Whether it was the strength he had shown for a few moments or his presence, none of that really made sense. However, at this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure about one thing. The king¡¯s presence had clearly been something negative if not a malicious tumor to the giants.

    "Mr. Lee!"

    There was someone waving at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was immersed in thought.

    It was Jeong In-Chang.

    Jeong In-Chang spoke out again, "I''m going to help them out for a bit!"

    He was helping the giants at the recovery site with a bright smile.

    "Goongje!"

    The princess was also with him. As expected from the soulmates, the two moved about quickly and were monopolizing the love of the giants.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at their happy appearances. Finally, he had arrived at his destination.

    "¡­"

    It was the human residential area where he had be a mercenary and lived for a while. He stood in front of what had been his shabby home. Things were a mess here as well.

    Although it was said that it hadn¡¯t suffered any harm from the advance of the Nar, it seemed to be in an even worse state than the giants¡¯ residences.

    As he looked at the ce in front of him,pletely broken and ruined, someone pulled on his sleeve.

    "Mister."

    ¡°I told you to call me oppa. I¡¯m not a mister,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he took out some leftover candies from his inventory and handed them over.

    The child, Jang Si-Eon, epted it.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Teacher Hua Tuo¡­and that Liu Bei Mister¡­and even the other adults¡­¡±

    Jang Si-Eon spoke while counting with her fingers. Eventually, she stopped counting and smiled brightly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "It was all thanks to you, Mister¡ªno, Oppa."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong patted Jang Si-Eon''s head without answering.

    He stood in the midst of a ruined human settlement area, but to think that a child had still approached to thank him. Something felt strange.

    As he looked over at the living area again, someone else came up and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a puzzled face at the appearance of a woman he seemed to have met for the first time. However, the woman spoke before he could say anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m Si-Eon¡¯s mother. I heard that you had also helped me before when I was sick¡­but I¡¯ve only been able to introduce myself now,¡± she said as she pushed a potato into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°As this is everything I have¡­if we meet againter, I¡¯ll surely repay you in a wonderful way.¡±

    After she expressed her thanks, the woman took Si-Eon and walked away.

    <i>¡®A wonderful repayment, huh.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment as he looked at the potato in his hand. When they were in Mt. Baekdu, there had been so many potatoes that he hadn¡¯t even wanted to look at them.

    However, here, as the woman had said, it was everything, as it was difficult to find food in a barrennd that had be and of ice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked himself a question.

    Wasn¡¯t this act of giving him everything they had also a wonderful repayment?

    <i>Crash!</i>

    At that moment, several buildings copsed.

    ¡°Oh dear, I told you to be careful!¡±

    He heard people¡¯s voices.

    "You have to dismantle it! You can''t break it!"

    There were people in that direction, destroying the houses they had lived in and collecting the wreckage.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached them and asked them a question, ¡°Do you know where those people are?¡±

    Although it was out of the blue, the residents smiled brightly and responded, ¡°They are over on that side!¡±

    "Thanks!"

    "Thank you!"

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong walked in the direction indicated by the residents, the residents'' thanks echoed from behind him.

    ***

    ¡°Heave, ho!¡±

    The area where Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived had a construction site that was busier than the residential area on the outer border where his previous house had been located.

    Destruction was taking ce around him, and the residents wereughing as they demolished their homes and rejoicing as they lifted up the rubble.

    In the midst of that ¡°gruesome¡± scene, two men called out to him.

    ¡°Mr. Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    One was Hua Tuo, also known as Won-Hwa, the man he hade to China for.

    The other was Liu Bei.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The man in front of him had supposedly betrayed the humans around him and stood on the side of the Nar, but in truth, he had made such a hard choice for his people.

    Now, the results were showing.

    After winning the battle and getting what he had desired, Liu Bei hade back and exined the details to the others. In return, the humans of Utgard moved on as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    <i>¡®Well¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®As we haven¡¯t suffered any irreparable damage¡­¡¯</i>

    The results of their talks had been good, and that was why this sort of destruction was taking ce now.

    ¡°Where do you think you all will go?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Liu Bei shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. My two younger brothers are currently conducting reconnaissance over a few ces we had seen before, so we should decide it soon.¡±

    This was the result that had been obtained by winning the battle. All of the humans in Utgard had decided to leave the fortress. This was a ce where they werepletely different in civilization, culture, history, and even race.

    Utgard was the safest ce for them, and if they chose to stay in the fortress, they most likely would have been able to find peace with them someday¡­

    ¡°Soon, we will take back our country.¡±

    The residents had decided to join in the cause of Liu Bei.

    They wanted to try for the reconstruction of China. For that to happen, the people of China had to exist, and so these residents would be the people of reconstructed China.

    "The giants have agreed to help protect us until we are settled,¡± the Hunter said.

    Liu Bei seemed to be satisfied with everything.

    "And again¡­ There will be a lot of work to be done in the future."

    He looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "I will travel around maind China as soon as the residents have settled down. Just in case, I have to go search for survivors that we may not know about."

    Having said that, he looked at the residents and continued, "Furthermore¡­ There is something I would like you to help with."

    Liu Bei''s eyes were trembling.

 Chapter 98: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 8

    <h4>Chapter 98: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 8</h4>

    "There is something I would like you to help with."

    Thjazi had kept the promise Thrymr had made and recognized the independence of the humans as Liu Bei had wanted. Thus, he helped protect them and had decided to form an alliance with them.

    Knowing the circumstances of deste giants, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see how big the decision Thjazi had made was. Moving beyond the circumstances, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, ¡°And what is the request you wanted?¡±

    Having set aside his feelings, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke confidently.

    Liu Beiughed for a moment at the difference in demeanor and then continued with his request, ¡°It still seems as though it will be difficult to rebuild China.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I will spare no effort for the cause, but in this barrennd, it¡¯s clear that the ordinary people, who don¡¯t have the vitality of the giants, will soon get sick and die.¡±

    A look of concern appeared on Liu Bei''s face.

    "Therefore."

    However, that concern quickly turned into something else: hope and passion.

    ¡°We¡¯re considering crossing the wall.¡±

    ¡°The wall?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Liu Bei rified, "The very wall you came through. It''s the best way to get food and resources."

    It meant that Liu Bei nned on rebuilding China by going to Korea¡ªno, going to anyone who was willing to help them, regardless of who it was.

    ¡°Is there any way you could help with that¡­?¡± Liu Bei asked cautiously.

    There was nothing he could give to Lee Jun-Kyeong aspensation right now. The only option he had was to speak of righteousness and promises of future rewards.

    Anyone worth their weight wouldn¡¯t dirty their hands without some sort of reward.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. It is the best way.¡±

    However, contrary to what he had been worried about, Lee Jun-Kyeong readily epted. However, his expression wasn¡¯t good. It wasn¡¯t because he was worried about the burden.

    ¡°But, it most likely wouldn¡¯t be a good choice.¡±

    Liu Bei, and even Won-Hwa, who was off to the side silently listening to the story, looked at the Hunter.

    ¡°There will be many changes from this point on.¡±

    "What¡­"

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to cross through the wall, and to be honest, it might even be a bad decision to try to break through it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    He looked beyond the fortress with a worried expression.

    ¡°It would be better just to stay here if that¡¯s your n. Completely better.¡±

    ¡°..."

    ¡°Stay in this Utgard¡ªno, build fortresses even greater than this one and survive through what¡¯sing. It may honestly be safer here. For the time being¡­¡±

    However, he knew things wouldn¡¯t be as easy as he made them sound.

    First, there was the biggest problem.

    Food.

    "Use this for food."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took something out of his inventory and handed it to Liu Bei.

    "This¡­?"

    Liu Bei''s expression seemed to betray his confusion.

    The object he saw in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands was something he had never seen before. It looked like some kind of fruit, but at the same time, a stone.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, "It¡¯s a type of monster called a purimo."

    It was a monster that had a certain probability of appearing in gates that contained goblin-type monsters.

    ¡°It¡¯s also a nt.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Liu Bei seemed to have grasped what it was to some degree as Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to exin.

    ¡°It won¡¯t taste good. However, they are edible and can grow in any environment.¡±

    The single purimo in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands wasn¡¯t the only one in his inventory either. There were at least dozens in his possession.

    ¡°They will grow quickly as long as you feed them the bones of monsters as nutrients. At least you won¡¯t ever grow hungry,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    Liu Bei stood with a shocked expression.

    However, the real reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought them wasn¡¯t because of the Chinese. Instead, as he had inferred that the giants would have most likely been experiencing a food shortage, he had brought them on the off chance that there was any possibility for negotiations with them.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong has some more as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much,¡± Liu Bei said with sincerity as he bowed his head and expressed his gratitude. However, there was another issue that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to address.

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the only issue, though. You should have been able to get by even without this in terms of food, but what were you nning for the cold?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    It was said that there was a spell formation of some kind that could be used to avoid the cold to some extent, but for the humans who wanted to leave the walls of the fortress, the ordinary people among them would copse in no time.

    But whether it was the materials to build the walls, the firewood to create warmth or even Hunters who would be able to create protective spell formations¨Cthere seemed to be an insufficient number of them.

    ¡°For now, the giants have promised to lend their power¡­¡± Liu Bei said.

    ¡°But you won''t be able to borrow their power forever,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¡°I know, but there is still a way. There are a few Hunters who can use magic, so we¡¯ll focus on their growth,¡± Liu Bei answered.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that the Hunter would eventually figure out some sort of n, he decided to make him an offer.

    ¡°Tell me when you¡¯ve settled down. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    Liu Bei looked like he was about to cry.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be for free,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly said, wanting to avoid feeling like he was in a new-wave drama.

    Furthermore, even though he was being serious about wanting to be paid, Liu Bei grabbed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands quickly and shook them as if his demands were natural.

    ¡°Of course! I will definitely repay this favor!¡±

    With a smile so wide it looked as if it would tear through his face, Liu Bei continued with some indecipherable nonsense, ¡°I will for sure! Even if I have to go around selling straw mats, I¡¯ll definitely repay this favor!¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also had something he needed to speak to Won-Hwa about, but the other man was quite busy. The physician was not only aiding in preparations for the humans, but also treating the giants and the Hunters who had been wounded. Thus, their conversation had been postponed untilter.

    Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong went to go meet a different person that he had needed to speak with before he left the residential area.

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike the lively atmosphere of Utgard, or the busy mor of the Chinese human residential area that was prepared to migrate, the ce he was in was nothing but dark and gloomy.

    The giants in this area quietly stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong only received an acknowledging gaze from them as he slightly nodded in greeting. He passed by the entrance and went in a little further.

    It was a shabby ce barely held together by the hides of the monsters, the white fang.

    <i>That</i> being was in this ce.

    ¡°Thrymr.¡±

    Thrymr had told Thjazi to kill him, and the giant had swung his ax toward him in return. However, Thrymr hadn¡¯t died, and he was the alive giant that was sitting in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong right now.

    Thjazi hadn¡¯t struck the final blow.

    Thrymr.

    <i>¡®He survived.¡¯</i>

    Although he had been turned into a mess in the battle against Utgard-Loki, he was recovering quickly, as expected from the mightiest warrior among the remaining giants.

    "Have youe? Mr. Interesting Person."

    Thrymr raised his head and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong as he struggled to move.

    There were holes all over his body, and the flesh rent from his bones had been enough to form a small mountain, so it had been a fluke just for him to be alive.

    <i>¡®Thjazi¡­¡¯</i>

    The giant had allowed Thrymr to live.

    Even though he had a reason, Thrymr still was a giant that had killed his own kin and caused a rebellion.

    Now, he sat here, asking Lee Jun-Kyeong a question.

    "How is the new chieftain of the giants?"

    Thjazi had be the chieftain, so Thrymr asked about how the giant was faring.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, "If you''re curious, why don''t you meet him in person?"

    Thrymrughed.

    Utgard-Loki had been the one to quash the rebellion and use his own kin as test subjects, while also being the ughterer who scapegoated the humans as the cause of the epidemic that had been created during the process of using his own kin as test subjects.

    In Utgard, where he had died, Alvaldi¡¯s son, the Blue Frost Giant¡¯s Warguard Leader Thjazi, had ascended to rece him as chieftain.

    As for Thrymr¡­

    ¡°What being would like it when his enemyes searching for him?¡±

    The surviving Thrymr decided to lead the Nars again.

    Originally, Thjazi had told him to be the next chieftain¨Cthat he would forget any mistakes, so the giant should be the one to lead Utgard and the giants as Thrymr. After all, he had once been a candidate for chieftain and would be an indispensable part of the revival of the giants as the strongest warrior among them.

    <i>¡®I cannot.¡¯</i>

    However, Thrymr had refused adamantly.

    <i>¡®Regardless of what the reason was for, as someone with the blood of my own kin staining my hands, I can never be the one to lead the giants. If that¡¯s your intention¡­¡¯</i>

    He had stood up and dered his refusal.

    <i>¡®I will be the eternal enemy of Utgard. Thjazi, you will rise to the chieftain''s seat and take control of the giants. Assemble them all to face the enemy named the Nar. In that way, you can stabilize them against amon foe, and you can¡­revive the frost giant n.¡¯</i>

    Thrymr said his piece and made his return,ing back to the ce where Lee Jun-Kyeong now found himself alongside the Nar.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cryptically said, "Yes, the enemy, but also, not the enemy."

    Thrymr smiled.

    "Thjazi is recovering. Although he isn¡¯t recovering as quickly as you are, he¡¯s still recovering pretty fast,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong informed the giant.

    ¡°What a relief,¡± the giant answered.

    ¡°How are you by the way?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong then asked.

    <i>Groan.</i>

    Thrymr raised his huge body from a chair made out of monster leather.

    He rose to his enormous height.

    He, who was also thergest giant, looked down at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s recovered enough to grant your request,¡± Thrymr answered.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯te to this ce to talk about something trivial.

    He hade to the strongest of the giants, the most mature giant, for a reason.

    <i>¡®Galdr.¡¯</i>

    He hade to learn their power.

    ***

    Galdr had been used by a few of the giants in the midst of the great battle. It had been deeply imprinted in Lee Jun-Kyeong''s mind as it was a different type of power from the internal qigong.

    However, it contained one of the principles of mana stream.

    The explosive power that emitted from using Galdr was definitely formed using one of the principles of the mana stream, and it was a principle that the Demon King had called limit breaker.

    Limit breaker was a principle that could be used for a short time by exploding forth by circting stored mana to its very limit.

    Galdr was like that principle but strengthened by an incredible amount.

    It waspletely different from internal qigong, which was one of the other principles of mana stream.

    If internal qigong was a technique that created a proper bnce of stability and cirction, then Galdr was essentiallypletely exploding with everything one had.

    Its power was enough to fascinate Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Thank you."

    He had asked Thrymr, the strongest giant warrior and master of Galdr, to learn the skill.

    ¡°No, thanks to you, I have been able to see that everything has worked out well. You, you are regarded as a benefactor of the Nar¡ªno, of the giants.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had be a benefactor to the frost giants and to the Nar. As the one who killed Utgard-Loki, the giants called him by nicknames such as the King Killer.

    As for Thrymr, he called him something even stranger.

    ¡°Loptr-Loki.¡±

    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. Even though he had been sponsored the ability, Jotnar, the ability wasn¡¯t able to interpret the name¡¯s exact meaning.

    Thrymr smiled.

    ¡°It means the one who yed Loki in the ancientnguage of the giants,¡± he answered.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> curls its lips.]

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse> seemed to respond whenever even the mention of the name Loki was heard. Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored the notification and moved on.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±

    He wanted to learn Galdr.

    With Won-Hwa¡¯s aid and the advent of unexpected variables, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been granted incredible power. The river of mana that had been channeled by the mana stream had now be a sea, vast and deep with no end in sight.

    <i>¡®If I can make use of this even a little¡­¡¯</i>

    He thought it would be effective in manipting this newfound power to learn Galdr.

    The mana stream also had the principle of the limit breaker, so as long as he raised the level by training mana stream, it was a vast power that he would have been able to use someday anyway.

    But, if he did it that way, it¡¯d be toote.

    After all, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to train the mana stream to that level.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to learn Galdr, which brought only the limit breaker to the extremes.

    "Galdr is the secret skill of giants, and it is strictly forbidden to pass it on to other races,¡± Thrymr said, lowering his voice as he spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°However, Loptr-Loki is the benefactor of both the surviving giants and me, so I will still pass it on to you. However¡­¡±

    Thrymr''s voice shifted with a tinge of worry.

    ¡°The reason why Galdr is only passed down among the giants is that it is also something that can¡¯t be learned unless one is a giant in the first ce,¡± he continued.

    "¡­"

    ¡°Galdr is a power that forcibly elevates the strength of one¡¯s mana and draws out the potential hidden within the body. However, because of that, the requirement of mana, one of the necessary conditions for using the skill, is absurdly high. Unless one is a giant who was born with a store of mana as huge as one¡¯s size¡­¡±

    Thrymr lowered his gaze as he looked down at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s a skill that can also be called a skill that cannot be learned.¡±

    Galdr was a secret passed down only to the giants and was a power that could only be used when one had a vast store of hidden mana.

    ¡°I have enough,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked up at Thrymr and smiled.

    Suddenly, he did something.

    <i>Rumble. Tremble.</i>

    The mana that Lee Jun-Kyeong was emitting began to cause the space to tremble.

    ¡°I probably have more mana than you do.¡±

    Thrymr smiled. ¡°How good.¡±

    With that, the transmission of Galdr began.

    1. New-wave is a reimed term used to talk about the shift in K-dramas to be more emotional and grounded in a person-to-person connection. This can be anything from ¡°bromance¡± to ¡°opposite sex-friendships,¡± and is even now used to ssify more inclusive dramas. In this case, it¡¯s a subtle allusion to a trope in K-media for characters who ¡°know¡± that they are being put into a bromance situation and work to avoid it.

    2. Liu Bei, the historical figure, is said to have sold straw mats and woven shoes to help provide for his family. He was often mocked by his enemies as a big-eared brat who used to weave mats.

    3. Loptr is another name for Loki. Funnily enough, while Loki is sometimes attested to havee from the word for fire in old Norse, Loptr is thought to havee from the word air.

 Chapter 99: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 9

    <h4>Chapter 99: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 9</h4>

    A few days had passed, and someone hade to see Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Long time no see."

    The man hade down to the base of the Nar.

    ¡°We''ve decided on the settlement,¡± Liu Bei said.

    Apparently, the reconnaissance had ended as behind him were two Hunters. They were the two that Liu Bei had called his brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

    ¡°Where did you decide on?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as he opened his eyes.

    ¡°Beijing.¡±

    ¡°Beijing?¡±

    Beijing, otherwise known as Bukkyeong in Korea, was the former capital of China. Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to remember what that ce had looked like as Beijing was one of the ces that he had passed on the way to Utgard from Mt. Baekdu.

    <i>¡®There are some monsters, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It was definitely a ce that hadn¡¯t undergone absurd disasters as Qingdao or other ces. Furthermore, since it was the capital, there were likely to be some geographical advantages or other resources that could be restored for use.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad choice,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°As expected, you had to have passed it toe to this ce, so you understand its situation well.¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his agreement with their settlement, theplexions of Liu Bei and his brothers brightened.

    ¡°There¡¯s another reason for it as well.¡± Liu Bei added, ¡°Aren¡¯t you from Korea?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him quizzically.

    ¡°Although you had wanted us to strengthen our stronghold and just endure what ising, but¡­we¡­¡±

    The three of them brought together their fists and palms, offering Lee Jun-Kyeong a salute. It was one of the salutes that were a part of the Chinese etiquette greetings, known as po-gwon.

    ¡°If you call us, we will alwayse to your aid. Beijing is a location not too far from Korea. Although we are still weak, we will work diligently so that, one day, we can repay the favor you have shown us,¡± Liu Bei said as they saluted respectfully.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt goosebumps at the sight of their respectful salute. He could feel a wave of emotion stemming from the respect he was given.

    Liu Bei promised, ¡°China never forgets any grace.¡±

    Everything that Lee Jun-Kyeong had done wasn¡¯t something that he had thought about beforehand, and it wasn¡¯t that he had acted with a n from the very beginning. Things had just turned out to be something that ended up benefiting everyone.

    Because of that, Lee Jun-Kyeong was embarrassed by how the three brothers were acting, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling to receive a sincere thank you from them.

    ¡°I understand, thanks,¡± he responded.

    ¡°Good. Then, when do you think you will be ready? We''re almost ready to go."

    They had agreed that once Liu Bei had decided on a settlement, Lee Jun-Kyeong would go there to help. Furthermore, Beijing was on the way back anyway.

    "Three days. Let''s leave in about three days,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he nodded happily.

    "Then¡­we apologize for disturbing your training."

    It was a well-known fact among them that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been learning something from Thrymr. Liu Bei bowed his head in farewell and turned around to leave.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to him before he left, "Wait."

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

    Liu Bei and the others turned around with happy expressions.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had called out to them, thinking that it was a good time to experiment with his Galdr.

    ¡°What do you think about a round of sparring?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Have you grown attached already in this short time?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked quietly.

    "Attached¡­" Won-Hwa thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say that I haven¡¯t. At least, if you call it a love-hate sort of attachment, that is.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned from training Galdr. He was now having a conversation with Won-Hwa as he hadn¡¯t been able to converse with the physician earlier.

    ¡°But, now that I¡¯m about to leave, it¡¯s making me feel a little wistful, is all,¡± Won-Hwa concluded.

    It was the day that the Chinese and Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party would leave Utgard. All the preparations had been made for their journey to the settlement.

    The road to Beijing would obviously be an arduous one as they would be taking along the ordinary people.

    Despite that, the people were rejoicing.

    It was time, time for them to take back their city and their country.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you thought of this city of giants with a form of attachment,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded after Won-Hwa¡¯s surprising answer.

    Won-Hwa, however, shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have any affection for Utgard. Everything that happened here¡­it seems I don¡¯t have many good memories about it. There were patients who suffered every single day. No dreams, no hopes, no future¡­and¡­¡±

    Anger shed over Won-Hwa''s face for a moment.

    ¡°To think the King of Utgard was the one who ughtered the people¡­I had no idea.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to convey any words of constion on the heavy subject.

    ¡°There is nothing else that I regret about this ce,¡± Won-Hwa continued. ¡°It¡¯s just that I now have to leave these people as well.¡±

    .

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? I thought that you were trying to take me along with you, isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Lee?¡± Won-Hwa said as he smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled wryly. "That¡¯s correct."

    This was the very subject that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to discuss with Won-Hwa. Basically, he wanted to take Won-Hwa with him.

    In his future path, Won-Hwa¡¯s ability would be of great help. Furthermore, it would be difficult to rece the physician with anyone else. He hadn¡¯te to this ce in order to find him and just get treatment.

    "I will follow you,¡± the physician replied.

    ¡°Would that really be okay? Doctors are needed everywhere, especially for the Chinese, who are only now just finding a settlement toy roots in,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Won-Hwa turned his gaze elsewhere.

    ¡°Master Hua Tuo is a better doctor than I am.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°He may not be able to offer great treatment to the Hunters, but to ordinary people, he is a greater physician than me. No, than anyone else.¡±

    Hua Tuo was the old man that Lee Jun-Kyeong had initially thought was Won-Hwa. He knew Won-Hwa was right. From what he had seen for a while, it was clear that the old man specialized in healing the ordinary people who weren¡¯t Hunters.

    ¡°Things will be fine with him around. Furthermore¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°If I follow you, Mr. Lee, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for me to bring you back to China in the guise of wanting to see my hometown again?¡±

    Apparently, Won-Hwa was banking on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s aid again with his presence if the Chinese or China ever found itself in crisis again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed out loud.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not losing out at all, then.¡±

    ***

    <i>Thud, thud, thud.</i>

    The ground was shaking, and a great change had begun in Utgard.

    The Chinese residents who had been upying the human residential area were leaving through the gates of the fortress Utgard while the giants and their ice drakes that were escorting them were carrying their baggage.

    In the midst of that mor, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party also joined.

    ¡°Fenrir, help them a little,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong requested. However, the wolf snorted as if it was bothersome.

    ¡°I heard that there were some corpses along the way of the ice drakes that had died in the battle¡­¡±

    ¡°Howl!!¡±

    Fenrir immediately turned into a wolf and headed toward the ce where they were distributing the baggage.

    "Goongje! Goongje!"

    The princess was likewise carrying some baggage.

    Finally, the Chinese were ready to leave Utgard, the ce where they had stayed for quite some time.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    There was one particrly loud sound among the footsteps of the giants.

    ¡°Jugyung.¡±

    ¡°Thjazi.¡±

    Thjazi seemed to have recovered quite a bit with Won-Hwa¡¯s help, so he hade out to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    Many of the giants bowed slightly in his presence.

    Although it was little by little, he was clearly gaining their respect.

    Everyone knew that Thjazi had a sincere heart for the giants, and slowly but surely, he was being acknowledged and epted as their chieftain.

    Thjazi looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Go well,¡± Thjazi said, his farewell not as simple as it seemed

    Although they had only met for a short time, Thjazi was one of the few giants with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had a bond with.

    ¡°If youe again, I¡¯ll try to be there to wee you,¡± Thjazi said yfully as heughed.

    ¡°I may not be able to greet you back if youe out, though,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded back with a straight expression.

    The two looked at each other and smiled.

    Then, he tossed out something he had been curious about.

    "I have a question for you. No matter how much I think about it, I still don¡¯t quite understand how Thrymr is leading the Nar as a faction separate from Utgard.¡±

    Utgard was currently in a dangerous situation.

    On the outside, the giants were strong, so it wasn¡¯t that the monsters were a big deal.

    However, there had been an incredible amount of damage to the warguard due to theck of resources, the civil war, and even the rebellion.

    Knowing that, Thrymr had still insisted on independence at a time when it wouldn¡¯t have been enough even if all the giants had joined forces.

    If Thjazi had killed the giant, as Thrymr had asked, then the Nar would have also been able to join with the frost giants and create a stronger Utgard.

    However, Thjazi hadn¡¯t, and Thrymr had chosen independence.

    <i>''Thrymr.''</i>

    The giant had said that the reason he couldn¡¯t join Utgard was that he had to be its enemy in order to unite the fortress. Furthermore, there was also the issue about the fact that the traitors had been covered in the blood of their own kin and wouldn¡¯t be able to enter Utgard again.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°At this point, wouldn¡¯t it be better to unite regardless of what had happened and survive?¡±

    Just like the Chinese, the giants would be a part of the cataclysm that was soon toe.

    They had to survive.

    Therefore, it was a normal conclusion for them to gather and join forces.

    Even if they had been traitors, or even if they had been true enemies to their own kind, the current situation didn¡¯t allow for luxuries.

    However, Thjazi said firmly in response, ¡°Thrymr is making decisions for the sake of the giants. Furthermore, that is what it means to be a giant.¡±

    The giant spoke with sincerity toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was leaving this ce for thest time.

    ¡°Us giants, with strong fighting spirits and a strong propensity for battle, can only grow when we have an enemy.¡±

    The premise of an enemy, once again.

    Thjazi had told the same story as Thrymr.

    "Monsters are just prey for us, and among those we have fought so far that could even qualify to be our enemies¡­¡±

    Thjazi''s eyes bored into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "There is nothing but you humans."

    "¡­!"

    "Giants need enemies to grow, and if Thrymr had be one of us, then for enemies¡­¡± Thjazi said, trailing off.

    ¡°I guess they would have to be humans,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong concluded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Whether it was Thrymr, or Thjazi¡­

    ¡°This is out of consideration for you humans. No, for you, Lee Jun-Kyeong. Whether it is that you humans win, or us giants, the moment that we be enemies, there will be many sacrifices.¡±

    Thjazi¡¯s eyes watched the Chinese as they exited the fortress.

    ¡°Also, this is a tribute to the race you call humans that aided us.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally understood it. To be a giant, it really was a difficult existence.

    Even within the human race, there were many differences ranging from the civilizations down to even the culture. It made sense that it wasn¡¯t easy to understand their ways, who were fundamentally different from the very beginning in race, and even in worlds.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have much of a choice but to ept it, I guess.¡¯</i>

    Thjazi furrowed his brow as he looked down at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Thank you."

    With a short phrase, Thjazi turned and walked away. A short farewell was the best farewell.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked over to where his party was.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, the princess, Fenrir, Hyeon-Mu who was on the bracelet¡­

    All of a sudden, there was a new member of the party as well.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Won-Hwa.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party started walking within the ranks of the Chinese.

    <i>¡®How regretful.¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt that it was a pity that he hadn¡¯t been able to see Thrymr once more. Like Thjazi, Thrymr had be a distinct presence to Lee Jun-Kyeong. He was now his own master.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    "Why are you smiling?" Jeong In-Chang, seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong''s expression, asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked somewhere.

    Jeong In-Chang looked in that direction, but there was nothing there.

    No, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have anything I regret anymore,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he walked away.

    In the ce where Lee Jun-Kyeong had been standing was a figure dressed in ck.

    It was a colossal giant who couldn¡¯t hide his stature under any circumstances who stood there, watching the procession for a while.

    1. Korea and China have very simr martial greetings (gongsu insa, ??). The key difference between the two is that the Chinese gongsu insa is held at the chest level, and the Korean is at the belly button. Also, in the Chinese version, one only bows slightly, while the Korean one has varying degrees of how deep the bow is based on who you¡¯re greeting.

 Chapter 100: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 10

    <h4>Chapter 100: Romance of the Three Kingdoms Pt. 10</h4>

    Beijing.

    As the city was at the middle point of the party¡¯s journey to Mt. Baekdu, it wasn¡¯t that far of a trek for the procession.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that it wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    ¡°It¡¯s still as horrifyingly impressive as ever.¡±

    They found themselves back at Qingdao, the city that had been turned into cubes of ice, with a vast river tributary thaty in their path.

    Fortunately, Liu Bei hadn¡¯t begun this journey without any preparations.

    "Get in!"

    As the direct descendant of the previous general secretary, he seemed to know many things about things along the way and many things they could make use of. Ships that hadn¡¯t been there when Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had passed this area were sitting anchored in the river.

    ¡°The Hunters will distribute themselves among the ships, and as for the giants¡­¡±

    ¡°We will handle our own crossing.¡±

    The giants seemed to have their own method of crossing the river.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party also divided themselves among several ships in order to protect the ordinary humans from any possible underwater attacks.

    "Fenrir. Are you sleepy?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the boy sitting next to him.

    "Slee¡­py¡­¡±

    After the battle with the king, Fenrir, who had initially slept quite a bit, seemed to fall asleep more frequently and for more extended periods. Lee Jun-Kyeong had a guess as to what had caused the change.

    <i>¡®Is he undergoing growth?¡¯</i>

    The seal must have been slowly releasing, restoring the wolf closer to his incredible might.

    Apparently, the wolf was fatigued in order to amodate that power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stroked Fenrir''s head gently, careful not to disturb his sleep. The boy''s long white hair gently shook from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand.

    <i>Groan!!</i>

    Before they knew it, the ship had departed and began to course through the river quickly. While it wasn¡¯t as fast as Fenrir, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no issues with it because this was a much safer path.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    "Oh my God."

    "Did the giants really have that ability?¡±

    Then, people were cheering as they looked at the river. Although they had been with the giants for close to two years, this was the first time they had seen this side of the giants.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    They were walking through the river.

    Regardless of how big they were, they weren¡¯t sorge that they could have reached the bottom of the river, so it was a mystery as to how they could walk across the river.

    The people cheered in wonder at their appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s Galdr.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew how they were doing it.

    They were using momentary explosions of mana every time they stepped down in the river.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s even possible.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had also learned Galdr and also understood its principles, but was very ignorant of the methods to utilize it. Once he saw that there was that sort of a method for usage, his expression got much better.

    "Mr. Lee."

    "Guan Yu."

    Someone approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, and as Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa were on different ships, there was only one person on the boat that was able to speak to him.

    He nodded in greeting and looked over at the giants.

    ¡°It really is amazing."

    ¡°...¡±

    The two stood, watching the giants without a word.

    Guan Yu looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and asked carefully, ¡°How is it that you are so strong?¡±

    The two brothers had followed Liu Bei and came to find Lee Jun-Kyeong in the Nar¡¯s stronghold. At that time, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked them for a spar, which they had dly epted.

    However, the results had been disastrous.

    They had thought that they would have been able to fight back to some extent, but it had beenpletely different from before.

    They had lost without even being able tost for five minutes against Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°We already knew that you were able to use internal qigong.¡±

    Guan Yu was one of the Chinese Hunters who was able to use internal qigong.

    ¡°And¡­we know that you also know the giant¡¯s Galdr.¡±

    There was something glimmering in Guan Yu¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°We also had tried to teach the Nar internal qigong and also learn Galdr ourselves, but at least for the Galdr, we werepletely unable to control it. So I would like to be strong.¡±

    Guan Yu saluted Lee Jun-Kyeong, bowing towards him with his fist sped in his palm.

    ¡°Can you tell me your secret?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded firmly, "I''m sorry."

    "As expected¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing. I overstepped. I¡¯m sorry to have troubled you,¡± Guan Yu apologized and turned back over to the giants again.

    After a moment of awkward silence, Lee Jun-Kyeong piped up, ¡°You most likely won¡¯t be able to learn Galdr. I understood it when I learned it myself. For anyone who¡¯s not me¡­it¡¯ll be difficult to learn Galdr. It would be the same for you as well, Mr. Guan Yu.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t refused just because he didn¡¯t want to tell him.

    ¡°Furthermore, Mr. Guan Yu, you won¡¯t need to learn it anyway.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, advising Guan Yu, who aspired to be strong.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there some Chinese saying or another? All roads lead to one.¡±

    ¡°W¨¤n li¨² gu¨© z¨­ng¡­¡±

    ¡°As long as you train your internal qigong enough, you¡¯ll end up being able to use a skill simr to the Galdr. No¡­you¡¯ll be able to use something even stronger than that.¡±

    Guan Yu raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to be strong. No, you already are strong, so continue down this path,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    "I see¡­ This¡­¡±

    The Hunter bowed again.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    He saluted once again, his fist sped within his palm, bowing even further.

    "I owe you once again. I will never forget this kindness."

    Although he had just said a few words, Guan Yu had seemed to have gained some great enlightenment.

    <i>¡®You¡¯re going to have to grow even further.¡¯</i>

    That didn¡¯t mean that there was much that changed within Guan Yu at that moment, but it would serve as a foundation for his future growth.

    "Thank you."

    As Guan Yu expressed his gratitude once again, the ship began to rumble.

    "What?"

    "What''s this?"

    Before they knew it, the giants began to roar as if they were getting ready for battle.

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    "It''s a monster!"

    At the riverbed below the base of the ship, they could feel the mana emanating from monsters.

    Looking over at the other ship, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw that they had already gotten ready forbat.

    <i>Shing!!</i>

    Guan Yu also prepared for battle, withdrawing a sharp guandao.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down at his hand. It had been a long time since he hadst drawn Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by catching the monsters for now,¡± he remarked.

    A monster threatening the people and breaking through the ship in the middle of the river would have been a great disaster. Therefore, they would have to take care of them.

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Guan Yu quickly took a stance.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Before they knew it, a huge thing burst through the river. As it fell toward the ship, it resembled the tentacle of a giant octopus.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the boat and jumped up, a smile on his lips.

    Not only were there giants, but there were also a great number of Hunters, so there was no reason for anyone to get hurt. Furthermore, the monsters didn¡¯t seem to be very strong.

    All they amounted to was experience for him!

    He hadn¡¯t been able to hunt properly since he hade to thend of the giants, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was hungry for a level-up.

    ***

    Although there were a few crises that had happened along the way, not a single person had been left behind, and not a single issue they couldn¡¯t ovee had urred.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived¡­¡±

    They had arrived in Beijing.

    Everyone, including Liu Bei, looked around at their surroundings.

    A demolished Beijing.

    There wasn¡¯t a single proper building left, and the rubble was covered in ice and snow.

    ¡°Chwiiik!¡±

    Even though there were monsters wandering around in the distance, countless people were shedding tears of emotion.

    "Beijing..."

    "It''s Beijing!"

    "We¡¯ve arrived¡­arrived¡­¡±

    Some were hugging others and shedding tears, while some were just staring nkly at the ruined city.

    For some reason, Lee Jun-Kyeong almost felt a little touched.

    ¡°Sniff¡­ It¡¯s so touching.¡±

    However, when he saw Jeong In-Chang crying with his nose running, the emotions within him disappeared in an instant.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong left Jeong In-Chang behind and observed the people.

    The ruined city.

    Having journeyed all the way here, the people had passed through cities they had lived in or cities they had been to. So many people had been indignant and wept at the sights of all of the destroyed and devastated cities.

    It had hurt, but things were different here.

    Eventually, Liu Bei came forward to the head of the procession and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Everyone. Although this is what Beijing may look like now¡­¡±

    He was also shedding tears as he spoke. It was hard to tell what was going through his mind, whether it was anger or sadness.

    But there was one thing that was certain.

    ¡°This ce will go back to what it used to be.¡±

    The Hunter had hope.

    "We will¡­"

    Liu Bei pulled out his sword and lifted it high.

    "We will make it! We will survive! We will make it through! Let us make a ce for our offspring to survive¡­!¡±

    The people began to shout at his loud exmation.

    "We can do it!"

    "Let''s do it!"

    "Damn it, let''s do this!"

    Although the monsters had felt themotion and approached, the giants gathered together to aid them, keeping the monsters from disturbing them.

    ¡°Oorah!¡±

    The people had gathered together, and their words of affirmation spread to be a rallying cry.

    ¡°We will survive!¡±

    ***

    The residents were building structures for immediate shelter using the materials that had been brought by the giants. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Liu Bei looked down from the vantage point of the wreckage of a destroyed building.

    ¡°What¡¯s the reason that you have to settle down here?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong carefully brought up a question that he hesitated to ask earlier due to worrying about being rude.

    This would mean China¡¯s reconstruction, but choosing this settlement was a very difficult and dangerous path.

    ¡°You could have also chosen to survive in another country and return back to your homndter.¡±

    Furthermore, at this point, where it would be difficult to interact with other countries, their choice to settle meant that China¡¯s civilization would have to revert back decades.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t saying this because he felt as though Liu Bei was insisting stubbornly on settling down. He was just asking because he wondered why they had decided on such a hard choice.

    ¡°I believe in this,¡± Liu Bei said out of the blue.

    ¡°There must be¡­in this hellishndscape¡­there must be¡­¡±

    He looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°There must be some surviving people somewhere.

    He paused before continuing, ¡°If we take these people somewhere, go to Korea or even a different country, then yes, it¡¯s true, we would be able to survive.¡±

    Liu Bei¡¯s voice was firm.

    ¡°However, if there are any people alive, how do we know that they aren¡¯t just waiting for protection or even rescue from the state? Therefore, if we go to another country, we would be giving them up.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve tried endlessly. Even in the midst of our hardship in Utgard, we still sent Hunters to search for survivors.¡±

    His countenance soon darkened.

    ¡°But¡­we couldn¡¯t find a ce for them to survive in. Although the King of Utgard had been an unbelievable being, we still had tried to bring them there because there was nowhere else for them to go. However, the king still refused.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°And as you saw, the city of the Nar¡­it¡¯s not a ce where someone could survive.¡±

    Heughed bitterly.

    ¡°We tried so hard, but many of the people we had barely been able to save died. But, there were still some that survived, so¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped reading his expression and instead turned his gaze down toward the beginning of China¡¯s reconstruction.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring them here. We will rally the survivors and survive. So that no one would forget that China is still a country. So that we will not be brutally robbed of our homnd. Of course¡­¡±

    Liu Bei continued with a hollow smile.

    ¡°Anyone who wants to leave will be able to leave. If that happens¡­ Although I¡¯m ashamed to ask again, I''ll have to humbly request your aid again.¡±

    "I''ll think about it."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at him, and they both smiled at each other.

    1. A four-character poem in Chinese, is the origin of the quote Lee Jun-Kyeong gave.

 Chapter 101: The Return Home

    <h4>Chapter 101: The Return Home</h4>

    Utgard-Loki.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of the dead king of the giants during the entire journey to Beijing.

    Although their meeting had been short, his presence had been impressive due to his horrific actions.

    It had left an impression on him. Of course, there was another reason as well.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> isughing.]

    He had also left an impression due to the response of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Either way.

    <i>¡®As a person who used humans as experiments to build an army¡­¡¯</i>

    The giant had been Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s least favorite kind of genius. He had tried to merge the giant¡¯s dr with the internal qigong of the Chinese Hunters. In the process, he had lost giants to a gue and abandoned them to die.

    Then, as an exnation for the gue, he had turned the Humans into scapegoats and ughtered them¡­

    He had been an extraordinary type of garbage.

    However, a question still remained.

    <i>¡®How did he get control?¡¯</i>

    Thjazi had taken control of Utgard and investigated all of the giants that could use magic among those that had survived in the royal pce.

    No, he had actually investigated everyone in the ce. In fact, the entire Utgardian tribe had been investigated.

    However, nothing came of it.

    <i>¡®We really don¡¯t know¡­¡¯</i>

    It turned out that the figures in the royal pce had nothing to do with the insane giants that had been created by the king.

    They weren¡¯t lying either.

    The interrogation of the giants wasn¡¯t something that anyone could endure and not say anything.

    Those being interrogated couldn¡¯t lie, and it had turned out that the king had created the insane giants by himself without anyone¡¯s aid.

    <i>¡®He had somehow gained control of them on his own as well.¡¯</i>

    The insane giants.

    Just as their names hinted, the king had somehow found a way to manipte the giants that were as close to insanity as a being could be.

    <i>¡®The king¡¯s Galdr.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had inferred that the special Galdr that the king had exuded in his battle with Thrymr must have been the secret to his control. However, not a single giant had a clue about that particr power of the king.

    The king had studied internal qigong on his own, created the insane giants, and had even created a special type of Galdr in order to take control of them.

    It didn¡¯t make any sense.

    <i>¡®Although the king had been an incredible warrior, he definitely wasn¡¯t someone who had that sort of ability or genius.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had even confirmed it through Thjazi and Thrymr¡¯s testimonies.

    But, if that was the case, then it meant that there was a third party.

    There was someone or something that had to have intervened in the nightmare of Utgard.

    However, no matter how hard Lee Jun-Kyeong tried, he wasn¡¯t able to figure out who had been the one to intervene or how that person may have done it.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that everything pointed to <i>that</i> being.

    <i>¡®The ck Shroud.¡¯</i>

    It was a ck shroud that would leave an ufortable feeling in its wake.

    Furthermore, there was also the Demon King.

    The Demon King had popped up in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind.

    Although he had known that the Demon King had begun training in the mana stream after visiting China, it wasn¡¯t until he had gotten here that he had learned that the mana stream had been influenced by the internal qigong of the Chinese Hunters and the Galdr of the giants.

    And, if that really was the case¡­

    <i>¡®If I follow along the Demon King¡¯s steps¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he would eventuallye across all the various principles of the mana stream, and that meant that he would be able to use them to strengthen his mana stream.

    He had found a new path for his growth.

    His leveling rate had slowed down. While this path may not solve all of his issues, it was still a way for him to quickly be even stronger.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s the Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    This was a way for him to catch up to him.

    However, it wasn¡¯t all good news.

    Why didn¡¯t the Demon King write down what had happened within the city of the giants? Also, there was also Gigantomachia.

    If it was the Thjazi and Thrymr of now, or even Liu Bei and his party, or the Chinese Hunters that had begun reconstruction within Beijing, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think that they would choose to march toward the veil and cause destruction on their own.

    Gigantomachia.

    There had to have been something behind it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that the reason could have been the same as before. He believed that the ck Shroud might have also been the cause.

    However, there was also the chance that the Demon King could have been the one to have made the wrong choice as well.

    The Demon King had been a powerful man and a man of purpose.

    He would have been more active within the city of the giants than Lee Jun-Kyeong had been, and it was clear that his activities would either have directly or indirectly affected the giants and the Chinese Hunters.

    If the Demon King had made the wrong choice¡­

    <i>¡®If he had been the one to start Gigantomachia¡­¡¯</i>

    The Demon King hadn¡¯t appeared during Gigantomachia, and the war could have been a disgrace that had been caused by his choices.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could also see a world where the Demon King had just not informed anyone about this.

    However, all this line of thinking amounted to was a hypothesis.

    In truth, this was something he knew nothing about.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed.

    Regardless of the past, he would change the present.

    Although the Demon King hadn¡¯t been able to do it, he had seeded.

    Wasn¡¯t that the most important thing at this moment?

    ¡°Mr. Lee!"

    Jeong In-Chang, whom he hadn¡¯t been able to speak with these days, waved at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Again! There¡¯s another festival!¡±

    Now that he took a moment to pay attention, he could see that there were people who were roughly getting ready and beginning to cook over arge file.

    It was a festival. The end seemed to always end with a festival.

    "I''m on my way."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from his seat and headed over to the group.

    ***

    "Wow!"

    The people were excited about having their own festival for the first time. Laughter constantly rang about, and the food was abundant due to the monsters they had hunted here and there. This was in addition to the corpses of the monsters they had hunted when they had crossed the river.

    ¡°Of course! This is what it means to be alive!¡±

    ¡°Although it¡¯s been hard¡­ isn¡¯t life always hard anyway?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s be thankful for surviving through it!¡±

    The thrum of people rang out, and the giants also enjoyed the festival, eating prey from afar.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡± Jeong In-Chang called out, "Isn''t it beautiful that every end is a festival?"

    This festival was also due to the great results that had happened because of their actions.

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at the mes, his pupils trembling as if he was extremely moved.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up. After all, he was someone who could be called the main character of the festival.

    As he stood up, the people around him cheered and shouted.

    "Are you dancing or something?"

    "Sing! Sing!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at them.

    With a slight thump, he stepped forth on the snow-covered ground toward the biggest bonfire in the center of the area.

    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s going to show us something!¡± someone said as the people cheered even more.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Hunters among the crowd shut up.

    Anyone who had mana could feel it. Lee Jun-Kyeong was emitting an incredible amount of mana.

    "Let''s put on a finale for the festival," Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he circted his strength even further.

    His enhanced mana stream, increased level, the expanded sea of mana, all of the mana he had absorbed in the formation and the explosive mana that waspressed using Galdr was all beginning to circte within Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    [Your mana is reaching a boiling point.]

    He heard a warning notification, a notification that he heard every time he used Galdr.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand with a smile. All of the mana in his whole body was pumping its way to one point, flocking to his fingertips.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Lee Jun-Kyeong also held Muspel¡¯s Spear in one hand, his mana resonating with the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    As such, the people stood, their mouths hanging open.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Shing!</i>

    A sun rose again in the sky.

    <i>Shine!</i>

    The earth, which was covered in ice, began to melt away little by little.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong stood basking in the light of the sun he had created, he smiled.

    [Your mana has condensed to create a core!]

    An unexpected notification rang in his ears.

    [Due to the influence of the dragon¡¯s blood¡­]

    [A weak dragon heat has been created.]

    It was an unbelievable side effect and an achievement just as incredulous as the notification had sounded.

    ***

    Liu Bei asked, "Are you leaving now?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll finish a few things today, and then we will set out.¡±

    Liu Bei''s face darkened.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong consoled the Hunter with an honest expression, "We will meet another day."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said his farewells to Liu Bei after a while and walked through the vige.

    He thought about Beijing, and the Chinese residents that had settled within its borders.

    The residents were working briskly and busily, and to his surprise, while the area wasn¡¯t warm, it had still been transformed into a human-inhabitable climate.

    ¡°How nice.¡±

    Because thend had melted a little, it had turned into an environment where crops could be grown.

    ¡°Hey! He-who-raises-the-sun! Have you arrived?¡±

    All of this had been thanks to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°What sort of jokes are you ying?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke, haha. It¡¯s true! You¡¯re the one who went, ¡°tada!¡± and raised the sun!¡± Jeong In-Chang said yfully.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    As the Hunter had said, Lee Jun-Kyeong had forcefully raised the sun again.

    Unlike the power that he had lucked out in being able to use in the battle with the king, it had been created this time by even including Galdr.

    ¡°It¡¯s even melting the earth¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Furthermore, the sun that he had raised had even melted the earth, giving it life.

    ¡°Later on, I¡¯ll write about it in my autobiography, or¡­ Well, you never know, right? As there are many people who are curious about you, Mr. Lee, if I ever have the chance to do an interview, I¡¯ll definitely have to talk about this.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m preparing ahead of time.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong massaged the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.

    ¡°We have some stuff we have to handle soon, so get ready,¡± he informed Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Are we really leaving today?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, having heard Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s instructions, looked a little stiff.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We are going to look for some things so that we can make sure they can maintain their warmth even after we leave.¡±

    <i>¡®Jeong In-Chang really does have a lot of affection in him.¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself. <i>¡®Is that what the Jeong in his name¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed down hisme joke and walked out. As he had said, they would be leaving this ce today.

    However, that meant that the warmth that had been maintained using his power would disappear. In order to avoid that, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been busy touring the settlement for a few days.

    ¡°Hmm..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped outside the settlement and looked around.

    ¡°That seems appropriate.¡±

    He was looking at some rebar and concrete that was sticking out of the rubble of a building. Lee Jun-Kyeong easily lifted it up and inserted it in a ce outside of the settlement.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    Then, he injected mana into the rebar.

    <i>¡®I should thank Park Jae-Hyun.¡¯</i>

    He was using the mana infusion that he had mastered by watching over the cksmith¡¯s shoulder while they were in the workshop. It had been incredibly helpful in China.

    Gradually, the inserted rebar was infused with heat, and this heat would spread throughout the earth and heat the settlement.

    <i>¡®This is thest.¡¯</i>

    He had even considered how the settlement would expand in the future and had built dozens of rebar in this method.

    Now that he had finished providing them with heat, Lee Jun-Kyeong held up Merlin¡¯s ne and spoke aloud.

    "Protection."

    Now, even though he had removed his hand, the heat didn¡¯t dissipate, having been installed with a protective spell left to contain it.

    As long as someone didn¡¯t destroy the rebar on purpose, then the current heat would remain within the structure.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m done,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked around.

    Now, all of the work that had to be done in China had beenpleted. It had only been a short time, but there had been an incredible amount of things that had urred while they were in China.

    Above all.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed the air in front of him.

    There had been many things he had gained.

    Especially when it came to growth, while he couldn¡¯t say that his leveling had been significant, he had grown a lot beyond that.

    The first thing was the growth of his mana stream, which had be stronger through the addition of internal qigong and Galdr.

    <i>¡®Whew¡­ I still can''t believe it.¡¯</i>

    The second had been the dragon heart, created by the power he had gained in the repeated crises.

    Whether it was a Hunter or even those who weren¡¯t Hunters, it was something that was coveted by everyone and admired. It had an enormous amount of mana and was used to produce top-level mana equipment due to its incredible efficiency even when making use of that enormous mana. That was what had been created inside Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    Even though he was a human, Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained a dragon heart.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t even try to use the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, but to think that it would produce a dragon heart¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that there hadn¡¯t ever been a human who had obtained a dragon heart before.

    While it was difficult to tell right now, Jeong In-Chang, Siegfried, who had been a powerful Hero in the past, had, ording to recorded facts, used a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone in order to obtain a dragon heart. The Demon King had also done the same to gain one as well.

    Its powerful force would further elerate the growth of a Hero and, through its strength, would create a body that could never die.

    <i>¡®However, it¡¯s not perfect.¡¯</i>

    His dragon heart wasn¡¯tplete yet.

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had now was a pebble chipped off of a great mountain.

    Although it would eventually be a mountain if it grew and grew, he didn¡¯t think it would be of much help at this moment.

    "Well... It''s better than nothing."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong left the area whileughing.

    Everything had turned out well.

    1. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s family name, Jeong, is a homonym with the word for affection or attachment, Jeong.

 Chapter 102: The Return Home Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Return Home Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what we spoke about,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. Just in case he had only informed Liu Bei about what he had done.

    If anyone found out that the rebar that had been left unattended outside of the settlement was the primary source of warmth, then they would have the power to destroy their source of life.

    That was why he had only told Liu Bei about them as he was the one responsible for managing the settlement.

    Liu Bei nodded briskly as if he was afraid to say what they had spoken about aloud.

    ¡°In the future, we¡¯ll focus on finding any survivors and stabilizing the settlement,¡± he responded. "And¡­if we get the chance, we will head to the outside."

    The progression was a given. Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted them first to secure their defenses in this ce, but not for them topletely iste themselves from the outside world.

    It wouldn¡¯t be possible for them to survive like that again.

    There was a shortage of materials and engineers, and it was still difficult to judge if any of the survivors were capable.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be fully prepared before you venture to the outside,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong advised.

    Liu Bei asked, ¡°How much is fully prepared?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment before he responded, ¡°You¡¯ll have to be strong enough to deal with Jeong In-Chang alone, Mr. Liu Bei.¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong had been wandering around the edge of the settlement for the past few days, working on a way for the settlement to stay warm, Jeong In-Chang had helped the Hunters with their training and cultivation.

    Since they had only lived in China, the Chinese Hunters were ignorant of how the Hunters on the outside fought and grew.

    Therefore, Jeong In-Chang taught them many things on behalf of Lee Jun-Kyeong, engaging in numerous sparring exercises.

    "I''ll do my best."

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at Liu Bei''s determined words.

    "Thank you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mused that it seemed like it had been a good experience for Jeong In-Chang. After all, he could visibly see how much the Hunter had grown. Furthermore, Jeong In-Chang had learned internal qigong from the Chinese Hunters.

    When it came to internal qigong, it was said that the skill¡¯s effects had a wide range in performance based on the person who had taught the skill. Still, the internal qigong that Lee Jun-Kyeong had learned had been Won-Hwa¡¯s personal skill, which was just as good, if not better, than the internal qigong that Liu Bei specialized in.

    The internal qigong that Jeong In-Chang had learned was Liu Bei¡¯s version, which he had perfected alongside Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.

    ¡°Originally, it¡¯s prohibited to pass on our cultivation methods carelessly, but we¡¯ve made an exception as it was for Mr. Jeong and Mr. Lee. As we¡¯ve also given Mr. Jeong permission to teach you the cultivation method, so you should be able to learn it as well whenever you have time,¡± Liu Bei said.

    Then, Liu Bei bowed his head alongside his brothers, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also bowed in response.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa!"

    Then, he called out to Won-Hwa, who was still treating people.

    ¡°Please make sure you take these tinctures.¡±

    Despite being called, Won-Hwa continued to speak with each and every patient, taking care to provide them with his full attention before finishing up and finallying to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    ¡°Growl.¡±

    Fenrir had gone to take care of the monsters around them earlier while looking for food, and he had also arrived, so the time hade.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be setting off then.¡±

    It was time to say goodbye.

    Many people hade out to see them off.

    Even the giants as well.

    ¡°Oorah! Oorah!¡±

    ¡°Loptr-Loki! Farewell!¡±

    Some of the giants had been sent by the Nar, which was probably why they had called Lee Jun-Kyeong Loptr-Loki, as they had most likely been influenced by Thrymr.

    They, too, understood it.

    ¡°Until we meet again¡­¡±

    In this present world, where no one knew when they would lose their life and be a cold body, there was a great meaning to wishing that they would meet again.

    ¡°Fenrir.¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Fenrir again, the boy¡¯s body shifted, returning to the pure white wolf. Whether it was because he had been free to prey upon monsters for the past few days or his growth had reached a stable point, the wolf¡¯s energy seemed purer and his fur more glossy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party all embarked on Fenrir¡¯s back.

    ***

    ¡°It really has been so hectic,¡± Jeong In-Changmented.

    The party found themselves on the way back to Mt. Baekdu, and Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang spoke about the things that they hadn¡¯t been able to address while they had been over in China.

    "Still¡­" Jeong In-Chang muttered to himself. "It was hectic, but¡­ It wasn''t a bad trip."

    To think he would call it a trip.

    "If going on a trip means it¡¯s going to be this difficult, then I¡¯m never going to go on another trip,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked.

    "It''s been a long time since I heard you joke around, Mr. Lee."

    Jeong In-Changughed.

    "You thought it was funny too, right, princess?¡±

    Apparently, the princess and Jeong In-Chang had finally beplete partners now.

    ¡°Goongje!" the princess said happily.

    <i>¡®That doll-like thing really¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head, looking at it. When the princess shrank in size in that manner, it was able to show off its cuteness, simr to a doll. However, for anyone who had seen it fight¡­

    ¡°...¡±

    They would make that very expression Won-Hwa had on right now.

    Won-Hwa was looking over at Jeong In-Chang and the princess with an absurd look on his face.

    "Is there a problem?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "N¡­no, it¡¯s nothing." Won-Hwa shook his head in response.

    ¡°Is your training in internal qigong going well?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, suddenly bing curious.

    While it may not beparable to the mana stream, internal qigong wasn¡¯t something that was easy to learn unless the person learning had a simr level ofprehension to the mana stream that Lee Jun-Kyeong had.

    ¡°Ah, no.¡±

    As expected, Jeong In-Chang shook his head.

    ¡°Still¡­ I think I¡¯ve grasped a small clue. A clue regarding internal qigong¡­¡±

    He smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong before adding, "And of mana stream."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°You have to be even stronger.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He then admonished, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left.¡±

    On the road to Mt. Baekdu, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt many different sensations.

    When he immersed himself, maximizing his senses, he could feel an electrifying mana continuously flowing into his body.

    He knew it.

    This thing, this mana.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not mine.¡¯</i>

    Even at this moment, that mana was flowing into him as he breathed, and through it, a ck bead that had approximated the movement of a heart, the weak dragon heart, was being charged.

    However, this wasn¡¯t a good sign. The fact that such a strong kind of mana could flow into his body without his control was definitely not something that boded well.

    Instead, he felt as though it could be said to be a sign of what was quickly approaching.

    ¡°The Great Cataclysm.¡±

    It was like a bombardment of mana, and through it, they would achieve incredible growth.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one who was forcefully being strengthened through the saturation of mana that he was basking in at the moment.

    Whether it was Fenrir, whom Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were riding, or Jeong In-Chang and the princess that was sitting next to the Hunter.

    Even Hyeon-Mu in the bracelet and Won-Hwa.

    They had all been undergoing growth ording to the unknowingly concentrated mana.

    Everything was bing stronger.

    <i>¡®Even the monsters¡­¡¯</i>

    A change that would cover the whole world.

    China¡¯s mana saturation had only been the beginning.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky and at the blue veil in the sky shining ever more intensely.

    Furthermore, he heard the trembling voice of Jeong In-Chang from his side.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang spoke, gesturing to a point in the distance.

    ¡°Over there¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over to the ce the Hunter was pointing, and soon, his eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Mt. Baekdu is¡­¡±

    The ce Jeong In-Chang was pointing toward was Mt. Baekdu, which they were able to see because they had recently gotten within the vicinity of the mountain.

    However, its peak¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s on fire¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, "Fenrir! Faster!"

    ***

    <i>Thud! Crash!</i>

    Fenrir barreled forward, ramming through everything around them, and everything in his path was destroyed, whether it was wood or stone.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were climbing Mt. Baekdu at a speed that couldn¡¯t bepared to the mutated deer they had ridden when they had first climbed the mountain.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong urged Fenrir to go even faster, as if he wasn¡¯t satisfied with their level of speed.

    ¡°A little faster!¡±

    ¡°ROAR!¡±

    Fenrir leaped onto the mountain with a loud cry.

    What awaited them was¡­

    ¡°A monster¡­?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice betrayed his astonishment. In front of their eyes, there was a monster on Mt. Baekdu.

    Furthermore, it was a red-eyed orc as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s Madness!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong cried out with astonishment.

    It had red eyes like the ogre mage, like the princess. Furthermore, it gave off an even greater pressure than the average orc had as well.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    Soon, Jeong In-Chang leaped off Fenrir¡¯s back, running forward.

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Someone needed to take care of the monster, but they couldn¡¯t afford to have Fenrir stop, either.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be dangerous¡­! You¡¯ll need the princess¡¯s help as¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted before being interrupted by Jeong In-Chang.

    "It''s all right!"

    The Hunter was getting further away, and before he knew it, he had started a battle with the orc.

    However, it wasn¡¯t just one orc.

    All of the snow orcs that had been in the vicinity were all under the thrall of Madness.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand the current situation, but he was sure of one thing.

    History was warping.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s beginning to change¡­¡¯</i>

    Madness shouldn¡¯t have already appeared here. So while he knew that one day, monsters under the thrall of Madness would appear, he knew it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this early.

    That should have been the same even in China and North Korea, where gateization had taken ce.

    Furthermore, there was one other thing.

    ¡°Sangun¡­ Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    It was also clear that something was wrong with the two.

    Mt. Baekdu had been blessed with peace and free of monsters under the protection of the two.

    But, a monster under the thrall of Madness had appeared here, and Heaven Lake was on fire.

    This¡­

    <i>¡®This is dangerous.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong hurried even more.

    ***

    "Ahhhh!"

    Screams filled the air.

    Heaven Lake Vige had finally found peace after Fenrir, the intruder, had been taken away by Lee Jun-Kyeong. But now, it was on fire.

    <i>ze!</i>

    The houses built from wood had all burned down, and Heaven Lake was trembling ominously.

    ¡°Kyaa!!¡±

    Furthermore, there were the screams of people in the aftermath of the ze.

    As Heaven Lake Vige burned, those who were still alive in the midst of the chaos were screaming or fighting with war cries.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡±

    ¡°I said, die¡­!¡±

    Most of the vigers were Hunters, so they at least had the strength and will to fight.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Some fired arrows, some ran forth wielding swords, and some were aiding in the evacuation of the ordinary people.

    ¡°Flee this way!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    However, in the midst of all of the chaos, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t see a single sign of Sangun or Ungnyeo.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    ¡°Chwiiik!¡±

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    However, he could see monsters on the ground. These were monsters that had only been seen asionally when they had wanted to hunt, but they were ughtering residents with unprecedented power.

    Whether it was an arrow.

    <i>nk!</i>

    Or even a sword.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Nothing could stop them.

    It was horrific.

    The peaceful Heaven Lake Vige trembled with the bodies of the residents and the mes zing around them.

    <i>Shake!</i>

    Even Heaven Lake was trembling ominously.

    ¡°Have the children gotten away?!¡±

    ¡°For now!¡±

    Some of the strong residents had remained behind and werebating with the monsters, while those who were rtively weak or had family were all descending from Mt. Baekdu with the other residents.

    No matter how bad it was below.

    ¡°All we have to do is go down!¡±

    They thought that it would still be much safer down there than it was where they were now.

    Among those left, they had made their decision.

    ¡°We will stay behind until the end and buy you some time¡­¡±

    <i>Clench.</i>

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.

    They had to buy enough time for the residents, the children, to evacuate. Therefore, in order to do so, they gave more strength to the hands holding the swords, and bit their lips while focusing on their drawn bows.

    ¡°We will die today! But! Let¡¯s at least take a single bastard along with us!¡±

    As such, the residents¡¯ final battle had begun.

    As the monsters rushed forward mercilessly, eyes zing, arge explosion urred.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    mes erupted, and smoke rose as the dust clouds that apanied the st made it impossible for them to tell what had caused it. The residents began to grow more nervous as they waited for their view to clear.

    As the smoke cleared due to the blowing wind, in front of them was a wolf.

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡­!!¡±

    Alongside that pure white wolf was a man.

    "Are you all right?"

    It was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

 Chapter 103: The Return Home Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 103: The Return Home Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rushed forward recklessly like a madman. However, with every step, an orc was cut down.

    ¡°Chw¡­ik¡­¡±

    ¡°Chw¡­¡±

    Amidst the burning Heaven Lake Vige, Lee Jun-Kyeong stood, wielding a spear of me. For the monsters, he resembled the devil.

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, he was something entirely different for the residents.

    ¡°Heavenly Army¡­¡±

    To the person who had just muttered something, Lee Jun-Kyeong was akin to a warrior god who had descended from the heavens wielding fire and ying demons like a member of the Heavenly Army.

    Within a sh, the residents were united against the monsters and had alreadye to terms with their impending deaths. They surprisingly found themselves still alive and breathing.

    Before they knew it, the monsters thaty rampant in front of them were being culled little by little.

    "Are you okay?"

    Furthermore, another man had also appeared, different from the man who had apanied Lee Jun-Kyeong previously. This man was urgently moving around and treating the wounded. With a single touch from his hands, each resident recovered noticeably.

    In addition, the man threw out silver needles from time to time, either restricting the monsters¡¯ movements or killing them instantly.

    "Thank you¡­"

    The residents cried out in thanks, and Lee Jun-Kyeong soon responded in return.

    ¡°Sangun! And Ungnyeo! Where are they?¡±

    After clearing out the monster infestation to this degree, the residents should have been able to handle the rest as long as he left behind Won-Hwa. Therefore, all he had left to do was to find Sangun and Ungnyeo.

    It was obvious that something big had happened to the two.

    <i>¡®They aren¡¯t here.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong searched for their auras while waiting for the residents to answer. However, he couldn¡¯t feel even a trace of them anywhere in Heaven Lake Vige.

    Could they have abandoned the residents and disappeared?

    No, that couldn¡¯t be it.

    Sangun was bound to Mt. Baekdu, and Ungnyeo wouldn¡¯t abandon these people.

    Therefore¡­

    ¡°Where are they?!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again, urging the residents to respond.

    A resident pointed over at Heaven Lake with trembling hands.

    ¡°...¡±

    Fenrir turned his head.

    ¡°The vige chief¡­¡±

    The faces of the residents were dark, and then they spoke, exhausted.

    ¡°She went to Heaven Lake in order to seal Sangun¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression froze, and then, he once again called out for Fenrir.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    He then shouted out while rushing toward theke, "Won-Hwa, please stay here!"

    The physician responded, "Just leave it to me!"

    ***

    A woman stood within the depth of the ominously fluctuating gap between heaven and earth.

    ¡°Sangun¡­¡±

    Her long straight ck hair flowed down her back, forming a mysterious picture alongside the bronze sword and bell held within her hands.

    Her beauty couldn¡¯t be marred by the blood clinging to her body or her torn clothes.

    However.

    ¡°GRAHHHH!¡±

    The difference between her and the appearance of the being in front of her was like heaven and earth.

    It was huge.

    Ferocious.

    A tiger as vast as a mountain.

    Its blue fur had lost its luster and was ckened and burned, while its eyes were tinged in red.

    ¡°...Sangun¡­¡± Ungnyeo called out to the altered Sangun again.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, the only thing that she got in return was an attack. As Sangun, the massive tiger who had absorbed the natural energy of the mountain, mmed down with his massive front paw, everything around them exploded.

    <i>Boom boom boom boom!</i>

    Within the midst of the explosion, the woman was unharmed as she swung her bronze sword and sliced into the front foot of the massive tiger.

    ¡°Sangun!¡± she shouted again.

    <i>Ring.</i>

    She tried to ring the bronze bell to break through the beast curse that wracked Sangun. However, the tiger roared again. All her actions did was to agitate him.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    The woman, Ungnyeo, bit her lips.

    So far, she had made several attempts to purify Sangun, but nothing she did had any effect.

    <i>''Even at this moment...¡¯</i>

    The residents would be suffering greatly. Although she knew that she had to defeat Sangun and save them, in order to do that¡­

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    <i>¡®I have to kill¡­¡¯</i>

    She would have no other choice but to kill him.

    She had already tried to seal the tiger in dozens of different ways, but, thanks to the stronger power she had given him, she was unable to ce a seal on Sangun.

    Rather, Sangun was actually consuming the power she was using.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    A drop of tear fell from the corner of Ungnyeo¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let this go on any longer.¡±

    As she tightened her grip on the bronze sword and rang the bronze bell, in front of her, a bronze mirror appeared.

    Ungnyeo smiled¡ªa distorted grimace.

    While the corners of her mouth were raised, her eyes grew ever darker as the seething aura of Mt. Baekdu cascaded into her body.

    She was reaping the energy she had lent out.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    Before anyone knew it, the divide of heaven and earth, Mt. Baekdu, shook with every breath she took.

    A tremendous force sprang up from her body.

    "Sangun,¡± she said, looking over at the massive tiger, an indelible smile on her lips.

    However, looking up at her eyes, tears were beginning to form.

    "Please die."

    She was crying.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly headed to Heaven Lake.

    <i>Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.</i>

    As he arrived, he saw the surface of theke boiling as if it was about to burst.

    He could feel a vast flow of mana stemming from beyond theke within the divide of heaven and earth.

    ¡°They''re in here¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo and Sangun were here, within the site of Fenrir¡¯s seal.

    In other words, it meant that Heaven Lake was in the midst of hiding the incredible flow of their energy.

    "Let''s go,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Fenrir.

    However, the wolf didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­dan¡­gerous¡­¡±

    For the first time, Fenrir spoke in the human tongue while in his wolf form.

    "I know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while he patted Fenrir¡¯s head.

    It was difficult for them to muster the courage to throw themselves into theke, which was boiling violently. The incredible mana that leaked through the seal would rage toward them as if it wanted to consume them.

    He stated firmly, ¡°Still, we have to go.¡±

    In the end, Fenrir replied. ¡°I¡­know¡­¡±

    As he spoke, the wolf jumped into theke.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Fenrir headed back into the seal.

    As the wolf had warned, the mana that overflowed within the divide of heaven and earth rushed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [Your mana is being charged too quickly!]

    It was as if there was a huge flood within a narrow waterway, and there was no way that any Hunter would have been in a normal mental state after encounter the rush of mana.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as if his entire body was tearing apart.

    Still.

    [The weak dragon heart is being charged quickly!]

    There was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had believed in.

    He had predicted that the dragon heart would have been able to absorb the vast flow of mana from the divide of heaven and earth as the heart had an incredible ability to absorb mana.

    However, his prediction had only been half right.

    Although the dragon heart was able to charge itself with half of the iing mana using the mana stream, the other half of the flow of mana was rampaging through his body.

    ¨CI¡­will¡­help¡­you.

    After Fenrir spoke, the pain died down a little.

    ¨CI¡­will help as well¡­

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s voice, which seemed to be in pain, also apanied the wolf.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a notification again as his pain was relieved little by little.

    [You have entered the Instant Gate, Seal.]

    ***

    "I..."

    The person who had spoken was both smiling and crying at the same time.

    ¡°While there shouldn¡¯t have been a reason I should have had to kill you¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo looked down at Sangun, her arms wrapped around herself. The tiger was steeped entirely in Madness. Although she had tried countless times to get him back, there were only two paths left to her at this point.

    Seal him.

    Or.

    Kill him.

    However, because of Sangun¡¯s incredible strength, sealing the tiger was an impossible task.

    Therefore, she had made up her mind to y him.

    However, she couldn¡¯t do it.

    She said quietly, ¡°I¡¯d rather you kill me¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo had let go of all of her burdens. Sangun had been like a father to her. Whether she was sick, or having a hard time. Whether she was sad or happy. For Ungnyeo, who had been an orphan with no parents, Sangun had been a father.

    ¡°I cannot be a child who has no morals.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t do it; she couldn¡¯t kill her father.

    She had had dozens of opportunities. Even now, if she had tried her hardest, she would have been able to y Sangun.

    Despite all that, she couldn¡¯t do it.

    Sangun had always given his all to protect her.

    ¡°It¡¯s too cruel¡­¡±

    It was too cruel that she would have to be the one to take that away.

    That was why she had let it all go.

    All of a sudden, the bronze mirror that was floating around Ungnyeo and the bronze sword that she had held in her hand had both fallen to the floor.

    She was only holding onto one object.

    <i>Ring.</i>

    It was the bronze bell.

    She couldn¡¯t let go of the bronze bell, which had the ability to release the aura of the beast curse and restore rity.

    <i>Ring.</i>

    She wasn¡¯t able to let go of the possibility that Sangun woulde back to his senses.

    <i>Ring.</i>

    But still, eventually, she ced the bell down.

    As she stood,pletely disarmed, she spread her arms wide and faced the tiger.

    ¡°Kill me, Sangun.¡±

    Tears fell down Ungnyeo¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here¡­ I¡¯m so tired¡­¡±

    <i>¡®Why¡­¡¯</i>

    She wondered why she had suddenly thought of him at this moment, of the man who had said he woulde back for her.

    He had asked her to leave this ce with him and be hispanion.

    ¡°Why did I think about him right now?¡±

    Ungnyeo closed her eyes.

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    Sangun¡¯s huge roar reverberated through the seal.

    It was near the end.

    Soon, she would be torn apart by Sangun¡¯s front paws, and the tiger would disappear alongside the energy of the destabilizing Mt. Baekdu.

    She thought of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.

    "I''m sorry."

    She wasn¡¯t able to save them.

    Even if she had in Sangun, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to save them.

    If she killed Sangun, then she would also lose a lot of strength, and it would have been difficult for her to escape the seal and save the residents from the monsters.

    That was the reason why she had given up.

    Therefore.

    ¡°Quickly,¡± she muttered.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    She heard the sound of the wind being cleaved and thought that she felt Sangun¡¯s front paw dropping down above her.

    However, instead of the feeling that she had been expecting, all she felt was a warm atmosphere.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Ungnyeo opened her eyes carefully.

    ¡°...¡±

    In front of her was the man who had suddenlye to her mind.

    ***

    "Are you okay?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he held Ungnyeo in his arms.

    In front of them was a battle.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Just like before, when Fenrir had been at Mt. Baekdu, the wolf was confronting Sangun again.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared down at Ungnyeo whoy in his arms bbergasted.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He ced her down as she continued to be shocked.

    Having been put down in a hurry, she fell down on her backside momentarily.

    ¡°...¡±

    They stared at each other, the hopeless Ungyneo and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered.

    <i>¡®Is this what she looked like before¡­?¡¯</i>

    He had briefly lost his mind when he first saw Ungnyeo¡¯s true appearance. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

    It was an absurd thing to think about, considering the amount of pain he had endured up to this moment, and he was ashamed of himself for even thinking the thought for a moment.

    On the other hand, Ungnyeo also felt simr emotions, her cheeks turning bright red.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, soon, once she came to her senses, she shouted, ¡°No!¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen this happen before.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill Sangun¡­¡± she wailed.

    Sangun was fighting against Fenrir.

    Sangun¡¯s stamina had already been consumed considerably during the battle against herself. It was clear to Ungnyeo that Sangun would die if the tiger fought against Fenrir in his current state.

    "What happened¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he drew Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Sangun was gasping for air as he dodged far away from Fenrir¡¯s ws.

    Fenrir returned to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side, bleeding as if he had already taken a blow from Sangun within that time.

    ¡°The man in ck¡­¡±

    ¡°The man in ck?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Mt. Baekdu became like this after he met with Sangun.¡±

    To think it was because of a man in ck.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned because this was the first time he had heard of this.

    ¡°And the man?¡± he asked,

    She shook her head as she picked herself up. ¡°He¡¯s gone. It¡¯s been a few days. Sangun didn¡¯t be like this when the man came to find him, but a few days after¡­¡±

    <i>¡®The man in ck.¡¯</i>

    It lingered in his mind like the taste of a bitter ginseng candy.

    A man who was dressed in ck had appeared and then left.

    ¡°For now.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook off his thoughts and looked forward. He spoke, his voice ringing through the seal firmly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s subdue Sangun.¡±

    1. In Eastern Mythos, the Emperor of Heaven, Hwaneul for Korea and the Jade Emperor for China, has a standing army of deities that are often called the Heavenly Army or the Heavenly Host.

    2. ?? is a spell or formation that specifically affects monsters and beasts, and is both used to describe the curse itself and also the method to purify it.

 Chapter 104: The Return Home Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 104: The Return Home Pt. 4</h4>

    Their first priority was to subdue Sangun. However, Ungnyeo¡¯s response was cold and sad, ¡°I can¡¯t control him.¡±

    She continued in an exhausted manner, ¡°I tried everything I could. Even when I tried to pull out the energy of the demonic curse using the mana of the seal, the aura around him was too strong¡­it¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Basically, she was saying that they had no other choice.

    ¡°Are you saying that I have no other choice but to kill him?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked incredulously.

    Ungnyeo trembled at his harsh words. However, she eventually had no choice but to nod slowly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ungnyeo was at a loss with how to proceed. She had tried to end her life here together with Sangun, but all of her ns had gotten twisted with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sudden appearance.

    <i>¡®I¡­¡¯</i>

    She stood, her world falling apart around her.

    <i>¡®What should I do?¡¯</i>

    As Ungnyeo worried, she heard something whisper into her ear, ¡°Go rest for now.¡±

    It was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ran forward wielding Muspel''s spear.

    "I might have a way.¡±

    As he ran forward without hesitation, Ungnyeo looked at the figure advancing in front of her. His back as he stepped forward while holding the spear looked incredibly wide to her.

    It was only then that Ungnyeo felt how he had changed.

    ¡°That''s¡­impossible¡­¡±

    She was left speechless. His transformation seemed so incredible that it didn¡¯t seem possible.

    <i>¡®He was able to get this strong in that short of a time¡­?¡¯</i>

    His seemingly wide back wasn¡¯t something that she was imagining. No, the mana emitting from him shimmered around his back, warping the outline of his body. That was why he looked so huge.

    That figure then became even bigger.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    As if.

    ¡°A giant¡­?¡± she gasped involuntarily.

    As if he had turned into a giant.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s appearance was distorted by his mana, so it had be as colossal as a giant. He was pushing down Sangun while cloaked in mes.

    Fenrir looked down at Ungnyeo while gesturing with his snout as if telling the woman to take in the sight of the Hunter.

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    <i>Thump! Thump!</i>

    Ungnyeo''s heart began to pound.

    <i>¡®If¡­If it¡¯s him.¡¯</i>

    She was filled with desperate hope that there would be a way if it were the man in front of her. Ungnyeo found herself entrapped in the sight, nervously watching the fight between Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    A spear whistled through the air while a giant front paw crashed down.

    Fortunately, the tiger was unable to use any spells or skills because he had sumbed to madness, but, even if Sangun had been in good shape¡­

    <i>¡®Could he have won¡­?¡¯</i>

    The man in front of her had only been away for a few days, but it seemed as though he hade back having gone through a few years.

    She wondered.

    Could she, who had stayed at Mt. Baekdu and stagnated in the same ce, and Sangun take down the man who hade back with aplete transformation?

    She couldn¡¯t tell.

    No. She could. They couldn¡¯t win.

    While she was lost in thought, suddenly, Sangun cried out, ¡°Grahh!!!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear had pierced into the heart of the great tiger.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Ungnyeo¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, but as if Lee Jun-Kyeong had noticed her shock, he gave a short answer, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t pierce his heart.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back over at Sangun again. The tiger thrashed ferociously, but the spear stayed into his chest.

    <i>Wriggle.</i>

    The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was sucking up the power of Sangun.

    Naturally, the harmony between Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had obtained the dragon heart, and the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was now at the highest synergy. Now, not only was he able to use the abilities of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone that he couldn¡¯t have even dreamed about manipting before, but it was also possible, bybining some of his own powers with said abilities, to make the impossible possible.

    Sangun¡¯s blood flowed through Muspel¡¯s Spear. The tiger¡¯s mana, which not only contained Sangun¡¯s blood but also the spirit of Mt. Baekdu, used the channel of the weapon and was absorbed into the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    From there, the energy flowed through the spear body again and went into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Not this, though,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong said in his mind as if the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was a sentient creature.

    As soon as he did, something ck started to extrude into the flow, mixed with the blood.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The ck and red thing was the main culprit that had driven Sangun crazy.

    [Madness is being absorbed.]

    ***

    The Madness that was in Sangun quickly flowed into Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    However, that also meant that the other powers that Sangun controlled also flowed into the spear, intertwined with the ore.

    ¡°Grahh!!¡±

    The spirit of Mt. Baekdu.

    The mana that Sangun had built up for a long time.

    The sponsorships that the tiger had obtained.

    Even.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m even consuming his vitality¡­!¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to control Muspel¡¯s Spear, but the spear, which had be a demonic spear by this point, refused to listen to his orders.

    <i>¡®I can control it.¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t give up and began to flex his control.

    Although he wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent the spear from absorbing the tiger¡¯s vitality in ce of it, he filtered the energy that apanied Madness and redirected it back into Sangun.

    He was basically using himself as a conduit to purify the colossal tiger.

    Moreover, on top of that, he added a skill.

    [Purity.]

    It was the newly created skill thatbined the various resistance skills that had been sponsored by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Purity had activated, allowing his filtering to be more efficient. Finally, the redness within the colossal white tiger¡¯s eyes began to recede.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­¡±

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong had tried to do this before his transformation, then he would have gone crazy after intaking this level of madness.

    <i>¡®But the ck beads¡­¡¯</i>

    The other ck beads, the ones that didn¡¯t be the dragon heart, were devouring the Madness from his system. Slowly, a silence draped over thendscape.

    ¡°...¡±

    Theva-infested seal began to stabilize again, and Sangun began to stabilize little by little.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He wasing to his senses.

    ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­¡±

    Sangun, who had been crying out like a beast, all of a sudden spoke out with the voice of the being who had originally been the King of Mt. Baekdu.

    ¨CThis is¡­

    <i>Thud.</i>

    However, soon after, the tiger copsed in ce.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear. Blood gushed from the wound caused by the spear tip like a fountain, soaking the ground.

    ¡°Sangun!¡± Ungnyeo screamed out, running toward the two.

    She quickly tried to heal the deep wound with her energy, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Not only had she used up an incredible amount of energy, but even if she still had the reserves, Sangun also wasn¡¯t in a state to bear the power and use it to heal himself.

    However, the three soon heard a voice call out, ¡°What a relief. It¡¯s not toote.¡±

    It was Hua Tuo.

    ***

    The disaster at Heaven Lake Vige had subsided, and the crimson zes and blooming ck smoke had died down as well.

    Even the screams of the residents and the cries of the monsters had stopped.

    However, that didn''t mean everything was back to normal.

    "Our vige...¡±

    "Heaven Lake Vige is¡­"

    Heaven Lake Vige had been burned down and destroyed, turned to ashes, and part of Mt. Baekdu had been burnt down as well, turning the peak into Mt. Balddu.

    Although more of them had survived than expected, that didn¡¯t mean that there weren¡¯t any dead people whatsoever.

    The residents who had fled down the mountain had climbed back to the peak and cried nkly when they saw Heaven Lake vige.

    -¡­

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong stood at the entrance to the cave where Sangun resided.

    ¡°Have you had a chance to sober up a little?¡± he asked.

    Sangun responded in a hoarse voice.

    ¨CI¡­have.

    The voice from before had been so powerful that it could make souls tremble, but it had disappeared.

    The remnant voice was as if it had its soul stripped away.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s dying.¡¯</i>

    While Madness had been driven out of Sangun, the tiger was dying.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t to me. Even before the Hunter had absorbed the Madness and power from the tiger, Sangun had been weak.

    ¡°Just who in the hell.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong brought up the subject in his mind.

    ¡°Who is the man in ck?¡±

    He had cut straight to the point.

    The man in ck had injected Sangun with Madness and had even spread the ore to the monsters around them. He was the culprit behind the destruction of Heaven Lake Vige and the person who had almost killed both Sangun and Ungnyeo.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°Who the hell is he that you would meet with him?¡±

    Sangun had lived for countless years, and ordingly, he was incredibly cautious.

    As someone so wary of strangers, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand why the tiger had met such a suspicious man dressed in ck and ended up subjected to such a thing.

    There was something else as well.

    "Why on earth did you ept that power?"

    Sangun opened his mouth and spoke carefully.

    ¨CLet¡¯s talk¡­

    His eyes, a little clearer than before, turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CA little slowly.

    Then.

    "Sangun!"

    Her adult form having disappeared, Ungnyeo appeared in the distance in the form of a little girl again.

    As if she knew nothing of what had happened, she approached Sangun and handed over some strawberries. Although it must have been precious food that she had hidden away in the middle of this entire mess, Jeong In-Chang, unable to read the atmosphere, still thoughtlessly asked, ¡°Do tigers even eat strawberries¡­¡±

    ***

    In the aftermath of the crisis in Heaven Lake Vige, Lee Jun-Kyeong gave a message to the residents through Jeong In-Chang.

    "You have a choice,¡± Jeong In-Chang said after gathering everyone around.

    "There are three options, and you can choose between any of them."

    Jeong In-Chang spoke calmly while the residents listened carefully.

    "The first is to rebuild Heaven Lake Vige. It''s going to be a little hard, but... you will all still be able to live while protecting your home."

    This was the first option.

    It wasn''t such a bad option, if Sangun was still okay.

    Jeong In-Chang carefully swallowed the words he had been about to say and continued while properly adjusting to the atmosphere of the gathering this time, ¡°The second option is to go to Korea. Although we¡¯ll have to speak with the Association or the government, it¡¯s still not a bad choice.¡±

    It would be a safer option than staying here. Further, most of them were Hunters, so they should have been able to settle in Korea without any problems.

    They would have been able to continue their lives in Korea once again.

    <i>¡®If it wasn''t for the cataclysm¡­¡¯</i>

    It could have been even safer as well.

    Jeong In-Chang swallowed that thought as well.

    "The third choice is..."

    Jeong In-Chang looked around.

    ¡°To go to Beijing.¡±

    The residents began to murmur after he dropped the third option.

    They had expected the first and the second choices, but none of them had ever expected the third.

    "Why Beijing¡­?¡± the residents asked Jeong In-Chang carefully.

    ¡°There are Chinese people living in Beijing within a settlement. It¡¯s not too far away, so living there together with them is another option.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had delivered all the options that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him, so it was now time for the residents to choose.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving in three days. You have until then to choose whatever you would like to do. Furthermore, it¡¯s also okay for each one of you to make your individual choices.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked around at the crowd and finally let out the sigh that he had been holding in.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Heaven Lake Vige was a ce where he had formed an attachment to the time he had spent there. He wasn¡¯tfortable seeing it be destroyed by the monsters, and it was the same for the shabby appearances of the residents.

    "I''m sorry¡­"

    That was the only thing he was able to say.

    1. ???, or Mt. Mindoong, is a mountain in Gangwon-do. The name Mindoong means Bald mountain and is meant to reference any mountain that gets burnt down by wildfire, making it bald.

 Chapter 105: The Return Home Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 105: The Return Home Pt. 5</h4>

    "Please get in a line!" Won-Hwa shouted as if he had heard the phrase from somewhere.

    Won-Hwa had helped Sangun with his treatment and then looked to his next task, the injured residents of Heaven Lake Vige.

    His medicinal skills were like the light at the end of the tunnel for the residents.

    ¡°Oh my! Thank you so much.¡±

    The residents admired his amazing skills as he treated people without pause. Sweat poured down his face.

    "Thank you."

    The only break the physician took was to smile in gratitude at their thanks asionally.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    The residents¡¯ conditions were visibly improving from his treatment as Won-Hwa had gotten stronger due to the opportunity he had obtained while teaching Lee Jun-Kyeong internal qigong, and that strength portrayed itself in his medical skills.

    [<The Great Representative of the East> smiles warmly at you.]

    His Sponsor also spared no support seeing Won-Hwa in such a dedicated state.

    ¡°...¡±

    Won-Hwa looked at the people of Heaven Lake Vige and thought back to Utgard. The people of Utgard, now that they had gone to Beijing, would go through hardship after hardship as well.

    <i>¡®Will this world¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered to himself.

    <i>¡®Will it really never change?¡¯</i>

    This was a world where the gates had suddenly appeared and ruined everything. Would there ever be a time when they could return to how things had been?

    He would be content with not having this special power of his. He would be content with not being praised by others.

    He just wanted to live peacefully like before.

    However, no one wanted to work to turn the world back to the way it had been or even attempt to pursue those changes.

    There was only one person who tried.

    <i>¡®I will change it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the only exception.

    A smile rose on Won-Hwa¡¯s lips again.

    "Please get in a line!"

    A long procession stood in front of him.

    ¡°This may sting a little,¡± he warned.

    Even as he sweated through his clothes and exhaustion settled into every line of his body, a smile never left Won-Hwa¡¯s face.

    ***

    It was night.

    "Sangun."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had visited him again.

    While Sangun¡¯s physical condition hadn¡¯t improved, Lee Jun-Kyeong still needed to hear the story, and the tiger knew he had to tell him too.

    .

    The only reason he had avoided talking about it was because of Ungnyeo.

    ¨CWhere is Ungnyeo?

    After Sanggun had been injured, Ungnyeo had constantly been by his side, refusing to be apart from him for even a single hour. It was such a touching sight that it would bring a tear to anyone¡¯s eyes, almost as if she was ready to follow him to the afterlife.

    He, being considerate of such a supportive Ungnyeo, had told Lee Jun-Kyeong to returnter.

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¨CI see.

    Sangun raised his head, his gasps harsh and murky, grating against the air.

    The tiger was dying.

    It was an unwavering fact.

    It was an unchanging truth.

    There was no way to save him.

    <i>¡®It will be difficult,¡¯</i> Won-Hwa had said after examining the tiger¡¯s physical condition. As a yeongsu, he had consumed the most extreme form of Madness, and as a Hunter, he had also consumed unadulterated demonic mana.

    He may look fine on the outside, but internally, his organs were torn to pieces, and his mana vein was in shambles.

    He was in such a state that it was impossible for him to even undergo the seal again.

    ¨CI will die soon.

    Sangun spoke as if he already knew the fact.

    ¨CIs your promise still valid?

    However, this time, his voice didn¡¯t crack.

    ¡°It is.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s previous promise was to take Ungnyeo away.

    ¨CGood. That girl¡­ I¡¯ll entrust her to you.

    Sangun raised his head to his full stature and looked down at Lee Jun-Kyeong. At this moment, the tiger was showing off the visage of a King who ruled Mt. Baekdu.

    Then, he spoke.

    ¨CA man in ck hade to visit me.

    ***

    That was how the story of Sangun had begun.

    ¨CThat man was incredibly ominous, and¡­

    Sangun stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CHe wielded a familiar power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused. Familiar?

    Still, he quietly listened to the tiger speak.

    ¨CHe wasn¡¯t the one toe find me, however. Rather, I was the one who went to him.

    Sangun seemed to be reminiscing about that time, letting out a deep growl.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel his rage and resentment.

    ¨CThat man stood at Heaven Lake.

    ¡°Heaven Lake¡­¡±

    ¨CHe stood there, looking at theke, so I approached him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about the figure in ck.

    -¡­

    He looked up at Sangun as the tiger¡¯s voice faded, no longer talking.

    ¡°And?¡±

    All the important parts were missing.

    How had Sangun been infused with Madness, and where did the man go?

    Furthermore.

    <i>¡®Who is it?¡¯</i>

    He had to get the information from Sangun.

    However, Sangun continued in a bewildered tone.

    ¨CMy memory¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything.

    ¡°What?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, confused.

    ¨CI¡¯m sure¡­that man¡­we had met at Heaven Lake¡­

    Sangun¡¯s eyes and body were trembling. Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his aura quickly and calmed the tiger down, using the internal qigong he had learned from Won-Hwa to steady the tiger¡¯s body.

    The tremors stopped little by little.

    ¨CI don¡¯t remember.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    With a single phrase, the tiger copsed.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to talk to Sangun since then. The tiger had fainted and wouldn¡¯t wake up despite his and Won-Hwa¡¯s best efforts.

    While Sangun remained unconscious, the residents had finally begun to make their choices.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered the opinions of the residents,¡± Jeong In-Chang said. ¡°They¡¯ve decided to head to Korea.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. Going to Korea was the best choice at this time as Sangun was still insensate. Any other choice would have been as if they were throwing themselves into the fire.

    <i>¡®At least in Korea¡­¡¯</i>

    At least there was Asgard.

    Although he wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on the outside at this time, there should still have been plenty of time for the residents to settle down when they left.

    The residents would once again have to go through danger and hardship, but at leastpared to this ce that was impossible for them to properly defend, what they would encounter would be less severe than what they had undergone at Heaven Lake.

    "Tell everyone to get ready,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, after which Ungnyeo approached him in the form of a young girl.

    ¡°Mister. Come to see Sangun with me," she said, speaking like a fussy child.

    There were teardrops in the corners of her eyes.

    ¡°Sangun still won¡¯t wake up¡­ Because he thought that you were special, Mister¡­pleasee to see him with me.¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong patted the girl on the head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa, who stood together, looked at Ungnyeo while biting their lips shut.

    Sangun was dying, but the current Ungnyeo in front of them had both the appearance of a child and also the essence of one, so it was a difficult thing to convey to her.

    Sangun wouldn¡¯t be able tost much longer.

    <i>¡®He will die soon.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party nned to leave the vige on the day the tiger passed. He nned to bury the tiger in Heaven Lake and take the residents with him.

    As for Ungnyeo, Lee Jun-Kyeong would take her as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to him.¡±

    It was the promise he had made with Sangun and something he had also desired.

    "Okay!" Ungnyeo said as if she was excited at the prospect of going to see the tiger.

    "We''ll be back," Lee Jun-Kyeong said, bowing to the party as he held Ungnyeo¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa bit their lips as they looked at the back of Lee Jun-Kyeong, watching the Hunter walk away while holding Ungnyeo¡¯s hand.

    It felt as if they let go of the tension in their jaws at any moment, then they would be able to hold back their tears.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    ***

    "Sangun! Sangun!" cried Ungnyeo as she headed toward the cave.

    The excited-looking girl had a basket in her hand, filled with burnt potatoes and fruits like strawberries. Whenever she would approach the cave, she woulde with fruit that she had saved up for the tiger.

    "Sangun!"

    Ungnyeo rubbed her face against the cheek of the sleeping tiger.

    "Get up and try this!" she said to him again as she waved the basket in the air.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Sangun wasn¡¯t even able to consider the possibility of waking up. He was in such a deep sleep that if the two of them had been enemies, he would have lost his life without the chance to do anything.

    ¡°Saaaanguuuun¨C¡±

    Ungnyeo put down her basket and leaned her back against the tiger¡¯s cheek, and before Lee Jun-Kyeong noticed, the girl disappeared.

    ¡°....¡±

    In her ce was an adult woman, which was the original appearance of Ungnyeo, whom he had only been able to see a few times.

    Ungnyeo leaned against the tiger¡¯s cheek and caressed his nose.

    "You were my father,¡± she whispered, her voice and emotions betraying the change in her mentality.

    ¡°You were my friend¡­¡±

    She then stopped caressing him.

    ¡°You were my family.¡±

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Tears flowed down her cheeks as the sound of their descent rang throughout the cave. Lee Jun-Kyeong turned away for a moment as he heard the tiny drops of water echoing as they hit the ground.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ungnyeo then spoke again.

    ¡°I was always grateful. For everything.¡±

    Her voice sounded like she was underwater, barely holding back her grief. Although tears streamed down her face, her voice was still as lively as the girl from before, as if to reassure Sangun that she was okay.

    Ungnyeo spoke with even more conviction.

    ¡°I will never forget you.¡±

    She leaned her forehead on Sangun¡¯s nose, the tiger¡¯s dry snout bing wet with her tears.

    For a long while, Sangun, Ungnyeo, and Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed in that manner.

    Without doing anything.

    Without saying a word.

    Just existing.

    "Sangun,¡± Ungnyeo said as she looked up and smiled.

    They had reached the end.

    She seemed to realize that it would be thest time she would be able to speak to him.

    With a big smile on her face, she said, "Thank you."

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Light erupted from the body of the ever-sleeping Sangun. The light emitted filled the cave, and Lee Jun-Kyeong understood what had urred once he saw the sight.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s passed.¡¯</i>

    It was as if the tiger had been waiting for Ungnyeo¡¯s words, words he had wanted to hear. Having finally heard that which he held dear, Sangun let go of everything he was forcefully keeping in.

    In other words, he had released his vitality and the spirit of Mt. Bakedu, which had filled his body. They were pouring out as light.

    Ungnyeo grabbed at the escaping glimmer, waving her hands in the air as if not to allow it to escape. However, like a mirage, the light slowly disappeared, slowly dissipating as it floated down to the ground.

    Sangun.

    <i>¡®He has passed.¡¯</i>

    The light absorbed into the cave walls, passing through them and escaping into the air. It escaped from the cave as if the shining glimmers were like fireflies in the night.

    Ungnyeo leaned on Sangun¡¯s cold body as she stared at the motes of light. Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes tightly.

    He didn¡¯t want to show the side of himself that he never allowed anyone else to see.

    <i>Shine.</i>

    The light spread like fireflies through the air.

    "What''s this?"

    "It¡¯s so pretty!"

    They could hear a voiceing from outside the cave. As if Jeong In-Chang had said something, the residents hade to Sangun¡¯s cave to pay respects as if they had heard it was the tiger¡¯sst moments.

    The children were amazed by the motes of light as the adults began to cry out.

    ¡°Oh my!¡±

    They continued to cry out,menting their sorrows.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around and left the cave.

    In front of its entrance, the residents were howling and crying.

    "How could this happen? How could this be?! Revered Sangun....¡±

    "Revered Sangun!"

    There were those who dropped to the floor weeping while others grieved, standing in silence.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa stood to the side, paying a silent tribute, as the residents of Heaven Lake Vige cried out louder and louder still.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡±

    It was as if they were trying to send off Sangun and ease his passing.

    People cried and cried while Jeong In-Chang bit his lips harder, holding back a flood of tears.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the people around him and knew that Sangun had been precious to them as well.

    He hadn¡¯t only been precious to Ungnyeo.

    Sangun.

    For all the residents of Heaven Lake Vige, just as he was for Ungnyeo, he had been their parents, their family, their friend.

    Heaven Lake Vige was a vige he had protected by wagering his entire life, and its residents were assuaging their parent before he passed into the afterlife.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡±

    Cries permeated heaven and earth.

    And.

    "Sangun!"

    The voice of a young woman burst out from the cave.

    1. As a Chinese man, he¡¯s shouting like a Korean government worker.

    2. The word here used for representative is also the word for both a medical clinic and apendium of Chinese medical knowledge in Korean.

    3. A yeongsu, or a yosu, refers to an auspicious beast, a beast that looks like an animal but can speak the human tongue. Consider the kirin, nine-tailed fox, etc.

    4. Remember, Sangun means king of the mountain.

    5. Cat¡¯s noses should not be dry. It¡¯s a sign of illness.

 Chapter 106: Return to Home Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 106: Return to Home Pt. 6</h4>

    ¡°Looking at it like this, it really looks like just any other set of ruins.¡±

    The residents had packed all of their belongings and were looking down toward Heaven Lake Vige.

    The vige was left empty and bare as they had all decided to leave, so it looked no different from an abandoned ruin.

    All that was left was a silence that set around the entireke as if the beautiful Heaven Lake had embraced the ruins back to nature.

    ¡°How dead it looks!¡± a resident murmured.

    However, even though they were all leaving their hometown, none of the residents cried. Theyforted each other, encouraged each other, and shared the burden through their collective strength.

    Although the journey itself may not be long, they still cheered themselves up as they thought about their new destination.

    ¡°Let¡¯s alle back here,¡± a resident vowed.

    They weren¡¯t abandoning their hometown by choice, and so they swore to be stronger when they escaped to the outside, all so that they could return back to this ce when everything had been stabilized.

    Although their decision had been different from those in Beijing, who had formed a Chinese settlement, for better or worse, it was a choice that they had to have made out of their own free will.

    "Let¡¯s go, kids and old people. Please mount up first!" shouted Jeong In-Chang.

    There were quite a few deer in front of them. They were the same mutated deer they had used to arrive on the mountain at first. Using Ungnyeo¡¯s power, they had decided to bring all of the deer over to use them as transportation.

    ¡°It will be cold! Mt. Baekdu is the warmest ce within the veil, so dress warmly! Please aid the children in mounting the deer! There should be one warrior per deer!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shouted out instructions like a part-time worker at an amusement park. He looked over at the residents all riding on the backs of the deer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Howe it was so difficult for me to ride them?¡± he wondered as if he was reminiscing over his struggles in riding the deer in the past.

    However, as he grumbled, his face still had a smile, while the residents had their own in return.

    ¡°Vige chief!¡± someone said as they waved.

    Ungnyeo and Lee Jun-Kyeong had exited from the cave of Sangun.

    ¡°Come quickly!¡± they said.

    Ungnyeo was in the form of a little girl with one hand firmly grasped by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    In her other hand, the one not in the grasp of the Hunter¡­

    ¡°Growl?¡±

    ¡­was a small little tiger.

    ***

    The party crossed through North Korea¡¯sndscape alongside the residents. Fenrir had been sent ahead to reap through the monsters, while Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa had been left to guard the rear.

    The residents, led by Lee Jun-Kyeong proceeded quickly without any hesitation, and the deer continued to move forward with everyone on their backs, even though they had left the vicinity of Mt. Baekdu.

    They continued to go forward, proceeding to their destination as they emigrated from their hometown.

    ¡°Sangun! Sangun!¡±

    Sitting in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong on a deer, Ungnyeo hefted up a small tiger, calling it Sangun.

    It was a small and round white tiger, but as Ungnyeo had said, it really resembled the great tiger on closer inspection.

    ¡°Sangun!!¡±

    Ungnyeo continued to speak to the small white tiger, referring to it as Sangun andughing.

    ¨CI¡¯m dizzy.

    Even more surprisingly, the little tiger responded to the girl through his soul, but the maturity in his voice starkly contrasted with its visible age.

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    Despite the tiger¡¯sints, Ungnyeo continued to toss the tiger up and down excitedly. Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at the sight of the child ying.

    <i>¡®To think this was possible.¡¯</i>

    It was a good ending.

    Sangun had died but, at the same time, hadn¡¯t.

    While the entity they had known as the Ruler of the Mountain had died¡­

    <i>¡®So he¡¯s named <The Supreme Regent>...¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky as he thought.

    Ungnyeo¡¯s Sponsor, <The Supreme Regent>, had turned the deceased Sangun into Ungnyeo¡¯s Familiar. Therefore, although most of the tiger¡¯s enormous power had disappeared, it was still able to live in this form.

    An outsider watching this scene could have thought that this was a case of a Hunter bing a familiar, but Sangun had originally been an auspicious beast.

    Therefore, although Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to know who the tiger¡¯s Sponsor had been and how this miracle had been possible, there was no way for him to verify anything.

    ¡°Sangun! Sangun, your favorite food is strawberries!¡± Ungnyeo excitedly said.

    However, even with her absurd statement, Sangun was responding earnestly.

    ¨CDid I really like strawberries?

    Sangun had been revived, but the process wasn¡¯t without any side effects. The tiger had lost as much memory as he had lost strength.

    <i>¡®Still.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine because he¡¯s alive,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured as he stroked Ungnyeo¡¯s head.

    <i>¡®To think her Sponsor is <The Supreme Regent>.¡¯</i>

    "Hmm."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> isughing at your confused appearance.]

    He wondered if the notification meant that <i>that</i> bastard was looking down at them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head quickly, and soon, he changed focus.

    ¡°Do you remember anything about the man in ck?¡± he asked. He wanted to hear the truth that he hadn¡¯t been able to hear properly before.

    ¨CI¡¯m sorry.

    Unfortunately, this Sangun didn¡¯t remember him either. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as there was nothing else he could do.

    The man in ck. The more he thought about him, the more ufortable he felt. Sangun had been injected with Madness, and the monsters around him had been exposed to Madness as well so that they would attack Heaven Lake Vige.

    Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t the only thing on his mind.

    For some reason, he remembered something that he had heard of before.

    <i>¡®Oh yeah, there was that one man who hade to Utgard!¡¯</i>

    The city of giants.

    He remembered what he had been told while he was in Utgard. A man had supposedly approached Utgard but had simply returned without doing anything.

    Also, there was something else.

    <i>¡®The ck Shroud.¡¯</i>

    The mysterious being who had created the insane giants alongside Utgard-Loki¡¯s iprehensible Galdr. For some reason, everything felt like it was connected somehow.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong inferred that it was the case, but he couldn¡¯t bepletely sure of it. However, there was a dearth of clues to be sure.

    "Let''s take a break for now,¡± he said as he halted the deer.

    Using Monarch of Fire, he warmed the air around the residents.

    Today, they would be able to do it.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ll return to Korea.¡¯</i>

    A smile formed around Lee Jun-Kyeong''s lips.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯ll be returning soon,¡± Jeong In-Chang said. He had already be excited, and his expression was bright.

    ¡°So that¡¯s Korea¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa began to have a burst of excitement inside at the idea of seeing Korea and stepping on its soil for the first time while Fenrir attempted to go to sleep next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, seemingly uninterested in everyone else¡¯s excitement.

    ¡°<i>Yawn¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought it made sense.

    <i>¡®He did eat a lot¡­¡¯</i>

    The wolf had devoured everything in the path of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, which meant that not only was he probably full but also, it made sense why he was so drowsy.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong patted Fenrir on the head.

    "What are you going to do now?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "What do you mean?" Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    "When we return to Korea," Jeong In-Chang continued, "Don¡¯t we have¡­anything else that we have to handle?¡±

    "There''s nothing particr that¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong trailed off.

    No, that definitely wouldn¡¯t be the case.

    In fact, there were so many things that they had to do that Lee Jun-Kyeong had to stop for a moment to think about what to do first.

    He then proceeded to draw a sword from his inventory.

    "What''s that?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Although it was an ornamental sword, it seemed to contain a magnificent type of mana within it.

    Jeong In-Chang continued, "Is it a magic item? That''s incredible."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mused for a moment. ¡®<i>Ungnyeo, she really did a good job.¡¯</i>

    She had clearly carefullypleted Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request and, rather than leaving the sword unattended within Heaven Lake, seemed to have diligently infused the sword with various types of mana as he had requested.

    Even in the midst of that mess, the sword had stayed perfectly fine where he had left it, and that was why such a great object had been created.

    "It''s a gift,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "A present?" Jeong In-Chang squinted. ¡°I, Jeong In-Chang, have understood what you¡¯re going to do when you return to Korea, Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°What is it? I would like to know as well,¡± Won-Hwa said from the side.

    The physician spoke using Merlin¡¯s ne, having it trante for him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also curious about what Jeong In-Chang thought he knew. ¡°What is it then? I¡¯m also curious about what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know what he was going to do first, so it was funny that Jeong In-Chang seemed to have determined their next ns. He found himself drawn in by the curious sight.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to go give presents to those women you have hidden around, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Jeong In-Chang eximed.

    ¡°Hidden women?¡± Won-Hwa asked, surprised by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s words.

    ¡°...even if the world has changed, there should still be some standards between men and women¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa seemed quite shocked by the expos¨¦.

    But Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were shocked in return.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were so conservative, Mr. Won-Hwa,¡± Jeong In-Changmented.

    ¡°<i>Cough, cough.</i>¡± Won-Hwa coughed in embarrassment.

    Although Jeong In-Chang¡¯s words were pure nonsense, Lee Jun-Kyeong considered them for a moment and found a modicum of truth.

    <i>¡®I should go bring her a present anyway.¡¯</i>

    He did actually have to bring the sword to that girl anyway.

    Although he had so many things that he had to do, at this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong had made his decision.

    "I''ve decided what to do,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with an excited smile.

    ***

    "So, this is the wall..."

    Won-Hwa was amazed by the magical veil that he had never seen before.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to feel the magical veil from where he had been in Utgard as, from that point, the veil had been high up in the sky. In front of him was the wall that divided North Korea and China, which were undergoing gateization, from South Korea.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly approached the wall.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Heaven Lake Vige residents waited for Lee Jun-Kyeong with bated breath. Beyond the wall in front of them would be a world that they hadn¡¯t seen for an incredible amount of time.

    <i>¡®He said something about once a month or¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about what Heimdall, Yeo Seong-Gu, had said.

    The Hunter had said that he woulde every month, so Lee Jun-Kyeong shoulde at that time. He had said that he would use the Bifrost at that point to pierce through the wall and open a pathway.

    However, right now, it was toote.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s been well over a month,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong mused.

    Furthermore, as it hadn¡¯t yet reached the next time for him toe yet, Yeo Seong-Gu most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to help him either.

    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t wait for him to show up. While it was possible for them to wait if they really had to, that would waste too much time.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about how he had responded to Heimdall¡¯s statement.

    <i>¡®If things go well¡­¡¯</i>

    That he''ll be able to get out on his own.

    Furthermore, things in China had progressed far beyond what he would have ssified as going well and had exceeded his expectations.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had grown even more than he could have expected. Therefore, he would be able to pierce the wall.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    He didn¡¯t need Bifrost¡¯s help.

    "Go back,¡± he said, putting his hand on the veil.

    He put both hands on the veil just like Yeo Seong-Gu had done when the Hunter had pierced through the veil and raised his aura.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    The first step was just to collect his mana. He was preparing the method of mana injection that most skilled Hunters could use to strengthen their weapons.

    <i>Thruuum.</i>

    The second was to infuse the mana. It was the method that he had learned by watching over Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s shoulder, and it had aided him tremendously in China. It was a much more precise and detailed way to inject the mana than the average Hunter used.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    The veil began to change colors. Its shade, which had been bluish, was turning red before their very eyes.

    However.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    The veil was only resonating. It hadn¡¯t opened up just yet.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t surprised.

    The veil had required the Bifrost to be pierced open, so there was no way that it would open up this easily.

    <i>¡®A little more.¡¯</i>

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of giving up at this point.

    Next was internal qigong.

    Using finer control, it was possible to create an incredible effect with a small amount of mana using internal qigong.

    The curtain was turning a little redder.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Next was Galdr.

    It was a power that could explode forth in a single moment using an enormous amount ofpressed mana and create an incredible amount of power.

    A blood-colored aura burst forth from Lee Jun-Kyeong, the aura absorbing into the veil.

    <i>Rippp!</i>

    The sound of the curtains'' reverberation changed, as a small ringing sound began to shake and vibrate, almost tearing.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s almost done.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the veil thinning. However, that effect onlysted up to a certain point, and the veil stabilized right before its breaking point.

    He didn¡¯t stop there though.

    <i>¡®That wasn¡¯t everything.¡¯</i>

    He had onest card, and it was the best method that incorporated all of these abilities into one.

    The mana stream.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s heart began to pound.

    The dragon heart.

    This was a dragon heart that had bloated itself to the brim by devouring not only the energy of the divide of heaven and earth but also the ruler of the mountain.

    Still, that didn¡¯t mean that Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to control all of these various powers.

    <i>¡®This is the best sort of situation.¡¯</i>

    This kind of uncontroble mana was the best solution in a situation where all he had to do was brute force his way through and destroy everything in his path. His mana stream gathered up all of the different types of energy at the same time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face became flushed, betraying the pain he was undergoing to move such a huge force.

    Then, at that moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±

    The veil had been lifted.

    1. The title here is what the literal meaning of the individual characters of Hwanung trantes to in Korean (the more epted trantion of Hwanung is The Supreme Divine Regent or the Supreme Regent from the Heavens) and is a reference to the Ancestor of Korea that we mentioned earlier in Ungnyeo¡¯s myth. Her Sponsor is a homage to her creation myth, as Hwanung is the god who gave her, the bear (Ungnyeo, Bear Woman), her humanity.

    2. The veil is more like a dome.

 Chapter 107: Reunion.

    <h4>Chapter 107: Reunion.</h4>

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    It was the Hunters guarding the front lines.

    Each had their own reason for being part of the defense.

    Some were poor.

    Some wanted to be strong.

    Some had been demoted.

    Some had even joined with no coherent reason.

    The front lines used to be a ce that divided South Korea from North Korea, but now, things were different. It had turned into the front of the defense against the monsters that burst forth from the blue veil, and the Hunters guarding it had to live with their lives on the line.

    They risked their lives. In return, they received copious amounts of money.

    However, there was something off.

    Someonemented, ¡°It¡¯s a little too calm nowadays.¡±

    Recently, they hadn¡¯t had much of a crisis, and the monsters that used to invade every day had be a rare sight at some point. Things had gotten to the point where the Hunters had started to be teased as those who only spent their days eating away,zing about.

    ¡°However, this is still preferable.¡±

    They all felt the same. So what if they were justzing about and spending their days eating? Not only did they not have to put their lives on the line, but they were also even being paid!

    Things were good.

    ¡°But¡­didn¡¯t things be like this after that point?¡± one guard said.

    "What do you mean?"

    ¡°When the monsters started to appear less frequently¡­that was when someone from the Association had crossed the lines, wasn''t it?¡± the guard asked.

    ¡°Ah¡­that! The Underdog!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±

    Come to think of it, the guard was right.

    The monsters seemed to have be inactive after the Underdog had crossed the front lines.

    "What a coincidence."

    ¡°Who knows? He might have just gone and wiped out all the monsters in North Korea.¡±

    ¡°Who are you trying to kid? Even if he¡¯s a Hero, that¡¯s impossible. We¡¯ve tried it countless times.¡±

    Just like yesterday, the guards spend their day gossiping.

    But then.

    Someone started shouting in a hurry, "Hey, hey, hey, hey!"

    "Ah, what do you want now¡­?¡±

    Someone was about to ask why the guard was yelling crazily but then stopped, not needing an exnation.

    ¡°The veil¡­¡±

    He could see the blue veil in the distance beginning to burn red.

    ¡°The veil is beginning to change!¡±

    "Emergency! Emergency!"

    The front lines began to roar with activity.

    ***

    ¡°Th¡­ This is some hot¡­ hot coffee,¡± someone offered.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted the cup of coffee and blew on it.

    Coffee.

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± someone said.

    ¡°How incredible¡­just incredible¡­¡±

    Even before Lee Jun-Kyeong could say anything, Jeong In-Chang was already excitedly admiring the cup. ¡°Was coffee really this delicious? Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand how you feel,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied wryly.

    He also felt the same way as hispanion. All of the food they had prepared in their inventories had long disappeared. Whether it was those who had settled in Beijing or the residents of Heaven Lake Vige, there had been many people who needed food, so any food that had additives or preservatives had disappeared a long time ago.

    Especially foods that had sugar, like the coffee in front of them.

    ¡°It really has been such a long time since we¡¯ve had something like this,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as heughed and drank the coffee.

    It was good.

    Really.

    <i>¡®It tastes so good.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Ha¡­ I finally feel like I¡¯m going to live now¡­¡±

    On top of that, because it was warm, it felt like he was enjoying a luxury good that he had never experienced before.

    Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at each other.

    "<i>Sob, sob!</i>"

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Suddenly, Won-Hwa, who was drinking coffee together next to them, burst into tears.

    "Coffee... Coffee...¡± he whimpered.

    Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about it, Won-Hwa was someone who hadn¡¯t had coffee for at least two years.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was this delicious,¡± the man cried.

    Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong''sughter grew even deeper.

    Although they hadn¡¯t arrived near Seoul yet, Lee Jun-Kyeong put down his coffee cup and said, ¡°We¡¯vee back.¡±

    ***

    There was activity again on the front lines that had been quiettely.

    Somehow, through the front lines.

    ¡°People came through¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It must be the surviving North Koreans!¡±

    ¡°There are North Koreans that are still alive¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing too!¡±

    The Hunters on the front lines were telling everyone they could find about those who had crossed the veil, and the quiet front lines were bursting with life again.

    There was another story as well.

    ¡°The Underdog must have also cleaned up all of the monsters around the front lines!¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but look at how things are. Not a single monster has leaked through the veil these days.¡±

    ¡°Well, that is true¡­¡±

    Everyone was also talking about Lee Jun-Kyeong. As for the main characters, they were temporarily staying in a Hunter Residential Area.

    ¡°Please rx here and getfortable.¡±

    While they weren¡¯t that far from Seoul, the residents of Heaven Lake Vige that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought over were refugees and asylum seekers.

    <i>¡®I haven¡¯t¡­heard from either the Association or the Government yet, sir¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t take them to Seoul without at least speaking to someone in charge.

    Furthermore, there was another issue.

    ¡°A¡­Are you Hunters?¡± one of the soldiers asked.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    A resident of Heaven Lake Vige dressed in shabby clothes nodded.

    ¡°These¡­are you saying that most of you are?¡± the soldier asked again.

    ¡°Yes,¡¯ the resident replied.

    The soldier gasped, ¡°Oh, my god.¡±

    These refugees weren¡¯t ordinary people.

    They were Hunters.

    As there had been arge influx of powerful people to the front lines, it was difficult for them to move in any further without gaining permission.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed with the residents instead of leaving them to fend for themselves.

    Moreover, there was someone else who took charge of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige and prevented a possible disturbance among them.

    ¡°Everyone, please hang in there a little longer. We¡¯ll be able to befortable soon.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Vige Chief.¡±

    It was Ungnyeo.

    To Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s surprise, she was no longer in the form of a child, but rather, she had returned to her adult form.

    This form had originally only been usable if there were some special circumstances or some sort of burden, but had appeared without any issue. Furthermore, she was able to maintain it without any trouble.

    Ungnyeo took her eyes off the residents of Heaven Lake Vige and looked down at her hands.

    <i>¡®The curse¡­¡¯</i>

    It had been released.

    The terrible energy of the hellish curse that had forced her into the appearance of a child because of the great power she had obtained had disappeared. Ungnyeo didn¡¯t have to be a child anymore and was able to take whatever shape she wanted, whenever she wanted.

    "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

    At that time, Ungyeo''s cheeks flushed as she heard a voice speak to her.

    It was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He grabbed her by the wrist and spoke to the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing the vige chief for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Take her for as long as you wish!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to return!¡±

    Ungnyeo¡¯s cheeks grew hotter and hotter as she heard the yful words of the residents.

    However.

    <i>¡®This man is¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked away with Ungnyeo with an expressionless face, as if he wasn¡¯t affected by any of their teasing.

    Once they had reached a secluded corner, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth to speak after erecting a mana barrier. "Let''s talk for a moment."

    Now that Ungnyeo hadpletely returned to her adult form, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to speakfortably.

    ¡°If you¡¯re in that form¡­¡±

    ¡°The curse has been released.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked her about her appearance once again, to which Ungnyeo had responded in a slightly sharp tone.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment, wondering why her curse had been lifted.

    Then, just in case, he grabbed her by the wrist again.

    "Wait a minute, this may hurt a little,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡±

    In spite of her bewilderment, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t release the hand he was holding.

    Instead.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    Using his mana stream, he injected a flow of mana into her body.

    Thinking that her changed physical condition might possibly lead to some sort of danger, Lee Jun-Kyeong freely poured out his mana.

    Then, he said, confused, ¡°But you¡¯ve be weaker?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she replied, quickly pulling away her hand at his words.

    Because none of them had gotten used to any of their surroundings, Ungnyeo had been forced to lead her people once again. Therefore, even though she had known that the curse had been lifted, she hadn¡¯t had the time to confirm her own physical condition.

    Therefore, she took the time to inspect her body.

    ¡°...¡±

    The result only confirmed what the Hunter had said.

    She had really weakened.

    Not only had the power that had burdened her body heavily disappeared, but the power that was also enough to envelop the entirety of Mt. Baekdu had disappeared as well.

    But why¨C

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Your strength is only powerful near Mt. Baekdu. It¡¯s because you can convene with the aura of Mt. Baekdu. You were that strong because you had the power of the mountain within you¡­and that was why you had no choice but to be forced into the body of a child.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell what Ungnyeo was worried about.

    Bing weaker meant that she had suffered a great loss, which brought on greater anxiety.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a Hunter¡­and well, I can help you too,¡± he said.

    ¡°S¡­so what is it you have to say, then?¡± Ungnyeo stuttered out.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes turned sharp.

    "In a little while, people wille from the government and from a ce called the Association. They¡¯ll ask a lot of questions regarding you and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    This was the point behind why he went to go find her.

    ¡°The power of the residents is greater than they had thought. Although the government and the Association will probably wee such arge number of Hunters with open arms, the problem is¡­¡±

    She interjected, ¡°There are concerns about our trustworthiness.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    People with strength.

    Although strength wasn¡¯t an issue if the people were controble, any force that was uncontroble was something to fear.

    The government and the Association both had that concern. If the residents were judged to be untrustworthy, there was a possibility that they would all be deported from Korea, or be forced to make unconscionable contracts with either the government or the Association.

    If that wasn¡¯t worrisome enough.

    <i>¡®Asgard.¡¯</i>

    There was also the possibility that Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Association, would make a move directly.

    The power of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige was certainly something to be coveted.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had given them choices. Because he had thought that it might not have been bad for them to go to Beijing.

    Although life would be morefortable here, it was never going to be peaceful. There would be numerous political and power struggles, and they would have to survive in a war of wits.

    ¡°The suggestion I¡¯m giving you from this point on will be a good one for both me and everyone. Of course, the choice is still up to you and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.¡±

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided to suggest something to them.

    "So¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to speak carefully.

    ***

    It wasn¡¯t until a few days had passed that some people had arrived from the Association.

    This wasn¡¯t an ordinary matter.

    This involved a mass exile of Hunters, and there was also the fact that these asylum seekers were people from the fallen North Korea. To make matters worse, they were people who had crossed the wall and arrived from the front lines that had been previously impossible to pierce through.

    Whether it was the government or the Association, both ces must have been going crazy by this point.

    ¡°Can we speak with you?¡±

    The Association had sent people before the government, and they first reached out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Mr. Underdog¡­Wee back from your mission to China."

    Previously, as a cover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had stated that he had been on a mission to scout around China and search for any survivors. Therefore, Korea had been even more enthusiastic about his travels to the barrennd and eventual return.

    Now that he had returned with a group of North Korean survivors, it was said that there were festivals and celebrations taking ce.

    ¡°It was nothing.¡±

    ¡°We would like to say it again, but congrattions once again on your safe return."

    The representative from the Association got back to business after congratting the Hunter once again.

    "The public opinion is very good. After all, you are the Hunter who sessfullypleted a dangerous mission. On top of that, you brought North Korean survivors back with you... Even more importantly, they are all Hunters."

    The representative shook his head as if he was exhausted by the list of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s achievements.

    ¡°However, there is a problem.¡±

    ¡°You mean the issue of whether we can trust them or not,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    The representative from the Association nodded.

    In the past, many North Koreans hade to South Korea after North Korea descended down the path of destruction due to their repeated nuclear weapon tests.

    Although they were expected to have been easily integrated without any issues into South Korea as they were all the same Koreans, they had actually be a knife in the side.

    Because they had grown up in apletely different system, the biggest problem of their immigration had been¡­

    ¡°The issue is¡­they could be spies¡­or evenmunists.¡±

    Some had been educated as spies and had tried to fulfill their duties even though their country of allegiance had been destroyed. They had attempted assassinations, and even created idents and stole information.

    They had been aimless acts, but it was still natural for the nation to be bewildered and damaged.

    The people that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought with him were those who had been in thendscape for a long time, something of concern, especially as North Korea had been destroyed.

    As such, it was necessary to verify their ideology.

    "Of course. The residents of Heaven Lake vige will actively participate in the verification of the Association,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, conveying the eptance they had agreed to in advance.

    "That''s good, but...¡±

    They still had concerns that they couldn¡¯t be sure of it.

    ¡°That was why the Association President had made a suggestion.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened. He knew it was neither the government nor the Association.

    <i>''Asgard was the one to move.¡¯</i>

    As that was the case, Lee Jun-Kyeong also expected what the representatives would propose next.

    ¡°It is our stance that we should sign a contract with them.¡±

    ¡°And that contract is obviously apulsory one, correct?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong rified.

    They looked obviously ufortable. "Yes¡­it is."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he knew exactly what sort of contract they were trying to make with the residents.

    ¡°Because they are all Hunters¡­¡±

    The representatives tried to continue, but Lee Jun-Kyeong cut them off, ¡°You mean a mana contract, then.¡±

    "Ah¡­yes."

    A mana contract.

    It really was no different than a vicious poison.

    Unlike ordinary contracts, which were contracts between ordinary people written on paper, there was a separate contract that only Hunters who could control mana could sign.

    A mana contract.

    It was guaranteed using mana, and penalties could be forced upon a party using the contract. That was why Hunters would never sign one easily. It was something that only bounty Hunters that dealt in Hunters would use.

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    As soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his refusal, the representatives from the Association shook their heads as if there was an issue.

    "In that case¡­"

    "We¡¯ve already signed a contract,¡± he interjected.

    "Excuse me?" one of the representatives blurted out.

    That was how surprised he was.

    ¡°They¡¯ve already signed a mana contract with me. You understand, right? That it¡¯s impossible to have multiple mana contracts,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, a broad smile on his face as he continued.

    1. This is a prevalent issue in Korean politics even to this day. Many nationalists speak out in hopes of reconciliation and reunification, but there are many in the government who fear a hidden invasion ofmunists and use it as a reason to deny North Korean refugees. Furthermore, as many refugees speak in apletely different regional ng and often are uneducated, many of the North Koreans find themselves ostracized by both society and themunity.

    2. Specifically, it¡¯s impossible to have more than one running contract. It is still possible, however, to sign a contract with more than one person at the same time. Sort of like hiring a team of builders to build a house. You can have an arbitrary number of builders to one contract, but you can¡¯t sign two different building teams to build the same house.

 Chapter 108: Reunion Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 108: Reunion Pt. 2</h4>

    The residents of Heaven Lake Vige were unable to leave even after the representatives from the Association had arrived.

    <i>¡®For now, we¡¯ll report what happened first¡­¡¯</i>

    The representative¡¯s reaction was as wild as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s actions had been absurd. He had said all of this while smiling.

    <i>¡®I also thought the same way as you had when I rescued them.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®If, by chance, I had brought them here and there had been any issues¡­don¡¯t you think that would ruin my reputation as well?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Therefore.¡¯</i>

    <i>In advance.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®I made sure.</i>

    <i>To make them sign a mana contract.¡¯?</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had ended his exnation there, making sure to emphasize every word.

    Eventually, the employee had to ask them to wait again as they reported to their higher-ups once again.

    ¡°<i>Yaaawn.</i>¡±

    For the first time in a long while, the residents of Heaven Lake Vige werezing around peacefully.

    "Is this heaven?" some of the residents asked as they reveled in their new surroundings.

    For them, who had only been able to eat potatoes and simr nd foods every day.

    For them, who had only been able to eat unseasoned boiled foods because they couldn¡¯t get any seasonings.

    This was a brand new ce, full of stimulus and mystery. Especially because they hadn¡¯t even been able to eat properly when North Korea was fine.

    As they mentioned earlier, to them, this ce might have actually been heaven.

    All of them were able to breathe and have a peaceful time.

    ¡°<i>Grr</i>."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¨CLet go.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¨CI said to let go!

    As for Fenrir, the wolf was running around ying with Sangun.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know when that had started. Apparently, the two had begun ying while Ungnyeo was busy taking care of the residents.

    Fenrir was in his human form with the current baby Baekho¡ªno, Sangun, whose form resembled a small puppy, as they wandered from ce to ce.

    ¡°<i>Yawnn</i>.¡±

    There was another that yawnedzily.

    "Is this really heaven?"

    It was Jeong In-Chang.

    Normally, their lives were just a continuous barrage of tension and crises, but now, things were different. Whether it was the monsters that Lee Jun-Kyeong had killed on their way out and back from the veil or all of the monsters that <i>the man in ck</i> had sent to Mt. Baekdu under the thrall of Madness, the front was currently barren as a result of them ughtering them all. The only sound on the in was an empty breeze.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had asked Lee Jun-Kyeong if where they were was heaven, was a Hunter by nature.

    ¡°...feel like my body is getting stiff.¡±

    He was someone who couldn¡¯t stand being still and already seemed eager to hunt.

    "So do I.¡±

    The same was true of Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had gained quite a bit from China and had grown well beyond where he had been before this journey, but because of that, he wasn¡¯t able to hunt any further.

    <i>¡®My level has pretty much stayed in ce.¡¯</i>

    Although he still knew he could be stronger, at least for now, he wasn¡¯t able to take any further steps.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure we stay busy when we return,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a smile.

    ¡°I¡­ I take back what I said¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered in a low tone as he turned around awkwardly like a robot and began to walk away.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around.

    The quiet ce all around him would soon be hell.

    It wasn¡¯t just here either.

    Korea, or even the whole world, would all turn into hell.

    It was an unstoppable progression.

    It was a truth that wouldn¡¯t change, no matter how much he spoke with these people.

    Therefore, he thought to himself.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s enjoy the present for now.¡¯</i>

    Thinking so, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned back.

    <i>Bump.</i>

    However, he soon ran into something. After looking down, he saw who he had run into.

    ¡°How did you avoid my senses?¡± he asked in surprise.

    The person behind him was Ungnyeo.

    ¡°Choi Yeon-Seo¡­¡±

    "What?" he asked.

    She exined, "It''s my name."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused for a moment. Come to think of it. He had never heard her name before.

    After hearing the name and musing over it, Lee Jun-Kyeong praised it with a sincere heart.

    ¡°What a pretty name.¡±

    Ungnyeo¡¯s cheeks turned red at thepliment, but all of a sudden, Lee Jun-Kyeong regained his cold demeanor and spoke again before she could say anything, ¡°What is it? Also, how did you avoid my senses?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to sense almost any flow of mana around him because he always had his mana stream enabled. But, even with his senses always flowing, he hadn¡¯t noticed her until they had physically run into each other.

    If she had been an enemy, he could have died in the instant.

    He felt a chill run down his spine.

    "It¡¯s my ability..." she responded.

    He nodded. ¡°So it¡¯s your ability..."

    He decided thatter, he would have to study her ability properly and learn how to break through its domain. As he thought about her ability, Ungnyeo¡ªno, Choi Yeon-Seo asked him a question.

    "What are you going to do now?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s suggestion had been to share a mana contract with the Hunters of Heaven Lake Vige. Through the contract, he was obligated to take responsibility for them and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.

    In return, as long as Ungnyeo and Sangun were by his side, they would follow his orders.

    That was the contract they had made together, but since then, they hadn¡¯t spoken about what woulde next.

    Since some of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige were likely to be anxious, Ungnyeo visited Lee Jun-Kyeong to find out their future ns.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much left to do. Either way, we¡¯ll end up going to Seoul.¡±

    Now that the Association had uncovered that the residents of Heaven Lake Vige and Lee Jun-Kyeong had signed a mana contract, Asgard, and Odin, would find out as well.

    Therefore, there wouldn¡¯t be much of a difference.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was a member of Asgard himself, nominally or not.

    Therefore, he most likely would be allowed to bring all of those who were now under hismand.

    Therefore, they just had to wait.

    "No, after that.¡±

    However, Ungnyeo was apparently concerned about what would happen after that.

    "First of all..." Lee Jun-Kyeong said, beginning to exin.

    The time had finallye, the moment Lee Jun-Kyeong had been crying out and waiting for.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be moving.¡±

    ¡°Moving?¡± she responded, bewildered.

    ¡°Yeah. And even after that, there are a lot of things we have to aplish. All of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige will have to y their parts.¡±

    Her eyes trembled ominously.

    Maybe she had made the wrong contract.

    She was filled with anxiety, worried about the possibility that Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the person she had imagined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like that. I won¡¯t force anyone who doesn¡¯t want to contribute to do anything. However¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes quietly turned to the residents of Heaven Lake Vige.

    "If they want to protect their families, they''ll have to obey me."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo thought for a moment and slowly nodded.

    "Okay..¡±

    ***

    The Association contacted them in a timely manner, and, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had predicted, they had decided to ept all of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige. Furthermore, instead of the representative, they had sent a Hunter to lead them.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that far, though¡­¡¯</i>

    He thought to himself. They really were taking so long.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong clicked his tongue in irritation as he watched them handle everything in such a slow manner, as time was more precious to them than gold at this point.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was all bad.

    <i>¡®At least everyone is resting well.¡¯</i>

    The residents of Heaven Lake Vige, tired from their hard lives, were recoveringfortably. Considering what awaited them in the future, this rest they were enjoying currently would feel even sweeterter.

    <i>¡®As they¡¯ll get busy from this point on.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, there were two others who were also enjoying the break that they were finally able to have after a long while.

    <i>¡®Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa¡­¡¯</i>

    Everyone was doing their best to take advantage of this rest in their respective ces, while Lee Jun-Kyeong, on the other hand, was doing the opposite.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    A reverberating electrical current-like pain ran through his entire body without stopping. He was training the flow of his mana through the simultaneous usage of internal qigong, Galdr, and his mana stream.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t afford to take the time to rest.¡¯</i>

    While the others could rest, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to.

    Because he knew what would happen from this point forward.

    Because there were people he had to protect.

    Because he had a goal that he wanted to reach.

    He couldn''t rest.

    He trained and trained constantly, barring the time he took to sleep¡ªno, even including the time he had to sleep. His newly acquired abilities were trained over and over again because he had to uncover a deeper and even deeper understanding of them.

    The mana stream was a difficult skill, so his understanding would still becking the more he uncovered about it.

    In the process of training, his newly acquired abilities continued down the path to stability.

    [The weak dragon heart stabilizes.]

    <i>Clench.</i>

    He wondered how strong he would be in his current state.

    He struggled to find something he couldpare himself to because he couldn¡¯t see the exact level of his strength. There was one thing he couldpare himself to.

    <i>¡®Would I be able to beat Heracles when he¡¯s under the thrall of Madness?¡¯</i>

    Musing over it, while it would be hard for him to dominate over the Hunter, he was confident that he would still win.

    He had grown to that extent¡ªfrom having managed to defeat the berserker by luck to being able to defeat him without any risks.

    That was the growth that he had achieved.

    "Whew..."

    His mana flowed in apaniment with his breathing, and as the mana gave him pain, the pain gave him growth.

    <i>¡®If things continue this way¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he would end up enjoying the pain one day.

    He did admit that if that would mean that he could grow stronger, if it were for the purpose of getting stronger, then he would even be able to grow to enjoy this feeling too.

    ¡°Underdog!¡±

    Then, one of the Hunters of the front line ran toward him and spoke.

    "Someone from the association is here!"

    Apparently, the Hunters, who had been dawdling, had finally sent someone.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The room was heavy with silence, and eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong was the one to open his mouth first.

    ¡°How have you been?¡± he said in a warm and weing tone.

    They had found themselves in another reunion, and it was one that felt even more weing than thest.

    ¡°Better than you, it seems.¡±

    It was Yeo Seong-Gu, smiling as he replied to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The person sent by the Association had been the Guild Master of the League Guild and a member of Asgard.

    The Hero, Heimdall.

    ¡°Bald-headed Yeo Seong-Gu¡­¡±

    "What?"

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quipped, ¡°It was just something I wanted to say if I came back alive. I¡¯vee back after undergoing adversity, so can¡¯t you give me a break this one time?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s nose furrowed as if he was ufortable.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew it was just an act.

    <i>¡®So you¡¯re happy knowing I¡¯m back too, Hyung.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled, knowing that Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s reaction was a habit that the Hunter did when he was in a good mood.

    ¡°Why are you sote? And what about the Association?¡± he asked.

    ¡°The Association is in aplete mess right now,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    What he said next was more shocking than Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it would have been.

    "Almost all the people of Asgard have returned to Korea."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened. "What?"

    The Heroes on expeditions had all returned to Korea.

    He was sure that the man he had met before he had left, <i>Baldur,?</i>had said that he was enjoying his vacation after having returned from an expedition. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to get one.

    Yeo Seong-Gu said that they had all gathered because of a special gate, which was a sign of the cataclysm.

    Monsters that were much more powerful than the ones in conventional gates had appeared, and the aftermath of these gates was terrifying as well.

    It wasn¡¯t just Yeo Seong-Gu who had recognized this as evidence of the cataclysm either.

    Even Odin, the President of the Association, had felt the severity of the situation and had brought the Heroes back.

    Furthermore, the special gates were not only appearing in Korea but also around the world.

    Yeo Seong-Gu had also heard that the Hunters from each country were also returning home afterpleting their expeditions.

    ¡°We had meetings for a few days. Meetings within Asgard, I mean.¡± Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°Of course, there¡¯s the problem with you as well. Although we had expected you to return¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu kneaded his brow as if Lee Jun-Kyeong was giving him a headache.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect you to dig up a gold mine ande back."

    Yeo Seong-Gu was referring to the Hunters of Heaven Lake Vige as gold mines.

    It was a matter of course.

    The number of Hunters was small. Even if their numbers could be said to objectively be many, the supply of Hunters was vastly dwarfed by their demand.

    Their lives were effervescent, not knowing when they would die on the battlefield, so new Hunters were always wee in any country, which was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought it was okay for them toe out beyond the veil.

    ¡°The problem is that the gold mine is in your hands,¡± he finished.

    Yeo Seong-Gu was referencing the mana contract.

    1. Baekho (Lit. White Tiger) is one of the four divine beasts of the Eastern Constetions. As the White Tiger of the West, Baekho is the symbol of aing Philosopher Emperor, someone who rules with absolute dignity and peace and represents power, military might, and stability of reign.

 Chapter 109: White Tiger Clan

    <h4>Chapter 109: White Tiger n</h4>

    ¡°Regarding the mana contract¡­ Regardless of the content, there¡¯s one fundamental tenant, ultimately,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said in a somber tone.

    ¡°They are loyal and submissive to you¡­ Although the contents of the contract can be different, in the end, ording to the mana contract, they have no choice but to follow its rules.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°That means that this very gold mine is being held tightly in your hand, and no one can take it away from you,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    He stretched a little and continued.

    ¡°Public opinion is going crazy because you rescued survivors from China, where no one else has gone, and because they are all hunters, the national strength is also rising, so¡­you¡¯ve be Korea¡¯s darling Hero, and all of those Hunters are even your men¡­¡±

    His eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Your enemies will be more numerous too.¡±

    Strength.

    He who had strength always fell victim to envy or jealousy, and people would try to speak ill of him and bring him down just because he had power.

    "All of the forces will begin to keep you in check, as the rtionship between a mana contract and guild membership are fundamentally different,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu concluded.

    Although those under a guild were counted as a single power, that was different from a power built from a mana contract. Unlike guild contracts, which weren¡¯tpulsory because they were general contracts, mana contracts were.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged and said insincerely, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to endure it, then. Either way, aren¡¯t I a member of Asgard, too?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Guughed.

    "How quaint. Well, anyway¡­¡±

    He rose from his seat and approached Lee Jun-Kyeong with a bright face.

    <i>Squish!</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu pulled him into his embrace. Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear his warm voice in his ear.

    "Congrattions on your safe return."

    ***

    Yeo Seong-Gu quickly finished his work aftering to the front lines. He did it so quickly, in fact, that it was to the point where some felt as though they couldn¡¯t understand why they had to have waited in this ce for so long.

    The people soon got ready to leave once more, and Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to deliver words of encouragement to the residents of Heaven Lake Vige, who were likely to be tired of continually moving.

    ¡°This will be thest time we have to move.¡±

    However, the residents responded contentedly with their current situation.

    ¡°If it''s a trip like this, I don¡¯t think it would be an issue to do it hundreds of times, right?¡±

    ¡°Eat! Sleep! Shit! That''s all we¡¯ve done, so it¡¯s not like it was a problem.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    However, even this would have been a short break as well. Soon, they would be busy.

    Also, it wasn¡¯t as if they wanted to stay put, either.

    "Oh, but my body is still so stiff."

    "I want to do something.¡±

    While life on Mt. Baekdu was said to befortable, it wasn¡¯t to the degree as to where they were currently. They had always lived so fiercely, so they couldn¡¯t bear with the currentcency.

    "You''ll be busy soon," Lee Jun-Kyeong said, speaking to them again.

    ¡°Therefore, try to rest when you can."

    "Okay!"

    "I''ll put my trust in you, son!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had only helped and helped the residents of Heaven Lake Vige repeatedly during their continued rtionship. Even without the mana contract, the residents had trust in him.

    ¡°How great,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, watching the scene from the side.

    Then, he quietly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and whispered in his ear.

    ¡°However¡­¡± he started, whispering cautiously. "What the hell is she?"

    <i>¡®Ungnyeo.¡¯</i>

    She seemed to be shining as she continued to take care of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige. Although there was the fact that she was beautiful beyondparison, everything that she did seemed dignified and trustworthy. It was so much so that itmanded everyone¡¯s attention and showed how much people trusted and followed her.

    The Hunters of the front lines even had something they called her.

    <i>¡®Wasn¡¯t it ¡®goddess¡¯ or something like that?¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯tmon to see women on the front lines. In addition, she was such a beautiful woman, so it was obvious that she would be talked about.

    "Is she the reason you went to China?" Yeo Seong-Gu asked mischievously.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered with a straight face, "You¡¯re not wrong."

    However, he quickly backtracked after seeing Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s frozen expression. He grinned widely.

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking,¡± he quipped.

    While a panicked Yeo Seong-Gu weakly smiled, someone else spoke from afar.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Mr. Lee didn¡¯t go to China because of Ungnyeo,¡± Jeong In-Chang approached and responded. Apparently, he had been listening from somewhere hidden.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu''s eyes turned to Jeong In-Chang due to his sudden appearance.

    "Because..."

    Jeong In-Chang, who approached, carefully opened his mouth.

    ¡°Mr. Lee has a lot of hidden women. If even someone like Ungnyeo was one of those hidden women, then I¡¯d just crawl into a hole and die from how unfair it would be.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely pondered, <i>¡®Should I just hit him in the back of the head just once?¡¯</i>

    The princess in Jeong In-Chang''s arms shook its head in agreement.

    ***

    They didn¡¯t have to walk or ride on deer as they had on the way to this ce from Mt. Baekdu. Beyond the veil was and of destruction where civilization had been destroyed, while on this side, everything was still a civilized society.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    Several buses were carrying the residents of Heaven Lake Vige. The residents found themselves busy looking out the window, and some of the children acted as if this was their first time seeing a car.

    In the midst of the noisy activity, the bus stopped.

    <i>nk.</i>

    "We''ve arrived."

    As their destination wasn¡¯t far away, their ride didn¡¯t take long.

    Two hours.

    That was all it took for them to get to Seoul from the front lines.

    A vastly different world was only two hours away.

    "Wow..."

    Things were so different as the residents looked around and admired their surroundings as they got off the bus.

    They were amazed, appalled, and frightened by the sight of Seoul, where everything had not yet been broken. It was normal, as unfamiliar things were always frightening.

    ¡°Ungnyeo. You have to take good care¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to ask Ungnyeo to take care of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige but soon stopped himself.

    "Wow..."

    Ungnyeo stood, her eyes wide open as she looked at everything around her, seeming as though everything around her was the most amazing thing she had ever seen.

    Her eyes continued to get wider and wider as her jaw dropped as she looked around at the buildings surrounding her. They were all bigger than she could have even imagined.

    ¨CThis is¡­

    Even Sangun was looking at everything curiously.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong recalled something while looking at her.

    Sangun had never left Mt. Baekdu, and Ungnyeo had been abandoned when she was young and had grown up with Sangun on Mt. Baekdu as well.

    It would have been their first time seeing such a civilized society.

    Having finally understood their reactions, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but to smile as they looked so pure.

    In the end, he decided to leave them in their wonder.

    He looked over and said, ¡°Mr. Jeong, please lead the residents of Heaven Lake Vige. You can follow the person from the Association."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized that there was someone else he needed to talk to. He turned and was about to speak to Won-Hwa, but then closed his mouth again.

    ¡°...¡±

    Won-Hwa was looking around and crying.

    <i>¡®He was like this when we drank coffeest time too¡­¡¯</i>

    He was clearly a very emotional person.

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang had to lead the group, including Won-Hwa as well.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t have to do it alone.

    ¡°Fenrir, you have to make sure you listen to Mr. Jeong properly, okay?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong instructed.

    He was to take them alongside Fenrir.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood, expecting Fenrir to respond to him, but was surprised by the way the wolf eventually replied.

    Fenrir had been looking around with indifferent eyes as if he wasn¡¯t interested in the sights, but when others looked at the impressive building in front of them, the boy responded with hostility.

    ¡°<i>Growl¡­</i>¡±

    He stood, growling at the Association building.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stroked his head and said to the boy, ¡°So you can feel it too, then.¡±

    Although it seemed as though the rest hadn¡¯t noticed because they were either admiring a new ce, or just because they had alle back to the homnd for the first time, the party had all arrived at the Association where the Korean Hunters were all gathered.

    <i>¡®Then, are those the Asgardian Heroes?¡¯</i>

    Within that Association building, there were auras lurking that could never be underestimated.

    In particr, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sensitivity to mana had increased to an extreme in China.

    ¡°...¡±

    He could feel it.

    There was a man looking at them through the windows of the vast Association building.

    <i>¡®Odin.¡¯</i>

    For a moment, the two of them made eye contact.

    Odin observed Lee Jun-Kyeong and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige, and his expression remained unchanged even though he had finally seen Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    A smile then slowly appeared around his mouth.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that it wasn¡¯t because the Association President was weing him.

    New beings.

    Beings who had finally arrived.

    Odin was smiling out of enjoyment at the curiosity about the Hunters, who had survived for a long time within the barrennd of North Korea, and Ungnyeo and Sangun who had led them.

    ¡°<i>Grr</i>.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Odin and stroked the head of the growling Fenrir.

    "Fenrir,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said quietly. "There''s something you need to keep in mind from now on.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice was low and intense.

    Fenrir raised his ears and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Don''t show your teeth,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked into Fenrir''s eyes.

    ¡°Learn when to hide your teeth if you want to be able to use them when you need them, Fenrir.¡±

    The boy nodded and responded, "Okay. Jun-Kyeong."

    For some reason, it was urate and clear.

    Fenrirughed, and his teeth were no longer revealed.

    ***

    <i>sh, sh, sh, sh!</i>

    It was another baptism of camera shes, bursting countless times.

    Now, Lee Jun-Kyeong was enjoying as much poprity as a superstar in Korea.

    Fortunately, the residents of Heaven Lake Vige had moved to another ce in advance, so only Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu were subjected to the overwhelming camera shes.

    "Underdog!"

    "Mr. Lee! What is the current situation in China and North Korea?"

    "Are those all the survivors?!"

    "Mr. Lee! Underdog!"

    Reporters shouted his name continuously, but Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward without stopping alongside Yeo Seong-Gu.

    "Mr. Lee! Are they dangerous?"

    "Is there any chance that they¡¯remunists or terrorists?"

    As he walked forward, all of a sudden, Lee Jun-Kyeong paused.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The camera shes exploded faster as he stopped, and Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes straight into the midst of a baptism of shes, a baptism that was so severe that it could have triggered an epileptic seizure.

    "They are¡­"

    Yeo Seong-Gu waited for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "...People who have suffered for a long time."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had originally nned on not answering anything, had opened his mouth.

    ¡°During the time that there was a country, they suffered under the government, and once the country fell, no one cared enough to rescue them.¡±

    The reporters listened to Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice with bated breath, staring at him with clear eyes as if they refused to miss a single word.

    "Their sufferingsted even longer than we could ever fathom.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stood firm, addressing the crowd of reporters, ¡°I will vouch for them. They will not bring any harm to you. Therefore, I¡¯ll request¡­¡±

    His voice was strong and intense, as the Hunter had used mana stream to bolster his voice and make it clear, striking it into the minds of the reporters so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to think of anything else.

    "and hope that you don''t harm them either."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and after a while.

    <i>FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH!</i>

    A sh baptism erupted, stronger than before. The reporters no longer asked him any questions. Rather, they called out his name and nickname, cheering him on.

    "Lee Jun-Kyeong!"

    "Underdog!"

    "Congrattions on your safe return!"

    Hero.

    The birth of a Hero who had not yet a title was sprouting at this very moment.

    1. Korea has a tendency to nickname their stars and idols. For example, there are some idols called the nation¡¯s darling, while others are known as the nation¡¯s child, the visual of an era etc.

    2. Timeline-wise, Sangun had existed before the advent of gates, and she was abandoned before North Korea fell.

    3. The author used a y on words, as by changing a single vowel, the word New bes Neer.

 Chapter 110: White Tiger Clan Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 110: White Tiger n Pt. 2</h4>

    "Come,e quickly."

    A man greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong with a bright expression.

    It was Jang Hyo-Jin, the president of the Korean Association and head of the secret organization Asgard.

    Some reporters stood waiting, taking pictures of him weing the group with open arms before returning.

    ¡°Wee back,¡± Jang Hyo-Jin said, his voice rxing a little.

    He began to walk toward his room, the president¡¯s office, followed by Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°You¡¯vee back with some very fun things along.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s forehead furrowed for a moment before anyone could spot it. It was because he had qualms over someone talking about people in that way.

    However, he soon rxed and responded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    He had stopped himself in time. He had to make sure he didn¡¯t show his true feelings in front of this person.

    Although he had returned back from China, he found himself back on a tightrope of tension.

    <i>¡®So it¡¯s this again.¡¯</i>

    He felt like he was crossing a rotting wooden bridge that no one could tell when it would fall.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sneaking across the rotted wooden bridge carefully, hoping to, one day, kill the sniper aiming for him from the other side.

    ¡°Over a hundred Hunters¡­¡±

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    Jang Hyo-Jin opened the door to the president¡¯s office as he muttered, ¡°And even two Hero-Level Hunters as well.¡±

    It was obvious that the man would have watched them from afar.

    Jang Hyo-Jin knew everything.

    The over hundred Hunters from Heaven Lake Vige and the two Heroes, Ungnyeo and Won-Hwa.

    ¡°Even three bizarre monster-like things.¡±

    Even up to Fenrir and the princess. Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s senses were so sharp that he seemed to be able to see everything about Korea through his ability.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a question.

    ¡°Three?¡±

    There were only two things that could be said to be bizarre. Fenrir and the princess. He was confused. The remaining one was¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Jang Hyo-Jin said as he entered the open door.

    "The other one, I mean. You are a bizarre monster-like thing."

    Following him, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu entered the president''s office.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The door closed.

    ***

    The president''s office.

    Jang Hyo-Jin, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Yeo Seong-Gu stood in the office with the door closed, which left them feeling stuffy.

    "Let''s talk about China."

    Odin looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with eyes brimming with interest, his intense desire clearly emanating from his gaze.

    <i>¡®The spirit of inquiry.¡¯</i>

    It was the greatest mass of desire within him that made him who he was.

    ¡°However, before that, there¡¯s something we have to do first.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his eyes in surprise. Because he knew Odin¡¯s personality to some extent, he thought that the president would have wanted to hear about the things in China right away.

    But.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s something even more important than that?¡¯</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes began to shake, Yeo Seong-Gu secretly put his hand on his shoulder away from Jang Hyo-Jin¡¯s gaze.

    The Hunter mouthed to him.

    <i>¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯</i>

    It was just one sentence.

    It was a trivial sentence, but it was enough to stop Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s tremors.

    <i>¡®The variables.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he had developed a nervousplex regarding the variables between the future and now due to the several changes that had urred in China. That was why he had reacted like that, unbeknownst to even himself.

    However, he was able to calm down thanks to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Jang Hyo-Jin slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong with heavy footsteps.

    ¡°Everyone has been gathered here, so it¡¯s time to introduce you to them.¡±

    The president smiled for the first time.

    It was a sincere smile, not a pretentious smile.

    "I mean in Asgard.¡±

    <i>Tap.</i>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    When he put his hands on the shoulders of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu, before anyone knew it, the background had changed. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had already traveled in this manner a few times before, it was a method that he could never get used to.

    Moving to someone else''s territory in an instant without his own consent always put his hackles up.

    <i>¡®If by chance¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that there were many things that would be disadvantaged if they could be moved to a territory in this way, especially since they would eventually have tobat Odin in the future.

    He thought to himself that he would have to find a way to defend against a territory someday.

    The best defense against a territory would be to have one of his own, but it wasn''t that easy.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky for a moment.

    He wondered when <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, which hadn¡¯t even given him a title by this point, would sponsor him a territory of his own.

    If not that, then he would have to do something simr to what these Hunters had done to obtain one but that would require not only luck but also effort that went beyond what anyone couldprehend, so it was something that he couldn¡¯t even begin to attempt to do.

    <i>¡®Someday¡­¡¯</i>

    Either way, he had neither the intention nor the strength to fight Odin at this point, so he put those thoughts to the side.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Jang Hyo-Jin began to walk forward.

    "All the Heroes have gathered in Asgard,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, beginning to exin to Lee Jun-Kyeong on behalf of Jang Hyo-Jin, who continued to walk forward without a word.

    "Today is not only the day to introduce you to them, but also to host the regr meetings of Asgard."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally realized what they were doing first.

    A regr meeting of Asgard.

    "I understand."

    With a nod, he followed Jang Hyo-Jin into the golden city.

    Asgard.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Apanied by the scenery of a ce that he didn¡¯t often see, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward toward the mausoleum, where dozens of enormous auras were gathered.

    ***

    ¡°I heard he was a brat who hasn¡¯t even earned a title yet?¡±

    ¡°But why did Odin say he epted him into Asgard, then?¡±

    Heroes were gathered in the golden conference hall talking amongst themselves as they waited for someone to arrive. There were over twenty, nearly thirty of them, all of whom were recognized as Heroes across the world.

    Unbefitting of their titles as Heroes, they all made a lot of noise ording to their respective personalities. It was almost like a school ssroom.

    In the midst of their freeness, they conversed about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I heard his growth was amazing, though?¡± someone piped up.

    ¡°I mean, apparently, he even went to China, too.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasing here now, leaving them to wonder as this meant a new member of Asgard would be born after a long time.

    "That¡¯s true, he did go to China, didn¡¯t he?"

    Someone tsked, "What a madman."

    There were some Heroes who held up their hands in defeat right after hearing that he had gone to China. There had been some Heroes of Asgard who had wanted to venture into China, but they were unable to try because of the chaotic energy they felt and the presence of the veil. Thus, they had to stop themselves for fear of the dangers lurking within its borders.

    To think Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone to such a ce.

    ¡°But it seems <i>that</i> psychopath ising here?¡±

    Not only had he gone to China, but he had also stayed there for quite some time before he returned. Moreover, when he returned, he had brought over a hundred Hunters who had been North Korean survivors.

    The Heroes were interested in Lee Jun-Kyeong, and some of the more yful ones rolled up the corners of their lips in a smirk.

    <i>¡®We can feel it.¡¯</i>

    The auras.

    There were three auras heading to the conference room.

    One was a huge and angry mana that they always felt.

    <i>¡®Odin.¡¯</i>

    Another was Heimdall, whose mana was as angry as Odin¡¯s, frequently shing with the Hunter because of his uprightness and personality that didn¡¯t fit their tendencies.

    Andstly.

    "What is this?"

    Some of the Heroes'' eyes grew wide as they felt the approaching aura.

    "Wait! Wait!" they shouted, looking at each other with incredulous gazes. The whole conference hall could feel them, the three approaching auras.

    And.

    ¡°This is supposed to be the kid who hasn¡¯t gotten a title yet?¡± someone shouted incredulously.

    "No way!"

    There was another aura that was there besides Odin and Heimdall.

    ¡°This is insane¡­¡±

    It was too great and powerful to belong to a Hunter who hadn¡¯t yet received a title.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Some of the Heroes waiting began to bite their lips. They could feel it; he was stronger than they were.

    "You said it hasn''t even been a year...¡± someone muttered.

    They wondered if it was possible for a Hunter that had been a Hunter for less than a year to be this strong. Was this really a brat who hadn¡¯t yet earned a title?

    As the aura continued to grow closer, the Heroes could feel goosebumps creeping up their arms, and some even trembled as if the temperature had suddenly dropped.

    It was monstrous.

    The approaching Hunter¡¯s aura was incredibly monstrous.

    As everyone gathered in the hall was a Hero, they were all able to gauge the power of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s aura.

    ¡°This is insane¡­¡±

    As someone muttered to themself onest time, a huge door of gold began to spew light.

    <i>Creaaak!</i>

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Odin had entered the conference room.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    And Heimdall quickly followed behind and looked around.

    All the heroes could see the light leaking through the opening of the golden door, the glow giving them all goosebumps.

    At this moment, most of the Heroes were horrified.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Atst, they heard the sound of someone¡¯s footsteps.

    "Nice to meet you.¡±

    A pompous voice echoed throughout the conference hall.

    "I''m Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Underdog.¡±

    All of them shut their mouths.

    ***

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it fancy?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu couldn¡¯t erase the smile from his mouth, as if there had been something incredibly enjoyable. Contrary to their expectations, Asgard¡¯s meeting had ended too easily.

    It really had been all about introducing Lee Jun-Kyeong, so all of the Heroes who had been gathered had been introduced to the newest member.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong pointedly remarked, ¡°But it seemed as though there were some empty seats.¡±

    ¡°Some of Asgard¡¯s Heroes have the right to refuse to attend a meeting,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded.

    Finally, the smile on his face had disappeared.

    ¡°Those Heroes didn¡¯te.¡±

    ¡°It seems that one of them¡­one of those who were missing was Baldur,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    Furthermore, there was another person who didn¡¯t attend.

    It was another Asgard hero that Lee Jun-Kyeong was wary of, and even the other impressive people that he felt as though he should keep tabs on, didn¡¯t attend today¡¯s meeting.

    ¡°Well, there are some cases where some of them had to be dispatched in a hurry, so¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, trailing off toward the end.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t really seem all that impressive,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said without hesitation in front of Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°...¡±

    Asgard.

    ¡°It seemed as though none of them who attended were those whom we could really consider as Heroes.¡±

    They had been amazed and astounded by Lee Jun-Kyeong''s power.

    However, that had been it.

    They really were a bunch of shitty idiots.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had enormous power, hade in as a new member, so most of their reactions had either been positive or filled with jealousy. Instead of being curious as to why or how he had joined, they reacted very simply. It was because they werecent about their own power.

    Furthermore, they also had faith in the organization called Asgard and that the organization had sessfully restricted Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They just blindly trusted he would be controlled.

    ¡°Of course. Because you don¡¯t qualify as a Hero based on your heart or your disposition¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu muttered bitterly.

    ¡°It¡¯s just strength. Right and fame alone, apanied by strength,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    Potential,patibility, Sponsors.

    There may have been many different aspects, but the only qualification to be a Hero was simply strength.

    If one had strength, then they could attract their Sponsor¡¯s attention.

    If one got stronger through the attention, then they could build up their reputation.

    As they progressed into bing a Hero, if that Hero was exceptional, they could even end up joining the secret organization. Of course, those secret organizations were twisted. Their initial ideals, which had been the salvation of mankind or the protection of their own citizens, had long since disappeared.

    That was the present state of the secret organizations.

    ¡®You¡¯re right. So, you¡¯ve made your debut splendidly¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued to speak, looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong with an expectant look.

    "What are you going to do from now on?"

 Chapter 111: White Tiger Clan Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 111: White Tiger n Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this it?¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    The sound of the residents¡¯ admiration could be heard behind Lee Jun-Kyeong''s back. As they were busy looking around, Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly asked, "What do you think?"

    He stood together with a woman with his back to the people.

    She had long, straight ck hair, her beauty apparent just from its iridescent glow. It was Choi Yeon-Seo¡ªUngnyeo, the former vige chief of Heaven Lake Vige.

    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it? It may not be as beautiful as Heaven Lake on Mt. Baekdu¡­but I always thought it was beautiful,¡± he continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ungnyeo had no answer.

    The two were staring at the river.

    They were at the Bukhan River, where Lee Jun-Kyeong, Ungnyeo, and the Heaven Lake Vige residents were currently residing.

    After a long while, Ungnyeo finally responded.

    "It''s beautiful," she said, her voice quivering with desperate sincerity. "It''s so beautiful.¡±

    She kept looking at the river.

    This ce¡­

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the ce for us to coil up.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had spoken of this move so many times before and had hoped for it for countless others. This was where he was nning to move.

    Of course, at first, his desire had been to move to a decent apartment alone, but that n had suddenly be impossible due to the influx of a new ¡°family.¡±

    <i>¡®In the end¡­¡¯</i>

    He found himself back here again.

    In fact, the Bukhan River was a ce where Lee Jun-Kyeong had many memories. It was a ce that used to be a nightmare for him, but by this point, he was able to just call that time a memory.

    It had been no different from a prison.

    <i>¡®My hometown.¡¯</i>

    Although it wasn¡¯t far from Seoul, it was one of the cities where only ordinary humans would have lived in the future¡ªno, to be frank, it couldn¡¯t have even been called a city. It was a vige.

    Furthermore, it was also the hometown where Lee Jun-Kyeong had spent more than twenty years. To think he hade back to this ce after all¡­

    He tried to think about what had made hime back, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t.

    He suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t really get it.¡±

    ¡°Get what?¡± she asked in response.

    ¡°The reason I came back here again.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t about money, because he had enough of it. He actually had enough money to buy an entire apartment building in Seoul if he had wanted to.

    It was enough for him to settle the residents of Heaven Lake Vige anywhere in Korea. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t as if the Bukhan River area was a safe ce in the uing cataclysm, either.

    After all, there wouldn¡¯t be any safe ce in the uing cataclysm.

    He had simply chosen to move because he had wanted a ce to stay until the cataclysm arrived. For some reason, it was this ce again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chewed on his lip, filled with an unknown emotion.

    As he stood there, conflicted, Ungnyeo spoke once again.

    "It''s beautiful. This river, thisndscape.¡±

    She turned back toward Lee Jun-Kyeong and said frankly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to the house?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rid himself of his emotions andughed.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    They had finally aplished their original goal, and the reactions of the residents were as Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected. With each thing they discovered, their astonishment only grew.

    ¡°Is this a house or a pce?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a house.¡±

    "Is this the house we''re going to live in?"

    Even those who generally stayed quiet were moved enough to say something. For those who had lived in a rural settlement like Heaven Lake Vige on Mt. Baekdu, this ce was simply like a pce.

    ¡°You can use whatever ce is convenient for you. If, by chance, two of you want the same house, please let me know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the residents.

    This wasn¡¯t a simple house like they had expected. He had bought an entire luxury pension estate.

    Considering that he had epted them all and had been looking for a ce for them to stay until the cataclysm arrived in the future, there really wasn¡¯t a better location than this.

    ¡°There''s a swimming pool too¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was also busy running around, taking a look at everything with his mouth wide open.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    The same went for Won-Hwa as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s a swimming pool inside the house!¡± he said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I bought a full vi,¡± he replied as if he wasn¡¯t impressed.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, on the inside, he was just as surprised himself. It was probably because the amount he had spent was sorge that it didn¡¯t seem real. More money had been withdrawn in a single instance than he had expected, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was still very calm and did not show much of a reaction.

    There was only one thing.

    <i>¡®Is this really a house?¡¯</i>

    He was really only surprised by the splendid appearance of the residence, as he hadn¡¯t expected that the pension estate he had purchased would be this vast.

    <i>¡®I found you a ce with a good sale.¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu had found this ce for them. With the advent of the gates, the value of remote areas that were difficult to protect had fallen, so naturally, the number of travelers that would travel to pensions had also decreased.

    In a time where no one could tell when monsters or gates would appear, no one would risk their lives to travel.

    That was how he was able to buy the estate at a lower price than the market value.

    <i>¡®How insane,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he looked around.

    It had three floors with incredibly high ceilings, and its wall-to-wall ss windows allowed for a clear view of the scenery around the Bukhan river. The kitchen and interiors were neat and elegant, while the materials used to construct the estate seemed to be of the highest quality.

    "There is a swimming pool...¡±

    Moreover, as Jeong In-Chang had said, there was a swimming pool inside of the estate. A swimming pool that allowed one to swim in safety while looking at the river through a ss window.

    ¡°Is this¡­really my home¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s hands were trembling. In fact, they were trembling more than when he had fought against Heracles or when he had faced Utgard-Loki, the king of the giants.

    Looking at it all, he felt touched.

    Following that, he was overwhelmed with worry.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let it happen.¡¯</i>

    This ce wouldn¡¯t be safe in the midst of the cataclysm either. That was why he had purchased it with the intention of only staying here for a while, but he soon felt as though it wouldn¡¯t be right to let a ce as incredible as this be destroyed.

    He mumbled, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to find a way.¡±

    ¡°<i>Brr</i>.¡±

    Seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong be so determined at something so meaningless, Fenrir just looked around and snorted. He was still not fully acquainted with human culture and life. It was most likely due to the fact that his base form wasn¡¯t a human and was instead a wolf¡ªno, a Vanagandr, but Fenrir''s reaction really wasn¡¯t the greatest.

    ¡°Fenrir, this is our house now. Isn¡¯t it great?¡±

    It was so much so that when Lee Jun-Kyeong asked him how he felt about the house, Fenrir answered curtly with one word, ¡°Great.¡±

    Then, he walked over to the kennel in the yard andid himself down.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried weakly to say something to him while kneading his forehead.

    ¡°That¡­isn¡¯t your ce¡­¡±

    ***

    During the evening, as always, was a festival.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for a celebration!¡±

    The newly settled residents were excited, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of ruining their mood. Since the estate¡¯s original purpose had been a pension, the estate¡¯s barbeque site was well prepared. Thus, all of the former residents of Heaven Lake Vige had gathered there.

    There were almost a hundred and fifty of them, but fortunately, the meat and food prepared to feed them were already in ce.

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who was dragging food in with a cart, resembled a savior to them.

    ¡°<i>Kya!!!</i>¡±

    The residents cheered, happy to see Jeong In-Chang and his party.

    On the other hand, the princess, Fenrir, and Sangun had be close in their own way.

    ¡°...¡±

    They all sat in front of a bonfire and spoke. Some were mesmerized by the dangerous flicker of the mes, while others burst intoughter.

    "I''ve never experienced this kind of luxury in my life.¡±

    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying."

    As the atmosphere of the festival began to grow more enjoyable, the residents still seemed unable to believe things were real.

    Just like what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said to the reporters, these residents were people who had never been able to enjoy luxury, even when their nation had existed. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to enjoy a proper meal, not to mention something as extravagant as this.

    To be frank, they most likely were happier at Heaven Lake Vige on Mt. Baekdu rather than in their home nation, even though they would havecked a little in their lifestyle.

    For these people, this ce was an unfamiliar thing.

    A good house, an abundance of food.

    Therefore, they also trembled with anxiety.

    ¡°How anxiety-inducing.¡±

    To those who trembled, worried about insecurity without reason, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that it was finally time to address them.

    "Everyone."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth to speak in front of the burning bonfire as the roaring mes glinted in his eye from time to time.

    "You have made a contract of mana with me."

    His sudden words chilled the atmosphere as if he had poured water all over it.

    The quiet residents looked at each other.

    He had exined it well enough before they had signed a contract with him. He had exined that it was apulsory contract, and that meant loyalty and obedience. He knew that he had brought up something that was sure to have been met with repulsion, but nevertheless, the residents still had chosen to sign the contract.

    "We trust you,¡± said an aged elder. She was the oldest woman in Heaven Lake Vige. Having survived to the end, despite all of the hardships, she too was like a Hero in her own way.

    She went on, "We should have died in the first ce."

    It was a single, strong statement.

    ¡°We were all dead when Heaven Lake started burning that day.¡±

    Everyone listened to her as she spoke in a weak tone.

    ¡°However, you saved us. Moreover, you also saved Sangun as well.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t been the one to save Sangun. Rather, it had been <The Supreme Regent>. Although it had been the Sponsor of Ungnyeo, the residents believed that it was due to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°We trust you. Therefore, don¡¯t worry about anything, and do whatever you want. Even if we don¡¯t have anything¡­¡±

    She looked at the residents of Heaven Lake Vige with murky eyes. They, who met her eyes, nodded back, telling her to continue.

    <i>Tak.</i>

    The bonfire was burning down as if it didn¡¯t notice how things were ending.

    ¡°We understand a savior¡¯s grace. You¡¯re the one who saved lives that were meant to die anyway. Do as you please. If you want us to live, we¡¯ll live. If you want us to die, we¡¯ll die. For us, when we first had talked about a contract or whatever, everyone had made that determination, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I would have sold my soul to the devil if that would have meant that even the children would be able to survive.¡±

    The residents¡¯ voices rang firmly throughout the space.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them.

    Before he knew it, the old woman had returned to sitting in her seat, chuckling with the others andughing.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while nodding.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing that I hope for. Just as the grandmother had said¡­¡±

    He could feel a slight aura of nervousness. Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, feeling the gaze around him.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you all to live.¡±

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    The dying bonfire began to ze and grow.

    The me had responded to his will, who was the ruler of fire¡ªno, who was now bing the Monarch of Fire.

    ¡°In the future, the world will be a more dangerous ce than Mt. Baekdu,¡± he said, his words carrying a heavy strength. Furthermore, as the speaker was someone whomanded such power, the weight of his words was bound to be even greater.

    ¡°You will have to be warriors. If you want to protect the precious people who are by your side¡­¡±

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    The mespletely raged and shone over the river.

    He could see the hardened eyes of resolve of the residents in between the ze.

    ¡°Please be warriors. Please be Hunters,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, swallowing before he continued to speak.

    ¡°Please be strong.¡±

    Before anyone knew it, the night had grown old.

    1. As a major tributary of the Han River, the Bukhan River flows from Mt. Geumgang in North Korea and passes through the DMZ, fully crossing over into South Korea near Jangseung-ri, and the bulk of its bodyys from Hwacheon down through Chuncheon before it meets with the Han River. Its name, Bukhan, is the South Korean term for North Korea.

    2. In Korean, this phrase means toy the groundwork and form a ce one can protect. It refers to how a snake will find a ce to coil up around itself and shelter at night.

    3. An apartment buildingrge enough to house over a hundred hunters plus family, conservatively 100 households, can cost anywhere from 300 million USD to 5 billion USD.

 Chapter 112: White Tiger Clan Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 112: White Tiger n Pt. 4</h4>

    Some time had passed.

    Although people had been curious about Lee Jun-Kyeong and the survivors he had brought back from China, he gave a single strong statement and refused to borate on anything.

    ¨CPlease don''t make them suffer anymore.

    Alongside his single statement, the information on the North Koreans had been kept from release.

    That was it.

    ¨CThe Underdog has vouched for them.

    ¨CThe Association has also given their assurances.

    That was the only news that had been released to the public. Other information regarding the North Korean survivors was nowhere to be found. Furthermore, since there were no differences innguage or even appearance, it was impossible to tell them apart.

    .

    They were melding seamlessly into the world.

    As a little more time passed, the people¡¯s curiosity about the Underdog and the North Koreans gradually faded away.

    ¨CAnother Special Gate appears.

    The people¡¯s anxiety had increased due to the re-emergence of the special gates, shifting their interest from the North Koreans who didn¡¯t directly affect their lives.

    ¡°What happens if things continue like this? Will something big happen?¡±

    ¡°What if things return to being as chaotic as they used to be?"

    All eyes were on the unstable situation at the gates.

    ¨CThe Heroes have been summoned.

    However, due to the Association¡¯s quick response and the quickly disappearing special gates, the people¡¯s anxiety began to fade away little by little.

    In the meantime¡­

    ¡°Whew. I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you get a lot of sponsorship in return?¡±

    There was an emerging force that was clearing the gates at high speed. They had been conducting their activities under the name of a guild, but they were closer to being a party that acted as one rather than a guild.

    They called themselves the White Tiger n.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all done a great job, White Tiger n,¡± said the staff of the Association, who bowed to them as they emerged from clearing a gate.

    They had been going at a mad pace, and theirpensation had been soaring these days in contrast to the guilds who were protecting themselves.

    ¡°Oh dear, you¡¯ve also had a hard time waiting for us like this,¡± said someone from White Tiger n as they greeted the Association staff face to face.

    The Hunters of the White Tiger n had great personalities to match their excellent skills, so the people of the Association were quite fond of the emerging n.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the oldest Hunter of the White Tiger n spoke again. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next gate right away.¡±

    "What?" the Association staff said, flustered.

    "Don''t you have a few more reservations?¡± the Hunter asked.

    The staff hesitated and said, ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ don¡¯t you think you should take a little rest¡­ you don¡¯t have to take care of everything today¡­¡±

    Although the association staff tried to assuage them anxiously, everyone stated that they didn¡¯t need a break.

    ¡°Oh dear, don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll only be of help to you the more we clear, won¡¯t we? Let¡¯s go quickly. Please lead us there.¡±

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    Then, they moved on without a break with green mana shining down onto their bodies. A Wide-Area Recovery skill had been activated.

    ¡°Vige Chief, would you like to take a rest?¡±

    Out from the midst of their group came out a beautiful woman with long ck hair.

    The unusual thing was that she was holding something in her arms. It resembled a puppy but also a tiger cub at the same time.

    The White Tiger n had referred to this woman as the Vige Chief.

    ¡°Sorry, what? But I seem pretty okay for now,¡± she replied to the Hunters.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set off right away,¡± she then said to the Association staff while smiling.

    There was another reason why the Association staff were fond of the White Tiger n.

    "Yes!"

    It was because she was a part of them as well.

    She was like a newly-born goddess.

    The Association staff even called her the Heavenly Fairy of the White Tiger n.

    ¡°But by the way, will we not be able to see that kid anymore?¡± someone asked quietly.

    ¡°The Vige Chief really was cute when she had that appearance though,¡± the other Hunters said as they looked at Ungnyeo leading the group.

    ¡°Misters!¡± she screamed, embarrassed.

    ***

    ¡°They seem to be doing well,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. He had constantly been moving without taking any breaks. In fact, he was in the midst of finally hunting after having pushed it off for so long.

    ¡°<i>Grahh!!</i>¡±

    "You must be doing well."

    He was currently within a special gate.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had yet to receive a title, he had already surpassed people¡¯s perception of power and exceeded the power of a Hero. Asgard had no intention of letting him rest a little, even if he had just returned from a difficult journey.

    He had immediately been assigned a special gate, so he was currently moving around in order to clear one.

    ¡°I guess so!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted, wielding a greatsword.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Won-Hwa said as he threw silver needles.

    The three were speaking after having heard the news of the White Tiger n.

    ¡°<i>Hmph</i>.¡±

    Fenrir followed behind them with the princess.

    The hunt was going smoothly.

    The monster they were hunting was a chimera, which was a monster that corresponded with an S-Grade Gate. Although it was a little more difficult to deal with, considering they were in a special gate.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    Fortunately, it was still a reasonable level of difficulty for them, who had experienced all the hardships on their trip to China.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> has sponsored you an increase in stats.]

    [<The Great Representative of the East>] has sponsored you an increase in medicinal skills.]

    They were taking this time to continue training alongside the hunting, and most of them were growing rapidly through sponsorship.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s another sponsorship!¡± Jeong In-Chang eximed excitedly.

    ¡°As expected¡­ It seems as though our interest from the Sponsors increased, most likely because we¡¯ve been hunting at higher-leveled gates,¡± Won-Hwa replied.

    They chattered with each other, delighted at the repeated sponsorships.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> yawns.]

    He wasn¡¯t able to fit into their conversation.

    Soon, the monsters had been cleared out, and Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself staring into the sky.

    ¡°...¡±

    If, if only one day, he could be incredibly strong.

    If one day, he would be able to unlock all of the secrets.

    <i>¡®I want to hit you at least once too.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t forget that sharp, crisp taste of the feeling of hitting Park Jae-Hyun.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> mocks you.]

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned at the even more irritating response of the cheeky bastard, and an eerie sound rang out from behind him.

    It was the sound of Fenrir and the princess clearing out all of the chimeras that had been approaching them from the rear.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    Then, a water-storm-like deluge fell from the sky and killed the remaining chimeras around them. After undergoing continuous growth, even Hyeon-Mu had reached the point where he could be said to be a useful Familiar.

    It was only then that finally, his level went up.

    [Your level has risen.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky again.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> points down, as if gesturing you to look at something.]

    This was why.

    This was why he couldn¡¯t hate it.

    ***

    "Whew. I''m dying over here," Jeong In-Chang said after drinking water while huffing about. After returning to Korea, he had been a little stiff due to due to the continuous days of peace, but by this point, his little stiffness had turned into a more exhausting soreness.

    His days had been a steady stream of hunting. Just like before he had gone to China, Jeong In-Chang had gone back to living within the gates.

    ¡°What was the point of us getting a nice house?¡± he moaned.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa had also decided to stay at the luxury vi on Bukhan River when they had been introduced to it with the others.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we ever get a day to stay home, either,¡± he continued morosely.

    They had been happy at the prospect of living there, but, just as he said, by this point it was rare for them to even see the vi grounds.

    s, their ¡°house¡± was but a gate, and once that gate had been cleared, they would move again to the next one. That was the pattern to their current lifestyle.

    ¡°<i>Hmph!</i>¡±

    ¡°Goongje.¡±

    However, Fenrir and the princess seemed satisfied with their life. Surprisingly enough, Won-Hwa seemed fully satisfied as well.

    ¡°But we have hope to go back at least, right?¡± he asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed as he looked at Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m justining, that¡¯s all. I know that too,¡± Jeong In-Chang mumbled embarrassedly while shaking his head.

    ¡°Also, I heard that the residents of Heaven Lake Vige are also working hard.¡±

    The residents had started their own activities under the name of the White Tiger n, trying to be stronger as Lee Jun-Kyeong had hoped.

    Life in Heaven Lake Vige may have been difficult, but it hadn¡¯t been beneficial for their growth. The reason a Hunter could be strong was through the presence of the Sponsors, but the Sponsors wouldn¡¯t offer any sponsorship to a Hunter who didn¡¯t meet their expectations or fulfill their desires.

    Therefore, the residents¡¯ growth had been stagnant for a long time.

    <i>¡®As expected, it was a good decision to bring Ungnyeo as well.¡¯</i>

    Ungnyeo¡¯s presence was immense.

    While Ungnyeo¡¯sbat power itself was also powerful due to the influence of Sangun, her own specialty was something different.

    It was the seal power they had alreadye across and¡­

    <i>¡®Buffs.¡¯</i>

    ¡­the power to amplify the abilities of many Hunters and to strengthen them.

    There were many Hunters who had buffing abilities, but only a few of them would be able to keep up with her effectiveness.

    With her help, the residents of Heaven Lake Vige¡ªno, they should be called the White Tiger n now. They had been stagnant for so long, but now they were able to grow continuously. They would grow and grow, to protect themselves and their loved ones.

    ¡°Everything is going well.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    The corners of his mouth went up as if he was satisfied.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is feeling it.¡±

    But soon, his face stiffened, and he turned to look at the two of them.

    They nodded in return. They knew what he was talking about, what everyone was feeling.

    ¡°The cataclysm is beginning soon.¡±

    The stronger the Hunter, the more sensitive they would be to mana. Furthermore, the Hunters in front of him were those who had even trained in internal qigong and mana stream.

    Although Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t been able to fully learn mana stream yet, his ability to use its principles had increased because he was also learning internal qigong. As for Won-Hwa, the physician had already been a master of internal qigong in the first ce.

    They definitely were feeling that the mana of the world was seething.

    ¡°The special gates are appearing more and more frequently,¡± he said.

    The special gates were gates that differed from the norm, and they were constantly popping up.

    The Association, Asgard, had even summoned all of the Heroes, but even though they were all working their hardest, they were beginning to reach a situation where they weren¡¯t able to close all of the gates that were appearing.

    A gate break meant the appearance of monsters, which meant that ordinary people would die indiscriminately.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all work hard,¡± he finished.

    Jeong In-Chang responded with a question, ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡±

    For some reason, it felt as though Lee Jun-Kyeong was speaking as if he was leaving.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response.

    "I''m thinking of going on a short trip around the world."

    ¡°World¡­vacation¡­?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked at him with suspicion as Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been giving various warnings with a serious expression, suddenly said that he wanted to go on a trip around the world.

    Of course, he knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong also deserved to rest, and that rest was important as well.

    ¡°Oh, I understand,¡± he said, nodding with difficulty.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew how he was feeling, but he still only smiled in response without saying a word. He didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood again.

    After all, he had a hunch that hispanion was thinking something along the lines of: He¡¯s probably going to go see a girl.

    There wasn¡¯t any need to give Jeong In-Chang any superfluous information.

    Won-Hwa just nodded as a response.

    ¡°You should begin to move alongside the White Tiger n after this gate. I¡¯ll be leaving Fenrir with you as well.¡±

    ¡°Snort?¡±

    ¡°Fenrir, go and protect the White Tiger n. They are going to be of great help soon in what is about to happen,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeon exined.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s clear this gate first.¡±

    Once he finished, the party stood up with their weapons held in their hands.

    Although he may have said it would be a vacation, in truth, it was his responsibility and duty.

    He was someone who knew the future as someone who hade from the future. Thus, this was something that he had to take responsibility for head-on.

    ***

    A vacation around the world.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said it was a trip around the world, but in truth, he didn¡¯t have many ces to go. He had only expressed his trip like that because in terms of distance, he really was traveling the world.

    <i>¡®Use it carefully.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, because he had to move quickly, he had borrowed Bifrost from Yeo Seong-Gu for a short time.

    <i>¡®You¡¯ve been granted Odin¡¯s permission. For now, that means that the entirety of Asgard will cooperate with you as much as possible.¡¯</i>

    It normally wasn¡¯t an easy matter to use it, but Odin had decided not to spare anything in support of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The Bifrost.

    Yeo Seong-Gu hadn¡¯t understood what had been so great of a problem for the secret organization that they had allowed Lee Jun-Kyeong to use it.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyoeng exined it to him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because we made a deal.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®A deal?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®I gave him what he had desired the most.¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed curious about what he had given Odin, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t exin it any further.

    <i>¡®The man in ck.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had made a deal with the president involving information regarding the man in ck.

    As it was expected of him to exin the various things that had happened during his trip after returning from China, Lee Jun-Kyeong had leaked a single piece of information to Odin.

    Barring the stories involving the giants and the Chinese survivors, he had spoken about the existence of the man in ck.

    <i>¡®Someone is making moves behind the scenes. They call him the man in ck, and he was the one responsible for causing the devastation in China and for destroying the home of the Heaven Lake vige residents that I brought back.¡¯</i>

    Odin had been interested in the information.

    There was another hidden entity, and that had been enough to elicit curiosity from Odin¡¯s inquiring mind. Thus, the older man had been satisfied with the information for the time being.

    <i>¡®Identify the man in ck,¡¯</i> ordered Odin, King of Asgard and president of the society. <i>¡®I will spare you no support.¡¯</i>

    That was the whole story behind how Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained the right to use the Bifrost.

    ¡°I request entry into the Round Table.¡±

    Moreover, at this very moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was in Ennd.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    Standing near the front of an empty alleyway, Merlin¡¯s ne began to emit light.

    1. Korean etiquette has varying levels of respect based on hierarchy. Considering that the White Tiger n is a high-level Gate clearing n of Hunters, they are of a high enough status that they could theoretically treat these low-level staff like servants. Furthermore, no one would bat an eye, especially in such a world where Hunters are like kings.

    2. I didn¡¯t mention this earlier, but in East Asia, especially Korea, long ck hair is seen as a sign of beauty. For a while, prior to the inclusion of Western hairstyles, shorter hair was seen as either masculine or promiscuous.

    3. A Seonnyeo, or Heavenly Fairy, is a celestial being in Eastern Mythos. As a resident of the kingdom of Heaven, they are all minor goddesses that are dressed in flowing robes with floating ribbons around them, beautiful beyondpare. The most famous Korean Myth involving them is the Fairy and the Woodcutter.

    4. The term here for both stiff and sore literally means (something) poking at your bones, and is a term for muscle pain that can eithere from too much rest, or too much movement.

    5. I forgot to mention this earlier, but this is a recurring piece of humor that is a y on words from the Author. Jeong In-Chang has it in his head that Lee Jun-Kyeong is a <i>yer</i>, just not the right kind of yer¡­

 Chapter 113: Warning

    <h4>Chapter 113: Warning</h4>

    ¡°To think you woulde to find us like this¡­¡±

    The Round Table was a hidden secret organization within Ennd and had a different perspective on how they viewed the world aspared to the other secret organizations.

    Unlike the other secret organizations that tried to manipte humanity in the guise of saving it, the Round Table was an organization that acted as aplete bystander and mediator.

    They were neither good nor evil; they were basically a powerful organization that sat on the sidelines.

    Furthermore, Lee Jun-Kyeong was meeting with the most influential person among them.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Sir Lancelot, Knight of the Deathblow.¡±

    Right when he was about to enter the Round Table, he saw the person who hade to greet him, and it was someone entirely unexpected.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that they would have sent one of the council stewards.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t expect them to send a Knight of the Round Table.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was genuinely surprised.

    Unexpectedly, one of the Knights of the Round Table hade to meet with him. The reason why the Round Table was able tomand such strength wasrgely due to its central figure, Merlin, but that didn¡¯t mean that the organization was weak without her.

    The Knights of the Round Table.

    Although they were few in number, each individual was stronger than any Hero that could be found and had always yed a big part in any British crises.

    All of them were actual knights, having been recognized by the British Royal Family.

    ¡°The honor is all mine to finally be able to see the Underdog in person,¡± said Lancelot, a handsome blond figure.

    His well-styled hair, glossy and blond with impable gelling, showed his neat and meticulous personality.

    ¡°As someone who has attracted the attention of Merlin, everyone here is quite curious about you, Mr. Underdog,¡± the knight said, sipping his tea.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see something in his eyes, though.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    There was some hostility hidden within the depths of the knight¡¯s gaze.

    There was another reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard of Lancelot¡¯s name before, and it went beyond the man¡¯s strength.

    <i>¡®The man who loved Merlin.¡¯</i>

    Lancelot was also famous as the man who loved Merlin, the head of the Round Table. However, Merlin didn¡¯t return his love, and their broken rtionship ended up bing aplete catastrophe.

    It wasn¡¯t that Lancelot had betrayed her or anything of the sort.

    It was just that his obsession eventually went too far.

    Although it was rare for problems to ur within the Round Table, many of those that did exist were intertwined with this knight.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized he had also stepped into the muck.

    The knight in front of him had unnecessarily misunderstood his and Merlin¡¯s connection, so he wasn¡¯t sure how to move forward.

    Still, this wasn¡¯t a ce for him to express his true feelings.

    ¡°I¡¯ve onlye to keep a promise¡­¡±

    ¡°What promise are you talking about?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned at the knight, who had interjected while smiling brightly. Whether Lancelot loved Merlin or not had nothing to do with him, and seeing the knight continue to try to bring his personal feelings into their public affairs, he spoke out coldly, his voice ringing through the space.

    ¡°Are you toying with me right now? I came to find Merlin for a business-rted matter. While I understand that you¡¯vee to greet me personally, Sir Lancelot, I cannot stand for this disrespect any longer.¡±

    ¡°In what manner could I have been rude¡­¡±

    ¡°Would a knight who couldn¡¯t recognize his own rudeness really be a knight?¡±

    Lancelot blushed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure now that Merlin was watching them. After all, this was the Round Table. The only ce that was beyond her view was the living quarters.

    Since this was a drawing room, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch that Merlin was watching them.

    ¡°How dare you insult me¡­¡±

    As such, Lancelot responded in an inmed manner, rose from his seat all of a sudden, and began to emit a ferocious aura.

    ¡°Underdog. While your reputation may be impably high¡­ I still cannot stand this disrespect as a knight.¡±

    The air between them began to tremble, the knight¡¯s mana beginning to put pressure on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Stop."

    Then a voice came from the air.

    Merlin had torn a void through the space and appeared.

    It left a bad taste in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth. If she had stepped forward sooner, then he wouldn¡¯t have collided with Lancelot.

    ¡°Lady Merlin.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lancelot stepped down onto one knee as a sign of respect for Merlin while Lee Jun-Kyeong red at her, who had created the irritating situation.

    Her eyes creased in a strange manner as she reprimanded the knight.

    ¡°Sir Lancelot, you¡¯re being rude to my guest.¡±

    ¡°Lady Merlin¡­!¡±

    Lancelot''s face was bursting red, so much so that it wouldn¡¯t be a shock if someone mistook it for the inside of a ripe watermelon.

    "Underdog!" he shouted in spite of Merlin''s dissuasion. "I request a duel!"

    Lancelot meant it. What he was spouting now was near-murderous hostility.

    ¡°Lance¡­¡±

    Piercing mana enveloped Lee Jun-Kyeong, and as Merlin was about to interject, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded calmly, "Very well."

    Before she knew it.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lancelot''s energy disappeared, almost like it had been washed away.

    However, the Hunter hadn¡¯t used his aura to break through it.

    <i>¡®He consumed it.¡¯</i>

    Merlin¡¯s eyes opened wide as she saw what Lee Jun-Kyeong had just done. He hadn¡¯t pierced through or responded to Lancelot¡¯s bloodlust-filled mana with strength. Rather, it was almost like he had consumed it.

    He had absorbed it.

    He had made his opponent¡¯s energy his own.

    When Merlin¡¯s eyes began to brighten, Lancelot began to hasten his steps.

    ¡°Let us go to the training hall!¡±

    ***

    The quiet Round Table had be noisy again.

    ¡°Is it Lancelot again?¡±

    "What''s going on this time?"

    The members of the Round Table had gathered at the news that there was a disturbance within the Training Hall.

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a good fight.¡±

    ¡°Who is he fighting against?

    A disturbance was something that didn¡¯t happen easily. Consequently, it was both a pain for them to deal with and also an interesting spectacle as well.

    The members made their rounds as they headed for the Training Hall.

    ¡°And here I thought I was going to die from all these emergenciestely. About time we had a break¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, regardless of who it is, Lancelot is probably going to win anyway.¡±

    ¡°So then, who is he going against?¡±

    Up to this point, the problems that Lancelot has caused had been simple. He had turned the hardworking reputation of the secret organization into a punching bag whenever he had wanted to see Merlin and had also turned any opponent whom he had seen as being rude to Merlin into a punching bag as well.

    One of the things that left an impression on everyone had been one of these events as well.

    ¡°It was so funny when he had turned that bastard into a mess because they had thrown trash into the pond where Merlin lived, right?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe. So, who is he going against, anyway?¡±

    ¡°The Underdog!¡±

    ¡°The Underdog? From Asgard?¡±

    "Yes!"

    These days, the tales of the Underdog have spread throughout the world.

    His story about leaving for China to rescue the survivors had been enough to attract the world¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Is he here?¡±

    ¡°It seems he arrived a few hours ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh!!! It¡¯s definitely going to be a big match, then!¡±

    Seeing that the Underdog and Lancelot were matched together, the Round Table began to heat up with excitement.

    ¡°What crazy¡­¡±

    The members who had been heading to the Training Hall suddenly stopped, their mouths dropping.

    ¡°Sir Gawain¡­¡±

    "There is Sir Ghad, too...¡±

    "How insane..."

    They were the Knights of the Round Table.

    Unlike Lancelot, who had frequently caused idents, it wasn¡¯t easy for people to meet the other Knights of the Round Table.

    If Lancelot was a troublemaker, then the others were true aristocrats.

    They were the Noblesse.

    ¡°I¡­ I greet Sir Gawain!¡±

    The knights were making their way to the Training Hall with graceful steps, and one of the members who had passed by them saluted them with his hand held proudly.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    "You¡¯ve worked diligently,¡± the knight called Gawain said, patting the saluting man on the shoulder as he began to walk away.

    The Knights were the idols and envy of the members of the Round Table.

    They, too, seemed to be heading toward the Training Hall in case of any idents after having heard the news as well. It was normally difficult for anyone to see one Knight of the Round Table, but they had all gathered here.

    "Let''s go!¡±

    The people grew even more excited and hurried their steps.

    ¡°But¡­ What happens if the Underdog wins?¡± someone whispered.

    What if Lancelot would be defeated in a ce where everyone had been gathered? If that happened, they didn¡¯t know what Lancelot, who normally was bursting with pride, would do.

    However, another person interjected, ¡°I saw the Underdog a while ago. You know, when they had that Battle of Champions in Ennd.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°There''s no chance that the Underdog would be able to beat Sir Lancelot.¡±

    ¡°But he still came back from China alive¡­¡±

    The person who had said he had seen the Underdog smirked and continued, "Are you crazy? No matter how much sponsorship a Sponsor could give, it¡¯s impossible for someone to grow that much in this short of a time. There¡¯s only an issue with Sir Lancelot¡¯s personality, not with his ability, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If Sir Lancelot loses, then I¡¯ll run into the fire pit!¡±

    The man''s boast hastened their steps again.

    As they hastened to enter the Training Hall, before anyone knew it, the hall had be full of people.

    ***

    Sir Lancelot.

    He stood, ring at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a hugence held in his hand.

    Even a single nce made it obvious that thence was enormous. It was so much so that it seemed unreasonable for someone to use it on the ground, but the knight was handling it as freely as a wooden stick.

    ¡°An eastern spear versus a western spear¡­ It¡¯s going to be an interesting duel it seems,¡± Lancelot said with a rxed expression as he looked down upon Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear, Muspel¡¯s Spear, was a spear that was often used in the East.

    The knight looked around triumphantly as if he had already knocked down Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "The greatest thanks to you all foring to see my duel."

    Cheers were heard at his aristocratic greeting.

    Lancelot had disyed a sudden stance, emitting his aura for disy.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cold voice rang out, ¡°Are you a knight or a clown?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The inmed hall had suddenly sunk down as if water had poured over them.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious from what he¡¯s doing that he¡¯s a clown, but I can¡¯t tell if I should be calling him ¡°Sir Clown¡± as well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s smile, which had reached well beyond the corners of his mouth, was cold.

    ¡°Is this duel a joke to you?¡± he continued.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly held up his spear to an offensive stance.

    There was no customary round shield in his other hand.

    ¡°Unlike a spear, isn¡¯t a duel where one is allowed to take the opponent¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lancelot¡¯s face stiffened.

    It wasn¡¯t because of the tension, but rather, his face distorted with shame and anger.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he responded, suddenly dropping the honorifics from his words.

    ¡°A duel is something where it¡¯s allowed to take the other¡¯s life. Still, I had thoughts of letting you live¡­but it seems there¡¯s no need for that now.¡±

    ¡°How noble of you.¡±

    He had been yful, but in this moment, he betrayed his demeanor as an aristocrat. A selfish and arrogant western aristocrat, Lancelot.

    That was how Lee Jun-Kyeong viewed the knight opposing him. He scanned the hall. It seemed as if most of the people living within the Round Table had gathered, as the Training Hall was packed.

    <i>¡®The Knights of the Round Table are also here.¡¯</i>

    Although he didn¡¯t know their exact titles, even with a nce, he could see that special Hunters were gazing down at this ce with their arms crossed.

    He could feel the powerful aura wrapped around their bodies.

    They were true knights.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked away from them.

    Then.

    ¡°Mr. Fake Knight, Lancelot.¡±

    That had been the signal.

    ¡°You son of a bit¡ª!¡±

    Although a duel was supposed to begin with the agreement of both parties, Lancelot rushed out with hisnce without waiting for any confirmation from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see hisnce quivering from the condensation of an incredible amount of energy.

    The Knight of the Deathblow.

    That was the nickname that had been given to Lancelot because it had been said that the Knight prated everything with a Deathblow.

    No matter his character, no matter his status, no matter his personality, Lee Jun-Kyeong mused for a moment.

    ¡°I guess a Hero really is a Hero?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood still as he watched the knight race forward.

    ¡°Ohhhh!!!¡±

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    At that sight, the viewers began to scream in panic.

    Even as the viewers were screaming, Lancelot was rushing forward and Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing still. It seemed as though he would be pierced through by thence.

    In fact, Lancelot was flustered by this point. His pupils shook as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to not defend whatsoever.

    He was a Knight of the Round Table, regardless of what he had said earlier, killing such a defenseless person would be more disgraceful than anything he had ever done up to this point.

    Moreover, killing someone from another secret organization in the name of a Knight of the Round Table would also be an act of harm to both Merlin and the Round Table itself.

    That had been why, even though he had been involved in countless disputes, he had never killed anyone.

    However.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was toote for him to stop.

    His charismatic performance quickly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s nose with a tempestuous force.

    ¡°...!¡±

    He felt it; he had pierced through Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However, whether Lancelot, or the viewers who saw it soon after, they soon realized what had happened.

    ¡°A fake knight.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood, his mouth curled up in a smirk.

    In front of all of the gazes, the hugence had been stopped with the head of a red spear in his hand.

    1. Their rank within the organization is Knight, but they are also official knights under the British Monarchy.

    2. Lancelot is one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table in Arthurian Legend and English mythos. As arguably the third most important figure in Arthurian Legend after Arthur and Merlin, he is famous for both his incredible power, and also his one-sided, and then adulterous, love of Arthur¡¯s first wife, Guinevere.

    3. This Lady is a bit different from the previous. This is a little less formal and more affectionate. He¡¯s shocked so much by Merlin taking Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side that his form of address betrayed his feelings.

    4. This is a warped use of the word Noblesse that Korea really likes. It¡¯s a shortening of Noblesse Oblige used as a noun to describe the manner of people, but not necessarily referring to them as of noble birth.

    5. Lances are meant for horseback, which is why it¡¯s weird to use them on the ground. On average, ance is roughly three meters long, and the handle itself is well over a meter long.

 Chapter 114: Warning Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 114: Warning Pt. 2</h4>

    Silence dominated the hall, and not a single person found themself able to say a single word.

    There was only one person who could speak.

    ¡°Like I said, a fake Knight.¡±

    He was the one who had caused the silence in the first ce.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He had stopped Lancelot¡¯s charge with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    It wasn¡¯t that he had shown any impressive shows of strength. All he had done was stop Lancelot¡¯snce in ce.

    Nevertheless, Lancelot couldn¡¯t move.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Sweat trickled down from his forehead.

    <i>¡®I can''t move.¡¯</i>

    Although Lancelot was clearly flustered by his charge being stopped by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear, as expected of an experienced Hunter, he quickly tried to recover hisnce to attack his opponent again.

    However, he still couldn¡¯t move.

    No matter how hard he tried, it was as if his legs had been nailed to the ground.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    It didn¡¯t matter how much effort he put into it. Hisnce wouldn¡¯t move.

    It was at that time.

    ¡°It would be greatly appreciated if we could just end this now,¡± said someone with an elegant and graceful manner of speaking.

    It was one of the people who had been watching all of what had transpired with their arms folded.

    ¡°They call me Gawain.¡±

    Gawain.

    He, like Lancelot, the Knight of the Deathblow, also had a nickname.

    <i>¡®The Knight of the Green.¡¯</i>

    Unlike his graceful mannerisms and elegant tone, he was a horrifying man. When he had first awakened as a Hunter, he cleared gates like a crazed barbarian. Whenever he left the gates he had cleared, his whole body would be soaked with the blood of orcs and goblins, eventually leading to people referring to him as the Knight of the Green.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered for a moment.

    Should he do as the Knight requested or pressure them even further?

    However, soon, the wait was over.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made his decision and lowered his spear.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Once the spear holding thence in ce disappeared, Lancelot lost his strength and fell to the ground.

    His face flushed red, but he didn¡¯t act out any further as he quietly listened to Gawain scolding him.

    ¡°Learn how to gauge the gap between you and your opponent, Lancelot.¡±

    As Lancelot bowed his head, Gawain apologized to Lee Jun-Kyeong politely, ¡°I apologize for the disrespect.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong watched the knight as the knight watched him in return.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s been measuring my strength from the beginning.¡¯</i>

    The reason why the knight hadn¡¯t gotten himself involved in themotion that had urred within the Round Table seemed to be because he had already expected that the loser of this duel would have been Lancelot.

    However, his trembling eyes betrayed that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skills had been better than he had expected.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong epted Gawain¡¯s apology, the people of the Round Table fell silent.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Sir Ghad,¡± Gawain said, calling out to another knight.

    ¡°Help Lord Lancelot deal with his internal injuries.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Then, another Knight of the Round Table named Ghad helped Lancelot stand, who was struggling to put strength in his legs.

    Eventually, Lancelot bowed his head and submitted, "It''s my defeat."

    ***

    ¡°...¡±

    In a room full of silence, Merlin and Lee Jun-Kyeong were looking at each other as they sat in front of a round table.

    The first person to speak was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It will only be this once,¡± he said. ¡°Although I had gone with themotion because I wanted to see something myself, I won¡¯t let things go this easily again.¡±

    What he was referring to had been the duel with Lancelot.

    The unique thing about the Round Table was that the head, Merlin, hadplete control over the entire organization.

    No matter how much power the Knights of the Round Table were said to have, they were still, in the end, knights, and would follow Merlin, their leader.

    More importantly, that meant that if Merlin had wanted to, the duel with Lancelot would never have happened.

    Merlin had wanted the conflict to happen, so Lee Jun-Kyeong had epted it even knowing what she had wanted.

    ¡°A debt has been created. By you, I mean,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°How shameless you are,¡± she replied.

    He shrugged. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the reason you didn¡¯t avoid that which you had ample opportunity to avoid because there was something you had wanted as well? You even just said that you had epted the duel because you had wanted something, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was a guest at the Round Table.

    Moreover, as he wasn¡¯t a knight, he hadn¡¯t been obliged to ept the duel. The duel had been a conflict that wouldn¡¯t have happened if he had desired.

    ¡°My pride is a little strong, you see.¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong responded in that way, in truth, he was incredibly calm inside.

    As Merlin had said, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also epted Lancelot¡¯s duel because there was something he had wanted as well: to gauge his own ability.

    <i>¡®Have I reached the level to easily take down the weakest of the Knights of the Round Table?¡¯</i>

    He wanted to understand the current power of the secret organizations. Furthermore, he wanted to see how far his own skills could bepared to theirs.

    That was one of the reasons he had epted Lancelot¡¯s duel.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the only reason either.

    He had also epted it in order to erase his debt to Merlin.

    ¡°Regardless of how it happened, it¡¯s still true that you¡¯ve formed a debt as Ipleted things the way you had wanted,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Because Merlin had wanted Lee Jun-Kyeong to duel with Lancelot, Lee Jun-Kyeong had made sure the knight had lost.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I teach Lancelot a lesson, just like how you wanted?¡± he asked.

    Merlin must have already measured his increased strength to some extent and would have stopped the duel if she hadn¡¯t wanted Lancelot to lose. Letting things continue even after that meant that she had been asking Lee Jun-Kyeong to make the knight suffer a defeat.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Merlin mused for a moment.

    ¡°Although I already expected this from you, you really aren¡¯t just physically strong. In fact, your resourcefulness and wit are also formidable.¡±

    Her words were filled with a hint ofughter.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I did want you to defeat Lord Lancelot.¡±

    She continued, ¡°Sir Lancelot has great potential, but his annoyingly arrogant temperament and his iprehensible obsession with me¡­ I needed an opportunity to make him grow. And you set the stage for that as well.¡±

    To think she would say she didn¡¯t understand it.

    He wondered, was it that Merlin was just blind, or¡­

    <i>¡®Could she be pretending she doesn¡¯t know?¡¯</i>

    Either way, it was none of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s business.

    Merlin continued further, "I admit that I owe you, as you say. But¡­"

    Some sort of haze bloomed around Merlin¡¯s body. After a moment, instead of a mature woman a boy appeared. He seemed arrogant to the point of irritation.

    ¡°That would be a debt you would be able to settle after you keep your promise to me.¡±

    It was the other alter ego of Merlin.

    The two were one, and split apart, two.

    That was why Merlin was unable to be whole.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out the boy¡¯s name, ¡°Arthur.¡±

    ***

    "<i>Heung</i>,¡± said the mannerless little brat.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of Park Jae-Hyun as he looked at him.

    He wondered, <i>¡®Why do all of the bastards who are in the form of children?act like brats?¡¯</i>

    Then he remembered something.

    <i>¡®Or maybe not.¡¯</i>

    There was only one who was different.

    At least Ungnyeo hadn¡¯t had this sort of personality.

    He wondered if it was some sort of inferiorityplex or a persecution fetish.

    He sat there, looking at one of those very brats who had such an infuriating personality with such incredible audacity.

    The two of them sat in the midst of theke where Merlin lived, and before anyone realized it, they had shifted locations from the Round Table.

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve kept your promise?¡± Merlin, or now, Arthur, said.

    ¡°Well. For now, at least.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had also forgone his manners as the opposing side refused to keep them as well.

    It was the golden rule.

    ¡°How rude. Looks like you¡¯re trying to say you have pride too,¡± Arthur said.

    A heartstopping amount of mana began to emit from the brat¡¯s body.

    It was a sign that he was ready to exchange a blow at this very moment.

    ¡°The ability you used on Lancelot won¡¯t work on me.¡±

    <i>¡®He noticed that as well?¡¯</i>

    Even now, as Lee Jun-Kyeong was speaking with Arthur, the Round Table was in an uproar. Everyone was talking about how Lee Jun-Kyeong had blocked Lancelot¡¯snce.

    No matter how hard they thought about it, however, there was no answer.

    The Knight of the Deathblow had been given that nickname because of Lancelot¡¯s specialty: a charge that could smash anything with a Deathblow.

    However, when Lee Jun-Kyeong had met with thence, he had simply stopped both thence and Lancelot with a toothpick-like thin spear.

    Moreover, there was that as well.

    <i>¡®Gauge the gap between you and your opponent.¡¯</i>

    Because of Gawain, who had appeared elegantly and tossed out a remark, the Round Table was in chaos with stories about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Although I¡¯ve never seen mana move in that manner before¡­¡± Arthur said.

    The method Lee Jun-Kyeong had used to stop Lancelot had been the mana stream. Lancelot¡¯s charging method had a simr aspect to Galdr, the skill of the giants.

    One had to burst out with all of their might and put all of one¡¯s energy into a Deathblow.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong noticed the simr principle in the blow and felt the flow of mana.

    ¡°To think you cut through the flow with your mana.¡±

    He had caused a brief stoppage in the flow itself that had been connected to the knight¡¯s mana, which had caused thence to stop and paralyze Lancelot.

    Arthur had seen through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skill even though he knew nothing about mana stream.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work on me,¡± the brat said confidently.

    <i>¡®Would it really not work?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong became curious for a moment.

    A skill that had even worked on Lancelot.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re right.¡±

    He soon admitted it and shrugged.

    There was a level difference.

    He thought back to what Gawain had said.

    .

    ¡°I already know how to gauge the gap between my opponent and me,¡± he replied.

    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>.¡±

    Arthur pouted as if he had been irritated, but it didn¡¯t look like the brat had been offended.

    ¡°Either way, I¡¯ve kept my promise for now.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally moved past the meaningless conversation and opened his inventory.

    Arthur''s eyes trembled.

    ¡°...¡±

    Soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong drew out a sword embroidered with colorful decorations.

    Arthur''s face hardened.

    "You¡¯re saying that¡¯s... Excalibur...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had borrowed Merlin¡¯s Ne after promising to get Excalibur for Merlin and Arthur. Now, he hade back to Ennd to keep that promise.

    However, distorted mana began to emanate from Arthur.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    Theke began to seethe.

    ¡°Are you trying to mess with me right now?¡±

    Arthur¡¯s body, which was in the shape of a young boy, began to distort. Momentarily, his appearance shifted and clearly became that of a fully grown adult.

    The distortion of mana began to worsen over time, and the figures of Arthur, Merlin, and another man began to flicker and disappear repeatedly.

    Theke was boiling, and the sky of the Round Table began to fluctuate.

    The region was being affected by Merlin¡¯s and Arthur''s anger.

    ¡°To think you would y me¡­¡±

    When Arthur couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and his mana was about to explode¡­

    <i>Swish!</i>

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong tossed the sword at him with an uninterested expression.

    Arthur naturally caught onto the sword and spoke, his voice trembling with anger.

    ¡°Did you really think this little trick would work¡­¡±

    Excalibur.

    It was the divine item that could solve their curse, and it was an item synonymous with their fate that they had to find. That was why they had lent Merlin¡¯s Ne to Lee Jun-Kyeong, someone they had never met and had also given him various benefits.

    However, what had been brought back seemed just like a fancy decorative sword filled with mana.

    It was only natural that Arthur should be so angry.

    ¡°How about you actually look at it first before you get angry?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said coldly. ¡°You little brat.¡±

    As he finished speaking, the angry Arthur was running toward him.

    ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    "A, Arthur¡­"

    But, after hearing a voice, Arthur froze.

    With trembling pupils and hands, he slowly looked back.

    There, Merlin stood there with a face full of disbelief.

    ¡°Merlin?¡±

    The two who had been one finally looked back at each other as a perfect pair.

    1. Orcs and goblins bleed green. Also, this is a reference to one of Sir Gawain¡¯s most famous tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

    2. Heung is a sound someone makes when they sulk in Korea. It has no English equivalent.

    3. Korea, like most Eastern nations, has arge emphasis on respect. One of the types of respect they really emphasize is respect based on age. Generally speaking, all of the ¡®children¡¯ Lee Jun-Kyeong has met have ranged from a little annoying (Mister calling Ungnyeo) to outright ¡°would be punished by an entire vige of grandmas if anyone heard you talking to an adult like that¡±(Park Jae-Hyun, Park Yu-Jin, and now Arthur).

    4. In Arthur form, Merlin/Arthur has abandoned all courtesy and is speaking down to Lee Jun-Kyeong. It¡¯s incredibly rude to speak to someone like this when you¡¯re an adult, let alone a child.

    5. Excalibur is not an adorned sword in mythos, as it is a sword meant for battle. A sword like this would more likely be simr to rent, the knighting sword that Arthur carried. His anger here is twofold, as rent was also the sword stolen by Mordred, who then used it to kill him.

 Chapter 115: Warning Pt.3

    <h4>Chapter 115: Warning Pt.3</h4>

    There was a rule that all Hunters knew.

    If one suddenly gained great power, there would be a proportional side effect.

    Many powerful Hunters suffered from these side effects, often in the form of curses. One such example was Ungnyeo, who had been trapped in the shape of a young girl.

    Another example were the people in front of him.

    ¡°Merlin¡­¡±

    ¡°Arthur¡­?¡±

    There was Merlin, the Hunter who had created and controlled the Round Table. She also was one of the few who had suffered side effects after gaining great strength. For her, it was in the form of fusing with Arthur and one other unnamed Hunter. It hadn¡¯t been by choice.

    Rather, they had just wished for strength, and in return, their Sponsors had given them what they desired in a horrifying form.

    After bestowing them with that ¡°gift¡±, they then had been given a mission to return to their original forms.

    Like a game.

    Their Sponsors had mortgaged their lives in exchange for their request.

    "This is..."

    "Excalibur?"

    Arthur and Merlin looked at the colorful decorative sword given to them by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Their mission had been to find the sword that had been hidden by a Sponsor, Excalibur. They had tried to find it by using the Round Table, but their efforts had failed. Only when Lee Jun-Kyeong had appeared out of the blue that the sword was mentioned again.

    Moreover, he had even brought it to them as well.

    The evidence was apparent in front of them.

    ¡°The curse has been undone!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been split apart again.¡±

    In front of Lee Jun-Kyeong were Merlin and Arthur in their own bodies.

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept my word,¡± the Hunter said.

    He had brought Excalibur to them in exchange for Merlin¡¯s ne and her favor.

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°So <i>this</i> is all it took¡­¡±

    Their reactions were odd.

    Looking at Excalibur, Merlin was curious while Arthur was flustered.

    [I¡¯ve seen Excalibur.]

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong had done was bring them the Excalibur he had found based on the information that he had.

    The connection between the Demon King and the Round Table wasn¡¯t deep. However, on the other hand, the connection between the Demon King and Excalibur was.

    [That bastard had the sword.]

    As he thought about thement that popped up in his head, he spoke to the two about the Excalibur in their hands.

    ¡°Unfortunately though, it¡¯s a fake.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    There was silence.

    The two of them also had thought that the crude sword in their hands was a fake as well. However, even if it was a fake, their curse had still been lifted. That meant, at the very least, the sword in their hands had the same effect as Excalibur.

    No.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fake that was made to deceive your Sponsor, <The Queen of the Lake>.

    They were basically deceiving their Sponsors.

    ***

    [Sponsors only see what they want to see.]

    That was something he had learned from the Demon King.

    It was something that many Hunters misunderstood. They thought that the Sponsor was like a person. They thought that the Sponsor¡¯s gaze would be simr to the view of a person. However, that mindset itself was arge mistake.

    ¡°The Sponsors are different from us. Don¡¯t try to decide what they meant on your own,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Merlin and Arthur.

    The two were still looking down at the decorative sword in their hands as if they still didn¡¯t understand it. The sword obviously had a considerable amount of mana condensed within it and seemed to be a great weapon, but it still wasn¡¯t enough for them to think it was Excalibur.

    "The Sponsors only see what they want to see. All you have to do is fulfill what they want in some way or another,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    Merlin seemed to have finally understood something.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± Arthur said, scratching his head as if he didn¡¯t understand. However, it was Merlin who responded rather than Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°<The Queen of the Lake> asked us to get Excalibur, Arthur.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± the boy impatiently responded.

    ¡°But, we don¡¯t know what Excalibur looks like. All we know is that it exists in the form of a sword.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Merlin looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You seem to understand the essence of the divine item, Excalibur. That¡¯s how you were able to trick the Sponsors by making something simr to Excalibur,¡± she said.

    Merlin was right.

    Excalibur was the sword of theke.

    It had been tempered for centuries within ake full of mana, and the sword had consumed an incredible amount of theke¡¯s mana.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that fact about it, and had achieved something simr, which is what he had handed over.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a fake¡­¡±

    "Then the curse will not bepletely lifted,¡± Merlin said.

    ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t we still split apart like this?¡±

    Arthur still didn''t seem to understand.

    Merlin shook her head.

    "It''s only temporary. The Queen of the Lake will soon notice that this is a fake. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the curse will be restored.¡±

    "If that¡¯s the case¡­"

    Arthur looked sharply at Lee Jun-Kyeong, but Merlin stopped him.

    "No. Still, it willst quite a long time. Right, Mr. Underdog?¡±

    "No,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, denying Merlin''s words.

    While Merlin paused, obviously bewildered by the response, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°The issue isn¡¯t time. Although the sword was made to deceive your Sponsor, your Sponsor will still let things slide to some extent. As long as you don¡¯t get involved with anything outside of this area¨Cno, even if you get involved within anything up to the Round Table, you will still be able to temporarily lift the curse when you want.¡±

    To think a fake constructed sword could do such things. Merlin¡¯s eyes glistened as if she had learned a whole new theory while Arthur continued to scratch at his head at theplicated exnation.

    ¡°Although your Sponsor was the one to curse you¡­it¡¯s because they are still hoping that you will get ahold of the real Excalibur,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exined.

    However, he wasn¡¯t done yet and turned over to Arthur.

    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m letting you know that I¡¯ve aplished my duty.¡±

    However, Arthur didn¡¯t seem satisfied yet.

    Heined, ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡±

    It made sense, though, as Arthur¡¯s curse was worse than Merlin¡¯s.

    He had been forced to not only take the form of a child, but also his outward appearance was even being dominated by the form of Merlin.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand how his personality had be so problematic, as this meant that the boy would always be trapped, even though he still had his own will and reason.

    "So..."

    They had finallye to the matter at hand.

    The sword in their grasp was nothing but an imitation that had been hastily crafted in order to create a positive feeling about him within them and to establish a form of trust.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the Round Table to his side with such a little trick.

    He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the actual location of Excalibur.¡±

    The real Excalibur.

    [The bastard that held Excalibur got even more difficult to deal with once he got his hands on it.]

    The Demon King had seen the sword.

    [I had to get rid of the de first. Fortunately, as he wasn¡¯t the original owner of the sword, I was able to find a way to make it lose its power.]

    It was to create a sort of fake Excalibur as he had done.

    Excalibur was a sword that there could only be one of.

    Therefore, even if a second Excalibur was created and was clearly fake, the power of the first Excalibur would be halved as soon as the second was created.

    That was the penalty the Queen of the Lake had given to the sword.

    Regardless of how it worked, Lee Jun-Kyeong had made a fake Excalibur in the same manner that the Demon King had done.

    Moreover, he even knew the location of the real Excalibur as well.

    However, he didn¡¯t n on just giving them this information.

    "From now on, you owe me two."

    He had temporarily lifted the curse with a fake Excalibur and had allowed himself to be manipted to defeat Lancelot as they had wanted.

    As they had created two debts to him, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to clear your debts, Heroes of the Lake,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a warm tone.

    Though, he was sure that as soon as they cleared their debt, another one would fall into ce.

    ***

    A giant man moved quickly, his stature enormous.

    He was over two meters tall, and the muscles of his entire body had expanded to the point where he had torn through his leather armor.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Whenever the steel gauntlets that encased his two fists moved, the air split apart and exploded.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Every time he moved, he got even faster.

    The red light from his eyes left afterimages as he moved, almost as if they were drawing a trajectory.

    <i>BOOM! BOOM!</i>

    As the light grew darker, the explosions became more frequent, and the man¡¯s body eventually became so fast that it was no longer visible.

    ¡°It¡¯s slow.¡±

    Even still, he wasn¡¯t able to even touch the man he was facing.

    ¡°HAA!¡±

    The huge man moved his body with even more vigor. As if his expanded muscles were on fire, visible heat could be seen emanating from between the tears of the leather armor.

    His mana was boiling and was expanding his muscles and giving them incredible power.

    ¡°Haa¡­¡±

    Moreover, it had gotten to the point where steam wasing out of his mouth.

    His eyes had turned so red that it seemed as though they couldn¡¯t get any more crimson. It was like watching a beast of the night.

    The man moved aggressively, like a hunter who didn¡¯t care about what was behind him, like a beast that was about to tear through its prey¡¯s neck.

    However.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    A simple blow, a weak attack that seemed to just brush by the neck of the huge man, caused a big reaction.

    ¡°<i>Cough!</i>¡±

    The man of great stature, Heracles, let out a scream.

    The Madness in his eyes had disappeared, and his augmented muscles contracted.

    He spoke as he copsed to the floor while breathing heavily.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­?</i>what in the world is that?¡±

    Heracles was looking at the sword in the hand of the man he had been facing.

    Just now, although it had only been a simple move, the reason he had been defeated wasrgely due to the sword in the man¡¯s hand.

    The moment that sword touched his body, he wasn¡¯t able to control his mana.

    ¡°Just something that I picked up a while ago,¡± the man said.

    ¡°You''re saying¡­you picked it up?¡±

    Even Heracles, who usually didn¡¯t think deeply, knew that what the man had just said was quite ridiculous.

    If it was possible to pick up that sort of sword just on the side of a road, then everyone would be rich.

    Hercules rose from the ground, shaking his head.

    ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯ve grown enough to be forgiven for breaking the agreement on your own and acting arbitrarily,¡± the man said haughtily as he looked at Heracles.

    He was a man with long gray hair tied back neatly.

    Although it required quite a bit of courage to live in a modern world and stick to that hairstyle, it still looked impable.

    ¡°Then, do I not have to undergo disciplinary action?¡± Heracles asked in a delighted tone.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m forgiving you now,¡± said the gray-haired man as he gestured behind himself.

    ¡°But it seems as though Athena wants to undergo her disciplinary action now?¡±

    Athena.

    She stood, arms folded behind Heracles and the man.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t feel any signs of her appearing.¡¯</i>

    There had definitely only been the two of them, the man and Heracles at first, but living up to her title, he hadn¡¯t been able to feel any signs of Athena¡¯s approach until she had alreadye up next to them.

    Heracles clenched his fists, regretful at the fact that he had still not reached their level despite his great growth.

    ¡°What have youe here for, Athena?¡± asked the gray-haired man as he held his sword.

    Athena spoke with a deep bow.

    "I''m here to report to you."

    It would have been a shocking sight if anyone had seen this scene.

    Athena, who was known to be as arrogant as the size of her reputation, was speaking with her head turned down in a sincere bow.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Heracles looked at the two of them as if the scene in front of him was only natural.

    Athena carefully raised her head as she continued, ¡°As you instructed the other day¡­¡±

    Her eyes shone.

    ¡°It¡¯s my report of the Underdog.¡±

    The eyes of both Heracles and the gray-haired man grew bright at the same time.

    They were both interested in the Underdog.

    The gray-haired man rubbed his hands together as if expressing his interest and ordered Athena to continue with her report.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received news that he is currently in Ennd after returning from China.¡±

    ¡°Ennd?¡±

    Athena nodded. ¡°Yes. We still aren¡¯t sure of the exact reason why, as we don¡¯t have any connections within the Round Table.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The gray-haired man also nodded cautiously.

    "I see. Keep an eye on it for the time being. Also, Heracles, don¡¯t neglect your growth.¡±

    The report had finished, and so did the battle.

    Athena and Heracles bowed their heads deeply at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received your orders.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve received your orders.¡±

    The two raised their heads at the same time and spoke in unison, calling out to the man in front of them.

    "Zeus."

    ***

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, right now¡­¡± Arthur said, speaking to Lee Jun-Kyeong, having been free of Merlin at least while they were inside the Round Table.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself for a moment.

    <i>¡®The look on Arthur''s face is worth watching.¡¯</i>

    "Yes."

    1. Reference to the Lady in the Lake.

    2. Having such long hair was amon hairstyle back before the fall of the Korean Empire, as the introduction of the Japanese, and then the Americans brought about widespread fashion changes.

 Chapter 116: Warning Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 116: Warning Pt. 5</h4>

    ¡°Why does that lightning rodhead of Olympus have that sword?¡±

    Lightning rodhead.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that there would only be a few people who would refer to Zeus in that manner.

    He realized Arthur¡¯s true strength yet again.

    Although he was currently in the form of a child, if he showed his true self, he was someone of incredible strength that could fight evenly against the head of any of the secret organizations.

    "I don''t know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a shrug.

    ¡°By the way, why do you keep talking informally?" Arthur said, his ax-shaped eyes opening as he stared at the Hunter.

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking informally as well,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong rebutted.

    Just because they were speaking in English didn¡¯t mean that there was no distinction between polite and rude forms of conversing. There was definitely a manner to speak politely, and Arthur had been continuously speaking down to him.

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing was paying Arthur back the same way he was giving out.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± he asked.

    ¡°....¡±

    Arthur looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with aplicated gaze.

    ¡°Then what, what do you n to do about Excalibur?¡± he asked.

    By this point, Zeus had Excalibur in his possession. As Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know where he had gotten it from, he wasn¡¯t able to tell them in advance. But he was sure that Zeus had it by now.

    ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately said. ¡°I told you where it is, so you should go get it yourself.¡±

    Arthur grumbled, ¡°What? But the promise¡­¡±

    ¡°I found you an Excalibur that was enough to deal with your curse. I don¡¯t owe you anything. Rather, it¡¯s the two of you who are in debt to me.¡±

    Merlin wasn¡¯t present for this conversation¡ªshe was presiding over a Council in order to inform the Round Table that the curse had been temporarily lifted and to further discuss the retrieval of Excalibur.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that lightning rodhead would give it to us through negotiations¡­¡± Arthur grumbled.

    ¡°He might if you ask nicely enough,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Arthur yelped, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Are you curious?¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, teasing him.

    Although Arthur seemed like a reckless simpleton, he was still also a knight.

    No, he was actually the King of Knights.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that he wouldn¡¯t thrust a sword at him, as he had worked so hard.

    ¡°If you¡¯re really curious, then let me hit you once. The back of your head seems really enticing.¡±

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse> immediately reacted in a way that left him speechless.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>ughs out loud.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> has increased your stats as a reward for the pleasure it was given.]

    <i>¡®What the¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered for a moment if <The Sky of the Apocalypse> wanted a clown for a Sponsee.

    ¡°Merlin will handle the rest of it. Because she¡¯s a smart girl, you know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished. He was finally done teasing Arthur.

    ¡°...I will admit to that.¡±

    Arthur had acknowledged the statement. It was an unexpected development, but it meant that Merlin was trusted by everyone.

    ¡°So, what do we have to do for you?¡± Arthur said, finallying to the point.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that they were to settle the debt now, that obviously meant that the Hunter had wanted something.

    Moreover, Arthur aside, Merlin would at least try toplete whatever Jun-Kyeong had wanted, even if she had to exhaust herself for it.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong had decided.

    ¡°I¡¯ll continue once Merlin arrives.¡±

    It was good to talk when everyone involved was gathered.

    The knight in front of him held incredible strength, but he knew that if he kept talking to Arthur, whose brain was a littlecking, all that would happen would be that he would hurt his jaw as he would have to exin it once againter.

    However, before anyone noticed, the woman in question appeared in the air.

    ¡°If that''s the case, let¡¯s hear it right now.¡±

    ***

    "All I want is¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to speak in front of Merlin as Arthur.

    ¡°For you to survive.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    As expected, Merlin and Arthur didn¡¯t easily understand what he was saying.

    He would have to provide an additional exnation.

    ¡°And for you to continue business while believing what I tell you. For now, I¡¯ll just say we¡¯ve settled one of the debts with those two things,¡± he said.

    ¡°You have two requests, but why do they only count for one debt?¡± asked Arthur.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong retorted, ¡°Do I really have to say guaranteeing your own survival really counts as one of the debts?¡±

    Arthur shut his mouth.

    Merlin interceded, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll do just that. However, if that¡¯s what you wish, then it seems we¡¯ll have to at least hear what you have to say, Mr. Underdog.¡±

    As expected, she really was a smart woman.

    Although it was already known Mage-Type Hunters had extremely good intelligence potential, it was natural that the woman in front of him was smart as there weren¡¯t very many great wizards on the level of Merlin.

    ¡°Soon, there will be¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his demeanor changingpletely.

    ¡°Something big is about to happen.¡±

    ¡°Something big?¡± Arthur asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you summon the Knights of the Round Table for that too? Because you all could feel it?¡±

    Just like the other organizations, the Round Table would send its elite troops, the Knights of the Round Table, to other countries. After all, experiencing growth as they traveled around the world was more beneficial for elite troops.

    Moreover, the financial power that the Round Table could use had alsoe from their expeditions. However, the Knights of the Round Table were now gathered within the Round Table.

    <i>¡®Lancelot, Gawain, Ghad.¡¯</i>

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen, three of them were already here. Therefore, something was going on.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you also feel as though the special gates were unusual?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Merlin, reverting to using honorifics again.

    ¡°...¡±

    Arthur¡¯s jaw snapped shut while Merlin nodded.

    ¡°As expected¡­¡±

    She continued, ¡°My judgment wasn¡¯t wrong. The mana density across Ennd had been strangely increasing. We had determined that the special gates are the cause.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, naturally epting the offered baton. "More special gates will be created in the future."

    ¡°Is that the danger you were talking about? For us to survive beyond that?¡± Merlin asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°No,¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s when all the special gates disappear that you have to be prepared for.¡±

    Merlin and Arthur bit their lips with their eyes full of thought.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to stay within the Round Table for a few more days.

    Firstly, Merlin said that she wanted to give him a present and asked for him to wait.

    Secondly.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t trust you.¡¯</i>

    It was Arthur. Because of that damned kid.

    It was because of the fake Excalibur he had given them. Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong had told them it was fake, the boy had said that he was worried that its effects would be worse than he had thought, and so he had made him stay.

    ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t trust you.¡±

    But, thinking about it now that he was being forced to do this, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think that had been the only reason Arthur had made him stay.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently floating in the middle of theke with Arthur.

    It was a hidden training hall.

    The hall was a secret and mysterious ce used by the Knights of the Round Table,pletely unlike the pce where Lee Jun-Kyeong and Lancelot had faced off.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ce I use sometimes when I¡¯m training alone, as there are only a few people who know I exist in the Round Table.¡±

    Arthur''s presence in the Round Table was a secret, most likely because of Merlin.

    Within Ennd, the perception of Mage-Type Hunters was not good. Moreover, the problem became even more serious if that Mage-Type Hunter was a woman.

    <i>¡®They call them witches, right?¡¯</i>

    They would call any female Mage-Type Hunters witches, despising and looking down on them.

    When the Round Table had first formed, it was said that there had been an uproar because their head was Merlin.

    If the Table knew that Merlin, the female Mage-Type Hunter, was possessed by a curse and was bound to Arthur, then the uproar would grow.

    Wanting to avoid that, Arthur would have to hide his presence.

    His name.

    His fate.

    ¡°Well, I can respect that at least,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he saw how much the boy had sacrificed.

    ¡°What are you bbering about?¡± Arthur said as he picked his ears.

    In his hand was the fake Excalibur he had been given by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Let''s go for a round. You said you wanted to hit me,¡± he continued.

    In response to the boy¡¯s provocation, Lee Jun-Kyeong drew Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to.¡±

    This was what Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a good opportunity to gauge my level.¡¯</i>

    He had epted the duel with Lancelot for that very same reason.

    Although his levels hadn¡¯t gone up considerably, Lee Jun-Kyeong had still grown considerably in China.

    He had obtained many things and was in the midst of learning from them. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t able to tell how far he hade at this point.

    <i>I can guess to a certain degree, but haven¡¯t been able to tell for sure.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, the confrontation with Arthur would be a great opportunity.

    Moreover, there was something else about the man stuck as a boy.

    ¡°Have you ever fought against lightning rodhead?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°What? <i>Kekeke</i>. You know you¡¯d probably die if you say that?¡±

    "Answer me."

    Arthur¡¯s expression hardened. It was a serious expression that wasn¡¯t often seen.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve fought with him.¡±

    ¡°How nice,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said ndly.

    Once he spoke, that signaled the beginning. Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the transparent surface of theke and shot forward at Arthur.

    There was only one thing that would increase one¡¯s winning chances when the weak fought against the strong.

    <i>¡®The first to move is the first to win.¡¯</i>

    It was to gain the upper hand, so obtaining the first move could get him many things.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°How slow.¡±

    This was still a saying that could only apply when there was a certain degree of disparity.

    The gap between Arthur and Lee Jun-Kyeong was such that the first move wasn¡¯t important. Although the boy had simply swung the fake Excalibur to block Muspel¡¯s spear, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been sent flying from the force behind the blow.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    On the boy¡¯s sword was a swirl of mana.

    ¡°And that is?¡±

    "If you''re curious,e hit me just once,¡± Arthur said while picking his ears.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong set off a ze.

    The confrontation with the boy wasn¡¯t just a simple test of skill.

    He would beparing his strength with Arthur¡¯s. He would have to use everything he had.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Seeing the superheated mes emitting from Lee Jun-Kyeong piqued Arthur¡¯s interest.

    The veil around theke suddenly rose and stabilized the space around them. Apparently, Merlin was being considerate, working to prevent Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Arthur¡¯s fight from damaging the region around them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself forward without replying, even faster than before.

    In the presence of fire, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to gain more strength than usual.

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear converts the strength of the fire into stats.]

    [The ze is aiding you under the influence of the Monarch of Fire.]

    <i>ng!</i>

    Alongside the voice that rang in his ear, Lee Jun-Kyeong shed with Arthur once again.

    Arthur¡¯s fake Excalibur and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Muspel¡¯s Spear collided.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face was flustered.

    ¡°Is this how you do it?¡± the boy asked

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body stood frozen in the air, and Muspel¡¯s Spear had frozen alongside his body as well.

    ¡°Not quite.¡±

    As Arthur swung his sword, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sent flying away once again. He flew into the veil around theke raised by Merlin and crashed.

    Straightening his knees and standing up, Lee Jun-Kyeong was irritated.

    <i>¡®That bloody brat.¡¯</i>

    The bastard really was ridiculous.

    The skill that Arthur had shown was simr to the one that Lee Jun-Kyeong had used on Lancelot.

    <i>¡®However, you just did it by using pure, brute force¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had stopped Lancelot by using his mana stream to break the flow of Lancelot¡¯s mana. It was a move that required a high degree of concentration and skill.

    However, the skill that Arthur had just used on him was just simply using overwhelming force to stop his movement.

    It was just an incredible amount of mana, a degree that neither a Hunter nor an ordinary Hero could even fathom.

    ¡°Do you not have anything else?¡± Arthur pointed his sword and said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®I really want to hit him.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong longed for it.

    He just wanted to hit that mannerless little brat at least once.

    The light in his eyes changed, and the aura around him shifted as well.

    ¡°Your mana has changed¡­?¡±

    Arthur had also noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s transformation.

    ¡°You¡¯d better change your sword,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, a haze beginning to rise from his body. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be cursed again.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been in Arthur¡¯s line of sight, suddenly disappeared.

    <i>ng!</i>

    It was a loud crash of steel.

    Arthur had instinctively swung his sword, and where he had aimed was Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    As the two collided, Arthur tried to force Lee Jun-Kyeong to freeze in the same way as before.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    ¡°How did you?¡± the boy gasped.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different from before.

    As he rejected Arthur¡¯s overwhelming mana, he was putting a scratch on Excalibur.

    There was a dark red haze.

    ¡°It¡¯s absorbing the mana¡­?¡±

    As Arthur was shocked, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s power exploded again.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    [The weak dragon heart is exuding mana.]

    At the same time.

    "Hyeon-Mu!" Lee Jun-Kyeong cried out.

    As he had said earlier, this wasn¡¯t a simple contest of skills. This wasbat meant to beat his opponent so he could gauge his level.

    <i>Gurgle, gurgle.</i>

    Theke began to seethe.

    1. Another four-word acrostic idiom.

 Chapter 117: Warning Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 117: Warning Pt. 5</h4>

    "Can I ask what that just was?" Arthur asked in a subdued voice.

    <i>Drip.?</i>

    On his cheek, there was a drop of blood.

    ¡°That right there was¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a gasp.

    He stood upright, suppressing the boiling mana and mes. He had seeded in wounding the brat¡¯s body, and he had seeded in giving him a blow.

    The thing that had made his wishe true was simple.

    ¡°The First me.¡±

    The First me was the skill of the Demon King, and it was the skill that he had obtained from Reign of Fire reaching level 10 and the authority evolving.

    He was only able to use it after acquiring Monarch of Fire. It required him to draw upon all of his mana with the mana stream and focus it all into the mes, which would then be focused into a single point.

    That skill had seeded in wounding Arthur¡¯s body.

    ¡°The First me¡­¡±

    Arthurughed.

    It was the first sincere smile Lee Jun-Kyeong saw on his face.

    "That''s a good technique."

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    As Arthur swung the fake Excalibur, blood and flesh sttered about. However, the boy only had a single scratch on his cheek.

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s appearance was nothing tough at. All of his clothes were torn, and where they were torn and exposed, one could see split flesh and spewing blood.

    ¡°I got too excited,¡± apologized Arthur.

    Even though it had been a spar, he still apologized for using excessive measures.

    "You son of a¡ª"

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of epting the apology.

    Except.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    All he could do was fall forward.

    Arthur approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, looking around with a panicked face.

    <i>Poke.</i>

    He slightly prodded at Lee Jun-Kyeong with the tip of his sword, but there was no response.

    ¡°A, are you dead?¡±

    Although he had definitely been flustered for a moment, he then was able to feel Lee Jun-Kyeong breathe and his mana flow.

    "That''s a relief¡­"

    Arthur patted his chest, sincerely relieved, and lifted Lee Jun-Kyeong from the ground. It had been so long since he had been able topete with someone else, so he had gotten over-excited because his opponent¡¯s power had been beyond what he had initially imagined.

    He had excitedly raised the tempo of the spar to see exactly how far his opponent could keep up, but had lost control of himself.

    <i>¡®Was it about half?¡¯</i>

    Arthur was astonished. To think Lee Jun-Kyeong could keep up to that point.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just anyone¡¯s pace, but his own.

    That was a frightening pace of growth.

    As Merlin and he, along with the Round Table, had been interested in the Underdog, they had done an extensive amount of research on him.

    It hadn¡¯t been a full year since he had be a Hunter. Therefore, this was an insane growth rate.

    <i>¡®This bastard isn¡¯t the same case as us.¡¯</i>

    Merlin and Arthur¡ªno, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the same as any of the heads of the secret organizations or any of those truly powerful.

    It just didn¡¯t seem like he was experiencing anything simr to what they had gone through.

    It was just a pure umtion of strength, a pure proliferation of sponsorship that he was gaining.

    "Oh, that''s right."

    Arthur stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was on his back.

    "You asked about the white lightning rodhead, right?"

    Zeus.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked if he had faced Zeus. Arthur responded to the question to the current Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had already fainted.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for now. But, still¡­¡± Arthur grinned. ¡°Who knows? If you¡¯ll be able to catch up to that bastard.¡±

    As the ambiguous statement rang out within the secret training hall, he heard Merlin call out to him.

    ¨CArthur.

    ***

    The next day.

    "Ugh."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong woke up in the midst of excruciating pain. His whole body ached as if he had been skewered.

    ¨CAre you all right, master?

    Hyeon-Mu had fought alongside him yesterday, and spoke to him from within the bracelet.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong simply nodded, and the skull fell asleep again, most likely because of the incredible effort it had put into yesterday.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up and pulled the curtains.

    "Whew."

    He took a breath, and his lungs filled and felt as if they were being revived.

    It was mana.

    The mana density within the Round Table was high and pure.

    It might have been because this was Merlin¡¯s territory, but his body seemed to be full of mana, and he used his mana stream to check on his physical condition.

    Although he had be a pincushion during the spar with Arthur, fortunately, his body had been restored, most likely through Merlin¡¯s ability.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth curled up into a smirk.

    It was because he remembered what happened yesterday.

    He had given one blow to that arrogant little brat.

    Although it wasn¡¯t a terribly strong blow, he was still satisfied just by having been able tond one.

    After all, that brat was the head of a secret organization.

    This was proof to Lee Jun-Kyeong that he had be that strong, and he felt better thinking about the nk expression that the brat had made as he stood with a scratch on his cheek.

    <i>¡®Such a refreshing morning.¡¯</i>

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened. Someone was looking at him from outside the open window.

    It was an unfriendly gaze.

    Lancelot.

    <i>Bow.</i>

    Lancelot bowed to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was trying to close the curtain. He took it all in as he closed the curtain, not able to tell whether it was an apology or provocation.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    While he didn¡¯t have any great feelings of ill will toward Lancelot, he couldn''t help but think that the knight would have ill feelings toward himself.

    As an aristocrat and a knight, Lancelot had been humiliated by him in front of everyone.

    The problem had existed because of his overwhelming pride in the first ce.

    <i>¡®But he was humiliated in front of Merlin.¡¯</i>

    He very well expected what feelings the knight had toward himself.

    "Today..." Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered as he looked at the time.

    Merlin wouldn¡¯t have been ready by this point yet.

    Therefore.

    ¡°I should go outside for a bit then.¡±

    He had thoughts of going out from the Round Table.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to leave the room after dressing roughly.

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    He suddenly felt a huge energy from outside the door.

    He was able to roughly guess who it was just from the unignorable flow of mana that emanated from the gap in the frame.

    <i>Knock, Knock.</i>

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong was even able to ask who it was, a voice sounded out, ¡°This is Gawain. Is the Underdog here, by chance?¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked down the streets of Ennd, his face betraying his ufortableness.

    It was because of the unexpectedpany.

    "Are you ufortable?" the man asked.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t reply to the direct question.

    The Knight of the Green, Gawain.

    He was rumored to be the most decisive and cruel among the Knights of the Round Table, but the feelings Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel from him at this point¡­

    <i>¡®Regardless of what it is¡­¡¯</i>

    He hoped it would disappear soon.

    He seemed to refuse to leave no matter how many times Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to hint that he was unwanted. Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong had even left the Round Table and walked among the streets, the knight followed him around like a leech.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong eventually asked him, ¡°Why in the world are you doing this?¡±

    While it wasn¡¯t something he should be saying to someone who had offered to help guide him around Ennd, merely guiding him around wasn¡¯t a task that someone like Gawain, a Knight of the Round Table, should be lowering himself to conduct.

    "I just wanted to show the Underdog the beauty of Ennd," the knight said as if nothing was wrong.

    Gawain continued to speak to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a warm smile, his expression contrasting with his notoriety.

    He finally said, "I heard from Merlin."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened as he looked at him.

    If the knight had heard a story from Merlin, then there was only one thing that the Mage would have told the Knights of the Round Table.

    ¡°I heard that you traveled this far to warn us about the crisis in Ennd.¡±

    It seemed that Merlin had understood it that way, but it wasn¡¯t just Ennd¡¯s crisis.

    The impending crisis was one in which the existence of not only mankind but also the world was at stake.

    Although it had been ovee in the past, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still anxious.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no Demon King this time.¡¯</i>

    Tthe Demon King hadn¡¯t emerged in the midst of the crisis caused by the cataclysm, but he had still quietly yed his own role.

    He had used his power to change many things wherever he had needed to be.

    Now it seemed as though there would be no Demon King, so it was his job to take on that mantle.

    As such, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he would explode on the inside from the pressure.

    That was why he had even engaged in a fight that was well above his own level in order to gauge his own strength.

    Fortunately, it seemed he had grown to some extent, even if it wasn¡¯t up to the level of the Demon King.

    <i>¡®Who knows? If you¡¯ll be able to catch up to that bastard.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed when he recalled the words of Arthur that had sounded as if they hade from a dream.

    "Ah."

    Soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized his mistake, and his expression hardened once again.

    They were in the middle of talking about the crisis in Ennd.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Anyway, I must apologize once again for the rudeness of the Knights. Moreover, I must thank you for your sublime grace and will,¡± Gawain said, bowing in an old-fashioned manner.

    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, shaking his head. However, he continued, ¡°Though, it doesn¡¯t seem as though that was all you had to say.¡±

    Gawain clearly still had something else to say. If it was something like an expression of gratitude, then he could have just said it on the spot when he had visited the room.

    Moreover, there was no one else here.

    Gawain had made such a fuss to guide him to a certain ce, but they were currently in a remote alley in the midst of Ennd.

    ¡°It seems as though while you had said you had wanted to show me the beauty of Ennd, you have just brought me to a deserted ce,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    There was nothing beautiful here.

    There was no one here.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exposed a little edge.

    He thought, just maybe, the knight had been trying to get even for his knocking down of Lancelot, but the Gawain he had gotten to know for this brief moment didn¡¯t seem to be that sort of person.

    ¡°Arthur,¡± said the knight.

    A name hade out of the knight¡¯s mouth that Lee Jun-Kyeong had never expected to hear.

    "I know that youpeted with Arthur yesterday."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There are only a few people who know Merlin¡¯s secret. However, I am one of those who are privy to it.¡±

    Gawain could see that Lee Jun-Kyeong was on edge and quickly continued, ¡°Moreover¡­ I had wanted topete with Arthur one day, but it was just a small desire, as I never received a chance.¡±

    <i>¡®Please.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong desperately hoped that Gawain wouldn¡¯t say what he had nned next, as he had guessed what the knight would most likely say next.

    The deserted alley, now that he paid attention to it, seemed to be surrounded by a veil of mana.

    Moreover, looking at his bubbling mana¡­

    ¡°Will you do me the honor of a spar?¡±

    He knew this would happen.

    ***

    He wondered if it was because they were all called knights or if it was a characteristic of the British, but these men, whom for the life of him he couldn¡¯t understand, all desired topete in a spar against him.

    It wasn¡¯t just Gawain, but during Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s time in the Round Table, even Ghad had requested it from him.

    Moreover, to his surprise, even Lancelot asked again. Seemingly having truly realized something, the knight had approached him, apologizing while also secretly requesting a spar this time.

    After Lee Jun-Kyeong delivered Excalibur to the Round Table, all he had done was fight.

    ¡°Spars. Spars. Is that all they do here?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    Although he hadn¡¯t started this journey with the intention of resting, he didn¡¯t think it would have meant he¡¯d be stuck fighting to this degree.

    In any case.

    ¡°It¡¯s another ne. While there haven¡¯t been any big changes¡­¡± Merlin said, smiling as she handed him her ne again.

    "It will be of great help to you one day. I¡¯ve blocked any skills that could be used to track you or cause you any harm.¡±

    She was someone he couldn¡¯t put a finger on.

    The gift that Merlin offered him was her ne, which was the item he had originally borrowed.

    Though, it was a ne that felt a little more special than before.

    "Thank you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he epted it.

    Then, Merlin asked a question, "May I know your next destination?"

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head in response. Although he had already decided on his next destination, he had no obligation to inform her of it.

    Merlin responded curiously, however, ¡°By chance, if you have the time¡­ would you be able to stop by the Nile?¡±

    ¡°The Nile?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a puzzled look.

    He was perplexed because the name hade so suddenly out of the blue.

    ¡°I still remember when the Hunter from the Nile from back then, Inebu, caused a disturbance,¡± Merlin exined.

    That was right.

    During the Battle of Champions in Ennd, Inebu had visited him while he was injured and had asked him toe to the Nile in broken Korean.

    Moreover, he had heard that the Hunter would be going back to receive punishment when he returned to the Nile.

    ¡°Why are you asking about that all of a sudden? Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Inebu¡¯s desperation just came to mind. Even when I had transported him back, he had asked once again for us to ask you toe to the Nile.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I heard that his punishment had just beenpleted over in the Nile. If you have the time, then¡­¡± Merlin asked once again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around after finishing up the conversation. Now that he had received Merlin¡¯s goodbye, he was about to leave as he was being seen off by the people of the Round Table.

    ¨CGo well.

    A voice came over from afar.

    ¨CFirework.

    That word.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Apparently, Arthur had decided to give that nickname to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

 Chapter 118: Warning Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 118: Warning Pt. 6</h4>

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able toplete all of the things he had to do at the Round Table.

    This was why he had visited the Round Table before the cataclysm hade.

    One of those things had been to bring them Excalibur, but the other had been to tell the Round Table to begin preparing for the cataclysm itself.

    The Round Table was a neutral organization.

    As long as he warned them, they would warn the other secret organization of the impending cataclysm.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s enough that all of the many secret organizations have be even more wary of it.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t doing this for the various secret organizations.

    Instead, it was for the many people that could only survive if they came forward.

    However, he had finished what he had to do in the Round Table, but that didn¡¯t mean he had finished all the work in Ennd that he had wished to aplish.

    There was one other thing Lee Jun-Kyeong had to do before he left.

    While he had tried to handle it during his stay at the Round Table, he hadn¡¯t been able to aplish it because Gawain and the other Knights of the Round Table kept bothering him.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    He had to visit Park Yu-Jin.

    [Yu-Jin¡¯s Telephone Booth.]

    As usual, the sign was almost vomiting with a bright array of lights.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong waited silently, but there was no answer.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    In the end, he opened the door and entered.

    He was on a street in Ennd, Alchemy Street. Moreover, he was at a specific shop located on this street of secretive Hunters who made and sold ck-market items.

    "Ms. Park,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out as he nonchntly went inside the store. However, he didn¡¯t hear any answer in response.

    <i>¡®There are still some signs.¡¯</i>

    There was some sort of high-grade mana processing device inside that interfered with the mana stream. Because it interfered with his sensing, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to grasp their exact appearance, but he was sure that there was still someone there.

    They were behind the counter.

    It was an unnatural sign of space.

    ¡°Ms. Park?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong proceeded to slowly head toward the counter after not hearing a response after quite some time.

    .

    "Who are you?"

    Then, there was a voice in response.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was left frowning with bewilderment.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be Ms. Park, are you?¡±

    Park Yu-Jin wasn¡¯t the one behind the counter. It was a fair-haired beauty who he was seeing for the first time.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just by seeing me?¡± she replied curtly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath and continued.

    ¡°Is Ms. Park not here? Isn¡¯t this a store run by Ms. Park?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The woman looked Lee Jun-Kyeong up and down.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be a debtoring to collect her debts¡­¡±

    Somewhere along the line, the woman came out from behind the counter with her arms folded and circled around Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be a Hunter who¡¯se to find me after I sold him the wrong potion either¡­¡±

    She spoke at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if she was makingments about some sort of item.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be the type to have some sort of man hidden around either¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you doing right now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The blonde woman finally made her conclusion as Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke.

    ¡°You¡¯vee to buy things then!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out how the woman hade to make that sort of conclusion. Shouldn¡¯t that have been the first thing she had thought? Didn¡¯t most peoplee to a store for that reason in the first ce?

    ¡°That¡¯s not it either,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯te to this ce to purchase something.

    ¡°Is Ms. Park really not here? Also, who are you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as he frowned at her rude attitude.

    ¡°But I¡¯m the one taking care of the store because Yu-Jin asked me to?¡±

    She slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re pretty handsome, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step back in response to her infuriating attitude and spoke again.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to find Ms. Park. If she¡¯s not here, then I''lle back next time."

    The voice of the blond woman floated to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears, who had tried to turn around to leave after speaking.

    ¡°She¡¯s noting back for a while.¡±

    "What?" he asked.

    ¡°First, your identity.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    As the blond beauty spoke, a harsh chill appeared, and it felt as if it would cut through his body even at this very moment.

    ¨CI will take care of it, Master.

    Hyeon-Mu dispersed the chill in the air.

    What the woman had emitted was the energy of water, and Hyeon-Mu had grown to the point where it was able to suppress this measly level of control over the energy of water.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to the blonde woman, who was clearly flustered.

    ¡°I¡¯vee to find Ms. Park at the request of her older brother. Around when do you think I should return if I want to meet with Ms. Park?¡±

    There was an edge to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s speech, most likely from the irritating meeting and the absence of Park Yu-Jin.

    ¡°I told you, she¡¯s noting.¡±

    However, the blonde woman soon regained her spirits and responded to him.

    ¡°Yu-Jin asked me to deliver this message in case the person her Oppa had sent came,¡± she said, wringing her hands as if she was exhausted.

    ¡°That she joined Olympus.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s face suddenly hardened and became cold.

    ***

    Leee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to be flustered. While Park Yu-Jin¡¯s trip to Olympus was expected, the timing was different.

    From what he knew, Park Yu-Jin should have only headed to Olympus after more time had passed, after the cataclysm. It was only then that Park Yu-Jin¡¯s whereabouts had been clear in his information, which was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had been surprised when he met Park Yu-Jin on Alchemy Street.

    <i>''History has changed again.¡¯</i>

    Park Yu-Jin¡¯s trip to Olympus shouldn¡¯t have urred already.

    If that were really what came to be, then it would mean that it would be quite a long time before she would return to Korea.

    <i>¡®What could have caused it?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered deeply about why she would bring her trip to Olympus up this early.

    <i>¡®Was it because of me?¡¯</i>

    Their previous meeting could have been the reason. It could have changed her mind, or, someone else could have noticed her presence. That was also possible as she was a capable and promising cksmith and an alchemist.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gritted his teeth. His ns had been twisted ever since China.

    Although it wasn¡¯t that he was expecting everything to go the way he had wanted it to, there were far too many variables right now, even though he knew information about the future.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had originally nned on taking her to Korea, but his ns had gone awry.

    He would have to change the ns that he had predictedter.

    For now, Lee Jun-Kyeong picked up the phone and spoke.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¨CIsn¡¯t this an international phone call?

    The person on the other end of the phone was Jeong In-Chang. His voice was hoarse as if he had just woken up.

    <i>¡®Right now, the time over there is¡­¡¯</i>

    The time difference between Korea and where he stood was roughly seven hours, so it was about time for people to go to sleep over there.

    However, there was no time for him to squabble about that with Jeong In-Chang right now.

    "Get ready,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said out of the blue.

    On the other end, there wasn¡¯t any response, just silence.

    ¨CD¡­do you mean right now?

    A long time had passed before he was able to hear Jeong In-Chang¡¯s answer.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled unconsciously, seemingly imagining the expression Jeong In-Chang was making. His impatience seemed to be relieved a little at the thought.

    <i>¡®Is this what it means to havepanions?¡¯</i>

    He felt proud for some reason, but he still had to distinguish between public and private urrences.

    ¡°Yes, right now.¡±

    ¨CWait, why¡­

    Jeong In-Chang''s voice was shaking.

    It was because he had a gut feeling that there was no hole he could hide in.

    ¡°I need you toe here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¨CSo¡­

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s trembling voice seemed to express that his soul had escaped his body by now.

    ¨CThis is an international call, right¡­?¡±

    "Yes."

    ¨C¡­

    After a long time.

    ¨CUnderstood. Who should I bring along?

    No matter how much he hated it or how tired he was, he followed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s instructions well.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke with a big smile.

    "It''s Egypt."

    ¨CE¡­Egypt?

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact Seong-Gu Hyung and give him the details, so it¡¯ll be fine for you to talk to him about them. As for who to bring, please bring everyone but the White Tiger n to Egypt.¡±

    ¨C<i>Ha¡­</i>

    Jeong In-Chang let out a long sigh.

    ¨CI understand.

    But, in the end, he agreed. Once Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard the answer, he pressed the end of the call button. As he had told Jeong In-Chang, he was in Egypt.

    ¡°...¡±

    He had headed straight to Egypt with the help of the Bifrost, and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked out toward Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

    Spectacle.

    It really was the right word to describe this city.

    Cairo was¡­

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    The reason he hade here was because of the variables.

    <i>''A lot of things are changing because of me.¡¯</i>

    It was the butterfly effect.

    The variables were caused by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s return to the past and subsequently influenced by him taking simr but different steps from the Demon King. These variables were still weak, but he wasn¡¯t sure how they would change in the future.

    The small changes that had been bothering him from when he had been in China had now be a variable that had manifested in the situation with Park Yu-Jin.

    <i>''I can¡¯t tell what else will change.¡¯</i>

    He would have to adapt to the changes, but before that, he had to make the effort to reduce any part of the variables if they could be reduced.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong intended to correct anything that would affect his fate.

    If, by chance, he wasn¡¯t able to make things go the way he wanted, then he would have to find some other way to handle it.

    <i>¡®It would end up bing an outright massive shift.¡¯</i>

    He would have to leave himself in the midst of the flowing torrent.

    Although there was an advantage to knowing the future before it had happened, it was also a great advantage that he would be able to focus specifically on his growth with that knowledge.

    <i>¡®Just the big events. Let¡¯s just focus on those.¡¯</i>

    If he wasn¡¯t able to take a handle on the variables and return to the original flow of history, then he would end up losing himself in the flowing torrent.

    However, a flowing torrent had to stop at some point, and eventually, somewhere along the line, they would focus on an event that couldn¡¯t be changed by any variable, no matter how long it took to get there.

    That was the answer Lee Jun-Kyeong hade up with.

    Although he would have to take an incredible loss, he would cause more damage by not taking this loss. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently in Egypt.

    <i>¡®Inebu.¡¯</i>

    He had also been one of the changes that Lee Jun-Kyeong had caused.

    Originally, Gunther should have been the one to have been dispatched to the Battle of Champions that had taken ce in Ennd and returned with the predetermined victory, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had provoked Heracles, battled with him, and had given him a way to control the Madness.

    In that process, Inebu had seen something in himself, something that had caused the Hunter to try to call him to the Nile even as he had to put both his life and career on the line for it.

    It wasn¡¯t clear what variables this event would make in the future, but it was certain that he had been the one to influence the Hunter. Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong intended to correct it.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s still some time.¡¯</i>

    He could tell by feeling the flow of the mana.

    There was still a little leeway until the Cataclysm.

    Instead of Park Yu-Jin, who he couldn¡¯t reach at this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong shifted his thoughts to obtaining something else.

    <i>Beep, beep, beep.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong picked up his phone and dialed a number.

    "Hello?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said as soon as the other person answered the phone.

    ¨CWhat is it?

    The person on the other side of the line was Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Although he hadn¡¯t told this to Jeong In-Chang, in truth, not a single person knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to Egypt, even the owner of the Bifrost himself, Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°I¡¯ve arrived in Egypt,¡± he said politely.

    ¨C...

    Yeo Seong-Gu was silent at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sudden admission. After a long time, the Hunter responded.

    ¨CI thought you would havee back to Korea because I noticed the Bifrost had been used, but why are you in Egypt?

    It was evident that he was flustered.

    "I have something I have to do."

    ¨CIs that something rted to the cataclysm?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded promptly to Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s question.

    ¡°It may have something to do with more than just that.¡±

    ¨CHmm¡­

    Yeo Seong-Gu was troubled.

    ¨CEven so, there could be a lot of problems if you go there out of the blue¡­even without your intrusion, Egypt is in a state of disarray¡­

    The worried voice of Yeo Seong-Gu came over the phone.

    ¨CThere are diplomatic issues, and your sudden visit will fluster many people. For now, stay quiet until we figure out something from our side¡­

    ¡°Hyung.¡±

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu wasn¡¯t able to finish what he had wanted to say.

    "I think there''s already a problem."

    ¨CWhat?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put down the phone he had been holding.

    Dozens of people were approaching him in the middle of Cairo.

    Clearly, people¡ªno, Hunters, they slowly reached for their weapons as they approached him.

    "I believe in Asgard."

    After pressing the end call button, Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted both hands.

 Chapter 119: Nile

    <h4>Chapter 119: Nile</h4>

    <i>''I believe in Asgard.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong regretted what he had said.

    He had only said it because he had wanted to give Yeo Seong-Gu pressure so that he would deal with the matter at hand, but now that he thought about it, it had been cringe-worthy.

    Moreover, believing in Asgard¡­it wasn¡¯t something for him to say.

    ¡°...¡±

    There were some people looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to be in self agony.

    They were dark-skinned boys, barely men, and even with a nce, Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that they were of a different race than he was.

    They looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and talked among themselves.

    ¡°Why is the Underdog in Egypt?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear something about this?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    There had been a sudden flow of great mana, and sensing it, the Egyptian Association had sent out people to investigate, which had led them to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong at its epicenter.

    It was the Underdog, who hadn¡¯t gone through any proper immigration procedures. In fact, he didn¡¯t even contact them in advance.

    They had brought Lee Jun-Kyeong to the Association and were holding him there.

    "Should I call for an interpreter for now?"

    "Hmm."

    They had expressions of concern, seemingly about the difficulty handling the situation, as they talked among each other while being unable tomunicate with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The Hunter they had captive was a big shot. He was a Hero-Grade Hunter that wasn¡¯t someone that they could deal with considering their ranks in the Association.

    This was a matter for the upper ranks.

    Although these Hunters wouldn¡¯t know it, this was such a big issue that even the secret organization, Nile, had to move.

    Moreover, they had already arrived.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    The members of the Association who were detaining Lee Jun-Kyeong rose from their seats, flustered.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    More Egyptian men opened the door and came inside. Seeing them, the expressions of the other members of the Association hardened.

    ¡°It¡¯s the executive branch¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    The executive branch was a department that existed in any Association and administered disciplinary action or punishment of the Hunters.

    However, its position in Egypt was a little more special.

    It was a proper department with proper powers and was the branch of the Nile.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the Underdog from this point forward,¡± the Hunters belonging to the executive branch said to the people of the Association without even looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The people of the Association quickly nodded and left the room as if they were ready to flee at any moment.

    The executive branch members then spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong after they surrounded him.

    "Underdog. Is that right?" they said in broken English.

    However.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± replied Lee Jun-Kyeong in Arabic.

    ***

    Fortunately, Asgard''s response had been so fast that it was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t done anything wrong in the first ce. Upon receiving Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s call, they contacted the Nile immediately, hoping for him to be considered a guest of the Nile.

    However, the problem was on the side of the Nile.

    ¡°As we¡¯vepleted our mission, we will be leaving now.¡±

    The Nile didn¡¯t ept Lee Jun-Kyeong as a guest.

    They had only taken him to the location of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association.

    It was contrary to his expectations, but Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t in a position to even bother them about the matter.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to express his gratitude.

    Instead of that, however, he was able to meet with the branch manager of the Korean Association branch that had been established in Egypt.

    "My name is Yoo Kyeong-Tae, and I am in charge of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association."

    The branch manager bowed even lower while being excessively polite toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It is an honor to meet the Hero of Asgard.¡±

    The Underdog, or Lee Jun-Kyeong, didn¡¯t exist in his vocabry.

    .

    Just Asgard and Hero.

    There were only those two words.

    <i>¡®Was it something about the foreign branches of the Korean Association being managed by Asgard?¡¯</i>

    He had a hunch that there was the possibility of friction with the secret organization due to the nature of a foreign branch. Thus, instead of having general Association staff who knew nothing, these branches were established with those who had connections with Asgard as branch managers.

    The man in front of him would also be connected to Asgard, and there was both respect and envy in his gaze.

    It was ufortable.

    ¡°Have you learned Arabic before?¡±

    When Yoo Kyeong-Tae asked him the question, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head roughly. He hadn¡¯t learned Arabic.

    <i>¡®Merlin¡¯s ne really is as good as expected.¡¯</i>

    That had all been Merlin¡¯s ne. Thanks to the ne, he was able to interpret anynguage.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, greeting the man a littlete.

    On the other hand, the branch manager shook Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand vigorously. He held onto the hand as if he was even more moved than before.

    "I''ve already been in contact with the headquarters. For now, I''ll show you where you''ll rest."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    Apparently, the Nile had no intention of epting him right away.

    "Someone is alsoing from the headquarters. I heard they had left when you were at the Egyptian Association, so they''ll arrive by the end of the day."

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong expected, people wereing from Korea.

    While it was clear that Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, Fenrir and the princess wereing to this ce, he was sure that they wouldn¡¯t be the only ones.

    ¡°Who ising?¡± he asked.

    Since he had suddenly appeared in the Nile, they were sure to send someone who could both monitor him and also aid him if needed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hoped it would be Yeo S2eong-Gu.

    ¡°It¡¯s Oh Hyeong-Seok, Baldur.¡±

    It was the worst possibility.

    ***

    Yeo Seong-Gu, whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted toe to Egypt, was having an ufortable time.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a little chat right now?¡±

    It was the president of the Association, Jang Hyo-Jin.

    He was in the middle of speaking with him.

    A meeting with Odin was ufortable for any of the Hunters in Asgard, as his ability to see through lies and read through people was something that would never fail to put those who knew about it on edge.

    ¡°...¡±

    And now, Yeo Seong-Gu was stuck speaking with that very Odin.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seemed to have asked you anything so far,¡± Odin said with a smile around his mouth as if he were happy.

    ¡°About what sort of rtionship you have with the Underdog or what sort of secrets you share.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned at Odin¡¯s whisper.

    ¡°But now, I must know. That boy stimtes my inquisitive mind endlessly, but....¡±

    Odin¡¯s eye began to emit green light.

    ¡°It seems as though you¡¯re not going to give me an answer.¡±

    This was what they had been worried about.

    There had been nothing wrong with the way Lee Jun-Kyeong had dealt with Odin. He had stimted the inquisitive mind and made Odin wonder about himself.

    That was why Odin hadplied with all of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s demands and considered him special.

    However.

    ¡°You never seem to give me the answer I want. Although that¡¯s also interesting and all¡­it would be nice if you could give me at least one answer right now.¡±

    That inquisitive mind went too far.

    Although he thought that he had given an appropriate level of response before, Lee Jun-Kyeong was too inexperienced in dealing with that sort of mind.

    He dared to make judgments about such a person only by relying on some writing and hearsay.

    ¡°...¡±

    Currently, Yeo Seong-Gu was enduring this man¡¯s interrogation.

    ¡°What is the Underdog¡¯s purpose?¡± Odin asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was unique. He sought power, but not authority or wealth.

    He had then gained strength and fame, but didn¡¯t obtain a title. Moreover, he was walking down some sort of special path, always pursuing something continuously.

    Didn¡¯t he even say that he would go to China, where no one else had wanted to go?

    Moreover, he had even brought back survivors that no one had known still existed and even Hunters at that.

    He had even said that there was a man in ck that was said to be the one who had created the issues between China and Mt. Baekdu.

    Odin also couldn¡¯t figure out why the Hunter had been treated as a VIP by the Round Table when he went to Egypt.

    Then, he had suddenly headed to Egypt.

    ¡°What in the world is his goal?¡± he asked again.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued to remain silent.

    He couldn¡¯t give an answer easily, as he knew he would possibly cause Odin to be more stimted if he slipped up.

    Yeo Seong-Gu, Heimdall, had a high position in Asgard, but Odin''s authority and power were even higher than that.

    He couldn¡¯t make a mistake.

    <i>¡®That brat¡­I have to protect him.¡¯</i>

    Odin''s questions continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand where your infinite goodwill ising from either. You¡¯re not someone who trusts people easily. However, the trust you¡¯ve shown so far is strange¡­it¡¯s almost like¡­¡±

    The corners of Odin¡¯s lips rose, and the green light grew darker.

    ¡°It''s as if you¡¯ve known him from before.¡±

    Odin''s questions had ended, and it was now Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s turn to answer.

    He had to throw the right bait before Odin¡¯s curiosity deepened beyond repair.

    This was a problem that had been caused by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s inexperience, but there was still something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had informed Yeo Seong-Gu in case something like this happened.

    ¡°The Underdog, I mean, Jun-Kyeong¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu slowly swallowed a drop of saliva in his dry mouth.

    Deceiving Odin wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do.

    Therefore, the only way to deceive him was to be very underhanded.

    "Mr. President, Odin, he is someone who has the same goal as you."

    It was by obscuring the distinction between falsehood and truth.

    "...My goal?"

    Odin¡¯s interest had been piqued.

    There was a man who had said the same thing to him before.

    <i>¡®Bae Sang-Su.¡¯</i>

    He, who had been the guide in charge of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s tutorial, had also evaluated that the Hunter might be able to reach Odin¡¯s goal.

    It was a funny thought.

    Odin¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t something that just anyone could aplish.

    It was something that many of the world¡¯s top Hunters, and even Odin, one of the strongest even among the top, had yet to be able to carry out.

    Moreover, it was something that even that Olympian bastard who seemed to have the same goal as he had couldn¡¯t even have dared to do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what you have to say for yourself.¡±

    Still, Odin had taken the bait.

    ¡°Your goal. His goal is the same as yours.¡± Yeo Seong-Gu slowly continued, ¡°To kill a Sponsor.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if Odin would believe it or not. He had no choice but to trust and follow Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hunch.

    "How interesting."

    Fortunately, Odin seemed satisfied.

    ***

    "Sigh..."

    Jeong In-Chang sighed for some time.

    He had spent days and nights clearing numerous gates. Finally, right when he had been about to go to sleep after havingpleted all of the gate raids that had been scheduled yesterday¡­

    <i>¡®To think he would tell me toe all of a sudden¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡­he had received a call, an international call.

    It was a call from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Sigh..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly told him toe to his location.

    Still, the fact that it was an international call had created some interest. Jeong In-Chang had thought it was Ennd, but, to think, his destination was also different.

    <i>¡®To think it would be Egypt.¡¯</i>

    To think that even if they couldn¡¯t go to some cool location, they would be going to Egypt, a ce that would be hot enough to die in this zing summer.

    Now that the insane chill in China had passed, it seemed they would have to face the heat wave.

    "Sigh..."

    Everything was still good up to that point.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong had called him, he had said that he needed him. Because Jeong In-Chang always wanted to help the Hunter, it had been a pleasure to answer the call, even if it was difficult.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes turned to the seat next to him.

    He wasn¡¯t going to his location using a divine item like a portal or even the Bifrost.

    That was also good too.

    The Association had provided them with private jets and gave them the best treatment.

    The problem was something else.

    ¡°Could you bring me a nice champagne?¡±

    It was with the man next to him.

    ¡°Would you like one too?¡± he asked Jeong In-Chang.

    The problem was with the face of the man that was smiling at him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s handsome.¡¯</i>

    That was all Jeong In-Chang could say.

    He was just incredibly handsome.

    The man with the face that could topple cities just with its existence was both nice and considerate.

    "Thank you."

    Holding up the champagne brought by the flight attendant, he was almost like a picture.

    However.

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    ¡°Goongje¡­¡±

    The two familiars constantly expressed hostility to the handsome man.

    Moreover, Won-Hwa, who had been called out right as he had been about to sleep, just like Jeong In-Chang, was also irritated by the man.

    ¡°Hmn¡­¡±

    Moreover, it was the same for Jeong In-Chang as well.

    The handsome man in front of him was a perfect man who had everything.

    <i>''Watch out for Baldur.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Lee Jun-Kyeong had warned him about Baldur.

    "How nice!"

    That man was flying to Egypt with Jeong In-Chang and his party.

    Jeong In-Chang looked out the window.

    There was a clear sky, beautiful clouds, and the ne was heading for Egypt at high speed.

    ¡°If I fall from here, I would die, right¡­?¡±

    The only problem was the fact that he wanted to escape from this ce.

 Chapter 120: Nile Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 120: Nile Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°One could say that the current Egypt ispletely controlled by the Nile.¡±

    While those who had left Korea were arriving, Lee Jun-Kyeong spent his time studying the current situation in Egypt. Yoo Kyeong-Tae seemed to follow news about Asgard enthusiastically, but other than that, he had no other shorings.

    With both conciseness and skill, he perfectly briefed the current situation in Egypt for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Although other countries may have their secret organizations involved in many things from behind the scenes, it wouldn¡¯t be as much as Egypt has.¡±

    The size of the Nile, the secret organization of Egypt, was huge.

    The number of Heroes that belonged to them was overwhelming, and most of them were senior Heroes as well. It was a secret organization that could never be underestimated.

    The secret organization that held the world¡¯s attention here was the Nile, which controlled all of Egypt.

    "In Egypt, the Nile is involved in everything from politics to business to the Association."

    Even among the public ventures, the Nile had an overwhelming grip.

    They dominated everything, simr to how the ruling dynasties had done before.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke with a bitter smile. ¡°It feels like Korea.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what Yoo Kyeong-Tae was thinking about as he talked about the Nile, but it seemed to Lee Jun-Kyeong that he was talking about the situation in Korea.

    To be honest, Korea was worse than Egypt.

    <i>¡®In Egypt, an organization called the Nile is shaking everything, but Korea is held by a single fist.¡¯</i>

    It was Odin.

    As the head of Asgard, he reached out to both politics and businesses, and he was also the head of the Association himself.

    If it werepared to Egypt, then Korea would only ever be described as worse, never better.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, sir.¡±

    However, Yoo Kyeong-Tae disagreed with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "What¡¯s different about this from Korea is the nature of this organization called the Nile."

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    "In Korea, there aren¡¯t any big problems because the president of the Association alone holds most of the power."

    What Yoo Kyeong-Tae said was not a lie.

    Korea was dominated by a dictator who monopolized everything, which was why there hadn¡¯t been any big idents.

    Since everything moved under Odin''s control, there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems as long as Odin didn¡¯t make any decisions with bad intentions.

    <i>''But that''s why when Odin starts to move...¡¯</i>

    The results would be even more catastrophic.

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae had said the situation in Korea was different from that in Egypt.

    "The organization called the Nile isrgely divided into three branches."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "Memphis dominates the political world, while Hermopolis dominates themercial district."

    There was one that hadn¡¯t been mentioned yet.

    "Lastly, Heliopolis rules over the Hunters and Society."

    Heliopolis.

    Apparently, Inebu belonged to this branch.

    ¡°Because they continue to struggle and always attempt to siphon away each other¡¯s powers, the current situation in Egypt is¡­¡±

    "What a mess."

    From the outside, it looked like a huge organization dominated Egypt, but the reality was different.

    In the end, there were three organizations who were fighting to take control of the country.

    Of course, the three were still all members of one big organization, which meant that they would still join forces in a big crisis.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Originally, the Heliopolis branch had been the most dominant, but after Horus¡¯ ident, its power had been dampened.¡±

    "Horus?"

    ¡°Yes, he was the son of the Hero Osiris, the present head of the Nile. Basically, a prince who was toter take over the Heliopolis branch,¡± the branch manager said.

    "I thought Egypt was a republic?¡±

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae smiled.

    "It''s only a republic on the outside."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "After Horus'' ident, however, there''s also been a disturbance inside Heliopolis itself."

    It really was aplicated organization. However, there was a point that needed follow-up, the point that Lee Jun-Kyeong should pay the most attention to.

    "What was Horus'' ident?"

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly known. Our strings within the Nile aren¡¯t as quite as good as they once were. That said, the only thing we know is that he is in critical condition due to an ident that had urred during a gate raid.¡±

    A critical condition.

    <i>¡®Pleasee to the Nile!¡¯</i>

    It was as if he could hear Inebu¡¯s pleading again.

    <i>¡®Please save Lord Horus!¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had wondered how the Hunter had wanted him to save Horus, who was in critical condition due to an ident. After all, Lee Jun-Kyeong had onlye to Egypt because of Inebu¡¯s pleas.

    It was the only word he had been able to shout before being banished by Merlin¡¯s spell.

    <i>¡®The red jewel!¡¯</i>

    Madness.

    ¡°For now, there is one Hunter that I¡¯d like to meet with,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong after learning about the situation in Egypt.

    If things had gone the way he had expected, then he should have been able to meet with him when he had been taken by the Egyptian Association.

    "Who?" Yoo Kyeong-Tae asked.

    ¡°Inebu, the Hunter that leads Egypt¡¯s Warguard.¡±

    ***

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn''t hide his emotions and was smiling.

    Although he had many reasons to be smiling, the biggest reason he had such an expression was that that person was just so funny.

    ¡°...¡±

    That person might actually be the only one who had a particr expression as he got off a private jet that other people would beg to get on.

    "Long time no see, Mr. Jeong."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was weing the Korean Hunters who had just arrived.

    Jeong In-Chang, who had got off first, stood on the stairs looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He looked as though he had a lot to say.

    It might have been because he couldn¡¯t sleep on the ne, but the dark circles under his eyes were down to his chin.

    <i>Pffft.</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong started tough again, Jeong In-Chang shook his head and came down.

    After the Hunter was Fenrir.

    ¡°Snort!¡±

    A grinning brat ran down to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms.

    The Vanagandr was a white wolf that was so incredibly powerful on its own that the giants called it a special being.

    Even though he was currently in the form of a child, Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at the ipatible appearance of the wolf and his enthusiastic greeting.

    After the wolf was Won-Hwa.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had an apologetic expression. He knew that the schedule must have been difficult anyway, and he felt bad about having to ask the physician to take another ne toe all the way here.

    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    Although it seemed as though something was making noise next to him, Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored it.

    "Don''t make that face. It''s been a long time since I went abroad¡­it¡¯s good. Moreover, it''s been a long time since I¡¯ve been anywhere this hot,¡± Won-Hwaughed as if he was being considerate of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Thank you for being understanding,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    After Won-Hwa was the person Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew was about to exit.

    <i>¡®Baldur¡­¡¯</i>

    The Hero descended with a clear face and shining beauty.

    He came down the stairs gracefully, as if he had been on a private jet often, and smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Are you not excited to see me too?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled brightly at the man, who looked stunning even while he was being cheeky.

    ¡°How could that be?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong teased back.

    He had to hide how he really felt. He had to hide his emotions.

    He had practiced it countless times to face Odin.

    While he had no particr feelings regarding Baldur, for some reason, whenever he looked at the man, he couldn¡¯t shake off a sort of ufortable feeling.

    "Thank you for your hospitality,¡± Baldur said, simply shaking hands with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Why are you here?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a bright smile.

    Unfortunately, his efforts to hide how he truly felt were a failure.

    <i>¡®Well, it¡¯ll be fine even if I don¡¯t hide it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew little about the man.

    Whether it was the Book of the Demon King or the information he had learned in the future, Baldur¡¯s story within them had been small.

    He just had a face that made them feel ufortable.

    Baldur remarked, "Are you showing your true colors right away? You¡¯re going to make me a little upset."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking. The President of the Association sent me. I was tasked with helping Mr. Underdog, who had gone on an expedition to another country in ce of the returned Heroes,¡± said Baldur, Oh Hyung-Seok.

    ¡°As the Special Gates that appeared in Korea are closing faster than we had originally thought.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa looked over at Baldur.

    The reason why the special gates had been closing a little faster was right with them.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa.

    They had not existed in the original history, but they had been closing the special gates ording to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s will. In addition, the White Tiger n had also grown. With the aid of Sangun and Ungnyeo, they were targeting special gates with only a little bit of struggle.

    ¡°Regardless, please take care of me,¡± the Hero continued with a bright smile.

    ¡°Until we return to Korea.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch, until the end, that this was going to be an inconvenient trip.

    ***

    "They refused."

    The next day, as Lee Jun-Kyeong hoped, Yoo Kyeong-Tae had asked for a meeting with Inebu.

    However, Nile had refused.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that there was something forcing them to be reluctant, whether it was how they refused to ept him as a guest or how they refused to allow him to meet with Inebu.

    "Something must be going on inside the Nile," Yoo Kyeong-Tae said.

    ¡°ording to our strings from within the Nile, the entire Nile is in a state of disarray."

    "A state of disarray?¡±

    ¡°Egypt, just like the other countries, has been gathering their Heroes back into the country.¡±

    There were also special gates that appeared here as well. Thus, Egypt had summoned their Heroes just like any other country.

    ¡°But then, Set returned.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tilted his head at Yoo Kyeong-Tae''s words.

    "The second-inmand of the Helio Police."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There have always been idents where he is concerned,¡± Yoo Kyeong-Tae said, his expression turning unsettled.

    Even he didn¡¯t seem to wee the arrival of Set.

    <i>¡®So he is a Hero that isn¡¯t wee by either his own people or others¡­¡¯</i>

    It was surprising.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know that there was another person who was like that.

    <i>¡®The Demon King.¡¯</i>

    He had been a Hero who had not been weed by his own people or others too.

    He was a Hero that only Lee Jun-Kyeong knew.

    However, the being known as Set seemed to be a little different.

    "There are rumors that Set was involved in Horus'' ident too."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "As I said, while Egypt is a republic, the Nile is no different from a kingdom. If Horus were to be in an ident and failed to seed in his position...¡±

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae trailed off.

    "Set, the second-inmand, will receive it instead,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae nodded as if he was sure of it.

    "Set is the most powerful Hunter in the present Nile."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae''s face distorted, almost as if someone had disrespected God.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong saw his reaction and spoke, anticipating his thoughts.

    "How does hepare to Odin?"

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae dropped his head.

    That was enough for Lee Jun-Kyeong to take it as an answer.

    <i>¡®So he¡¯s a Hunterparable to Odin...¡¯</i>

    It was unexpected.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that there would still be a strong person left in the Nile, the secret organization behind Egypt. However, to think that the strong person, whom he wasn¡¯t even sure wouldn¡¯t be an enemy, could beparable to Odin.

    <i>¡®How difficult.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong recalled his confrontation with Arthur.

    After using all his strength, he was only able to leave a measly scratch on the knight¡¯s cheek.

    Although it was strange to describe that level of strength as mere, that meant that this Set was even stronger than Arthur.

    However.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to be sure,¡± Yoo Kyeong-Tae said.

    Whether it was if Set was as strong as Odin or if Set would be the enemy, then couldn¡¯t be too sure either way.

    <i>''There¡¯s a chance he¡¯s not the enemy.¡¯</i>

    Whatever it was, they needed to find a way.

    He couldn¡¯t havee all this way just to surrender to the flow.

    ¡°Please continue to request for a meeting with Inebu,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "Mr. Underdog...?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to create a meeting through my own methods as well.¡±

    Yoo Kyeong-Tae replied with difficulty, "I understand."

    ***

    "So what is it that you want to ask?" said the man in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He was weing Lee Jun-Kyeong with a bright smile.

    Although it hadn¡¯t been that long since he hade to Egypt, Lee Jun-Kyeong was alreadypletely indifferent to him. He hadn¡¯te to find him, and he had even avoided him whenever the man had tried to meet.

    But now, Lee Jun-Kyeong had seeminglye to visit him first.

    ¡°Baldur.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out the man''s name.

    Having been considering how to meet Inebu with another method, Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of meeting with the Asgardian Hero.

    The reason was simple.

    "Which Hero among Nile¡¯s host belongs to Asgard?"

    Baldur''s facepletely distorted.

 Chapter 121: Nile Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 121: Nile Pt. 3</h4>

    Baldur¡¯s face had distorted for only a split second before returning to its original expression in a heartbeat. It was almost as if the previous distortion had never happened, a sh of that had appeared for a moment.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t miss it.

    Baldur began to speak.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about,¡± he said calmly.

    ¡°When you weremanded toe here, how much did they say you could help me with?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked in return.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you what the President of the Association ordered you to do?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated with the same level tone.

    Baldur¡¯s face gradually changed, morphing from a friendly and smiling facade into a slightly cold and stiff expression.

    ¡°To cooperate as much as possible if there''s anything you want.¡±

    Even Baldur''s way of speaking had changed.

    This was the weird and ufortable feeling that Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt toward him.

    <i>¡®It was a facade.¡¯</i>

    His true heart had been hidden by his good deeds and smiling face.

    Although he still hadn¡¯t fully uncovered Baldur¡¯s true self yet, the other man had at least dropped his pervasive smile.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong did not back down.

    "Then let me know. Which of the Nile¡¯s hosts is a Hero of Asgard?"

    Baldur raised both hands in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong''s repeated questions.

    Before he knew it, Baldur¡¯s glowing smile had returned and his expression had returned to the tranquil one the Hunter always had.

    "I''ll get in touch with the higher-ups first and let you know," he said in a beautiful tone. "As it¡¯s a bit of ssified information."

    This was enough.

    He had confirmed that there was an Asgardian spy hiding inside the Nile.

    "Very well, then."

    "Goodbye, then."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been the one to enter the room, but Baldur ended up leaving in the end.

    ***

    <i>Scritch. Scritch.</i>

    Like always, the only sound in the room was of a scribbling pen.

    There were piles of paper piled up here and there, but the person handling the documents had noints or protests as he moved the ballpoint pen silently.

    <i>Tak.</i>

    He finally put down his ballpoint pen and, stretching with his hands sped, he muttered as he looked out of the window, ¡°So that brat wants to kill a Sponsor.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had said that about Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s purpose, which was the very goal Odin had as well.

    [<The Endless Investigator> says¡­]

    [<The Voiceless Sage> says¡­]

    He could hear the voices of those bastards right now. After he had be a Hunter, those voices never stopped, almost as if they were auditory hallucinations.

    Nothing had changed even after he had gotten stronger.

    Those bastards had just supported him and encouraged him even further after just watching him struggle.

    <i>¡®Kill.¡¯</i>

    Ordering him to kill monsters.

    <i>¡®Fight.¡¯</i>

    Ordering him to fight with his life on the line.

    .

    Those voyeuristic bastards who looked down on him from above never did anything.

    Everything was up to the humans¡ªno, it was up to the Hunters to do.

    ¡°How noisy,¡± Odin, Jang Hyo-Jin, muttered, and the voices soon were cut off.

    Currently, it had been about three years since the gates and Hunters had appeared. However, that was a timeline that only applied to the majority of Hunters.

    <i>¡®I am¡­¡¯</i>

    Odin was reminded of a terrible memory, a nightmare that the most powerful Hunters, those with their own Territories, had experienced.

    It had been the very price of the strength they had been given by the Sponsors.

    Asgard had been created to save mankind, and Odin remained unchanged on the purpose.

    <i>¡®Only by killing the Sponsors¡­¡¯</i>

    Only by doing so would he be able to bring about the salvation of mankind.

    He, Jang Hyo-Jin, openly expressed his convocation as he began to speak as he looked at the sky outside the window.

    "I''ll kill you, bastards, one day."

    There wasn¡¯t a single quiver to his frosty voice.

    [<The Endless Investigator> smiles as it watches over you.]

    [<The Voiceless Sage> is disheartened by your choice.]

    However, in return, all he could hear were some yful tones.

    In the past, he would have broken things and screamed at the voices out of fury and frustration.

    However, things were different this time.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Odinughed.

    <i>¡®What in the world makes you think so?¡¯</i>

    He had asked Yeo Seong-Gu, who had said that Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who could kill a Sponsor, why he thought that.

    He had originally thought that Heimdall had said it simply so that he could win his favor. However, what Yeo Seong-Gu said next was extremely convincing.

    <i>¡®The Hunters that had been sponsored by <The Ruler of the Riverside>...¡¯</i>

    Gunther, and his Sponsor, <The Ruler of the Riverside>.

    <i>¡®All of those Hunters lost their strength. It¡¯s the first time this has ever happened. This was the first time that Hunters had lost power to anything other than death.¡¯</i>

    He knew Yeo Seong-Gu was telling the truth.

    After Choi Yeong-Seong of the Northern Army Guild had died, many other Hunters had lost their power.

    Although Odin had focused on and studied the mysterious phenomenon, he hadn¡¯t been able to find an association between them.

    However, it was only a matter of course.

    <i>¡®I hadn¡¯t thought that Choi Yeong-Seong¡¯s death had anything to do with the Hunters losing their power in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t possible to keep track of who a Hunter¡¯s Sponsor was.

    For a Hunter, the Sponsor was both their greatest weakness and greatest strength.

    It was only natural to hide it. No Hunter would mention their Sponsor unless there was a special reason. Moreover, their Sponsors had also shackled them, to keep their names from being revealed recklessly.

    Therefore, while most Hunters thought that they weren¡¯t revealing their Sponsors out of their own will, in fact, it was something that was forbidden by their Sponsor as well.

    ¡°How quaint.¡±

    Odinughed.

    The antique phone in the president''s office suddenly rang loudly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The only people who knew this number were the people from Asgard.

    Odin picked up the phone.

    ¨CThis is Baldur, sir.

    A weing expression blossomed on Odin¡¯s face.

    Baldur continued to speak.

    ¡°Do your best to help him,¡± Odin answered simply.

    His order was simple, just to do whatever Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted.

    After the call had ended, Odin picked up the phone once again.

    On the other end, someone answered the phone before it rang three times.

    ¡°President,¡± the other person said so naturally that it could have felt a little awkward for Odin to be calling him. However, Odin continued with a grin.

    "Let''s have a meal."

    From the other side, a polite reply quickly came over.

    There was another thing that Yeo Seong-Gu had told Odin.

    <i>¡®The day the special gates disappear, something cataclysmic will happen.¡¯</i>

    It was a warning, and the source of the warning was from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Odin¡¯s smile never left his face.

    He would be dining with the president and also the other heads of society today.

    Dining with these people only took ce when Odin had something to order from them.

    He was now nning on getting prepared.

    <i>¡®Did he say it was a cataclysm?¡¯</i>

    Odin chuckled as he thought of Lee Jun-Kyeong and the smile lingered on his face.

    ***

    The cataclysm would cause much to change. In fact, a lot would be destroyed and much more would be reorganized. After its advent, the number of surviving secret organizations became incredibly low.

    Therefore, just surviving was proof that the remaining secret organizations had had much stronger power than the ones that had fallen.

    Asgard was among them.

    They would suffer great damage, but much of their strength would still be left behind. Following that, they would show their ability to the world.

    <i>¡®They also had many strings within the other secret organizations.¡¯</i>

    Spys.

    From the very beginning, the Heroes of Asgard would either go to the other organizations or turn a Hero from another organization to Asgard¡¯s side.

    There was quite a number, and once the cataclysm urred, Asgard would rally them all.

    Asgard would then be reborn into arger organizationpared to before the cataclysm.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought up the topic to Baldur.

    <i>¡®There are spies even in Egypt.¡¯</i>

    Even though it was difficult for him to figure out anything about who the spy in the Nile was, as there was so little information for him to go on, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that there was a spy among its ranks.

    Baldur had admitted to it, and so Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for Asgard¡¯s response.

    ¡°Whew. It¡¯s really hot,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he stood next to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was lost in thought.

    ¡°I mean, it is Egypt,¡± Won-Hwa remarked.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s so hot.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it still better than being cold?¡± Won-Hwa retorted.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa were walking together, looking around the streets of Egypt.

    There was nothing they could do, so they were just waiting.

    "<i>Snort</i>."

    Fenrir was walking next to Lee Jun-Kyeong and kept shaking his head because it was hot.

    "By the way, Mr. Lee,¡± said Won-Hwa.

    The physician hadn¡¯t asked a question so far, so it was about time he had one.

    "May I ask what your final goal is?"

    It was an awkward question to hear while walking in the middle of the Egyptian street in the scorching sun.

    "Come to think of it, I''ve never heard of your final goal, either,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, taking Won-Hwa¡¯s side.

    ¡°Although we know that you¡¯ve always acted with a purpose in mind, Mr. Lee¡­even if I can figure out the short-term goal, I still can¡¯t seem to figure out the final one.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang also seemed to be curious about the answer to Won-Hwa¡¯s question.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    The Hunter continued to walk and muse over the topic.

    ¡°To be the strongest in the world?¡± he tossed out.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you want to conquer the world, either¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang continued to mutter to himself as if he were ying twenty questions, and he finally nodded as if he had realized something.

    "What is it, Mr. Jeong?¡± Won-Hwa asked as he stopped in ce and looked over at the Hunter.

    The same went for Lee Jun-Kyeong as well.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face seemed to be certain of what he had uncovered, seemingly thinking that he had figured out the purpose Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t even mentioned yet.

    ¡°<i>Snort?</i>¡±

    Even Fenrir seemed curious.

    Jeong In-Chang nodded as he looked around at everyone.

    "I think conquering the world is right,¡± he said.

    "Why?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked about thepletely ridiculous answer.

    ¡°Mr. Lee is¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang continued as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that you want to create a world where polygamy is allowed.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked incredulously, ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, Mr. Won-Hwa, but there Mr. Lee has quite a few women hidden around.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly blocked Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth because he thought that it would be impossible to predict what the Hunter would continue to say if he was left alone anymore.

    Jeong In-Chang seemed to struggle against him for a while but soon stopped, seemingly having noticed something.

    ¡°Hunters,¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered while looking around, having freed his mouth.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t just blocked his mouth because he didn¡¯t want to hear his nonsense.

    ¡°They should be of Hero-Grade.¡±

    There were unusual and powerful Hunters around them.

    Heroes were approaching their party, as if to surround them.

    Before anyone knew it, the streets had bepletely silent.

    ¡°...¡±

    The previously noisy and lively streets were now nearly empty, and the few people that were left were terrified,pletely busy with trying to run away.

    ¡°What in the world is¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy for Heroes to be getting that sort of reception.

    The faces of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party hardened.

    "<i>Grr</i>."

    Fenrir was also expressing hostility with his fangspletely bared.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re strong,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought as he felt the aura of the approaching Hunters.

    <i>¡®It might be at the Knights of the Round Table gr...¡¯</i>

    He was trying to find a target topare them to, trying to identify them byparing their strength with the strength of those he fought.

    <i>¡®Maybe Heracles.¡¯</i>

    No.

    This wasn¡¯tparable to the Knights of the Round Table, nor was it on the level of Heracles.

    Their mana seemed slightly turbid.

    Moreover, their mana was obscured under the mana of one enormous presence.

    "Step back," Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "Mr. Lee?" Jeong In-Chang asked, bewildered at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s harsh tone.

    However, the Hunter still stepped back with Won-Hwa.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    It was an unimaginable thing to be able to hear a single step in the streets of Cairo, the capital city of Egypt.

    However, this was the reality they were experiencing.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    There was another step.

    The enormous presence that obscured everyone else approached.

    <i>¡®Arthur.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally found a target topare the presence to.

    Before they knew it, his visage appeared in front of their eyes.

    In this scorching Egyptian climate, he was wearing a tightly tailored ck suit made of leather as if he wasn¡¯t affected by the temperature.

    He approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, nked by men who all wore the same leather armor.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had guessed his identity.

    ¡°Set.¡±

    The most terrifying Hero of the Nile was now standing before their eyes.

 Chapter 122: Nile Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 122: Nile Pt. 4</h4>

    Set.

    Everyone was holding their breath at his appearance.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± he asked as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s prediction had proved correct.

    The ck leather suit looked incredibly suave on the Hunter, bringing emphasis to his impressive features.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly stepped forward.

    "Set,¡± he said, saying his name once again.

    There was only one person whom Lee Jun-Kyeong could think would show up.

    Clothed in ck leather clothes, the man exuded a chill that eroded their surroundings. He was a terrifyingly strong person who matched the level of the horrifying mana that came off from him.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the man said,ughing.

    It was a bitterly cruelugh.

    ¡°And you must be the Underdog.¡±

    Although it was their first time meeting, they soon recognized each other through the aura of their mana alone.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell silent.

    "I''ve onlye to find you to talk," Set said, reaching out to Lee Jun-Kyeong first.

    ***

    "Where are we going?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The roads of Egypt were incrediblyplicated. Moreover, wherever they went, it was hot and humid all around them.

    Therefore, until now, they had never experienced such a chill that enveloped them from head to toe.

    It was all due to the presence of the man walking with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Wherever he went, people would flee from their seats, race into their homes, and lock their doors.

    The manughed as if he was enjoying the sights.

    ¡°We are just walking. You see, I¡¯ve only just returned to my hometown after quite a while.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back.

    His party was following them well, walking along with the Hunters, who appeared to be Set¡¯s bodyguards.

    ¡°<i>Snort</i>,¡± Fenrir signaled Lee Jun-Kyeong as if to insist that he was always ready.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    This wouldn¡¯t be a fight they could even start.

    This man had the power to remind him of Arthur, the boy whom he had just barely been able to scratch on the cheek after exhausting all of his power.

    <i>¡®If we fight here...¡¯</i>

    They would all die.

    It was a foregone conclusion.

    He had no intention of forcing hispanions into a fight where their deaths were obvious.

    "It''s always nice to be home after a long time,¡± Set happily said to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had met an old friend.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong simply stayed silent.

    <i>¡®What in the world could be his purpose¡­?¡¯</i>

    He hade to Egypt to find Inebu.

    In front of him was Set, who was said to have been involved in Horus¡¯ ident.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that by going down the path he had nned, he would eventually have to meet with this man, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that they would have met in this manner.

    He couldn¡¯t figure out the reason.

    <i>¡®What is the reason he came to find me?¡¯</i>

    No matter how much Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about it, he couldn¡¯t easily find an answer.

    Set suddenly asked a question, ¡°Do you know the current situation in Egypt?¡±

    ¡°Egypt took on the name, The Arab Republic of Egypt, after dering independence from the dynasties.¡±

    This topic really was out of the blue.

    ¡°But, you know what?¡±

    He stopped and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Egypt is still a dynasty.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Under the Dynasty of the Nile, everything was under the imperial rule in Egypt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to make a gamble.

    It was hard for him to understand the man¡¯s true feelings with such a tumultuous conversation. Because he was sure that the man wouldn¡¯t kill him no matter how far he went, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to speak up.

    He asked boldly, ¡°Are you trying to seed that Dynasty?¡±

    After all, Set had been involved in Horus¡¯ ident, and he was also Osiris¡¯ younger brother.

    Since Horus had been taken out of the picture, the next king would be this man.

    It was a well-known fact.

    However, still, the fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong had just said it out loud was something that was difficult for anyone to mention.

    "That''s right."

    Moreover, that man admitted to it inly.

    "You''re a smart fellow,¡± Set said.

    He didn¡¯t seem very old, only about his mid-30s. His stature seemed to be slightlyrger than Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s.

    However, there was a sense of experience and age in his voice and tone.

    <i>¡®This man as well¡­¡¯</i>

    He was a unique case.

    He was a Hunter like Odin, a Hunter who held reign over a Territory.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Then, as someone who seems to be intelligent enough, do you want to try to guess? Most people don¡¯t seem to be curious about that part by now,¡± he continued,ughing.

    His bright red smile seemed to cast a smile, but all that was left in its shade was coldness.

    ¡°What do you think is my purpose for seeding Osiris Hyung as the head of the Nile, and what I should do as the new head of the Nile?¡±

    Heughed again.

    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what I would like you to tell me.¡±

    ***

    The meeting with Set had been intense.

    Unlike the apex Hunters he had met until now, Set was an apex Hunter he may have to fight with his life on the line.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had met with that monster of a Hunter and had spoken to him as well.

    ¡°What in the world did he want?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked curiously.

    He had been so nervous that his whole body was wet with sweat.

    Set had no intentions of hiding his strength and disyed his incredible reserve of mana, so it was only natural for him to be terrified as a mana-sensitive Hunter.

    ¡°He asked me to guess what his purpose was,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered.

    A slightly calming voice then asked, ¡°So, did you answer him?¡±

    Won-Hwa.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    "I couldn''t answer him."

    He couldn¡¯t get a clue as to what the man¡¯s purpose had been.

    Most people just thought that he hadmitted treason in order to obtain the authority to seed to the throne.

    They all just assumed that he was that sort of person.

    Set had enormous power, but hadn¡¯t been able to rise to the position of the head. Therefore, they thought that the man had simply been chasing authority when he had forced his way to the throne.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the man was different.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s something¡­¡¯</i>

    There was something that was different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought before.

    It was clear that the man was a dangerous person, but there had been nothing that made him think that he was evil.

    Although he was someone who was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to evaluate, there were many people that had that sort of personality.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t be sure of it.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s gray.¡¯</i>

    It was the conclusion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had made after seeing him.

    ¡°Ha¡­so he just came to see you just to ask something as simple as that?¡± Jeong In-Chang said, angry with having to be nervous because of the meeting with Set.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong still wasn¡¯t sure about that, either.

    .

    <i>¡®Did he reallye all this way to find me just to ask me something as simple as that?¡¯</i>

    He just couldn¡¯t figure out why the man hade to find him.

    Then, someone else appeared in front of them as they were returning to their amodations.

    It was another Hero-Grade Hunter.

    However, this time, the party wasn¡¯t nervous, even if they were a bit ufortable with the meeting.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± said Oh Hyeong-Seok, the hero with the title Baldur, with kofta skewers in his hands.

    ¡°Do you really have nothing better to do?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked curtly.

    ¡°But it seems you don¡¯t have anything to do, either?¡± Baldur replied as he smiled.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the sting of gazes surrounding them as the Hunter¡¯s appearance had attracted attention everywhere.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to say something to him but stopped himself. There was something that came to mind, but he felt as though it was something that didn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve met like this already, shall we have a meal together?" Baldur asked.

    "We''ve already...¡±

    Ufortable, Jeong In-Chang tried to express his refusal, but it was toote.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he nodded.

    ***

    They were in a restaurant in Egypt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel people staring at his party again.

    There were three different types of looks.

    ¡°Oh, my. Look at those men.¡±

    Some were fixated on Baldur, full of envy as they looked at those around the table.

    Then, some nced at them in a slightly awkward manner.

    ¡°...¡±

    They were the gazes on the table that were fixated on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party, the ones other than the gazes that were fixated on Baldur.

    ¡°I heard that they met with Set earlier?¡± someone whispered.

    Another quickly admonished him, ¡°Shh. I told you, be quiet.¡±

    The room was filled with rumors from those who had seen him with Set.

    And finally, thest gazes were from those that recognized who they were.

    ¡°Do you know who Baldur is?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Underdog too?¡±

    ¡°Why are they in Egypt?¡±

    In this day and age, Heroes were like celebrities.

    The only difference was that, unlike celebrities, no one bothered the Heroes.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to find a courageous person who would talk to Heroes recklessly.

    <i>¡®Moreover, they said that the influence of Hunters of Egypt and the Nile was almost terrifying.¡¯</i>

    Things were different herepared to Ennd.

    Unlike the British, who avoided Hunters due to their dislike of Olympus, the Egyptians avoided them because they were terrified of their own Hunters.

    Regardless of what any Hunter did to the civilians, they wouldn¡¯t be punished.

    That was the way the Nile handled things.

    <i>¡®Maybe¡­¡¯</i>

    It urred to Lee Jun-Kyeong that Egypt might actually have been the most simr ce in the current world to how the future was.

    ¡°Is this not to your tastes?¡±

    Baldur was eatingfortably as if he was already used to this cuisine.

    ¡°Moreover, there is also something strange, now that I think about it,¡± the man said, suddenly putting down his silverware.

    ¡°Your party really is unique, Mr. Underdog.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party¡¯s expressions hardened.

    ¡°I think¡­I just realized why this isn¡¯t to my tastes,¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered under his breath.

    Ignoring him, Baldur continued, ¡°Your party is full of Hero-Grade Hunters, so why haven¡¯t they joined Asgard? Of course, not just anyone can join us just because they are Heroes¡­¡±

    Baldurughed.

    "If you rmend them, Odin will actively approve it."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sensed something in the Hunter¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®He has some thorns.¡¯</i>

    Baldur¡¯s expression had hardened for a moment when he had mentioned Odin¡¯s name.

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that he should start looking for the reason from this point on.

    Baldur hadn¡¯t finished yet.

    ¡°Moreover, as Hunters who haven¡¯t joined Asgard, they are privy to the work of the secret organizations. Is there anything more dangerous than this? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± he continued with a smile, the thorns in his words still sprouting.

    ¡°Well, as someone favored by Odin, I¡¯m sure that you wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm Asgard, would you, Mr. Underdog?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had found it. The origins of the hostility from this man.

    He could see where they came from.

    <i>¡®Odin.¡¯</i>

    The Hunter was displeased that he was getting Odin¡¯s attention.

    However, he wondered if that was all there was to it.

    Would him getting Odin¡¯s attention really be enough to expose such thorns from Baldur?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong briefly thought about a question.

    ¡°Odin ordered me to actively cooperate in any way with your work, Mr. Underdog. Anything I canplete with my strength. Everything,¡± he finished.

    Baldur then resumed his meal.

    However, the questions weren¡¯t over just yet.

    Now, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s turn to ask a question. ¡°By the way, have you worked on what I had asked you the other day?¡±

    It was about the spy that had infiltrated the Nile¡ªLee Jun-Kyeong had asked to meet him.

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s n to meet Inebu was contingent on their meeting.

    He asked what had happened to that request, as it meant that Baldur would have already received an answer considering he had mentioned Odin¡¯s answer.

    However, he hadn¡¯t heard anything from the Hunter yet.

    Baldur simplyughed in response.

    He wasn¡¯t shying away from answering him, but the Hunter just smiled and stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong for a while as he started eating again.

    <i>Clink. Clink.</i>

    An ufortable meal ensued.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Suddenly, Jeong In-Chang began to cough as if he had choked.

    "Are you okay?"

    As Won-Hwa urgently reached over a hand to the Hunter¡­

    <i>Glint.</i>

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong and Baldur¡¯s eyes suddenly shifted.

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    It was the same for Fenrir¡ªno, they were the only ones to notice it, either.

    Everyone in this restaurant turned their eyes.

    Outside the window.

    "A Special Gate¡­¡±

    Before anyone realized it, a special gate had appeared before their eyes.

 Chapter 123: Nile Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 123: Nile Pt. 5</h4>

    A special gate had suddenly appeared in Cairo.

    People chatted as they looked at it, but no one was taking it seriously. It was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish between special gates and general gates.

    Because by this point, gates were appearing everywhere, so people just talked regrly, thinking that it was the case for this one as well.

    The only ones whose demeanors hardened were the Hunters.

    ¡°...¡±

    There were other Hunters in the restaurant besides Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, and they, too, couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of the gate that had appeared in Cairo.

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang broke the silence and shouted, ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°I see it too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he looked over at Jeong In-Chang.

    The gate that had appeared in Cairo was unusual. It wasn¡¯t just that it was a special gate.

    ¡°Does a gate like that really exist?¡±

    It was a gate that defiedmon sense.

    The bizarreness of the gate could only be felt by the Hunters and was something that ordinary people couldn¡¯t feel.

    ¡°It hadn¡¯t been long since it appeared, but the mana has already expanded so much,¡± Jeong In-Chang quickly said as he observed the state of the gate.

    ¡°At this rate, the gate is going to break soon!¡±

    A gate break.

    After a certain period of time passed after a gate appeared in which it wasn¡¯t raided, the mana that filled the gate would begin to move actively and expand outward.

    Eventually, if that gate still wasn¡¯t conquered, then the gate would copse and form a gate break. The monsters that existed within would pour out into the world with an explosion.

    However, this process was one that took time.

    If it were short, it would take a month.

    If it were long, well, there were even gates that still hadn¡¯t copsed.

    However, so far, there hadn¡¯t been something that was quite like the gate in front of them.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since it appeared, but to think the gate would already be showing signs of copse¡­¡± Oh Hyeong-Seok said as he also observed the gate as if he was analyzing it.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang eventually couldn¡¯t hold it in any further and got up from his seat. The gate in front of them could copse at any time.

    ¡°We have to make our move!¡±

    They had to either close it immediately or evacuate the people.

    At this rate, countless people would die.

    If the gate copsed in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt¡­

    The aftermath would be horrifying to even imagine.

    However.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Baldur didn¡¯t rise from their seats. Even Won-Hwa didn¡¯t move.

    They still sat, observing the gate.

    Jeong In-Chang had been about to shout even more out of frustration, but he suddenly heard Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice in his ear.

    ¡°Sit down.¡±

    In a situation where it wouldn¡¯t have been enough time for them to raid it immediately, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face turned red as Lee Jun-Kyeong ordered him to sit down.

    ¡°I cannot. I¡¯ll go even if I have to do it on my own. Although I can¡¯t tell why you¡¯re dragging your feet at this moment, we can¡¯t waste even a second!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had almost forgotten that Jeong In-Chang had a strong sense of justice.

    The reason he had originally moved wasn¡¯t out of loyalty to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Rather, it was that sense of justice.

    He was a man who would act ording to his own idea of justice and was someone who would do anything for it.

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong was adamant about him not moving.

    ¡°Sit. Down.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Sit down, please.¡±

    It was Won-Hwa who asked him to sit down this time.

    Won-Hwa continued, staring at Jeong In-Chang, ¡°This isn¡¯t something for you to get this agitated about.¡±

    Seeing Won-Hwa¡¯s gentle expression, Jeong In-Chang seemed toe to his senses little by little.

    He had been so agitated because a special gate had appeared directly in front of him. Moreover, he didn¡¯t know what would happen even at that very moment.

    However, now that he had calmed down a little, he was able to get a better grasp of the situation.

    "The Hunters..."

    He could feel the aura of Hunters approaching with his highly responsive senses.

    There were some Hunters heading to the gate and others evacuating the citizens.

    "This is not China," Won-Hwa said to Jeong In-Chang gently.

    Regardless of what would happen, the ce they currently were wasn¡¯t the destroyed China from before that wasn¡¯t able to resolve anything.

    Moreover.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t Korea either.¡±

    This time it was Lee Jun-Kyeong who interjected.

    He was right as well.

    This wasn¡¯t Korea.

    They, as Korean Hunters, didn¡¯t have toe forward just because something was happening in front of them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the gate.

    There were Hunters surrounding it.

    As he looked at them, he noticed something.

    <i>¡®How unexpected.¡¯</i>

    He could see who was the first to move in the advent of the sudden crisis.

    <i>¡®Set.¡¯</i>

    Men in ck leather were moving quickly to the gate.

    ***

    Fortunately, the special gate, which had almost developed into a dangerous situation, was quickly raided. Of course, it was a done deal. Since a Hunter who had the power of someone who could be the head of a secret organization had moved, no matter how unique the gate had been, there wouldn¡¯t have been any ability to withstand him.

    The gate soon stabilized, and Jeong In-Chang was whistling with a flushed face.

    "Hahaha."

    Won-Hwa finally burst intoughter when he saw hispanion¡¯s expression.

    When the gate had appeared, everyone in their party had been observing the situation as they knew how it would end. It had only been Jeong In-Chang who had found himself flustered.

    Apparently, he had been embarrassed by the spectacle he had caused.

    "Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also looked at him with a smile.

    "If you''re going to make fun of me, you don¡¯t have to. I''m already embarrassed enough,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as his cheeks flushed further.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just simply shook his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. You did well yesterday.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa¡¯s eyes opened wide in response to the suddenpliment.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you only act in that manner because you wanted to save people?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Jeong In-Chang rubbed his head. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°All you did was try to move hastily to save the people without taking stock of the situation around you or thinking about what would happen. That isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had been so concerned about the people¡¯s safety that he hadn¡¯t been able to take ount of the surrounding situation.

    Although, in some ways, it could be considered a disadvantage, it was also his greatest strength.

    ¡°<i>Ahem</i>,¡± Jeong In-Chang coughed in vain as he was embarrassed.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you had felt¡­how impressive.¡±

    Won-Hwa looked at Jeong In-Chang and seemed to have been even more surprised by the man¡¯s integrity.

    Leaving them behind, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about what had happened yesterday.

    The fastest one to make a move on the gate had been Set.

    Although the gate couldn¡¯t have been a danger to the man, it was still unexpected that he would have been the first to try to raid it.

    <i>¡®Hmm.¡¯</i>

    Whether it was his intentions, the questions he asked, or even the question of what Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt the man would do when he obtained control of the Nile¡­

    He still couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a relief,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°I heard you were able to achieve your purpose ining to Egypt. Inebu. Weren¡¯t you able to make an appointment with that Hunter?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Things did go just as Jeong In-Chang had said.

    This morning, as soon as the gate had been raided, a message hade from Nile.

    They, who had originally kept quiet and rejected him, had suddenly conveyed that he was allowed to meet with Inebu.

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered if this decision had been made through the Nile¡¯s own decision or if it had been arranged by the unknown spy from Asgard.

    Regardless of who had made it happen, it didn¡¯t matter to him.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your appointment tonight?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was supposed to meet with Inebu this evening.

    His meeting with Set had been unexpected, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had still intended to fulfill his reason foring here.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll get it right this time.¡¯</i>

    He had to at least try as much as possible to make the history that he had distorted to go back into its original ce. Only then could he continue to quickly walk down the path that he had to traverse in the future.

    <i>¡®I have to erase the variables.¡¯</i>

    With that in mind, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around Egypt with his party.

    As there were fewer people on the streets in the aftermath of the gate¡¯s appearance yesterday, the party was able to roam the streets much more pleasantly this time.

    ¡°How nice,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, feeling as though something like this was more than enough to be called a rest after being dragged out at dawn.

    There were a lot of things they had to think about, but time was ticking.

    Just as they were about to return to their amodations, they heard the slight sound of something breaking.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    However, due to their extremely sensitive senses, it was a sound that didn¡¯t escape their ears.

    ¡°Something must have happened!¡±

    Again, it was Jeong In-Chang who moved first.

    He ran quickly to the sound without looking back, while Lee Jun-Kyeong and Won-Hwa also followed btedly.

    Soon, they arrived in an alley in Egypt.

    "<i>Ha</i>..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    An alley.

    Every time he went to an alley, something happened, and it was never a good thing.

    Just as he expected, what they hade across wasn¡¯t good.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    Several people were trampling on a man, and the bags and boxes that appeared to belong to him were thrown about and broken.

    Jeong In-Chang had thrown himself in their midst and protected the man under their feet.

    Fortunately, there was something that was better here than what Lee Jun-Kyeong had undergone in Ennd.

    ¡°A Hunter?¡±

    The men had all recognized them as Hunters.

    Moreover.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Underdog?¡±

    They had recognized him.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think that there would be any unnecessary problems from this encounter.

    He stepped up in ce of Jeong In-Chang, who couldn¡¯tmunicate with the mob.

    "What''s the matter?¡±

    It was difficult for them to immediately assume that the person who was being hit was the victim without at least understanding the situation that urred before and after they got involved.

    Violence had been prevented because it was wrong, but they still had to find out why it had happened first before taking appropriate measures.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who signaled to Won-Hwa, then asked the Hunters who were assaulting the man once again.

    ¡°What could have happened that you would be attacking someone like this?¡±

    Although they were flustered for a little bit, as if they were surprised that the Underdog could speak Arabic, they soon calmed down and responded curtly, ¡°It¡¯s not the ce of a Hunter from another country to intervene.¡±

    While it wasn¡¯t a hostile tone, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t weing either.

    ¡°What the hell are they saying?!¡± Jeong In-Chang asked out of frustration.

    "That it''s not for us to cut in," Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t just watch you beat a person like this. I insist on figuring out what is going on. If that¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out a phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to contact the Association. Regardless of what had happened, for a group of Hunters to be assaulting a human¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems you have something mistaken,¡± one of the men who were assaulting the man on the ground interrupted, his mouth curling up into a smirk.

    "There is no suchw in Egypt."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused. Hunters weren¡¯t banned from assaulting humans?

    ¡°Still, assault in itself is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ªIN EGYPT!¡± the man shouted as heughed at the fallen man.

    ¡°As long as one has a reason, a Hunter is allowed to discipline a normal human.¡±

    "What the hell is he talking about?!" Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s expression hardened.

    ¡°As long as it is for the safety of the Hunters, we are allowed to discipline the general public as much as we want. Like this, I mean.¡±

    He slowly raised his foot and tried to crush the fallen man''s wrist.

    "You bastard!"

    .

    Right as Jeong In-Chang was about to get involved¡­

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    ¡­An eerie sound rang out.

    It was the sound of something cutting through flesh and bone.

    A great scimitar appeared, and, with a single stroke, it cut off the head of the Hunter who had just been about to crush the man¡¯s hand.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    "There are alsows like this in Egypt."

    It was a familiar but unfamiliar voice.

    "The Hunters of the Nile also have the right to punish any Hunters."

    It was Set.

    ***

    The appearance of Set terrified everyone.

    The Hunters who had beenughing at Lee Jun-Kyeong were too busy stepping back with hardened expressions while the man who had been beaten by them immediately fainted.

    The situation had changed with just the appearance of this one man.

    "Is he all right?" Set said in a sweet voice that no one could imagine belonged to someone who had just casually cut off a man¡¯s head.

    As he spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong, Won-Hwa ran over to examine the man who fainted.

    "He¡¯s all right."

    The man had just fainted.

    "That''s a relief,¡± Set continued as he began to walk forward slowly, approaching the other Hunters.

    ¡°P, please forgive us!¡±

    ¡°We apologize!¡±

    "Do you know what you did wrong?" Set asked the begging and fawning Hunters as he smiled the entire time.

    Although they tried to answer him, a gruesome sound rang out again.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Before anyone realized, Set had turned back around as he muttered.

    ¡°That Anubis bastard would like this.¡±

 Chapter 124: Nile Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 124: Nile Pt. 6</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was reminded of something as he looked at Set.

    <i>¡®The Demon King.¡¯</i>

    He thought that he could see a resemnce between the two Hunters.

    Just a little while ago, Lee Jun-Kyeong had run into a group of Hunters as they were assaulting a human. However, these Hunters werepletely ambivalent about his arrival.

    It was because the reputation he had built had no foundation in notoriety.

    <i>¡®They must have thought that I wouldn¡¯t have harmed them.¡¯</i>

    His reputation had been solidified through his achievements as a Hunter as he raided gates, but even though his strength was renowned, there was nothing that insinuated a temper or evil intentions behind it.

    Therefore, the Hunters he had met weren¡¯t frightened and had even gone so far as to try to assault the victim in order to mock him, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to intimidate Egypt¡¯s Hunters when they were in Egypt.

    However, Set waspletely different.

    His mere appearance had frightened them.

    It almost felt like the arrival of <i>the Demon King.</i>

    He was a Hunter who had made people tremble in fear and forced great change with his notoriety.

    Set really reminded him of the Demon King.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he still knew little about the Hunter.

    There was a lot of inconsistency between the notoriety the man had built and the actions hemitted. It was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to fathom his intentions.

    "Do you think he¡¯s a good person?" Jeong In-Chang asked with aplicated expression. ¡°I mean that Set, the Hunter.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell myself,¡± Jeong In-Chang continued, his face expressing his conflicting thoughts even further.

    That man they called Set, although he had definitely moved to save that man¡­

    ¡°It was excessive,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked.

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±

    Considering Set¡¯s strength, he didn¡¯t have to kill them.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®I had nned on getting involved in the first ce.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had made up his mind to save the man regardless of what the Hunters had said. He had more than enough strength to overpower them without killing them. Even if he was currently in the Nile¡¯s territory, it wasn¡¯t as if the secret organization behind him, Asgard, was weak in any way either.

    Furthermore, if it was really necessary as well, they also had Bifrost. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for them to just transport themselves outside of the Nile¡¯s influence.

    It wasn¡¯t as if it would be his concern if there would end up being a disturbance between Asgard and the Nile, either.

    Set would have understood that as well.

    <i>¡®But even still, he killed them when he didn¡¯t have to.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Then, do you feel like he¡¯s a good person?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked again.

    "I don''t know."

    That was Lee Jun-Kyeong''s answer.

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we have met.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight.¡±

    It was nighttime, and as if it had been predicted, the meeting between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Inebu had still proceeded.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t meeting alone.

    ¡°...¡±

    Next to Lee Jun-Kyeong sat Baldur.

    ¡°...¡±

    While next to Inebu was a Hunter whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had never seen before.

    ¡°My name is Lamia. My title is¡­¡±

    She had a beautiful voice.

    The Hunter from the Nile that had apanied Inebu was a woman who was currently introducing herself to the Asgardians.

    ¡°My title is Bastet.¡±

    Bastet.

    She was also one of the famous Heroes of the Nile.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know much about her in detail, he was sure about one thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    She seemed to have met Baldur before.

    This wasn¡¯t the meeting that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted. Although he and Inebu had both wanted to meet, neither Asgard nor the Nile had truly allowed it.

    ¡°And as for the reason you had wanted to see me¡­¡± Inebu whispered in a cracked voice, his thin and dry face betraying the horrifying hardships he had gone through.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded rather simply, ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±

    At his ridiculous response, Baldur and Bastet¡¯s faces distorted.

    They had arranged this meeting because of how much Lee Jun-Kyeong had expressed he had wanted to meet Inebu, just for the Hunter to say it was just because he had wanted to catch up with him.

    However, there was another conversation going on in this meeting that Baldur and Bastet werepletely in the dark about.

    ¨CHit the table once for yes, and twice for no.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said, directly speaking into Inebu¡¯s mind.

    Inebu was startled as Lee Jun-Kyeong was using Merlin¡¯s ne to converse with him while hiding from the attention of Baldur and Bastet.

    "I missed you too."

    Fortunately, Inebu was quick-witted.

    Baldur and Bastet looked at each other momentarily and sighed at the ridiculous conversation.

    ¡°Are the meals not tasty and plentiful in the Nile?¡±

    It was another unexpected and boring question from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However, in the shadows, the other conversation continued.

    ¨CI¡¯m here regarding what you had mentioned earlier, the red gem. Are you sure that the red gem you spoke of is rted to the strength we saw Heracles exhibit at the Battle of Champions?

    Inebu began to respond to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The meals have beening quite steadily here.¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Both with a verbal answer and a positive knock.

    ¡°Then why do you look so emaciated?¡±

    ¨CYou said you wanted me to save Horus. Did Horus¡¯ ident have anything to do with that object you called the red gem?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­there was something that was a little troublesome, that¡¯s all.¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Just like that, a conversation that Baldur and Bastet couldn¡¯t understand proceeded. Nevertheless, the two didn¡¯t move away from the unorthodox meeting.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to try to ask Inebu about what he had desired using Merlin¡¯s ne.

    ¡°What was so troublesome that it made you into a sack of bones?¡±

    ¨CWas Horus influenced by the red gem? Just like how Heracles was back then?

    <i>Thud.</i>

    ¨CWas the person who made him like that Set?

    There wasn¡¯t a knock of any kind in response to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sst question. Instead, all he received in response was Inebu¡¯s voice, ambiguously responding to one of the questions.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure myself.¡±

    There was only one question left then.

    ¡°Oh dear. It seems I¡¯ll have to send you some good vitality restorative medicine.¡±

    ¨CDo you want me to help you?

    Inebu nodded.

    "Thank you."

    With that, there was nothing else for them to speak about at least in this kind of situation.

    ¨CI¡¯ll reach out to you soon.

    ***

    ¡°Did you really ask me to arrange a meeting with Inebu just to have that sort of conversation?¡± Baldur, Oh Hyeong-Seok, said, his usually amicable face distorted in irritation.

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong had uncovered about his character in the past few days, he had a hunch that the other Hunter had some sort of rtionship with Odin. In fact,<i>?</i>Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though the Hunter¡¯s loyalty to Odin was almost like the loyalty of Jeong In-Chang, who followed him.

    <i>¡®Is he about to curse at me?¡¯</i>

    He thought about it for a moment, but then soon decided not to care as he didn¡¯t have the time to waste on continuing to ponder over Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s words.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve really made use of Asgard for something as ridiculous as this¡­ Odin won¡¯t look at this lightly, either,¡± Baldur continued.

    As expected, it was clear that the Hunter had thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong was causing Odin trouble.

    In response, Lee Jun-Kyeong answered almost cheekily, ¡°Isn¡¯t that person a resultist?¡±

    ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    ¡°That person will be satisfied with thingster.¡±

    Oh Hyeong-Seok closed his mouth and stayed quiet for a while after hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong''s unexpected words.

    However, he soon recovered.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be sure to show those results eventually, then,¡± he warned Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Baldur¡¯s expression was fiery as the Hunter was gradually throwing off his shell of pretense.

    <i>¡®Does he really not like me that much?¡¯</i>

    To think Baldur would hate himself this much just because he was being favored by Odin. It was so much so that if just from a nce¡­

    ¡°Are you his son, by chance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    Oh Hyeong-Seok finally shut his mouth.

    ¡°Then have you finished with your work in Egypt?¡± he finally asked.

    In the end, he seemed to have given up on arguing with Lee Jun-Kyeong anymore.

    If Baldur had been a hostile force, then Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t have provoked him like this.

    <i>¡®To think he really liked Odin to this extent¡­¡¯</i>

    However, he had been confident that Baldur wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to him, who was being so favored by Odin. And, just as he had expected, Oh Hyeong-Seok was only able to express frustration with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s repeated provocations, unable to do anything.

    ¡°Yes. My work in Egypt will soon be over. We should head out in about three days,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Three days?¡± the Hunter eximed.

    "I haven''t finished my sightseeing in Egypt yet."

    Baldur¡¯s face hardened again, unable to hide his ufortable expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare for it then.¡±

    Oh Hyeong-Seok soon had a smile on his face again.

    He really was a patient man.

    ¡°By the way, let me ask you something,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said the Baldur.

    ¡°The Hunter Asgard has hidden within the Nile¡­¡±

    ¡°That,¡± Oh Hyeong-Seok interrupted even though Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t finished speaking.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already met them.¡±

    There was a smile on his lips.

    It wasn¡¯t the usual pretentious fake smile that Baldur had, however. It was a real smile,ughing as he teased Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®I¡­already met them?¡¯</i>

    Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s teasing had been sessful, as now, Lee Jun-Kyeong had started thinking about it.

    ***

    <i>¡®Inebu, Bastet¡­or maybe one of the Nile Hunters I saw when I arrived in Egypt?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was now at a loss. Did Baldur tell a white lie to try to mess with him? No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out who Asgard¡¯s spy was.

    Inebu couldn¡¯t have been a spy, whether it was due to his behavior or disposition.

    The most likely Hunter was Bastet.

    Not only had she brought Inebu, but she also seemed to know Baldur as well. It was most likely that she was the spy of Asgard.

    However, there was something weird that Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t shake off.

    <i>Swoosh.</i>

    As he thought to himself, all of a sudden, he noticed someone¡¯s presence.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around, and as he stared into the darkness, there, a masked Inebu stood.

    "You¡¯rete."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him a time and ce through Merlin¡¯s ne, and the man hade to find him, albeit a littlete.

    ¡°There were a lot of watching eyes¡­I apologize,¡± Inebu once again apologized.

    ¡°There will still be many other people watching this ce as well. Because you¡¯re under the watch of the Nile, Mr. Underdog¡­¡± Inebu said as he took off his mask.

    "I''m sorry, it''s my fault,¡± he continued.

    Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t said anything yet, Inebu was pouring out his dyed story, almost as if he had so much stuff to say because of how frustrating their previous meeting had been.

    ¡°Why are you ming yourself, Mr. Inebu?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Inebu, on the other hand, continued to scan the surroundings with an uneasy look in his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued. He grabbed Merlin¡¯s ne, and light gushed out from between his fingers.

    It was spatial distortion, a high-end spell that even quite a few Mage-Type Hunters couldn¡¯t easily use.

    <i>¡®It seems I¡¯m really getting a lot of help.¡¯</i>

    As he wasn¡¯t able to use any spells, he was getting quite a lot of help through Merlin¡¯s aid.

    ¡°Can you even use magic too?¡± asked Inebu in surprise.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already uncovered the people observing from around us,¡± he said. Rather than answering the Hunter¡¯s question, he rather assuaged him instead.

    Aftering to Egypt, Lee Jun-Kyeong had continuously felt gazes ced on him as he continued to move around Egypt¡¯s streets. He could feel the watchful eyes of the Nile glued upon him.

    ¡°However¡­that may not be enough,¡± Inebu said as he looked up at the sky.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment as to who Inebu was referring to.

    The Sponsors?

    ¡°There is nowhere on Earth where one can avoid the gaze of the Eyes of Osiris,¡± Inebu said.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought about whether or not they would be able to use that item to get past Merlin¡¯s powers and look into the formation spell. He realized he couldn¡¯t be sure, so he hurried to make his point.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get straight to the point. I would like to hear about the details and what you are asking of me. Mr. Inebu, I¡¯m talking about¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him directly and continued, ¡°The reason why you had asked me toe to the Nile.¡±

    "That''s..." Inebu nodded and opened his mouth. "Horus has been unconscious ever since he was exposed to the red gem.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is the red gem?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. He had to know if it was anything simr to the Madness he was familiar with.

    ¡°It came from a red ore¡­a gem that gives the user an enormous amount of power. The same one as the object Heracles had shown us back on that day¡­¡±

    He was right.

    <i>¡®That red gem¡­¡¯</i>

    It was Madness.

    Now, he had to know why it had been used by Horus in Egypt.

    Inebu began to exin, ¡°It all started after Lord Set brought the red gems to¡­¡±

 Chapter 125: Nile Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 125: Nile Pt. 7</h4>

    Inebu began to tell his story.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you know about things, Mr. Underdog¡­but I have quite a high position in the Nile.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that Inebu wasn¡¯t suddenly talking about his position either to brag or intimidate him. Rather, he was speaking out of consideration in order to add credibility to the story he was telling.

    ¡°I know that you have enough influence to take the Eyes of Osiris with you to a different country.¡±

    The Eyes of Osiris and Zeus¡¯ Lightning were both divinity-level items of the secret organizations that couldn¡¯t be easily moved, simr to Heimdall¡¯s Bifrost.

    Considering Inebu was allowed to travel to a different country with an item of that power, it was a given that he would have considerable status within the Nile.

    The Hunter continued, ¡°The start of it all was when Lord Set brought the red gem to the Nile. It was a rare ore that he had found by luck during an expedition to another country.¡±

    Inebu seemed to be saying it was by coincidence. Thinking about it, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it would be possible. Moreover, it was possible to not only obtain it by chance but then also to further understand its power as well.

    It was Set, after all.

    ¡°It was an item that seemed to amplify mana. A mysterious item that seemed to greatly amplify the power of monsters and promote overwhelming growth.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as he listened. Merlin¡¯s ne was still a long way off from losing its potency.

    ¡°Considering its power, the study of the red gem had begun as expected, and numerous clinical trials were conducted.¡±

    Hunters were people who especially craved power.

    <i>¡®The prospect of bing strong without having to rely on sponsorship is like a poisoned chalice for Hunters.¡¯</i>

    It would be like a holy grail, a grail that one had to drink, even if they knew it was poisoned.

    Having seen the power of the red gem, the Hunters of the Nile had no choice but to participate in their study even though they had recognized the danger.

    ¡°The research proceeded well. We had even seeded in increasing the amplification rate several timespared to before.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However, the problem was¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°You couldn¡¯t control it, could you?¡±

    Inebu smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    The red gem was an uncontroble force.

    Madness was a poison.

    Not only was it not possible for just anyone to control the urges of Madness but it also wasn¡¯t something that research could control either.

    One had to be specifically chosen by one¡¯s Sponsor, have incredible levels of mental fortitude¡ªstrong enough to ovee just about anything, or have met numerous requirements in order to deal with the poisonous strength.

    No, Lee Jun-Kyeong backtracked.

    Considering how strong the ore was, Madness wasn¡¯t something that could be handled even if there was someone who could meet the requirements.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s why Heracles is so strong as well.¡¯</i>

    Even in the history of the future, it would be extremely rare to be able to find a Hunter who could control Madness. To be quite frank, it would be safe to say that there wouldn¡¯t be any.

    As for Heracles, he had only obtained the power of Madness under the influence of his Sponsor in the first ce and could be regarded as pretty much the only Hunter with any semnce of resistance to the ore.

    Therefore, he had ended up bing a Hunter who even the Demon King had considered invincible. Before, in the past that Lee Jun-Kyeong had studied, the Hunter hadn¡¯t been able to grasp full control over Madness, but now¡­

    <i>¡®He can control it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly shook his head and concentrated, having noticed that his thoughts kept running beyond his control.

    ¡°Eventually, the research reached a teau with regards to increasing the amplification rate. It seemed impossible to make any further progress."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "But.¡±

    Things were finally getting to the main point.

    ¡°Horus wanted to be the focus of the experiments using the red gem himself.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    .

    The sessor of a massive secret organization had thrown himself into the experiment. That wasn¡¯t something that could be understood easily.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an ident?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Moreover, Horus¡¯ problems had been known to be an ident.

    However, to think the truth was different.

    Horus had actually volunteered.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Lord Horus had insisted on being the subject of the experiment even though many people tried to dissuade him.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­why on earth did Horus want to obtain the power of the red gem in the first ce?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand it.

    He, who would have already been guaranteed everything¡­

    Moreover, considering he was a Hero with the title Horus, it was clear that the Hunter¡¯s power must have been strong. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure it out. Why did he make such a dangerous choice?

    ¡°It was because of Lord Set,¡± Inebu exined.

    That name hade up again.

    ¡°It was an open secret that Lord Set wanted control of the Nile, and there had been frequent arguments between Lord Set and Lord Osiris. Lord Set¡­he was too strong of a Hunter to push to the side. Lord Horus wanted to obtain the strength to prevent Lord Set from making any moves.¡±

    He was someone who had both justification and power. As someone who had everything, he could aim for the throne.

    If that was the case, then Horus¡¯ choice made sense.

    However.

    ¡°About the man named Set,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    There was one thing that he just couldn¡¯t understand at all.

    ¡°Is it really such a dangerous thing for him to gain control of the Nile? From what I have experienced myself, he didn¡¯t seem to be that horrible of a person.¡±

    Inebu¡¯s expression suddenly hardened, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°Is he being ostracized because he was trying to take away the established right to the throne?¡±

    That was the most likely solution he had thought. But, if that was the case, he would have to stay out of it.

    This wouldn¡¯t be history that had been changed because of him, just history that should have flowed. It was just a fierce battle over the throne.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for an answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Inebu answered.

    ¡°Lord Horus is a righteous man. There was also a n to hand over the throne to Lord Set."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "Only..."

    As Inebu tried to proceed to exin carefully, they suddenly heard someone¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t your meeting already urred in the evening?¡±

    Someone had entered their location, forcing through Merlin¡¯s formation.

    It was a familiar voice.

    ¡°Lord¡­ Set¡­¡±

    It was Set again.

    ***

    Merlin¡¯s formation was still in effect. It was still in ce, blocking the gazes of the Nile, turning the gazes of the eyes around him murky.

    However, Set had been able to enter there anyway.

    ¡°It looks like you followed Mr. Inebu,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Inwardly, he was bbergasted. He couldn¡¯t believe it.

    This had only urred because he hadn¡¯t expected a person as important as Set would personally chase after Inebu.

    Someone on the level of Set would not only be able to avoid Inebu¡¯s detection, but also his own.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then realized that it wasn¡¯t that the Hunter had entered Merlin¡¯s formation.

    ¡°Have you¡­been here from the beginning?¡± he asked.

    Lord Set smiled. ¡°I apologize for overhearing you unintentionally.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this exactly what you intended?¡±

    Despite Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mockery, Set had a calm face. The panicked one, on the other hand, was Inebu.

    ¡°Lord¡­ Set¡­¡±

    His face was gaunt, the color of death.

    It was natural, considering that everything they had just spoken about had been overheard.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to do something, but then Set opened his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite curious. I already knew that Horus had a n to cede the throne of the Nile to me.¡±

    His voice was calm.

    ¡°But, to think there was a reason that even with that, he felt that I had to be kept in check¡­ even going so far as to touch that force.¡±

    Set questioned Inebu with genuine curiosity. There was no mana or forceful aura, just a calm gaze that seemed to be more than enough pressure by itself.

    Inebu bowed his head for a moment, restless under the scrutiny of the gaze.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t step up at that moment, as he, too, needed to hear this as well.

    He wanted to hear the reason, the reason Horus had still risked it all, even up to his giving up his body, even after having decided to give everything over to Set.

    Inebu slowly raised his head.

    As it was already spilled water, as Set had already heard everything there, he had to end it all there.

    ¡°Lord Horus¡­¡±

    Slowly, Inebu opened his mouth.

    ¡°He said that there was someone behind you.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Set''s eyes grew wide at the same time.

    ¡°How many people have heard that story?¡±

    The next person to speak was Set. His voice was cold and his calm expression had finally broken.

    But, Inebu didn¡¯t seem to intend to lie.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one.¡±

    ¡°Do you expect me to believe that?¡±

    Ineb nodded at Set''s frosty tone.

    ¡°Lord Horus had only told me just before he experienced the red gem. I don¡¯t know if he may have spoken to someone before then, but as far as I know, I am the only one who had heard that story.¡±

    As Inebu¡¯s finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Set and Inebu at the same time. The Set in front of him was now showing only a rxed expression. To think that he had been able to feel his nervousness only moments before.

    <i>¡®So Horus was right then.¡¯</i>

    There had to be someone behind Set.

    Then.

    "I think you''d better go home now, Mr. Inebu," Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Inebu.

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then spoke again, relieving Inebu, who was mumbling over to the side, of his worries.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about how to treat Lord Horus. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s even possible, though, so don¡¯t expect too much.¡±

    ¡°T¡­thank you!¡±

    Inebu nodded furiously as if even that was enough. However, the man still didn¡¯t leave just yet.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    As soon as Set¡¯s permission had been given, Inebu nodded and moved his body. As Inebu glided by quickly, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly called out to Set.

    ¡°How about we let him be?¡±

    The man¡¯s hand was touching his de. It was obvious that he was going to kill Inebu. There wouldn¡¯t be any stopping the Hunter if he had made up his mind.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>.¡±

    However, surprisingly when Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke out, Set let out a breath and let things go.

    ¡°I think we have something to talk about,¡± Set remarked.

    As Inebu left and Set remained, another forum for dialogue unfolded.

    ***

    ¡°I didn¡¯t follow after Inebu, to be exact.¡±

    Out of the blue, Set had brought it up.

    "I kept my eyes on you."

    He had kept an eye on Lee Jun-Kyeong, or at least that was what he imed.

    ¡°I already knew that from the beginning. What I hadn¡¯t expected was that you would be watching me this closely.¡±

    It would have been a lie if Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that he hadn¡¯t figured out that Set was watching him. After all, the Hunter would show up when anything happened.

    Once could have been a coincidence, but things repeating after several idents wasn¡¯t probable.

    No¡ªit would have been an intended ¡°coincidence.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had known the Hunter had been around. However, this ce had been prepared thoroughly, and he hadn¡¯t expected that Set would have been this close to them, either.

    ¡°Someone who is behind you¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked a question. There was only one possibility he could imagine as he listened to Inebu. It had been the only possibility that he hadn¡¯t thought through as it was something so unbelievable and iprehensible.

    "Are you Asgardian?¡±

    It was the possibility that the Hunter in front of him had been the spy of Asgard.

    Even now, Lee Jun-Kyeong still thought it was ridiculous as he asked the Hunter. The person in talks to be the next head of one secret organization was the spy of another secret organization.

    Moreover, it was someone who didn¡¯t have a single thing that he could have wanted¡­

    <i>¡®Wait, maybe there was something.¡¯</i>

    The Hunter had been aiming for the throne of the Nile.

    Things started to make more sense if he considered that Asgard could have said that it would help him. Baldur had even said that he had already met the spy, and the strange smile that had appeared as Lee Jun-Kyeong stood there worrying about who the spy was hinted at something.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to put the puzzle together piece by piece.

    He waited for a response, and Set reliably answered, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but you¡¯re also not right.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a spy or anything like that. Just, it may be better put as¡­living alongside each other?¡±

    He meant that they were two entities who shared information and helped each other.

    ¡°It really is something worthwhile to be shocked about.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his honest feelings.

    ¡°Well, you could think about it like that, I guess.¡±

    Set¡¯s expression had returned to being calm.

    However, it didn¡¯t take much time before his face was distorted once again.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then who is behind you? Just who the hell is controlling you, who is second to none?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The Hunter¡¯s hand was still on his de.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop there, however.

    ¡°Looking at your reaction, doesn¡¯t it really seem that there is someone standing behind you?¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong finally finished speaking, Set smiled.

    ¡°As expected, just like they say, you really are someone who likes adventure.¡±

    <i>Shing!</i>

    A rustling sound rang through the air.

    ¡°As I had to let go of Inebu.¡±

    His sword was now directed at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Should I kill you instead?¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    However, the odds of winning this fight¡­

    <i>¡®There isn¡¯t any.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 126: Set

    <h4>Chapter 126: Set</h4>

    Despite the obvious knowledge that he had no odds of winning this battle, Lee Jun-Kyeong still drew his spear. There were times when one would have to face another in battle, whether one had a chance to win or not.

    <i>¡®When one shows their truth.¡¯</i>

    This was the moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had expressed his intentions to the Hunter before him by drawing his spear. His intention to figure out who was behind Set, regardless of what happened next.

    <i>¡®His rtionship with Asgard was simply a partnership.¡¯</i>

    While it was shocking that someone as strong as Set would sell the Nile¡¯s information to Asgard, it was still something that was possible enough, as it meant that he wasn¡¯t being controlled by Asgard.

    However, the identity of the being Lee Jun-Kyeong had to discern right now was different.

    This was a being who treated someone with the strength of Set as a subordinate, and Set was someone with enough strength to be the head of a secret organization.

    ¡°How nice,¡± said Set as the corner of his mouth rolled up.

    A ferocious energy began to emit from his body and scimitar.

    It was like the aura of a savage beast.

    ¡°By the way, did you know?¡± the Hunter said, slowly getting ready to swing his scimitar.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just watched him approach, having decided.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll just endure it.¡¯</i>

    He gathered all of his strength and focused on defense, barely listening to the voice that drifted over.

    Set continued, ¡°The red gems weren¡¯t acquired by ident.¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    It was almost like a ck veil suddenly enveloped him. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew what wasing. It was the shadow of Set.

    Before he knew it, the Hunter had appeared right next to him.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A bted ring of steel shing rang out.

    <i>¡®I blocked it.¡¯</i>

    A single move.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had blocked Set¡¯s blow, which was something he hadn¡¯t even been able to see.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    At this moment, he was grateful for all of the practice matches he had before. If it weren¡¯t for all the spars he had conducted while he was in Ennd, no matter how strong he would have be, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to block that attack just now.

    ¡°As expected, my eyes haven¡¯t been deceived. You really are quite impressive,¡± Set said as he stepped back.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was in acknowledgment of someone who had defended against his attack.

    Set lowered his sword and looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The red gems weren¡¯t acquired by ident.¡±

    He said the same thing over again, even though Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t asked about it.

    ¡°That person personally gave it to me.¡±

    Finally, he spoke about that person.

    <i>¡®That person?¡¯</i>

    It had been a long time since Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard someone be referred to in that manner.

    Thest time was when Choi Yeong-Seong and Jeong In-Chang had been referring to Odin. However, it was evident that the being who Set now referred to was someone else.

    ¡°I asked you earlier, didn¡¯t I?¡± Set suddenly said.

    ¡°...¡±

    "What did you think I would like to do if I were to be king?"

    He continued to ask Lee Jun-Kyeong his questions, "Can I hear your answer now?"

    Set finished there, seemingly waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong to answer.

    ¡°You would¡­¡±

    His trivial questions confused Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The appearance he had shown him.

    The appearance he maintained for the public.

    The appearance he held for his notoriety,pletely different from the others.

    Because of those conflicting images, Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused. He hadn¡¯t thought that the Hunter simply just wanted power.

    However, at this moment, he had finally been able to decide his answer.

    ¡°It was all fake.¡±

    ¡°Fake?¡± Set responded, his gaze showing his bemusement.

    ¡°How pathetic of me to think that you were even the tiniest bit simr to him, even for a moment.¡±

    Set became curious instead of angry after hearing that.

    ¡°The reason you want to obtain control of the Nile¡­the thing you want to do after bing King¡­¡±

    Regardless of whether Set was curious or not, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    At this moment, his head was like a clear well.

    ¡°It¡¯s just because you simply want to be a king.¡±

    What did he want to do as a king?

    Why did he want to be a king?

    The facades that he showed?

    It was all useless.

    Set had given away his intentions from the very beginning.

    <i>¡®What do you think I would want to do after I be king?¡¯</i>

    He was going to be <i>the</i> king. He was basically asking what he would do after he had already obtained that position, holding domain over all.

    ¡°Or, in other words, you mean to be a dictator.¡±

    ¡°Ke¡­¡±

    Set¡¯s mouth began to twitch.

    ¡°KEHAHAHA!¡±

    His burst ofughter seemed to tear through the tense atmosphere.

    Set looked back over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with sunken eyes, and slowly, his mouth opened.

    "That''s correct."

    ***

    ¡°That person¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t expected to hear that reference again. He repeated it to himself over and over again.

    Last night, Set simply returned after exchanging a single blow with his scimitar. Lee Jun-Kyeong still couldn¡¯t tell exactly what the Hunter wanted from him.

    <i>¡®Does Asgard know that there is someone behind Set?¡¯</i>

    He wondered if Asgard, who exchanged information with the Hunter, had known about the entity behind him. If, by chance, this was a secret that Asgard wasn''t supposed to know, then there wasn¡¯t any reason for him to just expose that secret on his own.

    If that wasn¡¯t the case, though¡­

    <i>¡®Does he just assume that I wouldn¡¯t talk about this with Asgard anyway?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was stumped.

    Set.

    He really was someone who gave him an incredible amount of trouble.

    ¡°That person¡­¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated it once again, Jeong In-Chang woke up, rubbing his eyes as if to chase away sleep.

    ¡°Did you not sleep?¡±

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    At the sound of the Hunter waking, Fenrir also raised his head for a moment and fell asleep again.

    None of them knew what had happened yesterday.

    ¡°The time has already¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had fretted over this issue for a long time, so he guessed it was already morning already. When he checked the time, he chuckled bitterly.

    ¡°I think you should be able to sleep a little longer.¡±

    They really were an exhausted party. Even for the Hunters, fatigue was a matter of mental strength.

    It was best to relieve fatigue that umted from continuous movement whenever one had the chance to rest.

    Jeong In-Chang moved to turn around under the nket once again.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡± he said, stopping momentarily.

    ¡°About Set.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Jeong In-Chang, wondering why that name had suddenlye out from the Hunter¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot, but¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°There is something off about him,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a good person.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Jeong In-Chang continued with an iprehensible smile, ¡°What should I say¡­it¡¯s just a feeling¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed a little. To think it would simply be a <i>feeling</i>.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something strange about him?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It feels like the actions he kept showing us are like some sort of tightly executed performance or a facade rather than his original appearance. He keeps¡­¡±

    ¡°He keeps getting involved with us. Whenever we saw something or were about to act, he woulde forward,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished for Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    <i>Knock, knock, knock.</i>

    There was an aura standing outside the door.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a gesture to tell Jeong In-Chang to go back to sleep as he opened the door and went outside.

    Baldur stood there with a stony expression.

    "What have you done?"

    As the Hunter spat out his words, he suddenly began to pressure Lee Jun-Kyeong with the surrounding mana.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have Merlin¡¯s Ne or any other items on him, Lee Jun-Kyeong briefly smirked at the pressure of the solidified mana around him.

    ¡°Was there something that happened yesterday?¡± Baldur spat once again.

    He was different from his usual self, speaking out in a fit of indisputable anger and embarrassment.

    "What are you talking about?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked innocently.

    Baldur¡¯s face distorted further.

    "I don''t know how much you already knew, but Set was the informant of Asgard."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "Moreover, this morning, Set suddenly said he would cut off his intelligence sharing with Asgard."

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°The only reason he would suddenly act like this would have been the Underdog. You.¡±

    Baldur red at Lee Jun-Kyeong, his bloodlust almost palpable.

    "What the hell have you done?" he snarled.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong easily shook off the bloodlust, however, and Baldur¡¯s eyes trembled in shock for a moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded to him nonchntly, ¡°As for what I¡¯ve done¡­¡±

    Before anyone knew it, the bloodlust that Baldur was spewing out had suddenly disappeared, almost as if it had been washed away.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to start it right now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong dered.

    Set.

    He would go to war against him.

    ***

    Whether it was the sudden pressure of mana he had shown earlier, or just the glimpses of ability he had let out from time to time, it was easy to tell that Baldur wasn¡¯t just any ordinary Hero. He was someone of even more incredible power and a greatly respected Great Hero-Grade Hunter.

    Still, against his wishes, Lee Jun-Kyeong had begun to act.

    Set had announced that he would cut ties with Asgard.

    <i>''It must be rted to me.¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t know what Set had been thinking when he made that decision. Even after having learned about<i>?that person</i> that Set had been speaking about, there were still many parts he didn¡¯t understand.

    Still, all Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to do is make the next move to elicit Set¡¯s response even if he couldn¡¯t understand the Hunter¡¯s actions.

    "It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, holding someone''s hand. ¡°They call me the Underdog of Asgard. We¡¯ve met before.¡±

    He was talking to Bastet, the Hero he had met earlier with Inebu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook hands with her.

    Many things had changed from that meeting. They weren¡¯t at a secret restaurant again, and she wasn¡¯t alone.

    This ce.

    ¡°Wee to the Nile.¡±

    It was the Nile.

    He had entered the headquarters of the Nile for the first time while in Egypt.

    It was within a great pyramid.

    The pyramids, having been fortified by the construction and power of the Nile, were the home of the secret organization in Egypt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally entered their home base.

    ¡°Odin has asked me to take better care of you,¡± Baldur informed Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although he did this begrudgingly, Lee Jun-Kyeong had used Odin to force Baldur¡¯s cooperation. Thinking that he should begin to contact the organization, the Nile, and not just one of their factions, Lee Jun-Kyeong had begun to make his move.

    As he entered the Nile, Bastet led the way in front of him. Behind them was a line of Heroes.

    This wasn¡¯t just a visit by the Underdog.

    Asgard.

    In fact, this was a visit of Asgard and a meeting between the two organizations.

    ¡°My name is Baldur.¡±

    ¡°My name is Jeong In-Chang.¡±

    ¡°They call me Won-Hwa.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party greeted the weing congregation. Once their introductions had ended, Bastet began to lead the way.

    She said politely, "Come this way, please.¡±

    The pyramids were like a fortress and abyrinth¡ªabyrinth that couldn¡¯t be escaped from without a map.

    Under her guidance, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party traveled through the pyramid.

    Although they weren¡¯t shown any ces of significance as they were from a different organization, the ces they could see tantly exuded the power of the Nile.

    There were an incredible number of Hunters, a vast array of items, multitudes of traces of¡­

    <i>¡®Research.¡¯</i>

    The Nile seemed to be obsessed with research.

    Not only were they continuously studying monsters, dissecting them to find ways to use their strength, but even beyond that, they also seemed to be studying the origins of the secrets to a Hunter¡¯s growth.

    <i>¡®If, by chance, they found out my secret ability¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong believed that he could even be the target of their research as well.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Bastet suddenly halted from up ahead, and seeing that, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party stopped in return.

    ¡°Lord Set,¡± Bastet called out to the man who stopped the party with a firm expression.

    Set gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and began to walk away. It was an encounterpletely in contrast to the intensity of their prior meetings.

    Because of that.

    <i>¡®Something is wrong.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though there had to have been some sort of trick. He made a move to try to elicit a response from the Hunter, and while Set did in fact, react to his actions, it still wasn¡¯t enough just yet.

    ¡°Lady Bastet.¡±

    As Set disappeared, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Bastet, who was leading the group.

    "What''s the matter?¡± Bastet asked with a stony expression, still ufortable after meeting Set.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response only served to make her expression even stonier.

    ¡°Where is Lord Horus?¡±

    Silence rang out through the space where they stood.

    ¡°...¡±

    Baldur stood in silence as if he had already had some sort of exnation from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth to exin to the bewildered Bastet, ¡°I will attempt to cure Lord Horus.¡±

    An awkward silence continued to reign.

    "What do you¡­"

    "Lady Bastet."

    Another voice called out to Bastet, and the source of the voice stood the Leader of Egypt¡¯s warguard.

    ¡°Inebu¡­¡±

    There stood Inebu, and by his side, Numel.

    ¡°What the hell are you¡­¡±

    Not knowing what was going on, Bastet frowned unpleasantly.

    They were in the midst of a visit from Asgard, but for some reason, the Underdog suddenly mentioned Lord Horus.

    Then, at that moment.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    There was a ringing sound from the floor.

    Inebu had dropped down to his knees, prostrating before Bastet.

    ¡°As the Leader of the Warguard of Egypt and a deputy who had been favored by Lord Horus, I beg of you.¡±

    His desperate voice rang through the hall.

    "Please allow the Underdog to cure Lord Horus¡­.¡±

    His desperate and sincere voice rumbled in Bastet''s ears.

    1. Set has asked the same question every time that he spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, the trantion of the sentence has slightly shifted each time, eventually resulting in an ¡°after I be king¡± and not ¡°if I be King¡±. This is because the sentence is ambiguous about how it needs to be understood, as it can both mean after something has already happened or after something may happen.

 Chapter 127: Set Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 127: Set Pt. 2</h4>

    Bastet eventually epted Inebu''s request. She warned, "You have to move carefully."

    The party looked around after hearing that.

    The pyramid, where the Nile was based, was difficult to traverse properly without her guidance due to all of the different kinds of traps and magical safeguards the organization had installed.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Inebu continued to thank the Hunter repeatedly.

    Bastet was also a part of the Heliopolis branch, just like Inebu. Still, it was a great risk to allow outsiders to enter Horus¡¯ domain. No one had known whether she would give her permission. After all, it didn¡¯t matter that they were of the same branch or that she was close to Inebu.

    ¡°Inebu,¡± Bastet said to the Hunter. "I hope your choice isn¡¯t wrong.¡±

    Inebu looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong as Bastet finished her sentence by mumbling to herself.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong currently had all of the cards in his hands, and now, he even held Bastet¡¯s life in his grasp as well.

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong were able to save Horus, then they would be the Heroes of Heliopolis who had taken the risk and saved Lord Horus through great peril.

    However, if the opposite was the case.

    <i>¡®They would most likely die.¡¯</i>

    No matter their position or what sort of rtionships they had.

    Nothing would matter.

    If the worst scenario ended up urring, then they would be the traitors who aided in the killing of the sessor of the Nile.

    They had put all of their cards in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s basket, which was a long-shot, desperate measure to save their lord.

    Moreover, there was one other who had put his life in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands as well.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Baldur sighed deeply as he followed Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    If the worst-case scenario happened, then it wouldn¡¯t just be Bastet, Inebu, and even the still-nervous Numek, who had followed right behind Inebu, suffering from the aftereffects.

    Baldur.

    ¡°It¡¯s all in your hands.¡±

    Whether it was Baldur and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party or the rtionship between Asgard and the Nile, it would all fall into an uncontroble abyss.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had not only set the table at this point, but had also hoarded all of the cards.

    <i>¡®Odin, give me strength.¡¯</i>

    Baldur walked as he internally resented Odin and med him for the situation.

    He had traveled with Lee Jun-Kyeong for some time as he knew that the Hunter was somewhat special, but he felt like he had uncovered all he had to at this point. He couldn¡¯t understand it. He wondered if there was any reason to risk Asgard¡¯s fate for this boy.

    .

    However, his protests had been pushed to the side, so he had to do whatever the boy wanted.

    <i>¡®If, there really is no other choice¡­¡¯</i>

    Baldur intended to restore the rtionship between Asgard and the Nile by any means necessary, which meant he was even willing to sacrifice Lee Jun-Kyeong if needed. In order to do so, he followed Lee Jun-Kyeong into this ce.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Everyone moved nervously in the pyramid.

    They traveled alongplex structures and through hidden rooms.

    "What are the chances that we''ll get caught?" Jeong In-Chang asked Bastet, who was walking out in the lead.

    She responded without slowing down her steps or looking back, ¡°We¡¯ve already¡­¡±

    <i>Beep, beep, beep!!!</i>

    A violent mechanical sound rang through the pyramid.

    ¡°Been caught. They should have already noticed that you all have disappeared.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The expressions of the party hardened.

    From this point on¡­

    "Let''s hurry,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Bastet nodded and hurried her steps.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued forward, vowing to save Horus.

    <i>¡®I will do this.¡¯</i>

    ***

    From the moment the warning sounds reverberated through the pyramid, Bastet¡¯s movements became ever stealthy and agile.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Although they had almost gotten caught a few times, as if her secret ability was in concealment, she quickly moved forward and hid the entire party.

    ¡°Can you¡­¡±

    Then, she suddenly looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong and asked, ¡°Can you really save him?¡±

    At her sudden remark, Lee Jun-Kyeong chucked and returned her unexpected question with another question.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re asking this a bit toote now?¡±

    This was something she should have asked long ago if she had been curious about it.

    However.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you already know about it, but¡­¡±

    She looked over at Baldur for a moment and quickly turned back her gaze toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The Nile has been gathering a lot of information about you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°We know that you''re a man with a lot of secrets."

    Bastet looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong, almost as if her gaze was prating through him.

    ¡°They call you the tempest-like Hunter. If it¡¯s you¡­¡±

    She hastened her steps again, continuing to speak as she advanced forward once more.

    ¡°I thought that we might really be able to save Lord Horus. Because my intuition¡­it isn¡¯t wrong often.¡±

    Again, it was intuition.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong mused over the ambiguous word, Inebu seemed to nod in response to Bastet¡¯s answer, as if he was agreeing with her and acknowledging her strong intuition.

    "What a popr guy," Lee Jun-Kyeong heard Baldur say sarcastically.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    They heard the sound of footsteps again, so the party had to stop moving once more. Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to help Bastet avoid the detection once again this time, but she responded negatively and rather, came out into the open on her own.

    ¡°It seems we have no other way.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    In front of them was a group of bewildered Hunters of the Nile.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The party quickly drew their weapons and lifted their des aloft as if to at least knock them down at this point and speed up their steps once again.

    However.

    ¡°Move aside,¡± Bastet said as she raised one hand to block the party from proceeding. ¡°I don¡¯t want to harm my fellow Hunters.¡±

    ¡°Lady Bastet! Why are you doing this?¡± the Hunters of the Nile cried out resentfully as they drew their weapons.

    A collision seemed inevitable.

    ¡°Even at this point, we can hand them over, and you cane back to¡­!¡±

    The Hunters continued to try to convince her out of the considerable respect they had for her.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, before they knew it, the party heard an explosion. In a blink of an eye, the entire situation changed.

    ¡°What just happened¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang looked forward as if they couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened.

    There were huge traces of something that had happened without their notice. The Hunters, who had just been shouting after finding the party, suddenly fainted as if they had just mmed into the wall.

    ¡°They¡¯ve simply fainted,¡± Bastet said as she began to move once again. They could faintly hear the Hunter breathe a little heavier than before.

    ¡°What in the¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he were surprised.

    ¡°I told you, she¡¯s also a Hero,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he shrugged, gesturing that he had already known what she was capable of.

    She had been an unusual Hunter from their very first meeting, and he had known that she had already held this much power.

    "You need to train more."

    Jeong In-Chang coughed loudly after hearing that.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa?" he said, trying to change the subject. However, Won-Hwa quickly lowered his head as if he had been shocked by something.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯re now right before it,¡± Bastet said.

    Before they knew it, they had reached Horus¡¯ domain.

    Bastet had quickly and efficiently guided them there. Even when they had been discovered, she promptly stepped up and dealt with the Hunters in advance, as she had judged that any shes that the Hunters would have with the foreign organization, Asgard, wouldn¡¯t be good for the Nile.

    She was a woman of action.

    "Numek."

    Bastet called out to Numek, who had been quietly following the party from the back.

    "Will you protect this ce with me?¡± she requested.

    Although the rest could move forward, Bastet nned on remaining here with Numek.

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong had already told her in advance that the treatment would take some time, she had made the decision to stay in this ce in order to buy them some more time.

    Numek had followed them all the way to this ce, but she still looked back and forth between Inebu and the party as if she still was conflicted.

    ¡°Inebu¡­¡± she called out.

    "Thank you for trusting me, Numek," Inebu said in response as he looked back at her. "You can go back now if you don''t want to. Even at this point, even if we fail now...you''ll still be able to live.¡±

    As Inebu had exined, this would be herst chance to return back to the side of the Nile, as they hadn¡¯t yete into contact with Horus.

    As soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong met with Horus, no one would be able to reverse the results.

    Inebu spoke to her sincerely, and Numek seemed to be agonizing over this

    ¡°...¡±

    But, soon.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    She also held her iron staff aloft. She lifted her staff, as beautiful as the color of water, in her hand, and it soon began to hum as if to represent her determination.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Bastet said to her as she walked up to stand beside her.

    ¡°It is an honor to fight alongside you, Lady Bastet,¡± Numek responded as she turned away from the party.

    As if she couldn¡¯t see the party leaving for Horus, she faced toward where they had entered, her back seemingly despondent yet firm.

    "Inebu!"

    Numek called out to the departing Inebu.

    ¡°If we seed this time¡­¡±

    Even before she finished speaking, Inebu¡¯s voice rang out in the hall.

    ¡°Stay together with me, Numek.¡±

    The two seemed affectionate, as if they had finally promised each other something.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to vomit¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said for no reason, but looking at him, there was a smile etched on his face.

    ¡°It seems like we really can¡¯t fail this, then?¡± he said out of the blue.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him and smirked.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t something we could have failed in the first ce¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang grumbled, ¡°Do you really have to have thest word?!¡±

    As the two voices rang, behind them, Bastet¡¯s voice could be heard for a final time.

    ¡°If you go straight down, you¡¯ll see a stone chamber! Lord Horus will be there!¡±

    After some time, finally, the party had reached the entrance to their destination. While their journey couldn¡¯t be said to have been easy, they had still reached Horus without great danger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Baldur.

    "I understand."

    The Hunter nodded as if they had already spoken in advance.

    Each member of the party checked and verified their roles and tasks.

    Now, there was only one member of the Nile left with them, Inebu.

    ¡°All that is left is to enter!¡±

    Inebu hurried forward, their destination just around the corner.

    As he walked forward, his back began to tremble. He believed in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Lord Horus..."

    Horus would awaken.

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    The sound of running rang through the corridors of the pyramid. But they could no longer hear the hunters chasing them.

    Instead.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    <i>SHHH!</i>

    There was only the sound of an explosion and rushing water in the corridor.

    It was clear that Bastet and Numek were dealing with the Hunters who were chasing them.

    "This is..."

    The party had stopped once again. Having entered through the archway, in front of themy a huge stone chamber. Unknown hieroglyphics were floating around, their movement in conjunction with a ritual.

    Inebu moved slowly forward.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    He pulled out his spear. As he extended the spear forward, the sound of iron grinding began to emerge.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch that if any of them had walked past the hieroglyphics without knowing what was in front of them, they would have died.

    Inebu''s spear continued to go forward.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Something resembling the hieroglyphics that filled the stone chamber began to emerge above the tip of the spear. The hieroglyphics that emerged then began to absorb into those that were floating within the chamber.

    Then, a bright and intense blue light burst out in a sh.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Having been temporarily blinded by the light, the party saw something once their vision returned.

    It was a sarcophagus sealed in colorful gold ornaments, with more hieroglyphics adorning its surface.

    "Is that where Horusys?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Inebu as he stepped forward.

    The Hunter nodded his head.

    He seemed exhausted, as if it had taken more strength than he had thought to break through the restriction.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to take another step forward¡­

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Something fell before Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes.

    It was something like a horn, prating deep into the floor.

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken a single step forward a second earlier, he would have pierced through instead of the floor.

    Within the stone chamber, the resting ce of Horus, an elegant voice then rang forth.

    ¡°I thought you mighte to find my son.¡±

 Chapter 128: Set. Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 128: Set. Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°I thought you mighte to find my son.¡±

    Everyone looked at the owner of the elegant voice that was ringing throughout the stone chamber.

    She was a woman so powerful to the point that anyone who couldn¡¯t notice had to have been an idiot.

    Baldur and Inebu both seemed to recognize her, as they both called out her name at the same time.

    "Isis..."

    "Isis..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, having heard her title, looked straight at her.

    He recognized the name Isis.

    She was one of the powerful rulers of the Nile, and a pir who supported the Heliopolis branch.

    <i>¡®The wife of the Ruler of the Nile, Osiris¡­¡¯</i>

    She was the mother of the owner of the sarcophagus, Horus. Isis looked at the party with a calm gaze.

    "Do not advance further,¡± she dered.

    "Lady Isis."

    Inebi took a step forward despite Isis'' warning and opened his mouth.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    He dropped to the ground, kneeling with both knees. However, this time, he hadn¡¯t done it because he had wanted to.

    Isis had crushed him down with force.

    <i>''It seems the Nile is a monster den too,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought on the inside.

    It was a matter of course.

    The Nile was an organization that wasparable to Asgard.

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong was meeting with the leaders of such a powerhouse. so it was only natural that they would be this powerful.

    Inebu, kneeling, raised his head and looked clearly at Isis.

    His whole body was trembling as if pushed down upon by a great force.

    "I beg of you, mydy."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isis'' pupils trembled.

    "I know well that my Horus cared for you. And you...¡±

    Isis looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Even beyond her title as the Queen of the Nile, her gaze was one of royalty, upright and almost piercing through him.

    She was an arrogant and powerful Hunter.

    ¡°I heard that there was someone who could save Horus¡­ I¡¯m also familiar with the numerous times that they had discussed you.¡±

    She looked at Inebu again.

    "That''s why I''ve been here, waiting."

    She walked out slowly, rxed.

    They could finally see her face, which had been hidden in the shadows.

    She looked too young for someone to think that she was a mother.

    She opened her mouth.

    "Inebu."

    "Yes, mydy."

    "Do you really think this man can heal my son?"

    Inebu spoke with all his heart, "Yes, mydy."

    ¡°You.¡±

    Then, Isis¡¯ gaze had drifted over to Lee Jun-Kyeong as well.

    She spoke once again.

    "Do you really think you can save my son?" she said, her desperate grief dripping palpably from her voice.

    Her flesh and blood.

    Her son had been sealed in this sarcophagus while he was still alive.

    Her grief was clearly conveyed to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However.

    "No."

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded quite simply, "I don''t think I will be able to save him.¡±

    He walked forward as Isis¡¯ angry gaze fell down upon him.

    Her terrifying aura bore down upon him without any intermediaries.

    Hunters like her, they were the very monsters of their society. They were at the pinnacle of power.

    Heroes among heroes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth, forcefully enduring her aura with his body, "I''m just trying to see if I can save him."

    He didn¡¯t say anything he couldn¡¯t take responsibility for.

    Rather, he only spoke of the facts.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isis trembled.

    "I see."

    Then, she stood aside.

    Sometimes, it was easier to move a person''s heart with sincerity than sweet nothings.

    Now there were no more obstacles in his path.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward while gesturing to Won-Hwa with his eyes.

    "There won''t be much time,¡± Isis said.

    From this point forward, they would open the sarcophagus in order to treat Horus. Once it was opened, the sealed Horus would awaken.

    Horus had been sealed alive into the sarcophagus, and the reason was simple.

    It was because the man had been eroded by madness.

    He had be a madman who had lost all reason, wielding enormous power that could destroy everything.

    "The sealsts 30 minutes. If you fail to treat my son...¡±

    She conveyed her true feelings.

    Her determination.

    "...We will all die here."

    If the seal was released and Horus'' treatment failed, then there would be no way to seal him again.

    Before Horus could destroy the Nile, he would have to be killed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered.

    After killing the people who would have forced her into that situation, did Isis n on dying as well?

    He felt an incredible pressure upon his shoulders.

    However.

    "I don''t intend to die."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the sarcophagus and unfastened thetch.

    <i>Shhh!</i>

    Soon, a red light began to leak through the crack.

    ***

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s started.¡±

    A man opened his eyes because of the energy he felt from afar. In the room he resided in within the Nile, dozens of men stood, holding their breaths.

    ¡°...¡±

    All of them were dressed in ck leather and carrying des with heavily curved des.

    They each fell onto one knee and looked at the man who sat with his eyes open.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    The man who had opened his eyesughed.

    He was also dressed in ck leather and was the leader of these people.

    Set.

    The power of the red gem was emanating from the room where Horus was sealed, which was something he had already known would happen in advance.

    It meant that the seal had been lifted and that the Underdog¡¯s party had begun the treatment of Horus.

    <i>¡®Isis. It seems she is there as well.¡¯</i>

    There was something else he felt as well.

    A strong aura was emanating from that ce.

    Isis.

    The wife of Osiris.

    <i>¡®My first love.¡¯</i>

    She was the woman who Set had once loved. However, she had fallen in love with his brother, who was greater and more dependable, and not with him.

    Set had thought that he had to give up on her because of that.

    ¡°It seems I still have a long way to go,¡± Set said with a bitter smile.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he had nned such a great rebellion because of some affection he had a long time ago.

    Set closed his eyes again, still waiting for the right time.

    <i>¡®You just want to be a dictator.¡¯</i>

    He thought about what the Underdog had said when they had met.

    The answer he had given when asked what Set would want to do after he became King of the Nile.

    The Hunter had said that Set¡¯s purpose didn¡¯t matter. That he had simply wanted to be a dictator.

    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong," Set mused.

    He was nning on bing a dictator.

    After all, the people of Egypt were suffering from the tyranny of Hunters, and the Nile was an organization in the shape of an absurd pyramid of power.

    However, none of that really mattered to him, as they were all excuses for his rise to power.

    Set just wanted strength.

    Authority.

    The irrefutable power to make all kneel and take any and everything.

    The rest was all just incidental.

    If Set really worked for the people of Egypt, then he would have be an advisor, not a dictator.

    He wouldn¡¯t ascend to the throne of the Nile, but instead would have broken down the organization behind it. He would have abolished the absurd pyramid structure of power and ensured that all of their actions went transparently and fairly.

    Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t stand above the rest, but would have be an advisor who would advise them from the side.

    However, he was different.

    Although it was still true that he was still doing this ¡°for the people,¡± he still didn¡¯t intend to distribute any power to them.

    ¡°All everyone has to do is just obey only me and follow only me.¡±

    Under the absolute power of one, everyone was equal.

    As long as it was under the rule of Set.

    And.

    <i>¡®As long as that person wants it to be.¡¯</i>

    The being had given him great power and had also given him the rare mineral called the red gem. Although this was Set, who had resolved himself to stand above everyone else, that being was much too difficult to even gaze upon.

    Under that being¡¯s rule were countless people like him, strong enough to be the fear of any and all Hunters.

    That was why.

    <i>¡®That being is a god.¡¯</i>

    Set would be the king of men, and that being would be the God above all.

    ¡°War Jackals.¡±

    Set opened his eyes, lifting his curved de from the floor.

    A still yet tense vortex encroached on the room.

    "We will cleave the neck of the Pharaoh.¡±

    The grandmand of Set struck into the ears of the men in ck called the Jackals.

    As the Jackals bowed their heads low, they all began to shout.

    "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

    Having undergone countless expeditions, they had sworn their lives to Set.

    The time that they had waited upon for so long had finally arrived.

    ¡°We will sit upon the throne of the Nile today.¡±

    Set stood up.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The Jackals followed along, standing while striking their des onto the floor.

    A great tempest of mana began to circte in the room.

    All of them were Heroes.

    Moreover, they were all Heroes with strength that couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    "It''s the beginning of the war."

    Set opened the door and stepped out.

    ***

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    Won-Hwa¡¯s hands were shaking. The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought him along wasn¡¯t just because he had joined their party from China.

    "Don''t be nervous."

    It was because he was essential for Horus'' treatment.

    Won-Hwa was a master of medicine and an expert in internal qigong.

    The medical skills and mastery in internal qigong would help to curb Horus'' madness.

    Horus.

    Inside the sarcophagus, he was wrapped in a red-colored bandage.

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone looked on as they began the treatment in silence.

    There was much hanging upon the tips of those fingers.

    [<The Great Representative of the East> sponsors you with increased focus.]

    Even Won-Hwa¡¯s Sponsor hade forward as if indicating how difficult this treatment would be.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also went to Won-Hwa¡¯s side as the physician was conducting acupuncture and examined Horus. The Hunter¡¯s mana was running wild like a crazy beast.

    He could see the color of Horus¡¯ mana, and all of the mana in the Hunter¡¯s body seemed crimson.

    <i>¡®Madness.¡¯</i>

    Horus¡¯ erosion was more serious than he had expected.

    Madness was encroaching over his whole body.

    <i>¡®To get to this extent, he didn¡¯t just absorb part of the Madness.¡¯</i>

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong had exposed Heracles to Madness, it had only been by introducing a small amount into a scratch.

    The Hunter had awakened the erosion of Madness at that point only by using a small part of the Madness that was buried in Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    Horus, on the other hand, was in a much more serious situation.

    <i>¡®He had swallowed the Madness itself.¡¯</i>

    It was obvious from the state of Horus¡¯ body that he had tried to absorb all of therge red ore by himself. However, the price of the great power was cruel.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa, you have to restrain this man''s strength as much as possible,¡± he instructed.

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted from Won-Hwa was for the physician to curb Horus¡¯ power.

    Although it wasn¡¯t easy to suppress the enormous mana that seemed to have been amplified by Madness, Won-Hwa nodded in response, unable to even speak from the concentration.

    He was someone who would give his all before anyone who was wounded.

    His silver needles soon began to take over Horus¡¯ body.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    He began to attempt to infuse his mana into Horus through the inserted needles.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, his mana was just getting swept away.

    Horus¡¯ vast mana reserve was like a progression of tidal waves, while the mana injected by Lee Jun-Kyeong was like a stream of tap water.

    It was quickly dispersed as if it was disappearing into the hurricane.

    <i>¡®So it¡¯s going to need this much.¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had only injected his mana to estimate how much mana would be needed to control Horus¡¯ flow.

    The preparations had been finished.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    Right then, they began to hear explosions sting about behind them.

    ¡°Lady Bastet¡­?¡±

    Although Inebu seemed concerned that something had happened to Bastet, Lee Jun-Kyeong, Isis, and Baldur were focused on something different.

    ¡°...¡±

    They looked toward the ce where they saw the explosion with stiff expressions.

    ¡°Mr. Baldur,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Baldur.

    They had discussed his role beforehand.

    Baldur, having had his name called, looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a steely gaze.

    His eyes had a genuine and serious glint for once, as the Hunter knew what he had to do next.

    ¡°Can you really save him?¡± Baldur asked, his tone distorted by his informal speech.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, "I think I can."

    Baldur walked out of the chamber with a nod after hearing that.

    The person who was trying to enter the stone chamber had to be dealt with.

    <i>¡®Set has made his move.¡¯</i>

    It was imperative that Set was held back until Horus¡¯ treatment was over.

    Mr. Jeong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong also called out to Jeong In-chang.

    His role was also clear.

    If Baldur were taking on Set, then Jeong In-Chang would have to guard the stone chamber alongside Fenrir.

    There was something else, however.

    If there was something to be relieved by, then it was that there was one other reinforcement that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t anticipated.

    ¡°...¡±

    Isis.

    She, having felt the energy of Set, slowly began exuding mana.

 Chapter 129: Set Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 129: Set Pt. 4</h4>

    <i>Bang! Crash! Bang!</i>

    Everyone was nervous in the midst of the heavy explosions.

    They continued to shake the entire pyramid, the home of the Nile.

    <i>¡®Set has finally lifted his de.¡¯</i>

    As someone who was aiming for the throne, he had stayed silent. But, now, he had finally taken up his sword and begun to act.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a good idea as to why the man was taking action now.

    <i>''It must be because of me.¡¯</i>

    Horus.

    It must have been because of his actions to save the Hunter.

    The situation would change, and it would be difficult for Set to be the ruler of the Nile if Horus woke up.

    The legitimate heir would return, and the Nile,bined with the power of Horus, would be too much for Set to ovee.

    That was why he moved now.

    <i>¡®Moreover, there wouldn¡¯t be a better time than now.¡¯</i>

    There would be more of their troops here than expected in order to protect Horus. Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to Bastet or Numek, but most likely, under the influence of Isis, instead of the Nile¡¯s forces fighting amongst themselves, they would all side together to confront Set.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    Once again, Won-Hwa inserted an array of silver needles.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong followed up by infusing an incredible amount of mana into the needles right after.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    With the activation of Galdr, the weight on the needles from the mana was increased, and the ground of the pyramid under Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feet began to crack.

    Powerful mana began to enter Horus¡¯ body through the silver needles and began to tear through the Hunter¡¯s body.

    ¡°...¡±

    In fact, Lee Jun-Kyeong was just as nervous as the others. After all, Horus¡¯ mother, Isis, was behind him as he treated the Hunter.

    She was anxiously walking back and forth as she looked between Lee Jun-Kyeong and the ce where the explosions were rampaging.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was no longer interested in anything else.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong. Fenrir. Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    By this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong was even calling out to Hyeon-Mu.

    ¡°I trust all of you.¡±

    He would have to concentrate fully from this point on. If an attack took ce, then he would bepletely defenseless.

    "Don''t worry!"

    "Snort!"

    "I have heard your orders, Master!"

    Amidst the voices of his part, he could also hear the princess vocalizing, as if to protest that he had not called on her earlier.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    "I''ll help as well."

    Moreover, Inebu¡¯s firm voice was heard as well.

    The preparations had been finished.

    "Mr. Won-Hwa."

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Won-Hwa, the physician put down his acupuncture needles and stepped back.

    Horus''s bandaged body waspletely peppered with long acupuncture needles. He was so covered that it would be impossible to put another needle on him.

    Won-Hwa had used his mana to activate them, and they would serve as a link between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong drew Muspel''s Spear.

    "What?"

    "Mr. Underdog!"

    Although Isis and Inebu shouted out at the same time, it was already toote.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Isis tried to rush forward with her face filled with rage.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword.

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    Fenrir.

    ¡°You cannot proceed.¡±

    And Hyeon-Mu stopped her.

    "Lady Isis."

    Inebu also stopped Isis and spoke to her.

    "Let us trust Mr. Underdog.¡±

    They had already gone past the point of no return, and a raft on a raging river had no course of return.

    As they advised, Isis stopped and just stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    His spear had been plunged into Horus¡¯ stomach, but Lee Jun-Kyeong just stayed still, closing his eyes without pulling it out.

    Isis, as a Great Hero, could see what was happening before her eyes.

    ¡°That, that is¡­!¡±

    An incredible flow of mana was coursing through the spear. Moreover, the mana that was coursing through the spear was amplified through the link that it had through the needles inserted by Won-Hwa.

    ¡°It¡¯s driving out the crimson mana!¡± she eximed involuntarily.

    The crimson mana that was emanating from Horus¡¯ body began to flock to a single ce: the tip of Muspel¡¯s Spear that was pierced into her son.

    As it moved toward that ce, the crimson mana began to gather together, forming one mass, turning into a condensed form.

    It looked almost like a liquid that was intermixed into Horus¡¯ blood.

    <i>Glug.</i>

    The liquid then began to flow back into Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Flinch.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his closed eyes. Within his pupils¡­

    <i>Swoosh.</i>

    ¡­Madness began to appear.

    ***

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    For the personal unit of Set, the Jackals, there was no such thing as mercy before their des.

    Whether it was the same people.

    The same Hunters.

    Almost as if they didn¡¯t know that those before them belonged to the same Nile, they only cut down those blocking their path.

    "Cough!"

    The number of Hunters who could scream was rtively small.

    To be frank, it was quite fortunate that those who had been able to could even scream.

    There were many of them whose necks had been cut through with a single de that seemed almost to caress their necks.

    "Get out of my way."

    However, even with Set¡¯s deration, the Hunters refused to stand aside.

    ¡°We must protect Lord Horus!¡±

    They knew that he was heading to the sealed room that Horus resided in.

    In the end, Set walked out among the Jackals, dressed in ck leather.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He took up his scimitar, and everyone held their breath.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Few people had seen the power of the infamous Hero, Set, firsthand.

    When he wielded his sword, there would be only death around him.

    ¡°We can do this! The blessings of Ra to the Nile!"

    The Nile Hunters began to rush forward even though they saw Set standing before them, only a few among them Heroes.

    Although some of the countless Hunters that made up the Nile tried to approach Set, their bodies wouldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°H, huh¡­?¡±

    Slowly, their gazes seemed to fall. All they could see were the feet of Set.

    On the visible part of Set¡¯s feet, a single drop of blood formed and fell, sshing over his sandals. One lucky Hunter had a good angle of view, so he could see everything as his head fell to the floor. In hisst glimpse, he could see the full figure of Set.

    Hisst thought was confusion. He hadn¡¯t realized when Set had wielded his scimitar, but the Hunter¡¯s sword was covered in blood.

    "Anubis."

    In the midst of the dismembered voices, Set¡¯s voice rang out.

    ¡°In the name of Lord Set,¡± someone said as a figure showed up and knelt in front of Set.

    It was a Hero with the mask of a ck dog.

    Even among the ranks of the countless Heroes of the Nile, this figure was among the top.

    ¡°Even Lord Anubis¡­¡±

    It was Anubis.

    He raised his head toward Set as if he wasn¡¯t interested in the other Hunters.

    "The great reckoning has begun."

    "I understand, Lord."

    "You will lead the Jackals to where Horus is."

    Anubis nodded as he trembled.

    Although Anubis¡¯ loyalty to Set didn¡¯t have a long history, the sight of the man he had sworn allegiance to conducting the reckoning was more than enough to affirm his decision.

    ¡°And as for you, Lord Set¡­?¡± Anubis asked in a questioning tone.

    In response, Set¡¯s answer was swift and firm.

    "I will strike the pharaoh''s head."

    The Pharaoh.

    There was only one person Set would call pharaoh.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to end my bad rtionship with my Hyung.¡±

    Osiris.

    He was the strongest of the Nile and its current ruler.

    Though.

    <i>''My Hyung has also changed.¡¯</i>

    It was clear. Even though Set had rebelled and massacred the Hunters, Osiris had stayed absent. That was more than enough evidence.

    If it was his Hyung from before, if it had been the Osiris from before, he would have set everything aside at the death of the Hunters and stepped out to deal with him himself.

    However.

    ¡°It looks like you''re just shivering like a coward.¡±

    Set could feel it.

    From the top of the pyramid, the energy of Osiris was trembling in his room.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    As Set swung his sword, theyer of blood that had umted disappeared, almost as if it had evaporated.

    As only the sand from the floor fluttered about, Anubis rose from his seat.

    "I will..."

    A curved de, the same as the one¡¯s wielded by the Jackals, appeared in both of Anubis¡¯ hands.

    He dered as he hung the swords on his back.

    "Harvest Death."

    Anubis had been waiting for this moment, and it was now beginning.

    ***

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed heavily.

    The Madness that ruled Horus was flowing into him.

    [The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone is absorbing Madness!]

    [The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone is reversing the flow of the blood it has consumed.]

    It was the same thing that he had gone through during the Battle of Champions in Ennd.

    At that time, he had been swayed by Madness, and he had almost undergone cultivation deviation because of the reverse flow of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    However, things were different now.

    "Whew..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed heavily.

    His eyes were turning red, and the mana in his entire body was fluctuating, almost as if it was jumping from his veins.

    The mana, which could be said to look like an aura at this point, was spewing from him ferociously as if it was emitting pressure on everyone.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to manipte it.

    [The weak dragon heart consumes the reverse flow of blood from the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong already had a dragon heart that one could grow from the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    Although the blood consumed by the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had reversed its flow, rather than consuming him, it was contributing to his dragon heart¡¯s growth.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Whenever Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed hard, red mana rose like a haze.

    Everyone held their breath.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There were explosions and screams outside, but the people in the chamber had no time to care about it.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the only one affected by the red gem.

    Due to his influence, everyone in the chamber was affected by the red gem.

    Madness was dominating the stone chamber.

    However, the effect it had wasn¡¯t very powerful as it was flowing through Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    All it could do was show them a painful vision of some sort.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong breathed heavily again, mana gushing out from his breath.

    Horus.

    The color of the red bandages wrapped around him was turning white.

    Blood was leaking through the bandages around his stomach due to Muspel¡¯s Spear, which had been pierced into him by Lee Jun-Kyeong, but his bandages were still turning white overall.

    "Horus!" cried Isis.

    She could feel it. Horus was being treated.

    However.

    "You can''t, Lady Isis."

    Inebu stopped Isis from approaching Horus.

    "The treatment is not over yet, mydy."

    As he advised her with reddish eyes, Isis nodded.

    She had almost ruined everything by interfering. The red mana had shaken her reason for a moment.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Explosions repeated again.

    ¡°Stop him! Stop him!!!¡±

    The screams and shouts of the Hunters were getting closer.

    "Whew..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled once more with his back to everything.

    He wasn¡¯t able to think about anything else.

    Just the mana stream.

    Internal qigong.

    And Galdr.

    He was using them in order to make this powerful force his own.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said he would treat Horus, and he wasn¡¯t lying. However, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with the benefits of just simply treating Horus.

    No, he wanted to consume the Madness.

    He was thinking of growth once more at this time, to devour the great Madness that had destroyed Horus.

    He would raise his dragon heart by consuming the reverse flow of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    He was getting stronger.

    He would have to get even stronger.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    He had only been breathing heavily so far, but now he began to shout, and the overflowing mana only deepened further.

    However, at that moment.

    ¡°Kya!!¡±

    Someone had fallen near the stone chamber and tumbled through its archway.

    ¡°Numek!¡±

    Inebu eximed when he saw the Hunter on the ground.

    Numek, who had tried to buy time with Bastet, was tumbling on the floor.

    As for their other protector.

    "Cough!"

    Bastet was groaning with her neck in someone''s hand.

    Isis took a step forward and shouted, "Anubis...!"

    The man in a ck dog''s mask looked into the stone chamber with Bastet''s neck tightly grasped within his grasp.

    "Jackals,¡± he ordered, ignoring Isis.

    "Harvest Death!"

    The men in ck leather began to rush in.

 Chapter 130: Set Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 130: Set Pt. 5</h4>

    <i>sh!</i>

    He only used his scimitar once. He didn¡¯t activate a skill, or use any kind of special technique.

    However, the result was disastrous.

    "Set¡­!"

    The Hunters and Heroes of the Nile died as they cried out his name. They stared at him, eyes zing as their upper and lower bodies were separated with a single blow.

    ¡°These simpletons are simply idiots who will just be ghosts.¡±

    Set looked at them again while brandishing his scimitar.

    They were Hunters who worked with the title of Heroes.

    However.

    ¡°These simpletons will simply rot now.¡±

    Most of them were drunk on power and couldn¡¯t even live up to their titles.

    Within Egypt, the Nile meant absolute power, and these Heroes were the backbone of that absolute power. They had changed everything to be in their favor and persecuted the people of Egypt for not being Hunters.

    ¡°These simpletons are just idiots.¡±

    Set continued while inserting his scimitar into the chest of a Hero who didn¡¯t die after the first blow.

    ¡°A ruler is thew, thew that all things must be equal before.¡±

    That was his philosophy.

    Those that he had cut through scattered into sand, and his authority btedly was invoked.

    [<The Typhonic Beast of the Desert> supports your determination.]

    Set heard the voice of his Sponsor.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    He had a pleasant smile.

    Most Hunters usually didn''t like their Sponsors.

    Their gazes, gazes that always seemed to be looking down upon them, were burdensome and unpleasant. Moreover, they would always mercilessly abandon the Hunters when they didn¡¯t achieve whatever the Sponsors had wanted.

    However, Set was different.

    "I''ll make you even happier."

    He had a very good rtionship with his Sponsor.

    His Sponsor had always been a dependable presence for Set, and a partner that he would spend the rest of his life with.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Set walked out of the sand-filled hallway.

    Whatever his scimitar touched would turn into sand.

    Devastation.

    That was his Authority, and it was an Authority that he felt was absolute.

    ¡°Hyung-nim,¡± Set muttered.

    Soon, he would be at the top of the pyramid.

    It was his long-cherished desire.

    To kill his brother, to take the throne.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Setughed.

    "I will be a much better ruler than my brother."

    <i>¡®May my voice ringing through the halls reach Osiris¡­¡¯</i> Set wished as he walked forward.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Hunters continued to storm toward him. Set had thought that he had killed quite a few, that they would have caved to his might, but there was still no end in sight.

    ¡°These simpletons are just frivolous.¡±

    Set swung his scimitar again.

    It was obvious that things would change. To think they couldn¡¯t recognize their new ruler.

    ¡°These simpletons whose deaths don¡¯t even matter.¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The sand in the pyramid fluttered without stopping.

    ***

    "There is an explosion in the Nile...¡± someone reported in a serious tone.

    However.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    The person receiving the report was smiling with his back to the person reporting to him.

    Odin.

    He, the president of the Korean Association and ruler of Asgard, was listening to the news of the Nile.

    ¡°Most likely¡­it¡¯s something that Set has caused. We¡¯ve lost contact with all of our sources inside the Nile."

    "Of course, that¡¯s the case," Odin chuckled like an old man even though he was middle-aged.

    Set had been building a partnership with Asgard. He may have already identified the identity of Asgard¡¯s other sources hiding within the Nile in advance.

    ¡°Because he is a wise fellow.¡±

    This ident had happened not long after Set had said he would break off his cooperation with Asgard. Moreover, the cause of all of that seemed to be one person.

    <i>¡®Is it that brat again?¡¯</i>

    The Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Odin had seen and heard things through Baldur.

    <i>''Set and the Underdog have been in frequent contact with each other.¡¯</i>

    Baldur was a loyal man and didn¡¯t miss reporting a single thing. Odin knew what was happening in Egypt down to the most minute details.

    <i>¡®Set¡¯s interest in the Underdog seems quite great.¡¯</i>

    Set seemed to be overly interested in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®Set and Lee Jun-Kyeong have also shed.¡¯</i>

    Odin wasn¡¯t sure of how much Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew, but Baldur had also seen the day when the Hunter had collided with Set.

    Baldur was that much of a loyal man.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how strong he is too,¡± Odin chuckled.

    It was already expected that Lee Jun-Kyeong would blow a sandstorm in the Nile.

    That was why.

    ¡°This is enough, go.¡±

    Odin had prepared quite a bit.

    Odin sent the reporter out and momentarily closed his eyes before opening them once more.

    Soon.

    "Let''s start the meeting."

    Odin began to speak, now sitting in a golden conference room rather than in the president''s office of the Association.

    He was now in the conference hall of Asgard and right now.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Dozens of Asgardian heroes had already been called up to wait for Odin.

    "Set has revolted,¡± Odin murmured as he slowly looked around at the congregation.

    "And so."

    Odin''s mouth twitched up into a smirk.

    "The topic of today''s meeting is..."

    His voice thundered through the conference room.

    ¡°Our agenda regarding the Nile.¡±

    The Nile.

    Because of Set, that meant the huge secret organization of Egypt would fracture and blow up.

    That meant the copse of the massive secret organization called the Nile, and there was one other important thing.

    <i>¡®A chance.¡¯</i>

    It would also be an opportunity.

    As for how to proceed with this, they would have to look at the situation and talk.

    ¨CIn the name of Odin.

    Within the conference hall, someone¡¯s face appeared.

    Baldur.

    The Hero was still inside the Nile, Egypt.

    He opened his mouth slowly and reported to Odin.

    ¨CI¡¯ll be starting the engagement with Set soon.

    Baldur.

    He would begin a battle with Set.

    Everyone in the conference room looked at the screen in front of their eyes.

    Some put their chins up on their hands, while others sat with their arms wrapped around themselves.

    Someone looked at the figure with sleepy eyes.

    Soon enough, on that screen, a real battle of Heroes was about to begin.

    ***

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    ¡°Snort!¡±

    Fenrir and the princess cried out, dissatisfied. They were not able to participate in this battle.

    Because of theirrge size, they would get in the way of those participating in the battle in their original forms. The princess had to fall back without doing anything at all, and Fenrir was relegated to only ying the role of support from the back.

    The two shouted as if they were dissatisfied with their situation.

    <i>ng! ng!</i>

    The front lines were filled with the sound of shing iron.

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang were preventing the Jackals from proceeding forward while the sound of Inebu¡¯s shes rang through the air.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang moved his body like crazy, as if showing off the incredible power he had umted so far.

    His greatsword swung about swiftly.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    He wasn¡¯t able to harm the Jackals whatsoever.

    Jeong In-Chang had be a Hero and earned the title Siegfried, but he still ended up biting his lips at his inability to break the stalemate.

    ¡°...¡±

    "It''s not that you''re weak,¡± Won-Hwa said to Jeong In-Chang as he threw another needle, keeping the Jackals in check.

    It was obvious that the Jackals¡¯ individual abilities couldn¡¯t reach Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa¡¯s level.

    ¡°Their cooperative skills are beyond imagination.¡±

    Their consecutive linked attacks were as natural and strong as if they were one entity. They had gathered together and could exert more than twice as much power as when they were alone.

    ¡°What in the hell kind of training could they have done to¡­¡±

    This difference wasn¡¯t a matter of sponsorship.

    It was a matter of control.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa hadn¡¯t yet spent much time together. Furthermore, there was Inebu, who was a powerful Hunter in his own right, but had never cooperated with them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party may have much better individual abilities, but in this kind of situation, they were unable to grasp the lightpared to their enemies.

    To make matters worse.

    "Avoid it!" cried Inebu.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa quickly threw themselves to the side.

    <i>Shhhh¡­</i>

    Some sort of object, seemingly ck hands, appeared and disappeared where they had just been up until that point.

    The floor turned to dust.

    It was the ability of the man wearing the ck dog mask, Anubis.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯d die from that, huh?¡± Jeong In-Chang joked. He had a hunch that they would die instantly if they were hit by one of those ck hands.

    However.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There were reinforcements on their side as well.

    While she couldn¡¯t stand on the front lines as she had to protect Horus, she was still a dependable supporter.

    Her magic struck Anubis, and while the man in the ck dog mask hastily used his ck powers to stop it, he stumbled for a moment.

    Moreover, they had other reinforcements as well.

    "Ice Bomb!"

    Although it may have been a terrible memory for Jeong In-Chang, there was still the Familiar who had made its own memories with the Hunter, Hyeon-Mu.

    The skull was also supporting them.

    Therefore, due to the help, they were barely able to maintain the bnce.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    Nheless, the bnce could copse at any time, as there was another reason why the party was at a disadvantage beyond being outmanned.

    They had something they had to protect, and it would be catastrophic if even a single enemy crossed thene.

    ¡°Please hurry!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted again while swinging his greatsword.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    A blue me began to form on the edges of his greatsword.

    ***

    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve met swords like this, right?¡± someone said with a sharp smirk.

    In response, Set, without any hesitation, swung his sword to cut the face in front of him. His attack was worlds apart from the basic swings he had half heartedly done up until now. The sword skills that he had built up brick by brick through skill and training were extremely apparent.

    It seemed as though his de had cut through the man in front of him with a diagonal sh.

    <i>sh!</i>

    However, in fact, he had actually cut straight down as the blow was obscured using his desert Authority.

    He was using a mirage.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A strong sound of iron shing rang out, and sparks flew.

    Even though he had attacked his opponent with an attack that mixed tricks and feints without end, his opponent had still blocked the blow.

    <i>Poof!</i>

    With an intense sh, the power that turned everything into sand disappeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re strong,¡± Set said as he smirked.

    In front of him was a smiling face.

    As Baldur had said, this was the first time that they had shed with their swords.

    Although it was alreadymon knowledge that Baldur, Oh Hyeong-Seok, was strong, Set still admired his strength.

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    It seemed as though the Hunter had been hiding his strength. The Baldur that he knew was someone who could never have been his match.

    However, what was in front of him waspletely different.

    ¡°This really is difficult,¡± Baldur remarked, still smiling the same way as he did before.

    Set had tried to cut through Baldur with all of his might, as it would be best for him to reduce the damage to the Nile and quicklyplete the rebellion.

    However, the man in front of him was still smirking in an annoying way even as heined about how difficult this sh was.

    ¡°Do you mean to say that you¡¯re not taking this seriously?¡±

    Baldur¡¯s smirk meant that he still hadn¡¯t done his best yet.

    The glint in Set¡¯s gaze changed.

    At the same time, Baldur¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Things are getting serious.¡±

    His face was stony and had be subdued, noticing the change in Set¡¯s demeanor.

    ¡°All I was supposed to do was stall¡­¡±

    Baldur took a step back and raised his sword.

    ¡°But it seems like this is going to be so troublesome to deal with.¡±

    A brilliant light was emanating from his sword. The light was simr to the rainbow glimmer that Heimdall produced, but at the same time, it was apletely different.

    Then, that light.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    It headed toward Set.

    Sand began to gather into Set¡¯s empty left hand¨Cthe sand that had been produced through his authority by killing the Hunters was clumping into his empty hand and morphing into the form of a sword.

    At the same time, something red and ck began to gush out of his body, almost like palpable darkness.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    As Baldur was shocked by the energy, Set made his move.

    "If you don''t get out of the way, you''ll die."

 Chapter 131: Set Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 131: Set Pt. 6</h4>

    Set stood, his scimitar in one hand and a sword made of sand in the other.

    A horrid, dark red aura rose from all over him, the desating mana emanating from his body.

    The hot heat enveloped the space around them.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Baldur''s expression continued to harden.

    He could sense that the power emitted by Set was dangerous.

    Set had already been strong before, but now.

    <i>¡®If I let up even a little, I¡¯ll die.¡¯</i>

    All he had nned to do was to stall, but by this point, he might have to put his life on the line.

    ¨CIn the name of Odin.

    Baldur¡¯s purpose was to tie up Set, not until Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted, but until Asgard¡¯s meeting was over.

    ¨CFight with him.

    He received Odin¡¯s orders.

    Asgard, who had to have been looking at Set¡¯s appearance at that very moment, had ordered Baldur to battle with the Hunter. He thought to himself.

    <i>¡®If that¡¯s the case, I guess I have to fight.¡¯</i>

    The order of Asgard was absolute, and Baldur had no intention of defying Asgard''s orders.

    Even if all that awaited him at the end was death.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to jump right in, then.¡±

    Somewhere along the line, Baldur began to smirk once again. However, it was different from before. Unlike the usual smirk from before, the smile on his face was something different.

    <i>Gooooo.</i>

    Light began to explode from his body. Just like the mana emanating from Set, an aura began to exude from Baldur.

    The mana from his body vaporized as it exuded and turned into light, and after its transformation, the mana light filled the area.

    ¡°How trivial,¡± Set remarked.

    His eyes sunk into his sockets, the whites disappearing. Set¡¯s eyes had turnedpletely ck, like dark obsidian, and they stared back at Baldur.

    His aura suddenly amplified, turning into a huge force that seemed to almost consume the space around them.

    ¡°This really won¡¯t be easy, it seems,¡± Baldur said leisurely while confronting such intense power. If his power was to bepared with Set¡¯s, then Baldur knew it would surely have been his defeat.

    However, he was still confident in at least buying some time at this point.

    ¡°Your only weakness is¡­¡±

    As Set had done to Asgard, Asgard had also collected Set¡¯s information. They had scratched at each other¡¯s secrets in the name of cooperation.

    That was the cooperation that urred between huge organizations and powerful Hunters.

    Baldur continued while revealing his stark, white teeth, ¡°...That you don¡¯t have your own territory.¡±

    The space had changed around them all of a sudden.

    They were in a beautiful city of light.

    "Breidablik."

    Baldur¡¯s territory.

    ¡°The difference between those with and without a territory, I¡¯ll show it to you,¡± said Baldur.

    Set and Baldur moved at the same time.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Within the city of lights, Breidablik, Baldur¡¯s territory, a huge sh burst out.

    ***

    <i>''Lord Set''s aura has disappeared.¡¯</i>

    Anubis''s expression hardened for a moment.

    Set¡¯s aura had been able to be felt boiling throughout the pyramid, but it had suddenly disappeared instead of amplifying further.

    However, Anubis quickly recovered hisposure.

    <i>¡®Since it¡¯s him, nothing big could have happened.¡¯</i>

    Anubis¡¯s belief in Set was nothing short of divine faith.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to y a proper role even after bing a Hero, so it had been Set who had led and raised him.

    However, the Nile seemed to only push away such a Set.

    Anubis wanted to be of help to the Hunter.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    That was why he was trying so hard.

    ¡°Isis!¡± he cried toward Isis.

    The bnce of the battlefield had stabilized aspared to before. Moreover, as time went by, things would continue to be increasingly unfavorable for them. Although he and the Jackals were definitely strong in their own right, the Hunters of the Nile still stood, and the rest would being to this location even now.

    <i>¡®Or, they¡¯ll be burdens for Lord Set.¡¯</i>

    Even if they weren¡¯t all heading to this location, those that weren¡¯t would be chasing after Set.

    Anubis knew he had to destroy the fragile bnce of the battlefield.

    In order to do so, he had to focus on that woman.

    All he would have to do was hold Isis back.

    In front of him, all Anubis could see was Horus, who was sealed behind Isis¡¯ back, and the Hunter who was treating him. They were thorns to him.

    He could see that their auras were growing chaotically, and he knew that stalling for time would only make the situation more disadvantageous for the Jackals.

    Therefore, he made his move.

    ¡°It is not my decision not to kill you!¡± Anubis shouted as he extended his hand toward Isis.

    She was hiding behind an incredible defensive magic spell, and soon, ck hands began to approach her.

    ¡°...¡±

    Isis¡¯ expression stiffened rather than disying any bewilderment.

    She had been blocking those ck hands quite well so far. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t inferior in any way to Anubis in the first ce.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she had to protect Horus, then she was more than confident in taking down both Anubis and his Jackals on her own.

    Therefore, while she was nervous about the situation, she wasn¡¯t flustered.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    That was, at least, until she saw Anubisugh.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The ck hands were breaking through the shroud of protection she had made.

    ¡°Lady Isis!¡± cried out Inebu.

    ¡°Lady Isis!¡± Bastet and Numek, who they had barely managed to save, cried out as they ran toward her.

    However, the ck hands were quick, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

    A voice followed the hands, almost like a representation of the false god, Anubis.

    "The Scales of Hearts."

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The stone chamber vibrated.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Numek and Bastet had been running toward Isis, but they fell over as they crashed into an invisible wall.

    The invisible wall trapped Isis within its hold, formed by the ck hands gathering together.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Now flustered, Isis shouted and poured out all her strength resisting, but the invisible wall wasn¡¯t affected in the least.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Instead, with another resounding vibration, it seemed as though the world shifted once more.

    Before anyone knew it, Isis found herself standing on one side of a scale.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Her body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and her mind was hazy, to the point where she felt as though she could faint on the spot.

    She had never even dreamed that Anubis would have an ability like this.

    To think he, with such a vast disparity in strength between them, was still able to seal someone like her.

    "I will not kill you, Isis. Instead¡­!" eximed Anubis in an insidious voice. ¡°Stay trapped in there and be my strength.¡±

    As he finished, everyone was astounded by what happened next.

    The scale began to creak and move, and when the scale on which Isis stood rose high, Anubis began to change.

    <i>Goooo!</i>

    A strange sound began toe out.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Anubis¡¯s body began to twist about, and a powerful force began gushing out.

    However, even with these changes, the party wasn¡¯t that surprised.

    ¡°Lady Isis¡¯ strength is¡­?¡± Inebu murmured.

    Instead, they were astounded that Isis¡¯ power had begun to exude from Anubis. The power that had been supporting and assisting them until now was suddenlying from the enemy.

    "Oh, my God, that¡¯spletely absurd¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered as he looked behind him.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to only consume the bubbling liquid, gurgling forth from the inserted spear that was pierced into Horus¡¯ stomach.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    The Jackals alone were already difficult to deal with, but now Anubis was also using the power of Isis.

    Moreover.

    ¡°Grr¡­ I¡¯ll hurry up and deal with you, and¡­¡±

    The man hadpletely changed his appearance, and he was now staring at the party after morphing into apletely ck Jackal.

    Not only did he have a strange appearance and a massively erged size, but his strength had also increased to hideous proportions.

    However, to be quite honest, this was better for them than before.

    ¡°What a relief,¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a smirk.

    His response was one where anyone could say that he was crazy. In this tough situation, their enemy had be even stronger than before.

    Nevertheless, Jeong In-Chang¨Cno, he and even Won-Hwa,ughed.

    "Why are you...?"

    As Inebu looked at them with a bewildered gaze, two voices came from behind them.

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    "Goongje.¡±

    Anubis had broken the space around them as he morphed. Furthermore, Isis had been sealed, so they didn''t need to worry about hurting her either when they went wild.

    ¡°Princess! Fenrir! Just make sure to give us enough space to fight!¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang shouted instructions to them, huge footsteps began to rush toward Anubis.

    <i>Thud, Thud, Thud!</i>

    ***

    ¡°How insane¡­¡±

    Baldur couldn''t believe the situation.

    His territory was a space that gave absolute power to the owner.

    Even if there was an extreme gap in power, a territory was something that could fill in that gap.

    But.

    ¡°Breidablik was¡­¡±

    It had been destroyed.

    Although his territory hadn¡¯t disappeared, Set had already torn his way out of its area.

    He had forcibly broken past the territory¡¯s ability to contain him and escaped its grasp.

    ¡°Gr¡­¡±

    Set, who was expressing his voice with a guttural, almost monstrous sound, red over at Baldur.

    Even though it was only for a moment, Baldur felt something he hadn¡¯t ever anticipated he would ever feel in this ce.

    Fear.

    This was something he had only felt with Odin¡ªno.

    He had only felt fearful of two people, but it had risen its head once again, even if it was only for a moment.

    As Baldur and Set were still in Baldur¡¯s territory, Baldur quickly released Breidablik, and the two were standing back in the pyramid again before they knew it.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Set was turning their surroundings into the sand just by exhaling.

    Baldur could feel it.

    He would die.

    He couldn¡¯t use his territory anymore, so he would die unconditionally if he fought Set now.

    ¨CIn the name of Odin.

    Baldur contacted Asgard urgently. He had onest remaining way to deal with Set.

    ¨CMay I use it?

    It was a power that required Odin''s permission. He had reached out to ask for permission, but Asgard¡¯s response was negative.

    ¨CBack off.

    Asgard¡¯s meeting seemed to have been over.

    ¨CIt seems to be a losing business. We will give up on the Nile. Move to withdraw.

    Withdrawal.

    That was Asgard¡¯s decision.

    ¨CTake the Underdog and withdraw.

    Although Baldur¡¯s expression briefly froze, he took one step, then another, as he slowly began to recede.

    ¨CI¡¯ve received your orders.

    "Is that Asgard¡¯s decision?" asked Set.

    Somewhere along the line, as Baldur contacted Asgard, Set had be a little more human again.

    His appearance starkly contrasted with what he looked like before. A normal face that was almost impossible to imagine was constantly emitting enormous power earlier.

    Baldur nodded, quickly realizing that Asgard''s choice was right.

    "I''ll let you go,¡± Set continued.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "Asgard made the right choice,¡± he finished, smiling as he spoke with his teeth exposed.

    Baldur was ashamed for a moment, but still quickly pulled back.

    It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t obtained anything at all, either.

    "Whew..."

    Set breathed out as he suppressed his strength again.

    Baldur really was a very fast man.

    He had disappeared before Set had realized it, moving so fast that it would take a high degree of concentration to even grasp the traces of his aura.

    Set had no intention of chasing after him.

    <i>Step.</i>

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    The ground on which Set stepped turned into sand and scattered. The power which he had shown to destroy the territory wasn¡¯t something that wasplete yet. He had only expressed that strength in order to give Asgard a warning.

    Now that he had fulfilled his intentions, he didn¡¯t need that power any further.

    <i>¡®After all I need to do is kill my brother.¡¯</i>

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    Eventually, Set stopped.

    In front of him was another huge stone chamber. The stone chamber was decorated with gold and jewels as if to show power and wealth. He had arrived at the top of the pyramid.

    Set slowly grabbed the door handle.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    An immeasurable amount of gold and jewels that had an incredible value had all disappeared into the sand.

    There was nothing left in his wake, absolutely nothing of value.

    ¡°Nothing is left in the face of power,¡± he remarked.

    Set looked ahead.

    As the door to the stone chamber had disappeared into sand, the stone chamber was inly exposed.

    There.

    "You''re here¡­ My little brother¡­¡±

    A shabby old man was sitting on a throne as he stared down at Set.

    Someone who had been so healthy not too long ago¨Cno, someone who hadn¡¯t looked much different from the Set now, had somehow turned into this.

    ¡°Was this by your decision, Hyungnim?¡± Set asked Osiris, who was sitting on the throne.

    Then.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The pyramid began to ring.

 Chapter 132: Horus

    <h4>Chapter 132: Horus</h4>

    At the same time as Set met with Osiris in his stone chamber, something else was urring in a different part of the pyramid.

    ¡°Grahh!!! This¡­! This¡­!!! This is impossible!¡±

    There was a strange screaming from the stone chamber where Horus slept. It wasing from Anubis, who had turned into a Jackal.

    Although he had stolen away the power of Isis and his body had deformed into a monstrosity for the sake of power, for some reason, he was still left screaming in pain and helplessness.

    "Argh!"

    The bnce of the battlefield that had carefully been maintained had finally copsed.

    However, the side that copsed had been Anubis and Set¡¯s Jackals.

    Anubis had been forcefully pushed back through the engagement of Fenrir and the princess, as Lee Jun-Kyeong, Won-Hwa, and Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t been the only ones to grow by this point.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> supports the promotion of the princess¡¯ growth, eagerly anticipating her performance.]

    The aura emanating from the princess was rising by the minute, and The Prince on a White Horse seemed to have been waiting for her to make her mark on the battlefield.

    Moreover.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors Fenrir with some pets. <i>Pat pat</i>.]

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know what the Sky of the Apocalypse was doing, it seemed to work as well.

    ¡°Grow!!¡±

    Fenrir¡¯s energy also rose. Whenever the wolf shifted his weight and swung with his front paws, Anubis¡¯ ck energy would burn away from the mes.

    The deformed Anubis was powerful, but the cooperation between Fenrir and the princess was more than enough to push him back.

    There was one other aspect to the change in the Familiars as well.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    The situation on the battlefield on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s side had also improved due to the added participation of the monsters in this war. Every time Fenrir swung his front paw, the wolf wasn¡¯t just attacking Anubis.

    The Jackals were also affected by the force of the blows, and Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t miss the openings that the mes provided.

    <i>Cleave!</i>

    The sound of something being ripped apart, rather than being cut or sliced, rang out through the air.

    The greatsword was cleaving through bodies.

    Alongside the addition of the Familiars and the changes to the battlefield they provided, Inebu¡¯s performance was also worth noting.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    He engaged in the battle in almost a warlike manner. In fact, he grew rapidly as if he was receiving some form of support from his Sponsor since he was battling for the sake of protecting someone.

    At this point, the only thing left was for Lee Jun-Kyeong to finish what he was doing.

    ¡°Can you please hurry it up?¡± Jeong In-Chang remarked again.

    However.

    "Be careful!" Bastet eximed as she, having treated her wounds, was trying to break through the seal ced on Isis.

    "Anubis haspletely changed sides!"

    The party couldn¡¯t figure out why the Hunter was repeating something that they all already had noticed.

    However.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Inebu and Isis, who had been trapped on the Scale of Hearts, suddenly seemed to realize something.

    ¡°He can now use his forbidden power!¡±

    "Forbidden power...?"

    As Jeong In-Chang repeated their words in confusion, Anubis, in the form of a jackal, stood on his hind legs and shouted.

    ¡°Death!¡±

    ¡°Souls!¡±

    Every time he shouted, the stone chamber rang.

    There was a huge tremor of mana in the wake of his bellows.

    ¡°My instruments of harvest¡­!¡±

    When he finally finished shouting, the jackals that had only just fallen began to rise from the ground once more.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just that either.

    The ck beads that were emanating from Anubis¡¯ body suddenly multiplied, almost as if they had been propagated as the result of a child blowing soap bubbles. After multiplying, the beads soon began to change, twisting into a demonic shape.

    Twisting into a human figure.

    No, a monster.

    The stone chamber had been broadened and expanded by the battle of the three monsters, but was now beginning to fill up again.

    ¡°Sunder my enemies!¡±

    The monstrous things that had been revived at Anubis¡¯mands began to rush forward, and Anubis also began to exude more power than before under their influence.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Finally, Anubis had managed to drive Fenrir and the princess into the wall with his long, wed arms.

    Everyone was exhausted from the continuous battle, with the bnce shifting back and forth like a tug-of-war.

    However, at that moment, the sound of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s quiet voice traveled over the battlefield.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished.¡±

    Even though everyone had been fighting, they all stopped and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They had no choice but to look in his direction as the terrifying auraced into his voice seemed to run wild, as if to consume them at any moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood using Muspel¡¯s Spear as a cane with eyes the color of blood.

    And.

    ¡°Horus¡­!¡±

    Next to him stood a bandaged man. His body was still wrapped in bandages, but in a small gap between the bandages on his forehead was a little jewel.

    A red gem.

    As it spewed out light, the entire pyramid reverberated.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    ¡°Anubis, you dare¡­¡±

    As a dry voice crackled out from between the man¡¯s dry lips, the Scale of Hearts, which the party had been unable to destroy with their greatest efforts, suddenly crumbled and spewed out Isis once more.

    She had almost fallen to the ground, but managed tond upright and stand on both feet.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    A drop of water was running down her cheek.

    She opened her mouth as her tears ran indiscriminately down her face, falling through her lips.

    "My son...¡±

    Horus.

    It was at this moment that the prodigal son had awoken.

    ***

    "Hyungnim."

    Set slowly approached the throne.

    He had been alerted by the shaking that had just happened.

    "I think Horus just woke up," he said to his brother.

    The Underdog had done what he was supposed to do.

    Set was genuinely curious as to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had done with the enormous power and poison that the red gem had contained.

    He continued, ¡°It seems my nephew has grown considerably.¡±

    Apparently, Horus¡¯ power had grown under the influence of the red gem. While it didn¡¯t seem like the Hunter had absorbed all of the power held within the gem, Set could sense that Horus had still woken with a great increase in strength.

    The entire pyramid of the Nile was shaking and crying under the burden of Horus¡¯ power.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    Set knew that it would be fortunate if Anubis, that brat, could hold out until he could get there.

    Nevertheless.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Set walked forward leisurely.

    Although his men tried to stop him, saying it was dangerous, he continued forward.

    How long had it been since he had been waiting for this very moment?

    Even though his men warned him of the danger, he still didn¡¯t want to ruin this moment, the moment when he would finally be able to enjoy his dinner.

    The elderly man sitting on the throne looked so old and weak that no one could believe that he was actually middle-aged.

    ¡°Hyungnim.¡±

    Set came close, right up to his face and called out to him again, ¡°How did you be like this?¡±

    Osiris was the Nile¡¯s strongest Hunter and Hero and was also his brother, whom Set had admired so.

    He was someone who, just a moment ago, had absolute influence over the entire Nile.

    The man who had consolidated the Nile, which had been divided into Heliopolis, Memphis and Hermopolis, and reigned supreme over them all.

    "How did youe to this?!!" Set asked again, shouting this time.

    ¡°My little Set.¡±

    Osiris¡¯s dry voice whispered into the ears of the emotional Set.

    He was gasping for breath at every moment.

    "I have no regrets¡­¡±

    It hadn''t been long since Osiris had changed into this weak form. The timing was close to when Set had firmly determined to fight for the throne.

    Osiris had changed then.

    He had morphed, not only on the outside to this debilitating and decrepit appearance, but also down to his very core.

    The man who had imed reign over Egypt, dering his rule using the power of the Nile, had all but disappeared.

    Everything he held, his domain, had all disappeared into the great flow.

    As the Nile began to persecute themon people, or when the conflict between its factions began again, Osiris had just sat on the Pharaoh¡¯s throne and watched as if he wasn¡¯t interested in what happened below.

    ¡°I have to take this from you.¡±

    That was why Set had been determined to win the throne.

    ¡°Oh, did you be like this because of me, Hyungnim?¡± Set asked, taking a step back and thinking about his brother¡¯s state.

    Osiris.

    Set wondered if the reason his brother had changed like this was that he had also sought extreme power.

    ¡°Am I the reason why you still tried to take the power that you almost lost your son to?¡± he asked again.

    The red gem.

    Even though his son had be engulfed in it and was almost destroyed, left on the brink of death, Osiris had still tried to absorb the power of the red gem.

    That was why he had changed so drastically.

    .

    He had been so strong that rather than losing his sanity and sense of self like Horus and needing to be sealed, he had instead been deprived of his power by the red gem, stripped of his youth and appearance.

    Set was curious about what such a dominant figure had wanted to be stronger for.

    "Answer me."

    Although the end result wouldn¡¯t change regardless of the answer, he still wanted to hear what Osiris had to say.

    Set looked at Osiris while he mused on the situation.

    "Don''t be conceited¡­¡± came the quiet reply.

    However, Osiris only spoke dismissively toward Set.

    ¡°There are many terrifying figures hidden in this world, and some of their purposes and desires will never be for the sake of mankind¡­¡±

    "What?"

    Set raised his eyes as if he had grasped something at his brother¡¯s words.

    He shoved his face into Osiris¡¯.

    ¡°Is it, maybe¡­¡±

    He had made a single inference.

    He had one guess as to why Osiris had felt as though he had to pursue power.

    ¡°Did you perhaps meet that being?¡±

    ¡°That¡­being¡­?¡±

    Set showed his pearly white teeth and brought his face even closer.

    ¡°That being. The man dressed in ck.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Osiris¡¯ pupils erged, and Set didn¡¯t ask him any further questions.

    Instead, he burst out inughter.

    ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahahahaha!¡±

    To think, it was that person.

    That person, the being whom he served.

    Set had also met him, and also had many things he had understood and felt because of that being.

    However.

    ¡°You¡¯re just trash!¡±

    He was different from Osiris.

    Instead of seeking unobtainable strength with the intention of taking <i>that being</i> down, almost in a sense of defeat, he chose a different route.

    He eximed, ¡°I follow that being!¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­ what¡­¡±

    Set had knelt down to that powerful force and wanted to worship it in all its glory.

    That was the difference between Osris and himself at this point.

    Then.

    ¡°And this is the power he has given me in return!¡±

    Red and ck mana sprang out of Set''s body.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Osiris'' eyes widened again, almost tearing at the seams.

    "That¡­that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    From a distance, Osiris hadn¡¯t been able to feel it because he had grown senile and lost his strength, but he could feel it clearly now because they were in the same space.

    That was the power that had destroyed Osiris.

    The power that had taken away his son.

    ¡°The red gem¡­!¡±

    He could feel the power of the red gem in Set''s body.

    Set slowly gathered up his strength and extended his hand. The sword in his hand slowly morphed into a different shape. It was almost like the jaws of a jackal.

    ¡°Hyungnim.¡±

    The jaws of a jackal, filled with sharp teeth.

    His de headed for Osiris, fangs bared.

    ¡°This is the power you had wanted, Hyungnim. But you¡¯ve chosen the wrong side. I¡­¡±

    <i>Chomp.</i>

    ¡°I will follow that being and rule the whole world, not just this tiny little Nile and Egypt.¡±

    <i>Chomp.</i>

    The jaws of the jackal ripped through flesh and tore through bone.

    Osiris murmured with his eyes closed from the pain he was enduring, ¡°Horus¡­¡±

    His son had awoken.

    While Set was said to have chased after power due to fear, Osiris and Horus were different.

    Sacrifice.

    They had sacrificed everything in order to attempt to fight against theing great evil, even at the cost of sacrificing their own bodies.

    ¡°Even now, I just wanted to see you just once¡­¡±

    With his final murmur, the jackal¡¯s jaws seemed to move incessantly.

    <i>Chomp.</i>

    The jackal¡¯s jaws moved as if it was preying on its feed.

    No, they weren¡¯t jaws. They were a set of hands.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    In Set¡¯s two eyes, the mes of madness began to rage.

    ***

    The red gem in the center of the bandaged man was glowing. Even at a nce, it was easy to see a huge force emanating from within it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The surviving jackals took a step back without even realizing they had.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Even Anubis was shivering.

    If there was something the side of Anubis and the Jackals could be relieved by, it was that the reapers of death that Anubis had summoned could feel nothing.

    ¡°Grah!!!¡±

    Therefore, they rushed in without recognizing the terrifying being that had appeared before them.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A me suddenly appeared.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said, thinking that it had been Lee Jun-Kyeong to manifest the ze due to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s domain over fire.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head with difficulty.

    ¡°Grah!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the one who had dealt with the reapers of death with a burst of fire.

    Now that Jeong In-Chang had noticed, it was Horus.

    ¡°...¡±

    Horus, the Hunter, was reaching out and manipting the ze.

    Saint Fire.

    Thebination of light and fire devoured the source of death.

    "I''ll be right back,¡± Horus took a step forward and said. Then, he turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Thank you."

    The bandages on both of Horus¡¯ hands began to unravel.

    1. Set¡¯s manner of speaking changes here. He¡¯s been very courteous to Osiris up until now, speaking respectfully like a younger brother to an older brother. From this point, though, he drops all formality.

 Chapter 133: Horus Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 133: Horus Pt. 2</h4>

    <i>Flutter.</i>

    The bandages wrapped around Horus that had loosened waved as if they were being moved by a breeze from the mana emanating from his body.

    It wasn¡¯t that all of the bandages that had been wrapped around Horus¡¯ entire body had unraveled.

    It was only the bandages on his forearms that had been loosened.

    His exposed arms were so thin that they looked as though they would shatter immediately with a single touch.

    However.

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone was silent as they stared at them.

    A huge aura began to emanate from those frail arms.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang rubbed his arms as if he could feel the goosebumps rising all over his body.

    It was a terrifying mana, strong enough to cause goosebumps.

    Perhaps it was because of how long he had been sealed, but Horus seemed unable to control his mana well, so everyone was subject to feeling the weight of his power.

    Eventually.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He moved.

    It was only a single step forward.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    However, Anubis¡¯ reapers of death, who were burning to embers in front of him, began to return to rest once more.

    They screamed and bellowed indecipherably, while at the same time, Anubis also cried out in pain.

    ¡°Keugahhhhh!¡±

    He was suffering from the bacsh of the destruction of the Scale of Hearts and had be drained of all power after losing the strength of Isis.

    As each reaper died, he was subjected to pain over and over.

    ¡°Keugah! No¡­ no more!¡± Anubis screamed.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Right at that moment, the Jackals, who had been retreating little by little, had reorganized their offensive once more and rushed toward Horus. They clearly believed that this would be their only chance as it hadn¡¯t been very long since the Hunter had woken from the seal.

    ¡°Lord Horus!" Inebu shouted as he swung a huge spear at the two Jackals.

    <i>ng!</i>

    One of the two Jackals dropped their sword.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The other had their shoulder pierced through by Inebu¡¯s spear.

    ¡°Keugahh!¡±

    The Jackal screeched in pain.

    However, he smirked as he grabbed Inebu¡¯s spear with both hands. The Hunter tried to withdraw his spear, but it was grasped firmly by the dying Jackal.

    ¡°You¡­you purposefully¡­!¡±

    The Jackal had deliberately allowed himself to be pierced as he was intent on keeping Inebu busy.

    They only had a small opportunity to attack Horus.

    They would have to sacrifice everything in order to eliminate any possible variable that could keep them frompleting their mission.

    The other Jackals also ran straight to Horus as they watched for any movements around them.

    Their scimitars moved quickly, and one de quickly became dozens, turning into a mirage of shes.

    They became a rain of des, pouring down over the awakened Horus.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa tried to intercept the Jackals, but they found themselves blocked and unable to take a step.

    ¡°Keugah!!¡±

    Fenrir and the princess were keeping Anubis, who was still suffering from the bacsh, at bay.

    As such.

    <i>Swish, swish, swish, swish!</i>

    The rain of des turned into a sandstorm, heading straight for Horus.

    As they were on the verge of prating through his body, Isis eximed, terrified, thinking that the son she had just barely gotten back might be taken away again.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    All Isis could do was shout as her powers hadn¡¯t recovered yet from being stripped from her through the Scale of Hearts.

    Finally.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    A cruel sound crushed the atmosphere in the stone chamber.

    Smirks seemed to barely pass through the gaps of the masks worn by the Jackals, almost as if it had been an illusion.

    However, the Jackals were assassins to their very core. Despite seeing their des striking all over Horus, they continued forward as they wouldn¡¯t stop until the Hunter was torn into shreds.

    Then, suddenly.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    The party heard the Jackals exim in surprise, and this was the first time they were hearing them speak rather than scream.

    <i>Screech.</i>

    Then they heard something that resembled the sound of the gears of a machine screeching as the des shrieked. Then, the des, just as they pierced into Horus¡¯ body, shot out back to where they came from, raining over the Jackals in return.

    <i>Thoom thoom thoom thoom!</i>

    The flesh that could be seen through the torn bandages that covered Horus instantly regenerated before their eyes.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just the flesh that was regenerated.

    ¡°The bandages¡­¡±

    It was almost as if the bandages that were wrapped around his body were an extension of his being. In fact, the bandages regenerated, wrapping over his body once more.

    The Jackals groaned in pain, pierced by their own des.

    However, Horus¡¯ anger didn¡¯t stop there.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The bandages that hade loose around his arms suddenly hardened into a de and sliced through the Jackals.

    This all happened within an instant. Before anyone could react, the only surviving Jackals were the ones either prated by Inebu¡¯s spear or those who were far away from Horus, blocking the approaching Hunters.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was an overwhelming victory.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end,¡± Horus said as his bandages shot forward again.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    It was an eerie sound.

    ¡°KEUGAHHHHH!¡±

    Horus¡¯ bandage was firmly pierced into one of the eyes of Anubis, who had been mindlessly rampaging about in pain.

    He then recited a prayer.

    ¡°Return to Ra.¡±

    At the same time, mes spread all over Anubis, who was in the shape of a ck jackal.

    Although Anubis¡¯ life force was fading away, Horus didn¡¯t finish him off, and soon, the fire went out.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡±

    Anubis copsed and gasped, barely able to take a breath.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done as you asked,¡± Horus said as he turned away.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong in response as he looked back at the Hunter. He had recovered slightly.

    At the same time, suddenly, everyone felt absolutely shocked.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Another horrifying burst of mana had sted through the whole pyramid.

    Horus looked up at the ceiling and began to speak, his voice trembling, ¡°My father, he¡­¡±

    Something had happened.

    Something, something that shouldn¡¯t have disappeared, had vanished.

    It was the loss of life force.

    ¡°He has passed¡­¡±

    Osiris had died.

    <i>Boom.</i>

    As the sound of the pyramid trembled around them, Horus spoke again.

    ¡°He wille.¡±

    Set wasing.

    ***

    ¡°Ah!!¡±

    Horus had been released from the seal, and the pyramid, the entire structure, rang with a powerful aura.

    Then, another cry rang out.

    "Ah!"

    If the Nile¡¯s Hunters had eximed in joy the first time after feeling the energy of Horus, then their second cry was different.

    It was a cry of sorrow.

    ¡°Dear Lord Osiris¡­¡±

    It could be said that Osiris had been an idol and a true Hero to the Hunters of the Nile, and his energy, which had just be weaker than before, had suddenly just disappeared.

    Then, immediately after that.

    ¡°...¡±

    They all could feel an indescribably horrifying aura.

    ¡°We¡­we¡¯ve been defeated.¡±

    The death of Osiris.

    The awakening of Set.

    The Hunters of the Nilemented their sorrows and med themselves for their defeat. Even though they knew they were under a rebellion, they had just lost their Pharaoh in their own home.

    Morale began to drop sharply.

    However.

    ¡°...No, not yet,¡± somebody murmured.

    The Hunters who heard the voice raised their heads.

    ¡°Lord Horus has awoken.¡±

    Heliopolis, Memphis, Hermopolis.

    Osiris had united the Nile, which had been divided into three branches that had been fighting for power. For a short time, he had led the Nile brilliantly.

    Now, that being¡¯s son had awoken from his seal.

    "Let''s go,¡± cried the Hunter who had originally spoken.

    They could feel the auras moving. The massive auras that engulfed the entire pyramid were beginning to head toward each other and collide.

    "Let''s go!"

    The Hunters began to move.

    They had not been defeated yet.

    Their Pharaoh had died, but the one who would be the new Pharaoh still remained.

    No matter who it ended up being, they had decided.

    They would see to the end to see who it would be.

    But then, someone else cried out.

    ¡°Memphis will withdraw from the battle,¡± shouted the head of the Memphis, Thoth.

    Many Hunters of Memphis had been lost due to the attack of the Jackals. He didn¡¯t want to see his people struggle any further, and he also had no confidence in their ability to win.

    ¡°What are you going to do, Hermopolis?¡± he cried out to Sekhmet, the head of the Hermopolis branch.

    Hermopolis was a branch that did not get along with Heliopolis, which was the branch that Osiris originally headed. Osiris had only integrated the three branches by force, so conflicts had still continued within the integrated Nile. Sekhmet, the head of Hermopolis, had continued to be extremely belligerent.

    "Hermopolis will...¡±

    Sekhmet mused for a moment, after which she began to speak as if she had made her decision, ¡°We will fight against the tyranny of Set. As for the gutless cowards of Memphis, you all can leave.¡±

    The Hunters of Hermopolis gathered behind Sekhmet''s back.

    ¡°I refuse to see the Nile fall in this manner.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Thoth was silenced at Sekhmet¡¯s response. Although he hadn¡¯t expected this, their destinations were still the same.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Regardless of if they would join the battle or not, regardless of who won, they need to go to the site of action.

    The war that was going on now was a war they had to see and witness.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>

    The pyramid rang once more with the sound of the Hunters¡¯ departure. There were no more Jackals standing in their way. They, too, had gone to move to the location of the final battle, sensing their master¡¯s conflicts.

    <i>¡®The Temple of Ra.¡¯</i>

    The ce where everyone was gathering was a temple dedicated to the God they served, and he was a God they worshiped even before the existence of the Sponsors appeared.

    It was the most important location in the Nile as it was where the Emblem of the Nile was ced.

    For someone who wanted to be the Pharaoh of the Nile, it was a ce they would have to go.

    The remaining Hunters of the Nile.

    Set and his Jackals.

    Even Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party.

    They all began to gather in a single ce.

    ***

    "Are you okay?" Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa asked as they clung to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was walking unsteadily as if he was drunk.

    <i>¡®I think I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯</i>

    His vision was spinning, and his head felt like it was going to explode.

    He had attempted to absorb Horus'' Madness. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to absorb all of it, he had still been able to absorb half of the energy.

    Horus had lost some of that power because of Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunter had still obtained an incredible amount of strength.

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong had glimpsed a taste of death in that cmity.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    However, with that feeling of death, half of that incredible strength was sleeping within him.

    He knew that the strength he had consumed deliberately by reversing the flow of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone would help him one day.

    As long as his level went up, he would eventually be able to use it someday.

    He would dominate it, the Madness.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    That was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong could stillugh even though he was feeling so much pain that he felt like he would die.

    The power of Madness was as overwhelming as its side effects horrifying. It was like a drug.

    Once someone tasted this power, even if they knew the side effects, they would have no choice but to reach out for it once again.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®What kind of Madness was he even given?¡¯</i>

    The Madness that Horus had absorbed wasn¡¯t just any ordinary strand of the red gem, either.

    It was incredibly condensed.

    The side effects and power the Madness granted were entirely different from what he had prepared to deal with Heracles.

    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll conduct emergency treatment. You¡¯re suffering from qi deviation,¡± Won-Hwa said as he started treating Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body with acupuncture.

    The treatment didn¡¯t restrict his movement and simply suppressed the reverse flow of his qi.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, thanking him in a tired voice.

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang smiled at him.

    "You did it,¡± Jeong In-Chang said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    No matter how hard the process had been, they had finally done it. They had only been able to say that they had finished it because they hadpleted such a difficult task.

    "That''s what I¡¯m saying," Lee Jun-Kyeong said. His gaze went past Jeong In-Chang afterward.

    He looked at a withered man, still wrapped in bandages, that stood with Isis and Inebu.

    The three of them were walking forward, nked by Bastet and Numek.

    From the man exuded a huge force, almost as if it was exploding outward.

    <i>¡®It seems I¡¯ve caused a sandstorm in the Nile.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked as he gazed upon what he had aplished.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Heughed.

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    Fenrir rubbed his snout on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body anxiously, concerned.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    As for the princess, she was dragging something at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    She was dragging Anubis, whom they had kept alive.

    He had lost even his own appearance due to Horus¡¯ mes and was being dragged by the princess, who was holding him by the hair like a sack of luggage.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Somewhere along the line, Horus stopped.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu. Guard Anubis with Fenrir,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong ordered to the skull, standing on his own again.

    ¡°Master, for what¡­¡±

    Hyeon-Mu couldn¡¯t understand why they kept Anubis alive, and it further couldn¡¯t understand why Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted it even to protect him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Hyeon-Mu and said in a bitter tone, ¡°Because I¡¯m in the middle of thinking about something.¡±

    ¡°What could¡­what¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong straightened uppletely, holding onto Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    His eyes, still crimson, turned over to the moaning Anubis.

    ¡°Whether I should make you a sibling. Or maybe, I shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 134: Horus Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 134: Horus Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about whether I should make you a sibling,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his eyes on Anubis.

    His gaze then shifted to the bracelet on his wrist, moving over to the Skull that Contains Souls. Then, he looked toward thepletely clogged ceiling of the pyramid.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> apuds you for the way you overcame adversity.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was quite irritated.

    <i>¡®Don¡¯t just talk if you¡¯re happy with this show. Why don¡¯t you at least give me something?¡¯</i>

    It really was impressive how much of a cheapskate that bastard was.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong only grumbled for a moment before stopping. He knew that the things that he had been given by that bastard had been so amazing and incredibly helpful in times of emergency.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is wistful at your response.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slightly smiled in response to the reaction that came once again.

    He was amused by the Sponsor. It wasn¡¯t as if it enjoyed hearing bad reviews andints¡­

    It seemed to have some strange tastes.

    Then, there was another notification.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> casts its gaze upon you.]

    It was a voice he had kept hearing ever since he had woken Horus up.

    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t <The Sky of the Apocalypse> going to get upset?¡¯</i>

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, the Sponsor that had been watching him so far, didn¡¯t seem to have any sort of response to <The Desert¡¯s Sun>¡¯s interest.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confused.

    His Sponsor, barring the Sponsors of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯spanions, such as <The Prince on a White Horse> or Won-Hwa¡¯s Sponsor, hated it when any other Sponsor expressed interest in him¡­

    <i>¡®What¡¯s going on¡­?¡¯</i>

    His easily irritable Sponsor wasn¡¯t responding in any way.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Even with his confusion, Lee Jun-Kyeong set his questions to the side, moving to address the already existing questions rather than creating new ones.

    Anubis.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to Hyeon-Mu as he looked back and forth at the Hunter and his bracelet.

    ¡°I need to know if that bastard is even more evil than we already know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, the skull nodding in agreement to his words.

    While they spoke, before anyone realized it, the sound of sand falling had appeared around them.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    They could hear the sound of footsteps heading to the chamber where Horus had stopped.

    Dozens of Hunters wereing.

    And.

    <i>¡®Set.¡¯</i>

    They could feel it. He hade quite close.

    "What is this ce¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Inebu while shaking his head to focus. He could feel something was different about the ce they had arrived at after following Horus.

    It was strange, slightly odd.

    [Mana stream is being rapidly circted.]

    They hade to a ce so full of mana that even his mana stream had reacted.

    The walls were carved with dozens of murals and lined with statues of unknown figures.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> casts its gaze upon you.]

    At the very front, he could see a painted mural that felt as though it was the personification of the sun rising over the desert.

    ¡°This is the Temple of Ra,¡± Inebu informed him.

    ¡°The one who will be the King of the Nile, the Glory of Ra. The one chosen by Ra,¡± he continued, as if reciting a divine spell.

    ¡°He who holds domain over the Nile.¡±

    ¡°I will hold domain over the Nile.¡±

    Two voices rang out simultaneously.

    One was Inebu, and the other one¡­

    "Set."

    A man was approaching the chamber with heavy footsteps and his bloodied hands.

    ***

    Set and Horus.

    Uncle and nephew.

    An uncle who killed the nephew¡¯s father, and a nephew that stood as the uncle¡¯s hurdle.

    They faced each other.

    ¡°You look terrible,¡± Set said. He wiped the blood off his hands and then stood still, the remaining Jackals holding line behind him.

    Set seemed to be waiting for something.

    ¡°You look terrible¡­too, Uncle,¡± Horus said, swallowing his anger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were honestly shocked at Horus¡¯ calm response.

    Whether it was regarding whose blood Set was wiping off his hands currently,

    Or what Set had done just moments ago beforeing here,

    Or even why Horus was in the shape he currently was.

    Everyone knew what had happened, and who was at fault.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    However, Horus, who had the most right to be angry, was holding back with his hands clenched so tightly they were shaking.

    ¡°Is this what it means to be a ruler?¡± Jeong In-Chang said on behalf of Horus, his lips trembling with rage.

    That man had killed his father.

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how painful it must have been for Horus to bear with it.

    ¡°It seems like it. That seems to be what a ruler should be," Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    King.

    A Pharaoh.

    In this era, it was a term that was almost eradicated. Even if it did exist, its only value was in the title itself.

    However, in Egypt, in the Nile, the term for King, Pharaoh, seemed to mean something entirely different: to quench one''s anger and persevere.

    The two contenders for the throne stared at each other as if they were waiting for something.

    ¡°Hunters areing here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued.

    That was what the two were waiting for: the Hunters of the Nile to gather toward this ce they called the Temple of Ra.

    ¡°What have they been doing all this time toe now¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think they would have fought and tried to survive in their own ways?¡±

    Although Won-Hwa had tried to reason with Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded with a different perspective, ¡°That¡¯s probably not it.¡±

    For the Heroes of the Nile, who were supposed to protect Osiris and Horus, they most likely had a reason why they weren¡¯t able to handle their parts properly.

    ¡°Most likely¡­they were handling the spies from the other organizations that were hiding within the Nile,¡± he exined.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The Nile is in a dangerous position right now. Set¡¯s rebellion was something that had been scheduled, and everyone would have been preparing for it in their own ways,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked forward.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t want to let any other organizations learn of the Nile¡¯s crisis. Although Set rebelled, he didn¡¯t do it to destroy the Nile.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However, when the organizations find out what¡¯s going on here, the Nile¡­may not be able to keep their name alive any longer.¡±

    Therefore, the other Hunters would have moved to kill any spies they had uncovered in advance, and worked to dy the announcement of the internal issues as much as possible.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, no matter how hard they tried, it was useless.

    Because there was Asgard, and he was someone who had alreadye from another secret organization.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®Baldur¡¯s aura has disappeared.¡¯</i>

    There was Baldur as well.

    Although he most likely hadn¡¯t run away, his aura had still disappeared.

    That meant he was hiding somewhere.

    Seeing that Set was perfectly fine, it appeared that the Hunter was much stronger than Baldur had expected.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

    Though, Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand why Baldur was hiding. The energy he had felt earlier was beyond hideous and terrifying.

    ¡°It looks like you have some impressive perception,¡± Set said, looking beyond Horus at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Set was rxed.

    "Thank you for saving my nephew."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The man continued genially, ¡°I thought you would be able to seed, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d actually do it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened. The Hunter¡¯s implications were simple.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not referring to himself.¡¯</i>

    Set wasn¡¯t the one who had thought he could cure Horus. It had been that being behind him that had said he could do it.

    <i>¡®That being is?interested in?me.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Oh ho, your perception really is impressive,¡± Set said as if he had read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts through his expression.

    ¡°Did you intentionally¡­let us save Horus?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked him, feeling the presence of the iing Hunters.

    Set¡¯s answer was incredibly simple, ¡°Yes.¡±

    He turned back to look at Horus again.

    "A true Pharaoh should be recognized by all," he said as if to dere to the entire Nile.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Before they knew it, the Hunters of the Nile had arrived.

    Set wasn''t just trying to kill Osiris, kill Horus, and then usurp power.

    No, this was a challenge for the throne.

    This was an expression of the determination of someone who was aiming for the throne to be seen as the legitimate ruler.

    ¡°Thoth, Sekhmet,¡± Set said as he looked at the Hunters who had formed a circle around them.

    They looked back at Set as they murmured among themselves.

    They could feel it too, the incredible power that exuded from Set and the overwhelming charisma.

    "What is your choice?"

    The man named Thoth took a step back, while Sekhmet took a step forward.

    ¡°...¡±

    Horus and Isis watched as Thoth took his branch and withdrew from the battle.

    ¡°How quaint,¡± Set said.

    ¡°This is thest battle, Jackals.¡±

    Finally, the battle would begin.

    The Jackals, who were standing in line exhausted behind Set¡¯s back, quickly adjusted their expressions and drew their weapons.

    Horus also began to exude his aura as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to take away the throne.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!¡±

    The time for swords to make sounds once more had arrived.

    ***

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    The sound of a deep sign rang in a room.

    A man was sitting in the empty conference hall of Asgard.

    Hours had gone by after the meeting had ended, but Odin had still not left the hall.

    He only sighed to himself and agonized about what had happened with a quiet gaze.

    <i>¡®The Nile.¡¯</i>

    He looked back on the choices he had made.

    Asgard''s meetings were special. Although they would hear everyone¡¯s opinions, the final choice was always up to Odin. That was why the Heroes and Hunters of Asgard had put Odin as the ruler of Asgard.

    Or even why they called him King.

    <i>¡®Just what¡­¡¯</i>

    The focus of this meeting had been the invasion of the Nile.

    They were spread thin because of the special gates, but they had been able to decide on a future direction due to the existence of Lee Jun-Kyeong. In fact, the situation in Korea was gradually improving.

    That was how he had been able to turn his eyes away to something else for a moment. To the Nile, where he had coincidentally found an opportunity.

    It was a perfect prey for them to pick up and consume.

    The Nile, whose power had diminished due to the rebellion, was a meal more than enough for Asgard to be happy feeding on.

    Moreover, because of the character of Asgard and Odin, they were not entities who would leave an opportunity like this alone.

    However, in the midst of a meeting that was just about to be concluded, he had stated: ¡°Asgard will withdraw from the Nile.¡±

    Odin remembered that he had said that Asgard would no longer be involved in the Nile.

    There was only one reason he had changed his mind.

    <i>¡®That power of Set¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the strength that had been exposed by Baldur.

    Set had torn through a territory and constantly emitted a dark red mana. Odin was reminded of something when he looked at him.

    ¡°To think I felt fear¡­¡±

    It was a feeling he had forgotten.

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t it either.

    <i>¡®Excitement.¡¯</i>

    It was an incredible joy at seeing such a great power, such an unknown power.

    His inquisitiveness and desire to be strong shivered in excitement upon seeing that.

    Odin was one of the world¡¯s top Hunters and Heroes.

    However.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s been a while since my Sponsorship has been cut off.¡¯</i>

    That was why he didn¡¯t go hunting, and instead spent his time reigning as president of the Association and ruler of Asgard.

    Somewhere along the line, the sponsorship from his Sponsors had been cut off.

    It didn¡¯t mean he would lose any of his current power, but it still meant that the road to getting any stronger had be almost impossible to trek.

    That was why he explored so much, and that was why he dug past so many secrets.

    ¡°I found a possible way.¡±

    Before he knew it, a smile had formed around his mouth.

    Set¡¯s power was dangerous.

    If Asgard got involved in the Nile¡¯s conflicts, then the focus of that power would turn to Asgard, and that power would cause it great damage.

    That was why it was only a possibility.

    <i>¡®The Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    His ultimate goal was to kill his Sponsor. He had found a new hope for that purpose in Lee Jun-Kyeong, and now, he had found another hope as well.

    Asgard¨Cno, Odin.

    <i>¡®Although I washed my hands of the Nile, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give up on Set.¡¯</i>

    Once the Nile¡¯s rebellion had ended.

    Once the Nile entered stability.

    That would be when he would intervene.

    Set¡¯s strength was powerful, but it wasn¡¯t up to his level just yet.

    Odin knew that Horus had awoken, but he still didn¡¯t doubt Set¡¯s victory. That was how strong the power Set had shown was, and why he considered it a new possibility that he had found.

    ¡°How fun,¡± Odin said, pushing away his chair and standing up.

    Although he still had bits he was confused about, it was a pleasant sort of chaos that tumbled around in his head.

    A possibility.

    The unknown.

    A quest.

    The wellsprings of Odin¡¯s purpose were springing up again.

    It was then.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Odin looked at the door of the conference room with surprise.

    There.

    "Who is it?"

    Someone was standing.

    This was his territory, but there was an unauthorized, unknown person intruding within it.

    This was something that had never happened.

    This was something that <i>couldn¡¯t</i> have happened.

    Odin felt joy once more.

    The unknown.

    This man, who had emerged while breakingmon sense, was the object of his quest.

    The man answered Odin''s question btedly.

    "The one who will give you strength."

    His ck robe fluttered in the flow of mana.

 Chapter 135: Horus Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 135: Horus Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, it was nearly impossible to hear.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    With the sound of an explosion came the sound of shing iron.

    <i>ng!</i>

    And finally.

    ¡°Aghh!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice could barely be heard under the din of the screams.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang shouted again, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him.

    The battle had begun.

    The Jackals and the Hunters, led by a Hunter named Sekhmet of the Hermopolis branch, were facing off.

    <i>ng! sh!</i>

    Nearby, bandages were colliding with swords made of sand.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party fell behind and watched the terrible battle.

    "What are we going to do?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t stepping forward, Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t step up either.

    Inebu, who was fighting with the Jackals on the front lines, nced over at Lee Jun-Kyeong but said nothing.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s role had ended after saving Horus.

    It was far too much to expect Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party to join and aid in the fight for the fate of the Nile.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the war situation and said, "I''m thinking."

    He needed to decide whether to join the fight or not. In addition, did he want to stand by Horus or stand on Set¡¯s side?

    Although it was true that he had saved Horus, Set hadn¡¯t been hostile to him yet.

    Rather, the Hunter had actually shown him favor.

    He had the interest of both the person behind Set and Set himself.

    <i>¡®Their chances of winning¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to gauge the winning side by observing the war situation itself.

    Although the battle between the Jackals and the Hunters was being dominated by the Jackals, the Hunters were still holding firm and even winning some shes at times because of their Heroes, which included Isis, Inebu, Bastet, Numek, and Sekhmet, who stood by their side.

    However.

    <i>sh! ng! Bang!</i>

    The most important battle was different.

    Horus and Set.

    In the most important battle, regardless of who was watching, the result was easy to see.

    <i>¡®Horus is being pushed back.¡¯</i>

    Horus had absorbed part of the power of Madness, but he was being pushed back.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since he had woken from the seal.

    <i>¡®He can''t control the power.¡¯</i>

    The Hunter hadn¡¯t had a chance to properly deal with his sudden increase in power.

    He had just overwhelmed Anubis and dealt with the Hunter earlier, and was only now able to feel the extent of his strength.

    Even earlier, he seemed to have been trying to ready himself and familiarize himself with his strength while waiting for the Hunters.

    <i>Tear!</i>

    But still, his bandages failed toe close to Set¡¯s body.

    On the contrary, Set¡¯s sword was different.

    <i>Slice! Squelch!</i>

    His de aimed at Horus like a snake and was moving like a living creature,

    Little by little, Horus'' bandages were tearing.

    Set was winning.

    ¡°Just how did he¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was shocked by the aura the Hunter was emitting.

    The aura of Set was also the same madness that he and Horus had. Moreover, even with the same madness, Set¡¯s aura was properly condensed, and his utilization of it was perfect.

    He was manipting it more delicately and precisely than Heracles, who was the first one who obtained Madness.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s going to lose.¡¯</i>

    Looking at Horus¡¯ condition, Lee Jun-Kyeong surmised that the Hunter was likely to be defeated at this rate.

    Horus was fighting hard, but it was too much for him.

    <i>¡®If we get involved in this¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to estimate their chances of winning again.

    His own physical condition hadn¡¯t recovered yet.

    He had gained a huge amount of power, but the power he could disy could be at an even lower level than what he could have shown before at this point.

    Still, eventually, he made his decision.

    ¡°We will join the battle,¡± he said.

    The party¡¯s gazes turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong was deciding on a side to join.

    Set.

    Or Horus.

    ¡°We will follow whatever decision you made, Mr. Lee.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was pondering for a moment.

    ¡°Keugahh!!¡±

    Behind him, there was a scream filled with bloodlust and pain.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang tried to move at the same time.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly pierced the bastard that had shouted with his spear.

    Anubis, who had lost consciousness in the aftermath of Horus¡¯ attack earlier, was stretching his arm out at Lee Jun-Kyeong, but hadn¡¯t been able to reach the Hunter.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear was now pierced through his stomach.

    ¡°Seems to have decided our side for us.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression rxed as he spoke, and the same was for Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa.

    However, the fastest of them to move was someone else.

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    Fenrir had started hitting the Jackals with his front paws.

    The battle had begun for a second time.

    Now, it wasn¡¯t just the battle for the Nile.

    This was their own battle.

    "Let''s go."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled out his spear. Anubis subsequently fell onto the floor.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has activated]

    [The soul of the Hero Anubis will be absorbed.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks over at you.]

    A barrage of notifications came down upon him in session.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun casts its gaze upon you.]

    The Skull that Contains Souls wouldn¡¯t activate right away.

    For now.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He would only fight with his own strength.

    They would force an incursion into the battlefield.

    ¡°...¡±

    Set looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party breaking through his battlelines and raised his aura even further.

    ***

    Bandages moved forward, piercing toward Set as if it was an extension of Horus¡¯ hands.

    The bandages were as hard as steel, and after being infused with Horus¡¯ mana, they were sharper than even the sharpest of any sword.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    They were pushed aside helplessly by the scimitars of Set.

    However, the bandages moved around constantly, and Set found it harder than he had expected to find an opening between the web they wove.

    However.

    This wasn¡¯t some one-on-one duel to the death. There was no reason to just fight each other with the weapons in their hands.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    In the midst of the Temple of Ra, a sandstorm appeared.

    A sandstorm with the rage of a typhoon.

    ¡°AHGHH!¡±

    It passed through the Hunters and came down upon Horus.

    It was the sand of death, and the Hunters who fell under its domain suddenly screamed and copsed.

    In response, Horus also used his Authority.

    ¡°In the name of Ra, please cast a gaze down onto me.¡±

    His body was set aze, and Saint Fire began to burn in his bandages, almost as if coating a de in fire.

    The des consumed in mes began to rain down over Set.

    ¡°Defeat the evil in front of me.¡±

    The sandstorm that had been attacking Horus gradually disappeared due to the ze.

    <i>sh!</i>

    Up until now, his bandages had been struggling their hardest in order to block Set¡¯s scimitars, but they were beginning to leave marks on Set¡¯s des.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gained some strength, but¡­¡±

    Suddenly, something changed again.

    The aura of Set changed once again, and the overwhelming aura that he had been exuding so far morphed into a violent and terrifying aura.

    Dark, crimson mana.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you are good at controlling it, my dear nephew.¡±

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Before Horus knew it, a sword of sand that appeared in Set¡¯s other hand sliced into his forearm.

    It wasn¡¯t just a simple cut. In fact, Horus took a step back for the first time in their fight, clutching his chest.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°They say you¡¯re not supposed to interfere in a squabble between family members,¡± chided Set as he looked forward and hurriedly blocked with his sword.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had stabbed Muspel¡¯s Spear in the opening Set had shown.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be interfering if this was just a simple family squabble, but¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong settled into a stance.

    He started overflowing with strength so strong that it caused pain because he couldn¡¯t control it.

    <i>Gurgle.</i>

    It began to gush out of his body.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t control it.¡¯</i>

    Trying to control an unstoppable force wouldn¡¯t allow him to control it. Instead, it would just undermine the maximum limit of the force that could be exerted.

    So, he wouldn¡¯t try to control it.

    He would just let it all flow forth.

    He would leave it all to the flow of his mana stream.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear also flickered with mes. Feeling the Hunter¡¯s aura explode, Set¡¯s expression hardened.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked a question before he pierced forward with his spear.

    ¡°By chance.¡±

    The incredible force that ran wild was devouring his body, and his eyes were tinged with blood.

    ¡°Do you have any intention of telling me who that person is?¡± he asked.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    However, Set only stood in a defensive stance, holding onto his scimitar with both hands.

    Horus stood next to Lee Jun-Kyeong again, and their eyes met.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Then, a surprising thing happened.

    The Saint Fire Horus had created drew a circle around Set, Horus, and Lee Jun-Kyeong, creating a small area entrapping them in mes.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The Authority of fire emitted by Lee Jun-Kyeong connected to the circle created by Horus¡¯ Authority and began to spew even greater mes.

    In an instant, an incredible heat hung over the battlefield. It was so intense that it felt as if they were standing in front of the sun.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    From Set¡¯s forehead, a drop of sweat trickled down.

    ¡°How interesting,¡± he said, his lip curling into a smirk.

    However.

    ¡°Did you have to kill my father?¡±

    Unlike Set¡¯s amused response, unlike the scorching me that was currently zing through the Temple of Ra, Horus¡¯ cold voice rang out.

    ¡°...¡±

    Set immediately shut his mouth.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear suddenly thrust forward.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    As Muspel¡¯s Spear passed right by Set, Horus¡¯ bandages followed tightly behind in its midst.

    <i>ng!</i>

    As if it would have been difficult for him to avoid it, Set knocked away the bandages instead of dodging like he dodged the spear.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Set after thrusting forward.

    It seemed as though time had frozen on the battlefield.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the flickering of the mes, if it wasn¡¯t for the sounds of the battle between the Hunters and the Jackals that drifted in from beyond the mes, their frozen states, unmoving, were so still that it was easy to be mistaken that time had stopped.

    Searching for the next opening.

    Not making a move easily.

    That was how powerful Hunters fought.

    ¡°What do you think about this?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong broke the silence and began to speak.

    ¡°If we knock you down¡­¡±

    Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°What do you think about answering our questions?¡±

    Set took a step forward and said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for that to happen.¡±.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear slithered back like a snake and returned to Lee Jun-Kyeong, while Horus¡¯ bandage rolled itself back and wrapped around Horus¡¯ arm.

    <i>Gurgle.</i>

    The dark crimson mana emanating from Set fell on them heavily, as if he was controlling gravity. Furthermore, itbined with Set¡¯s authority.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    It began to eat away at its surroundings, gnawing at the Temple of Ra.

    mes burned while sand scattered.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun casts its gaze upon you.]

    Everyone heard the same notification, and all moved at the same time.

    <i>sh!</i>

    This was a fight that everyone wanted to win and a fight in which no one intended to back down.

    As Horus¡¯ bandages made their move, Lee Jun-Kyeong aimed for the gaps in their blows.

    Although Set stood alone, both of his hands moved separately, as if they were the hands of two different people, pressuring Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus.

    <i>Rrrip!</i>

    The exploding dark crimson mana tore through the bandages and crashed into Muspel¡¯s Spear, causing an explosion.

    There was a me that grew inside of a me, and a raging sandstorm, rampaging as if it would consume everything.

    <i>sh!</i>

    The ck leather clothes of Set were oveid with the dark crimson mana, giving it an even darker gloss.

    <i>sh!</i>

    Set¡¯s sand gnawed away at Horus¡¯ body, exposing his withered body.

    ¡°HAAA!!¡±

    In the middle of the whirlpool formed by his mana, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to let his Madness loose.

    From all three of them, a subtle crimson glow began to emerge.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    It was Madness; the demonic power that would give one enormous power and take away one¡¯s reasoning.

    The three of them were all using the same force.

    <i>Crush.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke as he looked at Set and thrust his spear into the ground.

    ¡°Your Madness. Did it alsoe from that person?¡±

    Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong was asking him, Set had no intention of answering.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t rush him for an answer.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    The Saint Fire and mes surrounding them began to emit an even more blistering heat and light.

    Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes met.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke again, holding Muspel¡¯s Spear that he had thrust into the ground with both hands.

    ¡°The First me.¡±

    The skills of the Demon King.

    ¡°Maelstrom.¡±

    It was time for the second to appear.

    <i>Ggggggrind!</i>

    The mes that enveloped the three began to swirl with a strange sound.

 Chapter 136: The Desertâ€™s Sun

    <h4>Chapter 136: The Desert¡¯s Sun</h4>

    The First me: Maelstrom.

    As a skill used by the Demon King, it had a simr effect to the First me of concentrating all of the surrounding mes into a single point. However, there was an important difference in the usage of the concentrated mes, where the mes would rotate to form a huge vortex of fire.

    Moreover, because it was a higher level of skill than the First me, it was almost impossible for him to use.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a rough breath.

    Now that he had the power of Madness.

    Now that he was determined not to control it.

    He had decided to try to forcefully form the skill that would normally be impossible for him to use.

    The result was a sess.

    The vortex hadbined with the Saint Fire created by Horus, showing even more power than he had expected.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Set hadn¡¯t made a single sound up until now, but was now groaning while forcefully keeping his sandstorm together.

    Using his sandstorm, Set was struggling to forcefully push away the First me: Maelstrom away.

    The swirl of sand and fire fought for power, repeatedly growing and shrinking back and forth.

    However.

    <i>¡®This is dangerous.¡¯</i>

    It was all out of control.

    The sand and mes intertwined together and began to grow great and greater.

    Inside the narrow pyramid, the force of thebined sand and mes was too great to be contained within its walls.

    <i>Rrrip!</i>

    The sandstorm was quickly gnawing through the Temple of Ra.

    <i>Drip!!</i>

    Furthermore, the First me: Maelstrom was melting the pyramid after having merged with the Saint Fire.

    ¡°Get away from it!¡± shouted Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The vortex was growing out of control. He could feel his mana fading away like a low tide.

    The party moved urgently.

    Horus cried out as well, "Mother!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was not the only one controlling the vortex.

    As the Saint Fire of Horus was also mixed within the vortex, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus were controlling the mes and Saint Fire together.

    He could feel Isis urgently spreading her strength behind him.

    A huge curtain, a formation boundary, formed behind him.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Groaning, Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed Merlin''s Ne.

    The force contained within Merlin¡¯s Ne exuded forth and strengthened Isis¡¯ boundary formation.

    <i>Flicker! Flicker!</i>

    There was a continuous collision of sand and mes.

    As Isis¡¯ boundary formation became firm, there was arge crashing noise.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s copsing!¡±

    The massive pyramid in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, a pyramid that had existed before the Nile had made use of it, began to copse under the burden of screams and the collision of sand and fire.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A huge explosion, followed by a series of evenrger explosions due to the copse, soon followed.

    The Nile, the Temple of Ra, was falling.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang groaned and raised his reeling body.

    Because of the thick dust clouds surrounding him, it was impossible to distinguish what was in front of him or what was behind him, let alone who was friend or foe.

    Although it felt like someone was stabbing him in the head with an awl due to the impact of the copse, Jeong In-Chang began to move.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    He knew the pyramid had copsed, and he knew that Isis and Lee Jun-Kyeong had created a boundary formation for their safety.

    <i>¡®Considering how sturdy I am, it must have been?bad as even?I¡¯m?in this sorry state.¡¯</i>

    However, it hadn¡¯t been enough to prevent all of the shock caused by the pyramid¡¯s copse.

    Even he, with the body of a warrior and a Hero, had been shaken to the point that he was unable to control his body and passed out.

    He had to look for Won-Hwa and the other Hunters.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang swung around his greatsword, using his mana to remove the cloud of dust.

    Some of the dust was lifted away by the wind.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Although Jeong In-Chang felt like he could hear something in the distance, he couldn¡¯t concentrate because he was worried about his colleagues.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang continued to move forward while swinging around his greatsword.

    "Princess! Fenrir! Won-Hwa! Hyeon-Mu!"

    Jeong In-Chang continued to move forward as he called out hispanions¡¯ names.

    The scene that was revealed as the dust lifted was disastrous. The remains of the pyramids were scattered in chaos, and all he could hear were screams ringing continuously.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!</i>

    His greatsword continued to swing from side to side.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The dust cleared, and the sound he had heard earlier was now clear.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    He could still feel the burning red mes and sand that were mixed in with the dust.

    In the midst of that chaos.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang saw a man with red eyes, a man with red eyes and a red gem set in his forehead, and finally, someone with a crimson aura wrapped around both hands that were still fighting even though the pyramid had copsed.

    Set was still fighting with Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus.

    ¡°Mr¡­ Jeong¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang quickly turned his head at the sound of the voice and eximed, ¡°Princess!¡±

    It was Won-Hwa. On top of him was the princess.

    The princess was in her massive form, protecting Won-Hwa and their other colleagues with her whole body.

    ¡°Goongje¡­¡±

    The princess, bleeding, smiled at Jeong In-Chang.

    ***

    [...]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear the voices of the Sponsors, but he had no time to care about them.

    The First me: Maelstrom and the sandstorm controlled by Setbined and topped the pyramid.

    Nevertheless.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, boom!</i>

    The battle was still fierce.

    Even as the pyramid fell around them, he thrust forward with his spear while Horus wielded his bandages. Set blocked their blows with scimitars in both hands.

    The battle, which had begun inside the pyramid, continued during the copse of the pyramid and still continued to this point even after the pyramid copsed.

    <i>Roar!</i>

    mes shot up, and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear knocked aside Set¡¯s scimitar and aimed at Set¡¯s face.

    Set avoided it, folding at the waist and knocking the blow aside with his sword.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Horus¡¯ bandage shot forward, searching for an opening.

    Set wasn¡¯t able to find any opening to attack in the midst of a series of dys from thebination of blows.

    He was being pushed back.

    However.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked pale.

    They were worried that their colleagues might have been hurt by the copse of the pyramid.

    ¡°He still¡­¡±

    ¡°Is he still not showing us everything he has¡­¡±

    Moreover, they could feel a power Set had hidden.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    From where Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus stepped back, the front paw of an animal crashed down.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could even try to see what it was, he heard a piercing scream.

    ¡°<i>Agh!</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hurriedly looked to the side.

    "Lord Horus!"

    Horus had been bitten by an unknown beast.

    Horus struggled, but the mouth of the beast stayed shut as if it refused to release its prey.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Something even approached Lee Jun-Kyeong with a strange sound.

    He quickly raised Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Chomp!</i>

    A dark jaw shut in front of him as if to tear into him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had shoved his spear into the jaws vertically so that whatever was attacking him couldn¡¯t bite through him.

    He could feel the blood flowing down, and it was the blood from the jaws that attacked him.

    And.

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>.¡±

    His own blood as well.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear hadn¡¯t been able to block the attack entirely.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    In his shoulders, a tooth the size of a stake had plunged itself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong urgently stirred up his mana, and the mana mes rose up like an aura, the temperature rising up enough to burn the very air.

    The jaws backed up, and Lee Jun-Kyeong saw clearly what had attacked him as hended on the ground.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was Set.

    In front of him, the Hunter¡¯s arms had morphed into the upper body of the giant beasts that had just attacked him and Horus.

    Horus had just been struck by the beast of Set, so he was standing beside him on one knee, breathing heavily.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Possibly having urred in the aftermath of the attack just now, the bandages that had been wrapped all over Horus¡¯ body had loosened.

    His exposed body, dry and twisted, was barely standing as his mummy-like body shook as he exhaled.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus made eye contact.

    "Set..."

    They looked over at Set.

    A dark crimson aura emanated from Set¡¯s entire body.

    This was the real power he had been hiding.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus, witnessing the power, were in despair.

    From the beginning, the end of this fight had been decided.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    They could never win.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see why Baldur had disappeared¡ªthe Hunter should have seen that power.

    That dark crimson aura looked as though it had the power of an abyss that would endlessly torrent over them just by looking over at it.

    He felt fear.

    He was terrified.

    He wanted to run away.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was being eroded by horrifying emotions.

    He chewed on his lower lip, and in the meantime, the First me: Maelstrom had disappeared, and the dust cloud was clearing up.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Through the dust, the sun shone.

    The relentless sun of the desert was zing over the battlefield.

    This was an unwinnable battle.

    However.

    <i>¡®We can¡¯t back down.¡¯</i>

    Neither Lee Jun-Kyeong nor Horus could leave now.

    <i>Shift.</i>

    Horus raised his tired body, and Lee Jun-Kyeong lifted his spear again.

    Although they were fighting a monster, this was their task.

    [The Desert¡¯s¡­]

    A voice they hadn¡¯t been able to decipher earlier began to make its existence known.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> shines down upon you.]

    <i>ZZZT!</i>

    The dust waspletely cleared.

    The sun, which had been hidden by the pyramid and couldn¡¯t be seen, fell strongly upon Lee Jun-Kyeong, Set, and Horus.

    Someone murmured as they saw the ray of light fall upon them, ¡°The glory of Ra¡­¡±

    Even in the midst of the copse of the pyramid, the Hunters, most of whom seemed as though they had survived, were looking at the battlefield with their bleeding bodies.

    One of them knelt down and bowed his head.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    They couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of exhaustion or out of his own free will.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    In the midst of the remains of the pyramid, in the stone chamber, the Hunters fell on their knees and prostrated themselves.

    ¡°The glory of Ra!¡±

    The glory of Ra.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t easily understand what they were doing, but by looking at Horus, he could understand their reaction.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The sun was shining down on one spot.

    Horus¡¯ back was exposed by the loosening of the bandages.

    It intermixed with the Saint Fire Horus exuded and his bandages.

    ¡°Wings¡­¡±

    They were turning into wings of light.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was mesmerized by the scene.

    The power that he felt from the wings of mana was more than he could have ever expected.

    This was Horus¡¯ second awakening.

    Nevertheless, Set didn¡¯t make a move.

    ¡°H¡­how?!¡±

    The voices of astonished Hunters became a mor around them, and Lee Jun-Kyeong began to circte his strength without even knowing why.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was raising his strength in preparation for the battle, made a confused sound.

    Something was different.

    Before he even noticed what was going on, he heard Jeong In-Chang state in a flustered voice, ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at everyone who was looking toward him now.

    Moreover.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even Horus was staring at him as well.

    "Is this Ra''s decision?"

    He could even see Set smirking with a mysterious smile.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly raised his head.

    The sun red down upon him, and in the midst of its rays, a voice could be heard.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> has sponsored you.]

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face twisted in bewilderment, Set swung his arm that had morphed into a beast.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hurriedly escaped the blow while, before his very eyes, a great force burst forward.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Horus, unfolding his wings of great light, was flying furiously toward Set.

    1. The author has Set continually switching from one sword to two. It¡¯s because Set can form swords from sand continuously.

 Chapter 137: The Desertâ€™s Sun Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 137: The Desert¡¯s Sun Pt. 2</h4>

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> has sponsored you.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated the voice he heard in his head.

    He had already been sponsored by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, but had just received a second sponsorship from <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    Multiple Sponsorships.

    However.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> has sponsored two Hunters.]

    [Two Hunters can use the enhanced skill.]

    [Two Hunters have been blessed by <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.]

    In fact, he wasn¡¯t the only one sponsored by <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    After all, there was also Horus.

    pping the wings of light, he became a falcon striking the ck beast-wielding Set.

    He and the Hunter were being sponsored simultaneously by <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    <i>¡®<The Desert¡¯s Sun> is probably¡­¡¯</i>

    It most likely was a Sponsor simr to <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Seeing as <The Sky of the Apocalypse> didn¡¯t throw a big fuss, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that <The Desert¡¯s Sun> was someone ranked even higher than it was or at the same level.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> has exceeded the avable number of sponsorships.]

    [The sponsorship will be revoked after a certain period of time.]

    As expected, he heard the following notification after that.

    He didn¡¯t understand the situation or anything of the matter, but the nature of this Sponsor seemed to be the same.

    <The Desert¡¯s Sun> was someone who sponsored only one Hunter.

    It was a simr kind of Sponsor to <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Therefore, its sponsorship of the two now was only temporary.

    This was most likely a strength that could temporarily grant them rapid growth only under special conditions.

    ¡°There are two with the Glory of Ra¡­¡±

    The Hunters muttered as they looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus.

    Although the Temple of Ra had broken, Ra¡¯s revtion had been revealed.

    The Great Ra had granted glory to two men.

    One to the candidate who would be their Pharaoh, and the other to a stranger.

    They stood there, slightly confused.

    <i>ng!</i>

    An explosion urred, and Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes.

    He was filled with a great deal of power.

    Although it was a temporary form of multiple sponsorships, it was appropriate for the current situation.

    From the power that boiled throughout his entire body, the Madness that he couldn¡¯t control was stabilizing. In addition, his heartbeat intensified like the sound of a drum.

    [The weak dragon heart grows temporarily under the influence of Divine Fire.]

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    There was an eerie sound from behind Lee Jun-Kyeong''s back.

    He didn¡¯t form wings of light like Horus had.

    Red.

    ck.

    Even blue.

    A bone covered in garish colors pierced forth from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shoulder des.

    There was no pain, and on the wings that appeared through his shoulder joints, a brilliant light burst forth.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sky.

    <i>¡®Look at this,¡¯</i> he thought to <The Sky of the Apocalypse> as if saying this is what real sponsorship was.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to do at least this much!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked the ground, and he flew forward.

    His mana helped his body fly through the air and quickly advance toward Set.

    <i>Bo¨CBoom!</i>

    There were two explosions this time, and the beast on the left and right of Set exploded one after another.<i>.</i>

    In the air, Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at each other and nodded.

    At this moment, their two minds were connected.

    <i>¡®We will defeat Set.¡¯</i>

    <i>''Let us defeat Set.¡¯</i>

    ***

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    He was slicing through the wind.

    He was cutting through the mana.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it while he was attacking Set using the wings he had been gifted by <The Desert''s Sun>.

    <i>¡®This is the real mana stream.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had originally thought that the mana stream was limited to his own body.

    In fact, he knew that mana existed in the atmosphere and that the concentration of mana was increasing over time, but he had never thought of it as a flow.

    <i>¡®The mana stream is¡­¡¯</i>

    He just naively thought that meant the flow of mana flowing through a Hunter¡¯s body.

    But it was different now.

    Now that he was slicing through the air quickly and cutting through the mana, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt it clearly.

    There was also a flow of mana that filled the atmosphere, and it was surprisingly simr to the mana stream that he had used so far.

    Even though this was a fast-paced battle, Lee Jun-Kyeong had almost mistaken it for time slowing down.

    Now that he was connected to Horus because they were both sponsored by the Desert¡¯s Sun, he wondered if Horus also felt what he felt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the other man, but it didn¡¯t seem like it.

    The Hunter was filled with wrath.

    He was so full of rage that it was to the point where it was incredulous to think that he had endured it so well so far.

    He was connected to Lee Jun-Kyeong through <The Desert''s Sun>.

    <i>¡®Did he consume my anger too?¡¯</i>

    It almost seemed as though Horus had been swept away by thebination of their anger. On the opposing hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong was influenced by the patience and calmness the Hunter had maintained.

    His perception had risen, and time had slowed down.

    <i>¡®The mana stream.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t uncover the limits of this seemingly endless and mysterious power that the Demon King had created.

    Consider the state he was in currently, it might be possible for him to use another skill.

    The First me: Maelstrom was a skill that could be used as long as one had enough power stored while using the First me. The foundations of the two skills were the same, and it was just that the usage of power was different.

    However, the skill he was thinking about at this time was somethingpletely different.

    This was that far surpassed the First me, and it was another skill that had served as the foundation for the Demon King¡¯s title.

    It had been such a difficult skill topose that it had taken the Demon King ages to create and make use of it.

    <i>Chomp!</i>

    The ck beast on the left rushed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong again, who had been moving quickly and stabbing at Set.

    Set¡¯s left arm moved as if it had its own sentience, opening its mouth and trying to tear Lee Jun-Kyeong into pieces.

    "Burn it up," Lee Jun-Kyeong said while thrusting Muspel''s Spear.

    Muspel''s Spear instantly consumed Lee Jun-Kyeong''s mana and sted a stream of fire.

    Although the mes shot in a straight line and prated through the ck beast formed from Set¡¯s arm, it was reforming quickly.

    The ck beast simply turned into a mist and reformed itself as if it wasn¡¯t a solid creature.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to retreat because the jaws of the ck beast were rushing toward him once more.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s try it.¡¯</i>

    He and Horus had been powered by the Desert¡¯s Sun, but Set was just countering their attacks while covered in an even stronger aura.

    There would be no end to this battle at this rate, and their chances had just been bnced by the Desert¡¯s Sun¡¯s influence. Nothing had actually improved.

    So.

    <i>¡®This is my winning move.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was attempting to use that move, another skill of the Demon King.

    It was something he could use now that he felt the mana stream that existed in the atmosphere as well.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong broke away from Set and went up to the sky.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¯</i>

    He had asked Horus, whom he was still connected to, to hold Set back for a while. While he didn¡¯t know if Horus had understood it, the Hunter seemed to go even crazier and ran forward while keeping Set in ce.

    The ming wings and the red jewel burst with light as if ame were amplifying Horus'' power.

    The two ck beasts were stopped by a shining falcon.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong rose to a point in the sky and stopped there.

    <i>¡®Mana Stream.¡¯</i>

    [The mana stream is being circted quickly.]

    [The weak dragon heart absorbs the magic of the atmosphere.]

    [Galdr has been activated.]

    [Internal Qigong has been activated.]

    This was different from when he had activated his skills when the battle had begun.

    He had to actually focus on these skills this time, even though they were skills he generally had activated without thought most of the time.

    He had to concentrate on their flow, strengthening them and activating them to an even higher degree.

    <i>¡®With the mana in the atmosphere¡­¡¯</i>

    He wouldbine their mana flow with his own, forming one continuous river.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> casts its gaze upon you.]

    <The Desert''s Sun> looked down upon him as if it had realized what he was nning on doing.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> smiles.]

    Whereas <The Sky of the Apocalypse> seemed to bepletely certain of his actions.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s try it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong concentrated even further as the notifications rang behind him.

    The flow.

    Everything was about the flow.

    Everything would connect to the next, flowing in harmony.

    The atmosphere and his self would be one.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    mes burst into existence in the air where there had been nothing but space, and the burning mes began to spread gradually.

    The mes spread, eventually obscuring the sun, and began to be one with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s clothes were consumed by the mes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear was consumed by the mes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had be a me.

    Somewhere along the line, he himself had be the sun that he had overtaken.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Only then did Set look up at the sky.

    Even Set didn¡¯t have full control of his reasoning. Although the power he had was obviously powerful and he had some amount of control over it, it had be too much for him. He had also lost part of his reasoning in the Madness, so he hadn¡¯t noticed what Lee Jun-Kyeong had done until now.

    However, it was toote now.

    [The Skill¡­]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was already hearing the notifications rain down.

    ¡°King Yan, the King of Hell.¡±

    [You have learned King Yan, the King of Hell!]

    [You havepleted an unbelievable achievement!]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Pioneers¡¯ achievement.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The One Who Undergoes Growth without a Sponsor¡¯ achievement.]

    [All of your stats have¡­]

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s whole body had turned into a me and be the sun.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had be a sun that shone down more than the sun that had been overtaken.

    [...risen incalcbly.]

    He started to fall.

    Horus had already gone out of the way.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had made while starting to barrel down wasn¡¯t an explosion.

    Lava.

    The sand in the desert was turning into a crimsonva.

    "<i>ARGH!!!!</i>"

    The screams that pierced the air all came from Set.

    The ck beasts on both his arms struggled, but they no longer regenerated, constantly consumed by theva created by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Theva, also seeming as if it was sentient like the ck beasts on Set¡¯s arms, slowly began to move toward Set, as if to consume the Hunter.

    Hot moltenva engulfed Set.

    "<i>KEUGAHHHHHH!!!!!!</i>"

    Set¡¯s screams could be heard though they were muffled within the crimsonva.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to be one with theva himself and devour Set.

    <i>Whistle!</i>

    Then, at that moment, a whistle came from nowhere.

    At the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard consecutive notifications.

    [<The Desert''s Sun> expresses its anger.]

    [<The Dark Side of the Sun> has appeared on the battlefield.]

    <The Dark Side of the Sun>.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pushed past the indecipherable notification.

    He had already trapped Set.

    He refused to let him go.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    There was a small tremor.

    That was the start, and theva that swallowed Set was getting eaten.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Before he would end up losing control of his body, Lee Jun-Kyeong separated from theva and retreated.

    Before his very eyes, the ce where Set had used to be, something had appeared on that very spot.

    ¡°The Dark¡­side¡­of the Sun¡­¡±

    A round dark sphere was sucking up the surrounding light by eating Lee Jun-Kyeong''sva.

    "Horus!" Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted urgently.

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could finish, Horus threw himself into the ck sun.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Horus didn¡¯t listen. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to run forth and tackle Horus¡¯ body, throwing him away from the ck sun.

    Horus'' face distorted with anger as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s power was escaping like an ebb¡ªeverything was being devoured by that ck sun.

    Set was nowhere in sight, nor could his screams be heard.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked forward.

    Before anyone knew it.

    ¡°...¡±

    Nothing existed.

    No sun in the sky, no heat, no light, no people.

    Just a bare, empty pit.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though his spirit had also disappeared just as the dark sun had erased all existence, and he could feel the enormous power he had earlier disappearing.

    His authority had all been lost, almost immediately.

    "Wake up!"

    At that time, someone hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong and threw them both toward the side.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body quickly fell toward the side, and light suddenly appeared.

    The bright light pushed back the ck sun a little.

    ¡°Baldur¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, saying the name of a person who hadn¡¯t been seen in the battle so far.

    Baldur was the one who had thrown himself to the wayside with him in his arms.

    The Hunter rose quickly and looked forward.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also saw what happened too.

    The ck sun was disappearing.

    He had thought that he had escaped its grasp, but he hadn¡¯t been able to just then.

    Everyone stepped back and looked at the ck sun, while someone spoke to it in a quiet voice.

    ¡°<i>Aapep¡­</i>¡±

    As if it was a signal.

    <i>Poof!</i>

    The ck sun disappeared as if it had never existed.

    Alongside the ck sun that had disappeared, Set, who had been in its epicenter, had disappeared as well.

    The only thing that was left in its wake was thend burning crimson and the small amounts ofva that were still left.

    A little further away were the remains of the broken pyramid.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    And off to the side, was the fallen Horus.

    The Nile.

    <i>¡®We lost.¡¯</i>

    In the midst of a hectic situation, a voice came to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Use the Bifrost!"

    Baldur was shouting at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "It''s going to explode!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly used the Bifrost in a panic.

    1. Raws say eagle, but Horus is the Falcon-Headed God.

 Chapter 138: The Desertâ€™s Sun Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 138: The Desert¡¯s Sun Pt. 3</h4>

    A huge tremor shook his whole body.

    ¡°You crazy bastard¡­!¡± Baldur shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    A huge typhoon of mana sprang into existence around them, coinciding with the disappearance of the ck sun. Baldur had ordered him to use the Bifrost to prevent it, while Lee Jun-Kyeong had used the Bifrost to trap the typhoon in ce before it exploded.

    ¡°Are you trying to make me die with you?!¡±

    Bifrost¡¯s restriction enveloped the explosion, with Lee Jun-Kyeong and Baldur trapped together with it.

    It was an unavoidable decision.

    ¡°Then what? Are you saying you want everyone else to die in our ce?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Baldur scathingly, his voice betraying his contempt for the first time.

    If he hadn¡¯t formed a restriction and trapped the typhoon right before it exploded, then many people in Cairo would have been swept away.

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure what would have happened to the Hunters, it was obvious that all of the ordinary humans would have died.

    That was why he had made this decision.

    ¡°This was an inevitable decision, you dog bastard,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong spat at Baldur.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Baldur let go of Lee Jun-Kyeong and cursed.

    ¡°You cheeky bastard,¡± said Baldur after he saw the small smirk forming around the corners of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth as the Hunter criticized Baldur with a scathing tone.

    There were only the two of them trapped within the explosion.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had deliberately formed the restriction in this manner, excluding the rest of the Hunters.

    "Open it. Quickly."

    <i>Boom. Boom. Boom. BOOM!</i>

    He had to escape this ce before the typhoon of mana intensified.

    Eventually.

    <i>Ahhhh.</i>

    With the slight sound of musical harmonies, the space before Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes distorted.

    In front of him wasn¡¯t Cairo, Egypt. No, this was the city of lights.

    <i>¡®Breidablik.¡¯</i>

    This was Baldur¡¯s Territory.

    Breidablik was supposedly the most beautiful Territory of them all, but, the Breidablik in front of him was worlds apart from the beauty it was rumored to have. Wherever they looked was destruction and fire.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured, ¡°The state of this ce is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is because of Set,¡± Baldur said as he quickly began to move. ¡°You crazy bastard¡­ because of you¡­¡±

    <i>Ahhhh.</i>

    As they heard the sound of musical harmonies from here and there, something was beginning to change.

    The ck sun was on the precipice of exploding, and in the midst of the typhoon of mana, they had been transported to Baldur¡¯s Territory.

    Originally, the restriction should have been destroyed during their transport because of the simultaneous activation of Breidablik with the Bifrost, but, Lee Jun-Kyeong had manipted the Bifrost to connect Baldur¡¯s Territory with the area in which they had formed the restriction.

    That meant.

    ¡°Breidablik is going to¡­¡±

    In other words, the aftermath of the explosion would force its way into this Territory.

    ¡°But we can still survive now, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he slumped down.

    He was finally able to breathe a little.

    <i>BOOM! BOOM!</i>

    Breidablik began to be swept away by an explosion.

    ***

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa strained his eyes as he looked forward.

    There was a fierce battle between Set, Horus, and Lee Jun-Kyeong. In the end, both Set and Lee Jun-Kyeong had disappeared.

    ¡°...¡±

    In their ce was a rainbow-colored restriction, and within it, something ck was continuously exploding outward and expanding. Still, the rainbow-colored restriction was constantly cking the ck mass, keeping it from crossing over into where they were.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Won-Hwa said again, strained.

    He was sure that Lee Jun-Kyeong was inside of that thing in front of him.

    That man had fought tirelessly to the end and had shown them an incredible miracle. He was also hispanion, but he was in there.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Won-Hwa eventually shouted as he tried to run forward.

    But.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang grabbed onto Won-Hwa''s wrist and didn¡¯t let go.

    Won-Hwa tried to shake off his hold while shouting at him, ¡°Are youpletely fine with this, Mr. Jeong? Mr. Lee is inside of that thing!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong held great significance to him.

    Simply put, Lee Jun-Kyeong was the benefactor who had dragged him out of the hellishndscape known as China. Furthermore, he was a disciple of his who had learned internal qigong and also a teacher who had taught him countless things.

    He was also thepanion that had allowed Won-Hwa to live like a human again.

    Thus.

    ¡°We have to save him!¡±

    Won-Hwa eventually shook off Jeong In-Chang¡¯s hand and ran forward, but suddenly stopped when he heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±

    Won-Hwa turned around to look at him.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go save him.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t actually okay with this situation. In fact, his hands were clenched tight, his lip quivered, and there was a slight tremble to his voice.

    He was also worried about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    But.

    ¡°You have to get used to this.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t go forth to try to save Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°That person¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang forced himself to smile and spoke reassuringly to Won-Hwa.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be right back, like he always does.¡±

    Only then was Won-Hwa able to see around him. Hispanions had surrounded him, and they were people who had been with Lee Jun-Kyeong longer than he had.

    Jeong In-Chang, the princess, even Fenrir and Hyeon-Mu, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars.

    They, too, were looking out at the rainbow-colored restriction with sunken eyes, but none of them made any moves to go forward.

    They were clearly more worried about Lee Jun-Kyeong than even he was.

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s that sort of person.¡±

    Won-Hwa turned around to look at the restriction himself.

    He could hear Jeong In-Chang continue to speak, ¡°The restriction is still there, right?¡±

    Won-Hwa could hear a hint of a smile in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice.

    ¡°That means he¡¯s still alive. That¡¯s the trust we have in him.¡±

    Won-Hwa nodded as Lee Jun-Kyeong''s entire party looked over.

    "Horus...!"

    On the other side of the battlefield, the Hunters of Egypt, the Nile, were moving quickly. The Nile had been clearly defeated.

    Set had matched Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong to the very end even amid their relentless barrage of attacks, and he had even endured the almost miracle-like power of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s final attack.

    Still, Set was in that restriction now, and they had to take care of the still-breathing pharaoh candidate that was there in front of them.

    ¡°Lord Horus.¡±

    However, the majority of the Hunters of the Nile were looking at the rainbow-colored restriction with their mouths firmly shut, biting hard on their lower lips.

    ¡°...¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that they were waiting for Set.

    <i>¡®Just how¡­¡¯</i>

    Instead, they were waiting for a foreign stranger.

    Moreover, that person was from another secret organization, the Underdog.

    They were waiting for him.

    He had been bestowed the glory of Ra.

    <i>¡®Could he be another pharaoh candidate¡­¡¯</i>

    All of them, regardless of what they were doing, were filled with a deluge of emotions.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Baldur was shuddering as he let out heaving breaths.

    Breidablik.

    There had been countless explosions that sted through his Territory, disaster after disaster.

    The ck sun that had appeared briefly on the battlefield, and the energy that it had emitted as it disappeared had been led to Baldur¡¯s Territory using the restriction formed from the Bifrost.

    ¡°You fu¡­¡±

    The most beautiful Territory had been ruined.

    ¡°Still, you did good holding it back,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said from behind Baldur.

    He had worked with Baldur to reduce the impact of the explosion, but to be honest, he just mainly focused on recovering. Even if Baldur¡¯s Territory were to be ruined by this, it was not like it affected him in any way.

    After all, Baldur was a close ally of Odin, a close confidant who had absolute blind loyalty to the Asgardian ruler.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong actually hoped that Baldur would weaken as he would have to be on opposite sides with Odin someday.

    <i>¡®As for what¡¯s left¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized there was something left in the aftermath. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to obtain it during the fight against Set, it was better than nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll collect this debt for sure,¡± Baldur said to Lee Jun-Kyeong in a cold and angry voice.

    The explosion had been endured, and the shock that they had withstood through the Bifrost had also disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go back,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he ignored Baldur¡¯s words.

    Baldur¡¯s Territory was different from the Bifrost.

    It had no ability even remotely to move through time and space.

    <i>Ahhhh.</i>

    Thend that they stepped on with the sound of musical harmonies was back to where they had originally left, the middle of the devastated Cairo.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Baldur looked over thend where they were standing.

    It was devastating.

    <i>¡®Is this something a human¡­no¡­¡¯</i>

    This was a scene that he himself had brought on.

    A huge hole had appeared on the ground. The stones had disappeared almost as if they had been deleted like a file. Even though the typhoon of mana had supposedly dissipated, the aftermath of the trauma on the surroundings still weighed down on one¡¯s body.

    Theva that had been created through the use of King Yan, the King of Hell, was still there and burning through the ground.

    All of the remnants of the copsed pyramid had disappeared.

    It looked as if a meteorite had fallen from the sky.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe that this devastation had been at the hands of man, and that he had been a part of what had caused such destruction.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Set,¡± Baldur said, moving first.

    Although the possibility of the Hunter still being alive in this ce was remote, they still had to look just in case.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also moved.

    Because the Bifrost¡¯s restriction was still active, if he could find even the slightest clue, that alone would have been enough for him.

    However, the two didn¡¯t have to move very far.

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no reason for us to even look for him.¡±

    There was nowhere for them to even search. After all, nothing was left in this enormously vast hole, and not a single trace could be found.

    At that moment.

    [Mana stream has been activated.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong used a method that Baldur wasn¡¯t able to¨Cchasing the mana trail that had been left behind. The flow of mana was something that Baldur couldn¡¯t see, but Lee Jun-Kyeong could even sense the flow of the atmosphere, so he was able to use that method to search for any clues.

    Concentrating, he soon felt a huge bunch of mana.

    The abundant mana around them was pushed aside by a trajectory of mana with a constant flow.

    <i>Step.</i>

    "Did you find something?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head at Baldur''s voice, but then secretly picked something up.

    "This is..."

    It was a piece of ck cloth.

    This was somethingpletely ridiculous¨Cwhat was this piece of cloth made of such that it could be left in this devastation?

    <i>¡®The stone around us, or even the earth¡­ In a ce where nothing survived, to think something like this could be left here?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong secretly put the cloth away into his inventory.

    He would have to inspect the scent of mana that was imbued into the piece of clothter on his own.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to release the restriction,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Baldur. He had dropped all formalities and spoke roughly, looking down at the Hunter.

    At a moment of crisis, Baldur hade running to him only to save himself.

    <i>¡®He was fine with sacrificing everyone around us.¡¯</i>

    The bastard had asked him to use the Bifrost to take them away, thinking only of his own safety in the advent of the explosion.

    Although it wasn¡¯t necessarily a wrong thing to value one¡¯s own life, considering his position and power, it wasn¡¯t a choice he should have made.

    Even though he was someone with a Territory, even though he was someone with enough strength to at least find some way for everyone to survive, Baldur had chosen to let all of the ordinary people around them die for the sake of preserving his own Territory.

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t intervened, then the citizens of Cairo would have all been ughtered.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    As if he felt Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze, Baldur also had dropped all pretense.

    There was a subtle harshness to the air between the two.

    The rainbow restriction was lifted, and in its ce stood Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had ended the restriction after obtaining the piece of ck cloth.

    Slowly, countless gazes drifted over to their location. Countless people were looking at where they were.

    Even among those gazes.

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    Hispanions stood out to him.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at them with a weing expression, a voice cut through the air.

    "What did I tell you?¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°I told you he¡¯de back in style.¡±

    Of course, apart from his loud and boisterous voice, there was a gross stream of snot running down his face.

 Chapter 139: The Desertâ€™s Sun Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 139: The Desert¡¯s Sun Pt. 4</h4>

    The current state of Cairo could only be said to be appalling.

    Although it had been safe from the explosion of the ck sun, one of its most sacred pyramids had copsed, and the traces of the Hunters¡¯ battle had turned the city into a ruin.

    Cairo had turned into a restricted area, and the citizens of Egypt were at a loss as to how it had happened.

    ¨CHunters: Is it really okay to leave them like this?

    The entire world had been shaken.

    The existence of the Hunters had always been a concern in the worldview, but nothing this severe had ever happened.

    Hunters had fought openly in a capital, and the Association had sat on its hands. The power that the Hunters had unleashed was beyond imagination.

    The whole world was appalled.

    ¨CThe Ever-Increasing Hunters. The Day the Ordinary Person Loses Their Right to Stand Tall is Fast Approaching.

    There were quite a few articles urately reporting on this issue, but the Hunters stayed silent.

    Suddenly, the articles stopped appearing in the public eye¡ªthe secret organizations had made their move.

    Holding on tightly to governments, media, businesses, and even the Hunter Associations in each country, the secret organizations quickly moved to erase any story that mentioned the Hunters.

    However, as the situation had already gotten to where it was, the people were already sharing the relevant information among themselves.

    ¨CYou never know. Regr people like us really may end up being kicked out of our ownnd.

    The general public chatted about what had happened in Egypt whenever they gathered.

    To think that a fierce battle, one that had gotten to a point where part of a nation¡¯s capital hadpletely disappeared altogether, had happened before their very eyes.

    The more shocking part was that it wasn¡¯t a battle against monsters or even a gate.

    This was a battle between humans.

    The public realized they might not be able to stop the Hunters anymore. No, they were slowly realizing that the Hunters were already unstoppable.

    ¨CDisaster in Cairo, Egypt.

    ¨CCould This Actually Be the Influence of the Gates?

    The world media had eventually wrapped up the mess in Egypt by ming it as the aftermath of a gate, but it was already toote.

    Egypt¡¯s affairs spread like wildfire.

    Set.

    The devastation had happened because of the atrocities of a Hero and Hunter that people had already feared.

    Then, soon, the narrative turned elsewhere.

    ¨CSet. Who Was the One to Stop Him?

    Among the following topics, people were most interested in exactly who had been the one to hold Set at bay.

    After all, this was a Miraculous Hero who had held back the man who had raged and destroyed the capital.

    ¨CKorea¡¯s Underdog. He intervenes once again.

    The Underdog¡¯s name circted once again.

    ***

    "How are you feeling?"

    "I¡¯m fine."

    Won-Hwa was speechless at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response.

    Simply put, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s condition had been quite grave.

    He had absorbed an incredible force while treating Horus from Madness.

    Moreover,bining that with having to endure the sudden sponsorship of <The Desert¡¯s Sun>, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body had been like that of a torn changhoji.

    His body had been so fragile that it could have disintegrated just from a gust of wind, but it had somehow returned to normal.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right,¡± Won-Hwa responded incredulously.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s twisted and torn veins had returned to their original shape, and quite frankly, they seemed to be even stronger than before.

    ¡°You really¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa shook his head as he thought back to what Jeong In-Chang had said¨Cthat he would have to get used to it.

    ¡°You really are a monster.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly.

    They were in a hotel outside of Cairo. Both the pyramid, which had been the home of the Nile, and the amodation that they had originally been staying in had been destroyed by the battle with Set.

    The Hunters of the Nile had said that they would return to stay at the Association or their original homes. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who was drawing the attention of the entire world, so he couldn¡¯t stay in the middle of the capital.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll be there soon.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked out of the window as he recalled the message Yeo Seong-Gu had sent a few days ago.

    They were in a hotel on the outskirts of Cairo, but they could still see the capital through a window.

    It was something he had done with Set.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s my doing¡­¡¯</i>

    A disaster.

    There was a vast hole in the capital of a country.

    It was a disaster that could only be said to have been aplete and total devastation.

    Fortunately, when Set had rebelled, there had been no ordinary people in the vicinity due to the swift handling of evacuation by the Nile. Thus, they had been able to avoid having any ordinary people die pointlessly.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Anotherpanion of Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, opened the door and came in.

    ¡°It¡¯s all just crazy!¡± he said, shaking a newspaper he had gotten from who knows where that was written in Korean.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s raving about Underdog this, Underdog that! Mr. Lee, right now, you¡¯re¡­!¡±

    His face was red as if he was riled up as he shouted excitedly.

    ¡°You¡¯re at the top of the ¡®Do you know¡¯ club!¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Do you know¡¯ club¡­?¡± murmured Won-Hwa. He had learned Korean through Merlin¡¯s Ne, so he tilted his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand what Jeong In-Chang meant.

    <i>p.</i>

    Leaving Jeong In-Chang to talk his nonsense behind him, Lee Jun-Kyeong stole his newspaper.

    He couldn¡¯t find a single line regarding any articles about Hunters that had been filling the newspaper just days before.

    Instead, all that filled the newspapers was information about himself.

    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to shift their gazes¡­¡±

    The secret organizations had tried to wrap up the devastation as an influence of a gate, but failing to do so, it seemed as though they had decided to rile people up using the name of the Underdog.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong understood it.

    He was the right scapegoat to turn the people¡¯s attention away.

    Moreover, it was something that helped Lee Jun-Kyeong as well.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> is satisfied by your impressive reputation.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had yet to receive the title that represented a Hero. But now, he was finally seeing the possibility of receiving one from <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. This was something that he had originally not been able to even estimate when he would reach that point.

    <i>¡®The Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    The Demon King was often referred to as The Demon King instead of his given title, and he also had <The Sky of the Apocalypse> as his Sponsor.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that he would most likely inherit the Demon King¡¯s title.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know what the Demon King¡¯s title was though.¡¯</i>

    In fact, no one knew what it was.

    Even Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had the book of the Demon King, which was basically equivalent to the Demon King¡¯s autobiography, didn¡¯t know the Demon King¡¯s title.

    ¡°It looks like the public has been very surprised,¡± Jeong In-Chang suddenly said.

    Once Lee Jun-Kyeong finished reading the newspaper and put it down, he saw a different side to Jeong In-Chang. He smiled because he could see the Hunter showing a little bit of seriousness.

    "I suppose so."

    ¡°This is probably their first time seeing the power of Hunters in person¡­¡±

    There had been no video of the battle of Egypt, but videos portraying the aftermath, which resembled the crash site of a meteorite, were quickly spreading.

    ¡°Still, it isn¡¯t like just anyone could do something like this¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered.

    Although the Hunter was making excuses about the reaction, downying it by saying that not just any Hunter could cause such devastation, Lee Jun-Kyeong was satisfied with how the situation was unfolding.

    ¡°This actually is a much better result than I expected,¡± he said.

    Not only had his own reputation risen so much, but in fact, the world also needed to know what wasing anyway.

    He added, ¡°People should be wary of Hunters. The articles that appeared in the beginning weren¡¯t just nonsense or spection.¡±

    Things would be like the things that the articles had described. Hunters would dominate the public, and ordinary people would be reduced to livestock.

    They had to be vignt.

    Someday.

    <i>''Hunters will rule the world.''</i>

    The Hunters would have overwhelming power, and it was a power that transcended the control of money or authority.

    Moreover, that money and authority already belonged to the Hunters in the first ce.

    <i>¡®One day, ordinary people won¡¯t have any avenues ofpetitiveness.¡¯</i>

    When that timees, it would be an era of culling and domination.

    Only if they were wary of it from this point could they possibly change anything in the future.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to himself as he looked down at the newspaper he had ced down.

    ¡°Did I fail?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t talking about his eventual goal.

    He was referring to the reason why he hade to Egypt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was wondering if he had failed in trying to eliminate the variables to stop the present from continuing to change and preventing the future from shifting.

    After the battle with Set, Lee Jun-Kyeong had some time to think.

    ¡®<i>This was a ridiculous goal in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    His actions of trying toe to Egypt for the sake of eliminating a variable were meaningless.

    The act of trying to remove a variable was a variable in and of itself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized he had been stuck in trying to keep the timeline together. He had been fearful of Park Yu-Jin¡¯s trip to Olympus happening earlier than expected and the constantly changing present, which made him unable to think properly.

    However, the results of that change had been as satisfactory as the impact was big.

    "May I ask you one question?" Jeong In-Chang asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, enjoying the Hunter¡¯s genuinely curious voice, ¡°Depends on what you want to ask me.¡±

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    Almost scarily, as soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong finished talking, someone knocked at the door.

    "Mr. Underdog."

    A guest has arrived.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    ¡°Mr. Inebu.¡±

    It was Inebu, a Nile Hunter with whom they had be a little closer to.

    He spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a slightly serious smile.

    "Will youe with me?"

    ***

    They hadn¡¯t met with Horus yet after the battle with Set. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s condition had been serious for some time, it still wasn¡¯t as bad as Horus¡¯.

    His was a body damaged from being sealed for a long time,bined with the sudden absorption of Madness and a harrowing battle.

    Moreover, Horus had also been wounded countless times by Set.

    The Hunter needed immediate treatment and had been in recuperation for the past few days.

    <i>¡®The new¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, there was something else as well. The right to be the Pharaoh of the Nile.

    ¡°...¡±

    Inebu¡¯s expression as he walked forward wasn¡¯t good. It was inevitable as he was someone who belonged to the Nile.

    The Nile¡¯s home base had already copsed, and many members of the Nile, which had originally boasted arge body, had died.

    Moreover, there was <i>him</i> as well.

    <i>¡®Set.¡¯</i>

    There was a reason no one had been able to restrain him, even though they all had inklings that he would one day rebel.

    He had been one of the representative Heroes of the Nile.

    He, his men, the Jackals, even¡­

    [A Skull that Contains Souls is absorbing Anubis¡¯ soul.]

    [Absorption rate 31%.]

    Anubis.

    Most of the hunters who could be said to be strong in the Nile were now dead. At a time when special gates were still actively appearing, they had suffered indelible wounds.

    "The Nile is grateful to you, Mr. Underdog," Inebu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong while continuing to walk forward.

    They had arrived at the Egyptian Association, where the Nile was temporarily residing.

    <i>Bow.</i>

    People bowed their heads whenever they saw Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    It was the same as what Inebu had told him.

    They were grateful to him, full of respect on one hand.

    <i>¡®Could it be fear?¡¯</i>

    But, they also seemed to be showing fear.

    As those who had seen his fierce battle with Set, their reaction was natural in some ways, as they had seen strength wholly outside their level.

    In addition, some of them were even staring at Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party with a light in their eyes that made the party flustered.

    "Mr. Underdog...¡±

    Inebu began to exin further to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had noticed the party¡¯s difort.

    ¡°Even though you¡¯re not one of us, as you have received the glory of Ra¡­¡±

    Before the Hunters had ever appeared, even before the gates had appeared, even before mana had appeared, the glory of Ra was something that had always existed.

    The Egyptians were a people who believed in it, regardless of whether it was all a delusion or reality. Furthermore, they believed that anyone who had received the glory of Ra deserved to be the pharaoh of Egypt.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, once again, the right of Kingship has¡­¡±

    "I am not interested in the throne of Egypt,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said firmly as if ending the discussion on the subject.

    "I don''t want to cause any trouble." Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice was full of sincerity. ¡°Moreover, the glory or Ra or whatever you call it will disappear soon.¡±

    A subtle golden aura still enveloped Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> frowns at the light of the sun.]

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> is flustered.]

    His sponsorship hadn¡¯t faded just yet, but <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, who hadn¡¯t shown much reaction during his battle with Set, was slowly beginning toin.

    Anyways, due to the nature of <The Desert¡¯s Sun>, it would be impossible for it to even support multiple sponsorships.

    Moreover, if it was this bastard, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew that it was only natural for it to choose Horus.

    There was no reason for it to fight with the tough bastard named <The Sky of the Apocalypse> just to sponsor him.

    Inebu responded with all of his heart after hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong speak, ¡°I¡¯m sorry this had to even be brought up¡­ but thank you.¡±

    <i>Step.</i>

    The Hunter stopped.

    They had reached a crudely made shelter in an annex of the Egyptian Association.

    Compared to the pyramids, which had been the home of the Nile, it was a shabby ce.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to introduce myself so btedly.¡±

    There was Horus, still wrapped in bandages all over. He seemed to be better than before, but the flow of his mana was still not consistent, and his movements still seemed quite ufortable.

    Inebu hurriedly aided him up.

    "I owe you my life. Not only did you save the Nile, but you also saved me¡­¡±

    He came straight to the point without saying much.

    "You are a benefactor of Egypt."

    His eyes were visible through the bandages, and the red gem in his forehead continued to spew light.

    Around him, the Hunters began to gather.

    ¡°...¡±

    Isis, his mother.

    Bastet and Numek, who had aided him.

    Thoth and Sekhmet, who were the representatives of Memphis and Hermopolis.

    The Heroes who had survived with the Nile stood next to Horus and stared back at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Egypt is determined to grant you anything you may desire,¡± Horus continued. ¡°Thus, speak with ease. Whatever you may want¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chuckled inside. He had only juste to talk about a few things, so he couldn¡¯t believe they were treating him like this out of the blue.

    <i>¡®It seems they really are grateful.¡¯</i>

    The corner of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk as he opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Somewhere along the line, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s smirk disappeared.

    ¡°I want you all to change.¡±

    With it, his heavy voice rang through the hall.

    1. A Korean paper door. It is often used in older houses.

    2. This is a reference to the meme turned pseudo ranking of Korea, poprized by the video in which a Korean man asked, ¡°Do you know Psy? Do you know Gangnam Style?¡± to an American on the street. It¡¯sparable to being trending on Twitter.

 Chapter 140: The Desertâ€™s Sun Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 140: The Desert¡¯s Sun Pt. 5</h4>

    "I want you to change."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request was unexpected.

    However, they all nodded with stony expressions as if they understood what he had meant.

    ¡°...¡±

    Especially Horus.

    Even though it was difficult to see his face as it was wrapped in bandages, they could feel that he was making a serious expression.

    He had heard it from Inebu¡ªthat it hadn¡¯t been long since the Nile had changed. Originally, although the Nile had been a secret organization, it had still also respected the rights of the ordinary people.

    Or at least, it had before Horus had been sealed.

    However, Horus had been sealed in the midst of trying to obtain the power of the red gem, and Osiris had disappeared, leaving the Nile to undergo an uncontroble change.

    Thus, they responded in agreement.

    "Of course, we will."

    Horus had responded, dly epting Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request.

    ¡°Also, I was willing to do you any favor if it was something you wanted,¡± Horus said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    His shining eyes and the red gem matched strangely.

    ¡°As you, you are¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he was imagining the Hunter¡¯s lips curling into a smile.

    ¡°As you are the other Pharaoh of the Nile.¡±

    ¡°Lord Horus!¡±

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    Horus'' words shocked everyone. However, the Hunter continued resolutely.

    ¡°Everyone knows that the outsider, the Underdog, has been granted the glory of Ra. Would any of you deny it?¡±

    The person most embarrassed by this bombshell was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He quickly interrupted the Hunter, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the glory of Ra, it will soon disappear¡­¡±

    Horus nodded. ¡°I know that as well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned. ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    ¡°However, the fact that you have been granted the glory of Ra will not change. Even if you shed off the glory of Ra, that weak thing will remain¡­¡± Horus said as he pointed his finger to the gentle golden aura that exuded from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    Horus also then pointed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest.

    ¨CAren¡¯t we also connected through this?

    It was a voice that only Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear, as <The Desert¡¯s Sun> was still currently sponsoring both Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus at the same time.

    This was possible because their spirits were connected.

    Without even letting Lee Jun-Kyeong get another word in, Horus continued with conviction, ¡°I wish to bestow the outsider, Lee Jun-Kyeong, the title of the hidden pharaoh of the Nile. I will bestow upon him the seat of Amun.¡±

    ¡°Horus¡­!¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, I will rise to the position of Ra¡­¡±

    Amun was the hidden pharaoh of the Nile.

    Ra was the revealed pharaoh of the Nile.

    ¡°We will lead the Nile under the monarchy of Amun-Ra.¡±

    This was Horus¡¯ deration that was made with unyielding determination. He was clearly refusing to tolerate any opposition.

    ¡°In addition, at Amun¡¯s request, the Nile will change. I will no longer tolerate any discrimination between the ordinary humans and the Hunters, and will abolish thew that deres that Hunters have the right over the life and death of the ordinary people.¡±

    Horus was like a storm, building up as he continued hisst words as if he had been waiting for this moment.

    ¡°All of this will be done by Amun¡¯s, and my own will as Ra. Egypt will face a new change!¡±

    His deration had ended, and Lee Jun-Kyeong faced him, chewing on his lip.

    He knew what Horus was doing.

    However, if he refused this now, then he knew he would end up in a troublesome matter, so he had no choice but to shut up and let it happen.

    Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong just gave them some homework to do.

    ¡°We can only change if we survive.¡±

    To survive¡­

    Horus nodded in agreement with a firm expression.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An awkward silence traveled throughout the hall. It was the first time that he was alone with Horus.

    ¡°...¡±

    Earlier, Horus and Lee Jun-Kyeong had been sitting in the temporary residence of the Association, nked by many people.

    Now, the two were sipping coffee in silence.

    Horus made Lee Jun-Kyeong ufortable.

    Pharaoh.

    No matter how much it was said that Horus was a good man, Lee Jun-Kyeong still had some reluctance in the Hunter using the title of Pharaoh.

    <i>¡®Set also wanted to be Pharaoh.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Set had even said that he was doing this for the good of the ordinary people, regardless of how twisted his idea of good was. Lee Jun-Kyeong had stepped in to stop him simply because he had wanted to be a Pharaoh.

    He had been worried that Set would establish absolute power and, with his extraordinary lifespan, characteristic of a powerful Hunter, dominate everyone.

    Therefore, that was why he had fought Set. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to defeat him, it was still the reason why he had helped Horus to the throne.

    <i>¡®Pharaoh.¡¯</i>

    .

    Now, Horus had also be a king.

    The other Hunter suddenly said, "Please don''t worry too much about this."

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly looked up as the Hunter was speaking formally for the first time.

    He, who had climbed to the position of pharaoh.

    He, who had established his authority, had always spoken down to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that the Hunter was doing it naturally due to his position, but it had been his misunderstanding.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about when there are a lot of people around us, but it should be okay to be like this when it¡¯s just the two of us.¡±

    It seemed as though the Hunter knew the weight of the seat he held.

    Therefore, when there was an audience around them, Horus would show the severity of his authority by speaking down to Lee Jun-Kyeong, but now, when it was just them, his entire demeanor had changed.

    He spoke again.

    "I don''t like the position of Pharaoh, either."

    He was a different character than Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought.

    ¡°Are you upset that I read your heart?¡± he asked Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong had forgotten that they could read each other¡¯s inner thoughts, or at least what was directly under the surface, as they were both still sponsored by <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I¡­¡±

    Horus slowly unwrapped his bandages and said, "I intend to abolish the monarchy of the Nile."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that he had beenpletely fused with the bandages, but the Hunter had taken the bandages off of his face and showed his appearance to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Damn it,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought, unknowingly cursing internally.

    The Hunter was so handsome. It was to the point where he could p Baldur.

    In particr, the red gem embedded in his forehead was shining quite regally, and it matched his appearance quite well.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ah. I apologize.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hurriedly apologized as he realized that Horus had read his inner thoughts, while Horus seemed embarrassed.

    Now that the other man¡¯s face had been revealed, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s first impression was that the Hunter was handsome, but his second thought was different.

    "You''re younger than I thought."

    He was young.

    Horus, whom he had thought would have been older than himself, looked at best barely twenty.

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Horus asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just different from what I had imagined.¡±

    Horus smiled slightly.

    ¡°To think you want to abolish the throne¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Horus.

    ¡°The times have changed. Moreover¡­isn¡¯t the lifespan of a Hunter limitless in some cases? It¡¯s too dangerous for someone like that to be able to hold absolute power,¡± Horus continued, his face expressing his determination.

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m not sure when I will change.¡±

    Although he was for themon people now, his essence was still human.

    He was a human being, someone whose whims were as fickle as time was long.

    He would be a saint if he took authority while he was a good man, but the moment he changed, he could be more of a tyrant than Set.

    Horus knew exactly what could happen.

    "It¡¯s a good idea,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong simply replied.

    Horus nodded, content, and continued, ¡°Uncle Set is most likely still alive.¡±

    To think he could still use honorifics regarding someone who had killed his father.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could gauge Horus¡¯ character from the way he spoke.

    He was reliable.

    "I suppose so," Lee Jun-Kyeong replied while also nodding.

    ¡°I cannot leave Egypt for the time being,¡± Horus said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could anticipate what he would ask next.

    ¡°Will you find Uncle Set for me?¡±

    He wanted him to find Set, who hadn¡¯t died.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered it for a while, but soon nodded.

    ¡°I was wondering who was supporting him from behind anyway. I¡¯ll let you know if I find him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Also, his backing¡­¡±

    Horus'' eyes glowed.

    "I''ve seen who is backing him."

    ***

    The gloomy Egypt had be noisy again.

    They were at Cairo International Airport.

    There were a lot of people there as the destruction in the capital hadn¡¯t touched it. The crowd of people was sorge that it was impossible for anyone to distinguish their race or nationality.

    Countless people had gathered at Cairo International Airport.

    Of course, most of them were journalists from all over the world.

    The reason why they had gathered here was that important people wereing into Cairo today.

    "They''re here!"

    "Everyone, get ready!"

    Many leading members of the Associations had gathered here.

    They had expressed deep concerns over what had happened in Egypt and had gathered to discuss how they would proceed into the future.

    Japan, Africa, the United States, and even Europe¡ªpeople from all over the world had begun to appear at the airport.

    <i>sh, sh, sh, sh!</i>

    Reporters were constantly pressing their camera shutters as if to capture even one more cut.

    ¡°How do you n on proceeding into the future?¡±

    ¡°How much international aid do you n on offering Cairo?¡±

    The din was so loud that it was a mystery if the reporters could even hear the answers.

    They kept shouting and pressing their shutters, but no one answered.

    ¡°...¡±

    They just hurried forward with serious expressions.

    A spectacle.

    The Cairo International Airport had be a fitting ce to use that word.

    The reporters started buzzing again.

    ¡°It¡¯s Korea!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Korean Association!¡±

    They heralded the arrival of the country that the world was currently paying the most attention to due to their hero, the Underdog.

    Korea.

    The figures of the Korean Association began to arrive one after the other.

    They also crossed the international airport with grave expressions and heavy steps.

    ¡°It¡¯s Yeo Seong-Gu!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Yeo Seong-Gu of the League Guild!¡±

    ¡°He keeps appearing as a public representative, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that the President of the Korean Association is supporting him!¡±

    Another popr name in Korea was Yeo Seong-Gu.

    The Hero, who had the title of Heimdall, was also deeply engraved into people¡¯s memories.

    Nothing about him had been revealed yet, but just appearing on behalf of the Association in public was more than enough to represent his power and authority.

    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor that the next President of the Association will be Heimdall.¡±

    The enthusiasm of the press reached its climax as journalists shouted enthusiastically at the unprecedented scoop.

    The reason why the Heroes had gathered in Cairo wasn''t a good thing, but it didn''t matter to reporters, as the series of breaking news was more than enough to give the reporters some catharsis.

    ¡°Ohh!!!¡±

    Behind them, a reporter filming the Heroes who were leaving at the international airport¡¯s entrance began to shout.

    Like a tumultuous wave, a series of shouts continued to the center of the international airport.

    "Wow!!!!"

    The shouting became louder and eventually became a roar that felt like it shook the building.

    shes, brighter than the sunlight, filled the airport.

    Someone shouted, "It''s the Underdog!"

    They had only found traces of him in Egypt repeatedly. It was said that the tourism revenue of Cairo had even doubled due to the number of journalists residing in Cairo in order to take a photo of the Underdog.

    The enthusiasm of the journalists now made sense.

    <i>FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH!</i>

    The reporters cleared the way while they took pictures.

    For those who normally ignored the words, consideration, or family, in front of a scoop, the reason they had made way was simple.

    <i>Step. Step.</i>

    There was an even greater scoop, and they moved to the side to take even more treasured pictures.

    Finally.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Korea¡¯s hottest trending people had met.

    The Underdog and Heimdall.

    The two stood, facing each other.

    <i>FLASH, FLASH, FLASH, FLASH!</i>

    They were apanied by an explosion of shes. The two smiled at each other and embraced one another.

    <i>Squeeze!</i>

    It was an incredibly newsworthy scene.

    Also, it was a perfect scoop for journalists.

    "What''s the rtionship between you two?"

    "Are you the guardian of the Underdog?"

    Ignoring the questions from the reporters, the two ended their hug. Looking at each other, Heimdall and the Underdog¡¯s expressions were not good.

    They soon turned to the exit of the international airport.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Eventually, they walked away in silence.

    ***

    "Is that true?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Yeo Seong-Gu with a stony expression.

    They were in a car on their way to the Egyptian Association, where the meeting would take ce.

    They had made sure there were no wires or anyone who could eavesdrop in the car with them. That was how important their conversation was.

    "Yes. It¡¯s true."

    Baldur, Oh Hyeong-Seok.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had originally thought that it was strange that he, who was supposed to have weed Yeo Seong-Gu with him, had suddenly left for Korea a few days ago. However, it made sense if he had that sort of reason.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured to himself with subdued eyes as he looked out the window, ¡°Odin¡­¡±

    The man was missing.

    1. It seems the author has doubled the usage of Amun, as Inebu was said to have the title Amun.

    2. Shadows the progression of Ra in Egyptian mythos. Ra eventually wasbined with Amun to be Amun-Ra in Egypt¡¯s Empire stage, the New Kingdom. Their fusion heralded the peak of Ancient Egypt¡¯s power.

    3. Horus has been speaking down this entire time, speaking as a ruler to his subjects, even to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

 Chapter 141: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm

    <h4>Chapter 141: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm</h4>

    The news that Yeo Seong-Gu had brought with him to Egypt was shocking.

    <i>¡®Odin¡¯s disappearance.¡¯</i>

    The President of the Korean Association.

    The Ruler of Asgard.

    He, the hidden owner of Korea, had suddenly disappeared.

    After the conference regarding the Nile in Asgard ended, he, who would always remain behind alone in order to organize his thoughts, had disappeared.

    ¡°Asgard has dered an emergency,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°The influence Odin has is too great for us to be able to fill his vacancy easily.¡±

    ¡°Where in the world could he have gone?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu just shook his head as if to express that no one had any idea, and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened.

    <i>¡®What timing.¡¯</i>

    To think he had disappeared just as the cataclysm was approaching.

    If this were before the cataclysm, then Lee Jun-Kyeong would have weed the news that the Association president had disappeared.

    However.

    ¡°We cannot do this without him.¡±

    In theing cataclysm, Odin¡¯s presence was necessary.

    ¡°Who knows? However, he¡¯s not someone who could just be attacked or kidnapped by just anyone. Moreover, thest ce he had been seen was his own Territory, Asgard, so¡­¡±

    The consensus was that no one had harmed him.

    ¡°Most likely, he disappeared off to somewhere,¡± Yeo Seong-Gumented.

    Odin was strong, and there wasn¡¯t a single person on the that could hurt him in his own Territory.

    Therefore, Asgard had concluded that Odin had disappeared because he himself had wanted to.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Of all the times to¡­¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about this. I¡¯ve at least told him about the cataclysm, as you mentioned, and he had been preparing in his own way,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t make much of a difference if he¡¯s not there. Of course, it¡¯s still a little regretful.¡±

    "That''s a relief,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°No matter. Anyway, the fact is that one of the Zeniths has disappeared. We have to handle the work here quickly and return,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu finished.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in agreement.

    He felt uneasy.

    <i>¡®Although I already decided to just take advantage of the variables¡­¡¯</i>

    To think Odin had disappeared.

    It was still a bigger change than he could have expected.

    He wondered if this was a change also rted to his own existence.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way it isn¡¯t.¡¯</i>

    History would follow the path that had been carved.

    It was obvious that if it weren¡¯t for him, a rock that diverted its flow, the ripples of history would have flowed the way that they had been.

    Odin¡¯s disappearance wasn¡¯t in the original history of his past.

    <i>¡®Then I¡¯ve created an impact on this timeline.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s actions had likely been a factor of the Association President¡¯s disappearance.

    He pondered over the situation.

    What could he have done?

    <i>¡®What caused Odin to disappear?¡¯</i>

    For some reason, that topic seemed to be important.

    ***

    Korea¡¯s Asgard wasn¡¯t the only organization that hade to Egypt to visit the Nile.

    All of the world¡¯s secret organizations and prominent Heroes had gathered here.

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been allowed to participate in this meeting thanks to his elevated reputation.

    <i>¡®These people¡­¡¯</i>

    They were the Heroes of the world.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was surprised once again.

    This was the first time he had seen this group of people and the first time he had been able to meet Heroes from around the world in this manner.

    Asgard.

    The Nile.

    The Round Table.

    He had seen many different Heroes while visiting various secret organizations, but the Heroes in front of him were those who represented each organization around the world.

    <i>¡®How strong.¡¯</i>

    Of course, some of them fell short of his own level as he had be much stronger. However, most of the Heroes here were exuding a force to be reckoned with.

    ¡°...¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong observed them, they also observed him. After all, he was the main character who was making the world blow up.

    He rampaged through any incident like a typhoon, solving it in his wake.

    An emerging power.

    ¡°The Underdog..." someone said while looking in his direction. Everyone¡¯s attention was on him.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since he had joined his organization.

    <i>¡®Are they considering poaching me?¡¯</i>

    Most of the Heroes looked at him with favorable gazes. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he had joined an organization, but he was still growing this rapidly¡ªno, now, he had grown to be a Hunter who had somewhat reached their level.

    It was obvious that he would be a mouthwatering prey for them.

    Despite all that, Lee Jun-Kyeong and the Hunters weren¡¯t at this ce to greet one another today.

    ¡°We offer our condolences regarding the ident in Egypt.¡±

    This was about Set¡¯s rebellion in Egypt. They had gathered to discuss the damage the rebellion had caused.

    ¡°Takamagahara is willing to offer a number of Heroes to aid in Egypt¡¯s restoration.¡±

    Moreover, they had gathered to discuss how to take away the weakened Egypt¡¯s power.

    A hero named Yashin from Japan¡¯s secret organization, Takamagahara, had spoken.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know his name or face, as he had never heard of this Hunter¡¯s name or title, but he was one of the top five present.

    Among the numerous Hunters gathered, Yashin showed an overwhelming strength.

    Many of those gathered, led by Yashin, said that they would send aid to Egypt, but their actual meaning was entirely different.

    <i>¡®They have deeply hidden intentions. They want to take control over Egypt by having their Heroes stationed here.¡¯</i>

    They intended to swallow the power of the weakened Nile.

    Horus, the one in the center of all of thismotion, listened in silence.

    Moreover, some of the Hunters also expressed hostility.

    ¡°Egypt has caused the status of Hunters around the world to degrade because of what had happened here.¡±

    Their purpose wasn¡¯t just to nibble away at the Nile. They wanted to destroy the organization, the Nile.

    ¡°How do you n on making amends for it?¡± someone asked aggressively.

    They had the aim of eliminating the organization called the Nile in its entirety. Most of the secret organizations of Egypt¡¯s neighboring countries had that purpose.

    Those who had given Lee Jun-Kyeong friendly looks quickly changed the light in their eyes as they became predators looking for food.

    Horus had taken over a huge organization at such a young age and seemed unfamiliar with the whole situation.

    ¡°Still, looks like he has a little tenacity to him,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu whispered quietly to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Is Asgard not going to participate in those matters?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong whispered in response.

    ¡°The conclusion at the conference was that we would withdraw and not be involved in the Nile¡¯s affairs. Moreover¡­¡±

    With a simple answer, Yeo Seong-Gu continued while whispering.

    ¡°It can be said that we have already be beings who have obtained enough influence in the Nile, anyway.¡±

    Everyone knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong had helped save the Nile.

    The Nile owed Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Asgard, the organization to which he belonged, an incredible debt.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be the case,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered jokingly, but Yeo Seong-Gu answered seriously as they continued to speak.

    ¡°Well, I mean, that¡¯s better for me. I don¡¯t want Asgard to get any stronger.¡±

    While everyone here was talking about Egypt, only Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu were talking among themselves.

    ¡°...¡±

    Horus¡¯ eyes met with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s.

    At that moment, as Lee Jun¨CKyeong began to feel a sense of mysterious anxiety, Horus began to speak.

    ¡°Egypt has already decided where we will receive the aid, and with whom we will be sharing deep ties with in the future.¡±

    His anxiety had be a reality.

    Horus¡¯ voice was dignified, and with his power of Madness, it spread out over the crowd, pressuring countless Heroes.

    "Don''t tell me..."

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong anxiously.

    Horus¡¯ next words sealed their fate.

    ¡°Asgard. The fate of Egypt will be left to Asgard, Korea, or, to be exact, with the Underdog.¡±

    ¡°Fu¡­¡±

    ¡°Fu¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu both lowered their heads at the same time and said the same thing.

    They could feel a stinging re from all around the room.

    As before, although there definitely still was a mix of favorable gazes, they could feel that many of the gazes had changed slightly.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re wary now.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly raised his head as he felt the gazes upon him.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> covers its mouth andughs.]

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> shakes its head.]

    He could hear the notifications of the Sponsors, oneughing as if he was screwed.

    This wasn¡¯t something they had discussed with Horus.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t that an expansion of power would be an issue.

    <i>¡®Odin¡¯s absence cannot be revealed.¡¯</i>

    For arge secret organization like Asgard, they didn¡¯t know what hyenas would try to prey upon them if Odin¡¯s absence was revealed.

    At this point, if they drew attention to these circumstances for no particr reason, only the ordinary humans would be in danger if these Hunters were to use their powers again to target Egypt and Asgard together.

    <i>¡®And the cataclysm is approaching too¡­¡¯</i>

    At this point, where it was possible that they could all fall into the path of unnecessary mutual destruction¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand why Horus had done what he had without discussing it with them, but it wasn¡¯t good.

    He had been trying to empower Lee Jun-Kyeong, and it had also been a good move in order to consider the safety of Egypt and maintain power, but it wasn¡¯t a good move in their current situation.

    At that point, Yeo Seong-Gu began to speak. "At present, Asgard...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly stopped Yeo Seong-Gu from continuing.

    ¡°...¡±

    His brain had spun quickly, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had found an answer.

    ¡°Before we talk about cooperation or aid for Egypt, there is something that I should say in advance.¡±

    He had gazes of caution.

    Gazes of goodwill.

    And now, even gazes filled with curiosity.

    Yeo Seong-Gu paused, momentarily staying quiet.

    Everyone in the conference hall, including Horus, looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Set. This is something I had heard from him when we fought.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes seemed to shine. To think the Underdog had information that he had obtained from Set.

    Whatever it was, if it was information that Lee Jun-Kyeong could monopolize, then it must have been valuable. That was what Lee Jun-Kyeong was trying to insinuate.

    Some of the observers were even looking down on Lee Jun-Kyeong, thinking that he was immature, as they felt that the reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought it up was that the Hunter had a fiery sense of justice.

    For Hunters of their caliber, trying to share valuable information with everyone was something they couldn''t understand.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what you have to say.¡±

    Still, it wasn¡¯t their job to understand.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at everyone, and Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at him as if he was still anxious about the situation. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong put his hand on Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s shoulder, as if to let the Hunter know not to worry, and said, ¡°He said that something wasing.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused and then slowly continued, ¡°He said that something big, a huge crisis wasing.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words weighed heavily on the conference hall.

    ¡°For those of you that are here, you should be fully aware of everything that is happening now, including the special gates that are randomly appearing.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong watched over everyone.

    ¡°And that the concentration of mana is getting thicker.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Some of the people nodded, and Yeo Seong-Gupletely rxed his expression and folded his arms in relief as if he had noticed why Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought up this story.

    ¡°Set said that this was an omen.¡±

    ¡°What omen could¡­¡± someone asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong firmly stated, ¡°Cataclysm.¡±

    Could a single word cause this much of a reaction?

    A tiny, insignificant word.

    They, who hadn¡¯t understood what Lee Jun-Kyeong was saying properly, suddenly hardened their expressions as if they had realized something big.

    ¡°Gates appeared, and then, the Hunters. It¡¯s been a while since then. Do you really think that there won¡¯t be a simr change again?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked them.

    ¡°Set was talking about that. That a cataclysm ising.¡±

    However, some of the Heroes had ugly expressions, and Lee Jun-Kyeong then tried to solve their questions before they asked.

    ¡°Set tried to recruit me.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why he had told me those things.¡±

    This time, even Horus seemed flustered.

    ¡°Set told me. Someone with enormous power is making moves to rule and conquer the world. He also said that he worked for this being, and he reached out for me to join them as well.¡±

    Everyone seemed to be shocked.

    But then, they heard a snort.

    ¡°Utter nonsense.¡±

    It was the hero from Japan, Yashin of Takamagahara, again. He was a strong and unknown Hunter.

    Yashin spoke as he red clearly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to raise your value a little too much? Underdog, while it¡¯s true that you¡¯re strong, I don¡¯t think it is enough for Set to try to rope in someone that he had never met before.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t all he said either.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­to rule and conquer the world. I don¡¯t know if you just watch too many movies or whatever¡­¡± he said insidiously.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded without being flustered, ¡°Then, what are all of your goals?¡±

    A pointed question poked at the gathering.

    ¡°What is the ultimate purpose of the secret organizations you belong to?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­!¡± Yashin interrupted. ¡°Of course it is for the salvation and safety of mankind. We make our moves with mankind in mind, sacrificing¡­¡±

    ¡°Then it would be better for us all to move as one, integrated organization, not as individual smaller ones,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, cutting off Yashin.

    ¡°One¡¯s own benefit. Moreover, reigning over one¡¯s realm. Isn¡¯t that your purpose?¡±

    The gazes were full of caution, and behind them, hostility.

    However. Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t finished just yet.

    ¡°To be fair, it doesn¡¯t matter what your purpose is. What does matter is that someone stronger than you is making moves to dominate everything. That person is¡­¡±

    There was a momentary silence.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it important that <i>that person</i> has predicted the cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Although Egypt¡¯s issues are important¡­ if they¡ªno, if that person¡¯s purpose is conquering the world, then your domains will never be safe.¡±

    Only the sound of the weight of people¡¯s breathing could be heard.

 Chapter 142: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 2</h4>

    The meeting had ended.

    Even after the Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong, had brought up the words of Set, the meeting had continued to discuss Egypt¡¯s reconstruction. However, no one could remain focused on the meeting.

    Everyone was thinking about what Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    In the amodations provided to the Korean Association, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu were in Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s room.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mention of the cataclysm had left a sour taste in Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s mouth, as it had been a mix of confidential information and information of the future.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how your words will affect us. The butterfly effect. Those people are the ones who drive the world, and the world can, and will, change as they make their moves.¡±

    That was what Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to be worried about. About the reactions people would have after learning about the cataclysm.

    However.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I¡¯m sure about,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong firmly replied to the Hunter. "That a lot of people will be able to survive."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Based on the information we gave them regarding the cataclysm, they will try to make sure that they don¡¯t lose their benefits. Therefore, their choice will be to defend their country in any way possible. That means that more people will survive in the cataclysm than in my history.¡±

    The collision with Set had been unexpected and unthinkable.

    However, if there was anything that they had gained from shing with him, it was a chance for him to convince the world¡¯s secret organizations about the cataclysm.

    No one would have believed what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said if it weren¡¯t for the terrifying existence of Set.

    No matter how much Lee Jun-Kyeong had built a reputation, and no matter how strong he would be, they wouldn¡¯t have believed anything he would have had to say.

    However.

    With Set, he was able to persuade them with his presence.

    ¡°You cheeky little brat,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said ambiguously as if he was saying both apliment and a curse. However, the smile around his mouth expressed something pleasant.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s wish them all the best,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he closed his eyes.

    The activated mana stream showed him the flow around him. It wasn¡¯t just the flow confined to his body like it had been in the battle against Set, but it was the flow around it this time.

    He could feel the flow beyond his body, the flow in the air.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his eyes.

    <i>¡®The change¡­¡¯</i>

    He could feel it; the mana vortex was beginning.

    The mana flow was swirling like a torrent around him due to the mana stream.

    ***

    ¡°To think he said it was a cataclysm¡­¡±

    Yashin was a Hero of Takamagahara, Japan¡¯s secret organization, and was a hidden influential figure.

    His identity was confidential to the outside world as it was rumored that he¡¯d be the next head of Takamagahara. Such an important figure had gotten directly involved in this affair of Egypt.

    <i>¡®And just when I was trying to absorb the power of Egypt and make some contributions¡­¡¯</i>

    At that point, he had heard a ridiculous tale.

    To think someone would say a cataclysm. He knew that the information could be false.

    He couldn¡¯t guess as to why they would, but it was still possible that they could leak false information for some reason.

    <i>¡®Could it be to benefit Asgard somehow?¡¯</i>

    However, he had also gotten reports that the rtionship between the Underdog and Asgard had many subtleties within it.

    He wondered then if it could be for personal gain.

    But still, at that point, what benefit could it bring the Underdog to tell the organizations to strengthen their defenses?

    It was a difficult problem to judge easily.

    Moreover, on top of that.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked a person with long, straight hair.

    It was a woman dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono.

    With Yashin was a woman that no one had seen before, neither at the airport nor at the meeting. She was a peculiar woman. Her eyes were wrapped in bandages as if she was blind, and the sound of her breathing was strange, almost as if she wasn¡¯t breathing at all.

    Yashin asked her again, ¡°Didn¡¯t you also foretell danger?¡±

    The woman wore the robes of a shaman and was someone who could never leave his side, as if she was another side of his being.

    However, that existence was also why he hated such a creature.

    She was a prophet.

    "Uh¡­ Uh¡­"

    Slowly her mouth opened.

    Her appearance was beautiful, butpletely unlike that alluring appearance, her voice was almost boundlessly murky. A voice simr to that of a corpse and a snake, came out of her mouth.

    "A disaster...ising...close¡­"

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She had been repeating for weeks that disaster wasing. Because Yashin was someone who listened to what she had to say, he found it hard to dismiss what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said.

    ¡°To think he called it a cataclysm¡­¡±

    He had been thinking about it for quite some time, and in the end, he got up from his seat.

    "Get ready."

    He had decided that he needed to listen more about this ¡°cataclysm.¡±

    "I need to see the Underdog.¡±

    ***

    After arriving at the Korean Association¡¯s amodations where the Underdog was staying, Yashin waspletely stunned.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ambiguous gazes stared back at one another.

    Most of the people that he had seen at the conference hall were present here.

    The Heroes of each country, the strong members of each secret organization, hade here to find the Underdog¡¯s amodations.

    "Are you all here because of the cataclysm?¡± Yashin asked them as he couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity.

    However, he didn¡¯t expect to hear an answer back so easily.

    "Yes,¡± a man in a neat suit stepped forward and said.

    Yashin knew his name and where he was from.

    <i>¡®The Freemasons of America.¡¯</i>

    They were the secret organization of the United States, and this man was a promising Hero there.

    The United States had been one of the countries that had suffered the most when the gates had appeared.

    It wasn¡¯t from damage from the advent of gates or of monsters. Instead, it was because they were quite short of Heroes.

    For some reason, the number of Heroes that they had was extremely small, despite thergend mass and the high poption density.

    The United States had be a small Hunter country, a country that had lost its light.

    ¡°If what the Underdog says is true¡­we need to discuss how to proceed once again. It¡¯s an important issue for us,¡± the man from the Freemasons said to Yashin.

    Everyone seemed to feel the same way, and the countries with fewer Heroes even showed signs of anxiety.

    <i>¡®Even greater disasters could arrivepared to when the gates had first appeared.¡¯</i>

    The Underdog¡¯s words had conviction behind them, and they left those in the conference hall frightened.

    Yashin bit his lip for a moment, and then asked a question.

    ¡°So, then, where is the Underdog?¡±

    He had asked about where the Underdog was. Although they were all gathered in front of the Underdog¡¯s amodation, the crowd was only standing around in front of it.

    ¡°They say he¡¯s in the middle of a meeting with Horus.¡±

    ¡°Horus¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Horus. It seems that the bond between Egypt and the Underdog is deeper than we had thought.¡±

    Yashin thought to himself, even with the supposed meeting, to think so many Heroes would just quietly wait.

    There might have been differences in their levels of strength, but he still couldn¡¯t believe that these Hunters, Hunters with incredible strength and status, had been left to just wait out by the entrance.

    <i>¡®What in the hell are they talking about that is this important?¡¯</i>

    Yashin looked over at the amodations with a curious gaze. However, not a single Hero rushed forward to interrupt the Underdog.

    At this moment, the Undergod was the one to unveil the information about the cataclysm.

    He was the one who held the handle of the knife.

    Therefore, everyone here knew that they shouldn¡¯t go against the temper of the one holding the handle if they needed the help of the de.[1]

    ***

    ¡°The cataclysm¡­did Set really tell you about it?¡±

    The reason that Horus visited Lee Jun-Kyeong was simple. The Hunter had unveiled something that Horus didn¡¯t know. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had even leaked it in front of everyone.

    The fear of the implications behind it were what had brought him here.

    Horus looked pale from worry.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything from Set,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me what he did say then?¡± Horus asked.

    Taking some time to think about it, Lee Jun-Kyeong then told him the truth, ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    For Lee Jun-Kyeong, deceiving Horus was harder than deceiving anyone else.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> watches over its two Transcendents.]

    The Desert¡¯s Sun was watching, and the two were connected by one Sponsor.

    Although one of the two would soon lose their sponsorship, at this moment, because the connection was still maintained, they were unable to lie to the other.

    ¡°Then why did you make such a lie¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°It wasn¡¯t aplete lie. Even you know, Lord Horus, that there is someone standing behind him, and¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? That we had to find a way to survive.¡±

    ¡°Wait, then was that regarding¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°Yes. I was speaking about the cataclysm.¡±

    Horus paused for a moment, but soon, his questions followed rapidly.

    ¡°Just how?¡±

    As expected, Horus was asking the questions that Lee Jun-Kyeong had predicted.

    ¡°Just how in the world do you know these things, Mr. Underdog?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky for a moment at Horus''s question.

    <i>¡®<The Sky of the Apocalypse>.¡¯</i>

    He spoke to the bastard.

    <i>¡®<Can you block the gaze of <The Desert¡¯s Sun>?¡¯</i>

    He rarely asked <The Sky of the Apocalypse> for a favor, so this was something that seemed to even surprise the Sponsor as well.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks over at you.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> blinks its eyes.]

    This was because it was rare for the Sponsor to listen to his requests.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t the only one, either. The Incarnations, the Sponsors, usually wouldn¡¯t do any favors for the Hunters that they sponsored, just providing support as they pleased.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed for a moment.

    While Horus had been a reliable and trustworthy man, it wasn¡¯t easy for Lee Jun-Kyeong to still tell him the truth.

    He wondered.

    Could Horuspletely be an ally?

    For someone of such strength, making a mana contract wasn¡¯t an easy task, and there wasn¡¯t any reason for him to sign one in his position.

    There was only one method then.

    ¡°Can I trust you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The most primitive method.

    He had no choice but to just talk to the other person.

    ¡°You may not want to hear what I have to say,¡± he continued.

    The past and the future that had already happened.

    Egypt had been absent during it all, and this was about a future where the Hunters would rule the entire world.

    This was a story that Horus might not easily be able to handle.

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to it.¡±

    However, he was still a Pharaoh.

    A Pharaoh that stood above all, whether he liked it or not.

    ¡°I am¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke with difficulty. "From the future."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was silence and then Horus¡¯ mouth twitched.

    There was an air of holding back hisughter, and Lee Jun-Kyeong briefly let his stoic expression break at Horus¡¯ughter, someone who had only shown a serious side so far.

    After seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face, Horus recognized that the Hunter wasn¡¯t joking.

    ¡°Don''t tell me¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°People have been waiting for a while outside. Hurry up,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s voice suddenly followed. Thus, a short conversation rapidly ensued, speaking about the future events.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong confided in Horus, while Horus¡¯ expression was changing from time to time.

    The clock was running.

    ***

    The meeting had ended, but those who had gathered in the conference hall had gathered again.

    This time, they were in the amodations of the Korean Association, which, while not narrow, weren¡¯trge enough tofortably amodate them all.

    They were all looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The first thing someone said was, ¡°Is there something you want?¡±

    It was a Hero from the Freemasons of the United States.

    He had suddenly asked Lee Jun-Kyeong what he had wanted out of the blue.

    ¡°I want to recruit you to the United States, Mr. Underdog. We will grant you whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Everyone was flustered by the man¡¯s sudden offer. The reason why everyone had gathered here was to hear more about the cataclysm, but to think that someone would suddenly bring up a recruitment offer.

    Before anyone could raise an objection, the Hero from the Freemasons continued, ¡°Whatever it is you could want¡­we¡¯ll grant it for you. Thus, would you join the United States?¡±

    His eyes looked desperate.

    "The United States is weak. If what you say is true, then the United States will be at the greatest risk considering weck Heroes,¡± he said, looking desperate to the point where he might have gone on his knees.

    ¡°Please,e to the United States. We will do whatever it is that you desire.¡±

    Everyone was taken aback.

    The United States¡¯ offer of recruitment was sudden and unconventional.

    It was true that Lee Jun-Kyeong was a strong Hero. However, he wasn¡¯t so strong that he should have been offered that incredible of an offer. If the United States really did need such a Hero, then they could have just made a simr offer to someone even stronger.

    While the United States really did have fewer Heroes than some of the other countries, it wasn¡¯t so bad that its past of being a world superpower had disappeared.

    This was an iprehensible offer of recruitment.

    <i>''The United States knows something.¡¯</i>

    The look in everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly changed.

    Although it was true that they had gathered here to ask about the cataclysm, it wasn¡¯t until this moment that they realized that the approaching cataclysm might actually be real.

    They realized it because of the United States¡¯ actions.

    Their intelligence was at a level that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Based on whatever information they had gathered, it was enough to make such an offer to Lee Jun-Kyeong. That meant that Lee Jun-Kyeong was such a preciousmodity that they were desperate enough to grab him. Desperate enough such that this Hunter was willing to beg in front of everyone.

    "The Philippines will wee you!"

    "Australia...!¡±

    Suddenly, urgent voices rang through the room.

    The most flustered one in the room, however, was Yeo Seong-Gu. As soon as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    ¡­Lee Jun-Kyeong showed him a small smile that only he could see.

    <i>¡®This can¡¯t be¡­¡¯</i>

    An idea popped in Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s head, but before he could even ask, a voice rang out over the din.

    ¡°Come to Japan.¡±

    It was Yashin. He had looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoken.

    He was a member of one of the powerful Hunter countries. Among the Heroes gathered here, Yashin had the ability to reach the top.

    The mana contained in his words weighed down on everyone and pushed pressure on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Whatever it is that you may want¡­¡±

    However, right before Yashin could finish speaking, the building began to vibrate.

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    Someone shouted from outside the door, ¡°It¡¯s an earthquake!¡±

    However, the Heroes'' expressions were different as they heard the sound of the ground shaking.

    Their expressions were more surprised and hardened.

    This, this was something different.

    ¡°A gate has copsed¡­¡±

    It wasn''t an earthquake.

    1. A korean four-letter idiom. The closest equivalent in English is ¡°don¡¯t bite the hand that feeds you.¡± ??

 Chapter 143: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 143: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 3</h4>

    Everyone was taken aback.

    "It''s an earthquake! It''s an earthquake!" shouted an urgent voice from outside the room.

    However, the owner of the voice wasn¡¯t seeing things properly.

    These tremors, the ones shaking the ground, weren''t from an earthquake. No, they were from the copse of a gate. This was the resulting explosion of mana.

    Along with.

    ¡°Monsters¡­!¡±

    The sound of monsters going on a rampage.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Someone opened the door and went outside. However, the monster had already be a cold corpse and was lying on the ground.

    They couldn¡¯t forget it¡ªeven with this crisis, this was still the amodations of the Korean Association, and there were other Hunters here as well.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although this was a possible gate copse, everyone stood silent and grave.

    There were screamsing from outside of the building. The sounds of monsters attacking ordinary humans and the sounds of Hunters shing with these monsters.

    As if the gate that had copsed, forming a gate break, had a low rating, the grade of the monsters didn¡¯t seem to be that high.

    The Hunters outside seemed to be quickly handling the monsters.

    However, that wasn¡¯t the problem.

    ¡°The gate break was so sudden¡­¡±

    ¡°There weren¡¯t any signs of it beforehand.¡±

    The gate break had urred so suddenly.

    Generally, a gate break only urred if a gate wasn¡¯t cleared in time. However, there should have been signs of it. With those signs came some spare time to prepare.

    That was why the humans had been able to defend against the monsters after the Hunters had appeared.

    However, this time, there were no signs. Moreover, there was an even bigger problem as well.

    Horus stepped forward and said, ¡°There wasn¡¯t an existing gate near Cairo.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s expression became even stiffer.

    ¡°That means¡­¡± Horus said after examining everyone as if attempting to exin the situation. ¡°The gate break that just happened was with a gate that copsed at the same time as it appeared.¡±

    Horus¡¯ gaze was steely.

    This was a never-before-seen urrence. The fact that a gate had copsed as soon as it appeared was terrifying.

    ¡°This means that there won¡¯t be any time to evacuate or prepare the general public¡­¡± Yashin said in a low voice.

    As he spoke, the screams outside continued.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    The screams of the unprepared public.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Horus broke through the window and jumped outside.

    As everyone stared at the broken window with dumbfounded expressions for a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke quietly and slowly leaped out of the window that Horus had thrown himself through.

    ¡°The harbinger of the cataclysm¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t have the time to talk to them like this any further.

    "<i>Argh!</i>"

    Even now, they could hear the screams of the general public on the street.

    ***

    As everyone had expected, the copsed gate was only rated C-grade.

    Thus, the situation had been quickly settled because the gate that had copsed wasn¡¯t ranked either too high or too low.

    However, there was still a problem.

    "More than a hundred people died,¡± Jeong In-Chang, who couldn¡¯t make it to the meeting, said to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a serious expression.

    ¡°Fortunately, the Hunters and the Nile had responded quickly, but¡­the gate break happened near a residential area, and it waste, so¡­¡±

    They had be victims of the explosion of mana that had closely followed the gate break.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "¡­Ha¡­"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, and Won-Hwa were silent for a moment before they sighed.

    This was a disaster they were unprepared for. Something that they couldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Is this the cataclysm?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked Lee Jun-Kyeong. He wondered if this was what had been repeatedly warned and talked about.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just shook his head. ¡°This is just an omen.¡±

    The bare face of truth was even harsher when one found out. The disaster that had ughtered over a hundred ordinary humans had just been a sign.

    After thinking about it for a while, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to hispanions.

    "You should go back to Seoul,¡± he said. ¡°Please hurry to Seoul with both Fenrir and the princess and join the White Tiger n.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee, what about¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted, ¡°Right now, this is an opportunity.¡±

    There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t returning together with them.

    ¡°There are Heroes from all over the world gathered here. They have seen firsthand the omens of the cataclysm. This is an opportunity for us to save more people.¡±

    This made the two¡¯s brows furrow, as if they were ufortable with what he was saying. It was clear that he meant that they would have to leave him behind.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can persuade the Heroes. I don¡¯t think that it will take that long, so don¡¯t worry and go back first.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang protested, ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Korea,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked straight into Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes.

    Soon after, his gaze turned over to Won-Hwa.

    ¡°China.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The same thing will happen there. We need as many Hunters as we can gather right now. In addition¡­ The Association President is missing in Korea.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly took out the Bifrost from his inventory as he spoke.

    ¡°Odin is missing. Your help will be desperately needed."

    Before they knew it, a rainbow-colored door opened next to them. They didn¡¯t have the luxury to go by ne right now.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong,¡± Fenrir said as he approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. The boy also seemed reluctant to be separated from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    However, as he threw himself through the rainbow door, he simply said in fairly urate Korean, "Come quickly.¡±

    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang seemed a little flustered as he didn¡¯t think that Fenrir would just leave like that, but he still nodded at once.

    Even Fenrir was following Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s orders. The two had to recognize the seriousness of the situation right now.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took off a part of the skull-shaped bracelet and handed it to Jeong In-Chang. ¡°Hyeon-Mu. Go and help them.¡±

    He even wanted to send Hyeon-Mu along with them for safety.

    ¨CI¡¯ve¡­received your order.

    Hyeon-Mu also entrusted itself to Jeong In-chang.

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong had left at this point was Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls is absorbing Anubis¡¯ soul.]

    And, he also had the soul of Anubis, which hadn¡¯t been processed yet.

    Jeong In-Chang said with a worried expression, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to return as always.¡±

    Then, soon, he threw himself into the rainbow-colored door

    Won-Hwa was left. Instead of heading for the Bifrost, he approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and handed him something. It was a medicinal pill.

    ¡°This is a medicine that I made using what I had felt when I treated Horus as a reference. It¡¯s not perfect yet, but¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see worry on Won-Hwa¡¯s face as well.

    "It may help a little to contain Madness."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at him. Although it was true that they had spent a lot of time in Egypt, to think that he was doing this instead of taking a break.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as he epted the medicinal pill.

    Won-Hwa then turned around and walked into the Bifrost. Now, he had no other colleagues here except for Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked forward with a determined expression.

    Although there had been no other omens since the gate copsest night, no one knew when something would happen.

    The only thing he was sure about was that there wasn¡¯t much time left now.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked out of the room as the Bifrost closed behind him.

    ***

    ¡°Set told me this,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked throughout the hall.

    Something had changed between when he had met them the first and second time, and things were even more different now.

    The reception of the Heroes that were listening to him had changed. After all, they had seen the omens of the cataclysm firsthand yesterday: the appearance and copse of gates without any warning.

    Now.

    <i>¡®They also know how serious this is.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke.

    ¡°There will be three omens of the cataclysm.¡±

    He chuckled a little. It astounded him that he was actually grateful for the interest that Set had shown in himself and the subsequent battle with him.

    He was going to sell the name of Set in order to prepare these Hunters for the cataclysm.

    ¡°The first is the copse of the gates. As you saw yesterday, the unannounced urrence and copse of the gates, causing immediate gate breaks, seems to be one of the first signs.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong only conveyed what Set had said to him, or at least that was what he was trying to make them believe.

    ¡°The second omen is the strengthening of the monsters. It was easy for a C-Rank Hunter to deal with the monsters in the current C-Grade Gates, but soon, a B-Rank or even an A-Rank Hunter may have to be the ones to deal with them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    The Heroes stayed silent.

    The unannounced gate breaks could cause the deaths of a small number of people, but this was something they could still prevent.

    However, the strengthening of the monsters meant something different.

    If a country didn¡¯t have arge number of Heroes or higher-ranked Hunters, then it would end up sacrificing a great deal more.

    More importantly, this referenced a sacrifice of Hunters, not ordinary humans.

    ¡°The third omen is¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed at a desk as he spoke.

    Everyone was listening to him at this point, as the cataclysm had already begun to show its omens.

    ¡°Gateization.¡±

    ¡°Gateization?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the details either. I¡¯m just guessing here¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was conveying the words of ¡®Set¡¯ until the very end.

    ¡°But it seems to mean changes in the same way China has changed,¡± he said.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°What do¡­¡±

    ¡°Like the gates, ess will be blocked, and many will die from the rapid increase in the density of mana. Moreover, like the second omen¡­¡±

    ¡°The monsters will be stronger,¡± Yashin said.

    ¡°How insane.¡±

    Everyone rubbed at their brows.

    Now that they thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words were true, they could feel the seriousness more clearly.

    This was a disaster.

    Looking at their reactions, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that he had suddenly be a scientist who was informing them about an asteroid collision.[1]

    ¡°Is there no way to stop¡­¡± someone started to ask.

    "I don''t know," Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was answering that way to try to make them believe that this was just Set¡¯s words being delivered to them.

    It was the truth.

    ¡°I don''t know anything about a way to prevent the cataclysm.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even know if Set was even alive, and time was running out to find him.

    ¡°Then, let me ask you one more question.¡±

    Yashin asked Lee Jun-Kyeong while looking at him with a clear gaze.

    ¡°What will happen to the world when all the omens have appeared, and the cataclysm begins?¡±

    This was the most crucial question. The things close to the disaster were just omens. The important thing was what would happen once the cataclysm arrived.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied once again. However, this time, it was different.

    <i>¡®Everything will change.¡¯</i>

    There would be a sudden change that spread throughout the world. The gates will emit more mana, and people will die without any distinction between who they were.

    <i>¡®A lot of Hunters will be born.¡¯</i>

    In an instant, Hunters will be born, and it would be the same amount of Hunters as there were born up until now.

    Moreover, there would be countless Sponsors.

    <i>¡®Sponsors who hadn¡¯t shown their faces up till now will show up to participate in the game.¡¯</i>

    Just as the monsters grew stronger, Hunters would grow strong.

    The Hunters, who were already strong to the point where there was a great divide between them and the ordinary humans, would grow even stronger, forming an uncrossable chasm.

    <i>¡®The ordinary humans who had ovee a cataclysm that had culled them will be persecuted.¡¯</i>

    No, this was something he couldn¡¯t tell them. After all, there was only one thing that Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted.

    "We have to save the people."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Heroes all had indecipherable expressions. They were already all used to life as Hunters.

    The <i>people</i> that Lee Jun-Kyeong was talking about, the ordinary people, were more like consumables to them, unavoidable and eptable coteral damage.

    They all exuded a sense of rejection at the thought of having to sacrifice in order to save them.

    <i>¡®To think he would ask us to do this for the purpose of saving mankind.¡¯</i>

    That was the sort of response they gave when he asked them to save the people.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to speak, swallowing up his growing disgust, ¡°Most likely, the number of Hunters will not be enough in the future.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Yashin said, understanding where Lee Jun-Kyeong was going.

    ¡°This is nothing short of a war against theing disaster. Our soldiers will die¡­¡±

    Yashin suddenly rose from his seat.

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that we¡¯ll have to replenish the soldiers.¡±

    Hunters weren¡¯t born just out of nothing.

    The ordinary people were transformed into Hunters by obtaining the attention of their Sponsors.

    "Yes. That''s why you have to protect themon people."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally achieved his goal.

    Yashin looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong again. ¡°I¡¯ll suggest this again. Come to Japan. I¡¯ll give you a rank equal to mine.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t even know the representative¡¯s title. Still, he couldn¡¯t even imagine what position he held, considering that he could unterally offer him equal power and influence over Takamagahara.

    He looked over at Yashin, who was standing there offering him an equal position.

    However, just like yesterday, the building shook once more.

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    The tremors were worse than yesterday.

    Alongside them were screams again.

    ¡°It¡¯s the monsters!¡±

    Then, news came that another gate had copsed. However, everyone here felt it. This was apletely different copse than yesterday''s.

    ¡°This is at least¡­¡±

    This time, it was an S-Grade Break.

    1. Most likely a reference to Armageddon or Deep Impact. ??

 Chapter 144: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 144: The Harbinger of the Cataclysm Pt. 4</h4>

    An S-Grade Gate had copsed.

    This was apletely different matter from the C-Grade Gate copsing earlier.

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    The entire building shook. The tremors were felt by its inhabitants even through the formation that the building was imbued with as it was where the Heroes were.

    There was an incredible flow of mana, and the Heroes¡¯ expressions hardened sharply.

    However, none of them made a move.

    This was Egypt.

    It wasn¡¯t their country that they were supposed to defend, nor was the copse of an S-Grade Gate something they could just easily get involved with either.

    In the midst of everyone trying to read the room, Horus spoke first.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±

    Horus made his move. As this was his territory, Egypt, where the Nile was located, he quickly rose with a pale face.

    ¡°...¡±

    The rest of the Heroes made no movement even though Horus had stood up.

    However, the next people to move were Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    They looked at each other and nodded, also beginning to walk out.

    The Hunters were flustered.

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    However, it wasn¡¯t because of the tremors shaking the building. The reason that they had gathered here was because of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Now, they were all confused as to what to do now that Lee Jun-Kyeong was leaving.

    Although they worried about it for a moment, their worries quickly disappeared at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sst few remarks, ¡°I think I¡¯ve already given you as much information as I can. Also, I don¡¯t have any intentions of moving my affiliation to another country. Therefore, if you please return to your countries.¡±

    Horus exchanged signals with Lee Jun-Kyeong and left through the door, while Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly finished what he had to say, chasing after him.

    ¡°As something simr will happen in your countries.¡±

    <i>Screech.</i>

    With a closing door.

    "No. It may already be happening¡­¡±

    With Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice ringing like an empty echo, the quickest one to get up was Yashin.

    <i>Screech.</i>

    ¡°If you¡¯d excuse me."

    He had someone to save.

    ***

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A huge meteorite seemed to have fallen in front of Yashin. However, upon closer inspection, this wasn¡¯t a meteorite but a fragment of a building. The building had ruptured like an explosion and hailed over the entire area.

    "<i>Argh!</i>" screamed the citizens who had yet to evacuate.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Listening to their screams, Yashin drew his de.

    ¡°Is this the first time I¡¯ve ever drawn my de outside of my home country?¡±

    The reason his name wasn¡¯t known to the public was that he was a Hunter who had never gone on an expedition.

    His position in Japan was special, so Japan and his organization, Takamagahara, hadn¡¯t allowed him to pursue any expedition.

    He was someone who had gotten strong only through the gates of Japan.

    However, his skills were amazing enough that they could be confidently said to be among the best in the world.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The katana sang with a clear sound.

    When it returned to its sheath, there wasn¡¯t an explosion or anyrge phenomenon.

    However, the fragments of the falling building had all been destroyed, scattering like dust into the air.

    People were starting to run out into the streets without even knowing what was happening in the chaos.

    ¡°So it¡¯s trolls¡­¡± Yashinmented.

    He had thought that there would have been even greater monsters that emerged as it had been an S-Grade Gate Break. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    In front of him was a troll that was tearing down the buildings and throwing its debris mercilessly.

    However, Yashin noticed that there was something different about these trolls.

    They had muchrger bodies and a cleaner look.

    It was almost as if¡­

    <i>¡®They look like giants.¡¯</i>

    Yashin quickly leaped forward using a movement technique signature to Japan¡¯s warriors.

    Cairo was in the midst of an agonizing chaos. People were screaming while Hunters were fighting with monsters.

    However, many Hunters were either retreating with the ordinary people or dying in order to save them.

    This felt like apletely new experience to Yashin.

    <i>¡®This would never happen back home¡­¡±</i>

    Japan despised ordinary humans. A powerful Hunter was someone who deserved to be revered, and ordinary humans were servants who had to obey the evolved race of Hunters who protected them.

    That was the system of Japan.

    In fact, it wasmon for Japanese Hunters to withdraw from areas if it meant protecting their own safety, even if it meant leaving ordinary humans in danger.

    Therefore, Yashin continued forward as he interestedly watched the Hunters.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Shing.</i>

    When the clear song of the katana sounded again, the falling debris of a building disappeared.

    ¡°<i>Gruh?</i>¡±

    And a monster that couldn¡¯t be distinguished between a troll and a giant copsed.

    As if some of the Hunters noticed that Yashin had made a move, they expressed their thanks in English.

    "Thank you."

    Yasin quickly advanced without caring about their greetings as he had to reach the amodations where he had been staying.

    He had to go there and find her.

    Save her.

    Although there would be Japanese Heroes guarding her, he didn¡¯t know if they would be able to keep her safe in the midst of an S-Grade Gate Break.

    She was essential to Yashin and was someone who had to be kept safe.

    <i>¡®That girl¡­¡¯</i>

    Because there was something he had to protect, he had to save her.

    Far away from the gaze of Yashin, who was running forward quickly, he saw a burning me.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a me that had urred naturally in the midst of the confusion. This was a me that someone had lit using mana, and the mana that was contained within the ze was familiar.

    ¡°The Underdog¡­¡±

    Through the rising mes, Yashin saw him. He was a man who killed a giant with a single stroke of his spear.

    Yashin¡¯s heart pounded.

    <i>¡®Whew¡­¡¯</i>

    The reason that Yashin had offered to recruit him in front of everyone and his reason for showing interest in the Hunter wasn¡¯t simply because the information he could provide was rare. After all, she had asked for it as well.

    <i>¡®That man will help you with your mission.¡¯</i>

    Yashin had things holding him down.

    Fate, Duty, Vocation.

    However, the woman had predicted that Lee Jun-Kyeong could help with the affairs that had tied him and the woman together as well.

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only thing, either.

    <i>Thump. Thump.</i>

    His heart beat strangely every time he looked at him, just like it was doing now.

    It was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong was pulling him in.

    That was why he had tried to recruit him, even though their situation wasn¡¯t as urgent as the United States.

    Yashin approached where Lee Jun-Kyeong was like a moth possessed by the me.

    It just so happened that the Underdog was at the ce where the woman was located.

    ***

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved like crazy.

    He wasn¡¯t breaking heavily, nor was he trying to allocate his strength, either. He just ran straight and just took care of any and all visible trolls in his path.

    Something was off about the trolls.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re different from the giants of Utgard.¡¯</i>

    They were definitely different from the frost giants that they had seen in China. However, there was still something simr about them as well.

    They resembled trolls, but at the same time, they also resembled giants. They seemed to be the monsters that emerged with the S-Grade Gate Break.

    Even still, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no hesitation in taking them down as he wondered what they were.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Wherever his spear moved, a monster that no one knew whether it was a troll or a giant copsed, and the mes red up.

    "This way!"

    Yeo Seong-Gu also participated in the battle, but more importantly, he was attempting to rescue the residents first.

    Having spoken to Horus as they left the amodations, they had decided that the best thing he could do, as the owner of the Bifrost, was to move the residents to a safe ce.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu saved the residents as Lee Jun-Kyeong took down the monsters.

    The monsters copsed quickly, and the screams were dying down.

    [Absorbing the soul of Anubis.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was the effect of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone or if it was because of the nature of Anubis, who dealt in death, but whenever he took down a monster, A Skull That Contains Souls seemed to absorb Anubis¡¯ soul faster.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved quickly, regardless of the notifications ringing in his head.

    <i>Swoop!</i>

    Wings of mes soared behind Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    <The Desert¡¯s Sun> was still sponsoring him.

    He nned on using this great power that he could only use for a limited amount of time to its fullest.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Alongside a number of different amplifiers, including Galdr, once again, a phoenix had appeared over Cairo.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was like a phoenix to the fleeing residents of Cairo.

    ¡°The Guardian Deity¡­¡±

    He looked simr to the image of Ra, their guardian deity.

    "Come on!"

    Although the residents were running away at Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s urging, they still stopped for a moment and prayed to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Immediately after that, they saw another phoenix.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    It was Horus.

    He was also struggling to save Cairo, even though he was still in bad shape.

    "I''ll go that way!" shouted Lee Jun-Kyeong from the sky.

    Most of the residents in the area had been evacuated, but there was still one hotel that no one had evacuated from yet.

    He could feel it though.

    There were the auras of Hunters and an ominous aura.

    In that distant hotel, there was something that aroused an unpleasant and unsettling feeling within him.

    The ce was still intact, most likely due to the influence of the Hunters, but it was obvious that it would still eventually copse soon.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s wings of me pped quickly in order to lead him there. However, he could feel something behind his back.

    <i>¡®Yashin.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the other Hunter¡¯s aura behind him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment that Yashin was a very strange man.

    Even if the information that Lee Jun-Kyeong had was valuable, it still wasn¡¯t enough for Japan to propose recruiting him with exceptional treatment.

    Moreover, it was true of his skills as well.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong was a great talent at this point, he still wasn¡¯t in a position to attract such unconventional treatment.

    Because of Yashin and the Hero from the Freemasons, Heroes from all over the world continued to try to recruit him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew it was all because of Yashin, that strange man.

    However, that was only on his mind for a moment, as before he knew it, he had arrived at the hotel.

    ¡°...¡±

    There was something emitting a great aura from here.

    ¡°The gate is still¡­¡±

    Behind the back of the still intact hotel, the aftermath of the gate break was still visible.

    There was a flickering blue curtain.

    <i>There¡¯s still something that hasn¡¯te over yet.¡¯</i>

    It was a being who couldn¡¯te over yet because of its enormous mana, even after the copse of the gate.

    He could guess as to what it was: the boss.

    The boss of an S-Grade Gate was about to descend here.

    <i>Flicker. Flicker.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pped his wings of mes and aimed Muspel¡¯s Spear from the sky. The boss hadn¡¯te out of the gate yet, and if it came over, there was no telling how much damage it could cause.

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong nned on dealing with it before it had a chance to cross the boundary.

    <i>Whoosh.</i>

    With a strange resonance, mes began to gather around Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    Then, piercing forward, the mes shot forth by Lee Jun-Kyeong emitted a huge amount of heat as they collided with the blue curtain.

    However, at that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m toote.¡¯</i>

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The ground and air shook. Although the mes shot by Lee Jun-Kyeong weren¡¯t able to prevent it from crossing over, they were still sessful in giving a blow to the colossal body of the monster that came over.

    <i>BOOOM!</i>

    The boss was bigger than any monster Lee Jun-Kyeong had ever seen.

    The giant, or the boss, looked toorge to even be called a giant. It stared down at Lee Jun-Kyeong with its whole body burning.

    It was overwhelmingly huge. Its moon-like eyes, the size of a building¡ªno, evenrger than that, faced Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Groan!</i>

    Its palm crushed the air, falling toward the Hunter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly moved away and began to soar into the sky.

    <i>¡®I think I¡¯m going to get addicted.¡¯</i>

    Now that he had the ability to fly using the power of <The Desert¡¯s Sun>, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he was going to get addicted to the great sense of speed.

    He soared rapidly into the air as Muspel¡¯s Spear was already devouring any mes it could see, growingrger andrger.

    Soon, Cairo was under the illusion of a phoenix holding a giant sword.

    Eventually, that sword struck.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    It pierced into the jaw of the colossal boss of the S-Grade Gate that had appeared.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    The giant fell.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to burn the boss¡¯ body before it fell by raising a me that he had imbued into his spear, the boss didn¡¯t burn easily, as if he was resistant to mes.

    But then.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    A clear sword sang.

    The falling giant began to scatter into pieces.

 Chapter 145: The Beginning of the Cataclysm

    <h4>Chapter 145: The Beginning of the Cataclysm</h4>

    The fallen giant.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back and forth between his hands and Yashin¡¯s face.

    He had grown stronger.

    And.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a strong Hero.¡¯</i>

    He had seen the power of Yashin with his own eyes.

    Even if the giant had already died, the Hunter¡¯s ability to minimize the damage by tearing the giant¡¯s entire body apart in just a few seconds was worth noting.

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    Then, a question arose in his mind.

    Why had such a talented person gone unnoticed in the future?

    Japan definitely existed in the future. It wasn¡¯t a country that had perished like China, nor was it quiet like Egypt.

    However, he had never heard of a Hunter at this leveling from there before¡­

    "<i>Argh</i>."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly grabbed at his head.

    He had been floating in the air with the wings of mes he had been given by <The Desert¡¯s Sun>, but he suddenly lost strength and crashed down.

    Although he had been able to manage to keep his bnce before falling to the floor, the piercing pain in his skull didn¡¯t go away.

    "Are you okay?" Yashin asked, reaching out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was reeling from the pain.

    ¡°...¡±

    Surprisingly, the pain went away a little.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was briefly embarrassed by the strange situation.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    However, he knew he had to get it together at the ensuing explosion.

    A regr gate would disappear once the boss died, but a gate that had copsed and be broken was different.

    The monsters that had already escaped the gate weren¡¯t bound to the boss. Instead, they werepletely separate entities, just like those troll or giant monsters that were running around.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yashin¡¯s expression hardened, and the same went for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    A monster was heading to the hotel where it was believed that there still would be people.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to move first.

    <i>Tadadak!</i>

    However, Yashin had already made his move. Running at high speed, he was moving like a gale while Lee Jun-Kyeong followed suit.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Although the explosions were still continuing in Cairo, most of the auras of the monsters had disappeared.

    <i>¡®Is this where one would say, a diamond is still a diamond even if it¡¯s in a dunghill?¡¯</i>

    The Nile had lost a lot of strength after Set¡¯s rebellion, but they were still blocking the monsters. At the helm were Horus and Inebu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at the situation behind him for a moment while in front of him, he heard the clear sword sing again.

    <i>Shing.</i>

    An invisible blow tore through the monster that was about to attack the hotel.

    As the giant fell, they could no longer feel the presence of any monsters around the hotel.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    However, part of the hotel still copsed alongside the fallen giant.

    Yashin quickly jumped up and caught a woman. She was wearing traditional Japanese clothes and had long, straight hair. Strangely, she was in Yashin¡¯s arms with a calm expression, even in the midst of all this chaos.

    "That''s a relief," Yashin murmured in Japanese.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his mouth for a moment as he looked at Yashin and the woman in the other man¡¯s arms.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    The pain in his head tightened again.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> gazes upon you.]

    Then, he heard the voice of the bastard once again.

    ***

    It had been an S-Grade Gate Break, but things had still settled quite quickly.

    The first reason was because it had happened in the capital of a country. The second was that it was where the Nile was founded.

    Finally, the third reason that it had been settled quickly was that Heroes from all over the world were gathered in Cairo for the conference.

    The Heroes, who had seemed unlikely to step up, hade out and faced the monsters for some reason.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had his hunches as to why.

    <i>¡®They must have recognized the seriousness of the situation.¡¯</i>

    He thought that they had recognized that they would have to act differently from before and that cooperation between the different organizations would be more important than ever.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said with a dusty face as he patted Lee Jun-Kyeong on the shoulder.

    ¡°You too, Hyung.¡±

    Many of Cairo¡¯s residents had been rescued by Yeo Seong-Gu.

    He had both dealt with the monsters and also rescued people with the power of the Bifrost.

    With him, Lee Jun-Kyeong also met Horus.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Horus said as he bowed to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu with a sincere expression. Behind him stood Isis, Inebu, Bastet, and Numek.

    They all seemed exhausted, judging from the way their mana circted unsteadily.

    "Don''t mention it,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu answered with a smile.

    It had only been a short while after the matter had ended.

    "So it seems you''re going to leave now."

    The reason they had all gathered here was that they had intuited that Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to return home.

    This was the beginning of the change.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that the beginning would ur simultaneously around the world, and Korea was no exception. Thus, it was time for him to go back to his home country, Korea.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received too much help from you,¡± Horus said, offering his hand to Lee Jun-Kyeong. He was bandaged all over his body again, all the way up to his forearm.

    However, through the loosened bandages, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see that a little bit of flesh had been restored to his bones.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me as well,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied, taking the offered hand.

    Their work in the Nile had beenpleted.

    Just as he had nned from the start. Lee Jun-Kyeong had saved Horus. In addition, although he hadn¡¯t expected to, he had also fought a fierce battle with Set.

    He had grown considerably and had be aware of a lot.

    <i>¡®My purpose foring here was¡­¡¯</i>

    It had been to get rid of the variables he had created.

    However, he realized that by doing so, he had alsomitted the act of creating even more variables. Moreover, this had also been an opportunity to understand how to use these variables.

    ¡°I really did receive a lot from you all as well,¡± he said again.

    More important than anything else, he had received something life-changing as well.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> has ended your sponsorship.]

    [The one who had been sponsored by <The Desert¡¯s Sun> has received a title.]

    [A link to <The Desert¡¯s Sun> remains.]

    [Under <The Desert¡¯s Sun>¡¯s influence, you have acquired the power of the Endless me.]

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> swears it will aid you one day.]

    <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    Its voice continually sounded, offering multiple notifications.

    Lee Jun-Kyoeng knew, above all, at least he had received this.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> res at the dried-up sun.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked.

    Regardless of what this bastard says, he had received what he should have received.

    "As I said the other day¡­the Nile desires to join together with you," Horus said in a rather grave voice.

    ¡°It would be nice if we could have obtained aid with Cairo¡¯s restoration, but¡­but that¡¯s just a small wish.¡±

    The light in Horus¡¯ eyes turned steely.

    "Egypt can still rise on its own."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew what Horus was alluding to.

    Cairo may have suffered extensively from Set¡¯s rebellion and the sessive gate breaks, but their potential had been shown during the S-Grade Gate Break.

    Moreover, there was their wealth as well.

    <i>¡®There is a reason it¡¯s known as the world¡¯s primacy.¡¯</i>

    It was said that their hidden possessions amounted to enough wealth to purchase an entire country.

    Because they had that power at their fingertips, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded confidently, ¡°As long as you ovee the cataclysm well, then Egypt will see the light once again.¡±

    ¡°The light you say¡­¡±

    Horus smiled at that.

    ¡°You are the light of Egypt as well. Don¡¯t ever forget that¡­ Egypt wille to your aid when you need us.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong and Horus looked at each other again, someone else spoke from the side.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The man thanked Lee Jun-Kyeong, and even though he looked exhausted, he had a bright expression.

    ¡°Inebu.¡±

    It was Inebu, the man who had called him to Egypt. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that they had a strange rtionship of sorts.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Inebu said again. It was all he had wanted to say.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him and felt that the Hunter had grown up.

    He had been a youthful and inexperienced fledgling, but now, he was exuding an expression and aura that matched his former title as the Leader of the Warguard of Egypt.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled as he noticed Inebu¡¯s changes, Horus stated, ¡°I know this is shameless of me to ask¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him.¡±

    ¡°I have a favor to ask of you,¡± Horus said with a subdued expression. Before they knew it, as Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over, Inebu and all of the Egyptians also had subdued expressions.

    ¡°It seems as though what you called the cataclysm has begun. Also, Egypt has suffered more damage than we had expected.¡±

    It was heavy.

    His voice was also heavy.

    ¡°Because of that, I don¡¯t think we can leave Egypt for the time being. Furthermore, there will also be a shortage of personnel that we can send on expeditions or to carry out missions.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for Horus to finish while wondering what kind of request it could be that the introduction to it was so long.

    ¡°If, by chance, you meet Set again¡­¡±

    Like Lee Jun-Kyeong, Horus also seemed convinced that he would have survived.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard him speak through the link that was still shared by the two of them, a voice that couldn¡¯t even be heard by Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¨CCan you look for the Eyes of Osiris?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened.

    The Eyes of Osiris was a divine item like Zeus¡¯ lightning, simr to the Bifrost.

    ¨CSet had the Eyes of Osiris when they disappeared. He most likely took them with him. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still alive. I can still feel the weak aura emitted by it. I ask this of you.

    Horus secretly bowed to Lee Jun-Kyeong with his eyes wide with sincerity.

    ¨CFind the Eyes of Osiris for us.

    ***

    ¡°We really got conned here, didn¡¯t we?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he rubbed at his temples.

    The treatment he had received in Egypt was beyond imagination.

    Although it was true that he had been given the glory of Ra, connected to Horus, and had even saved the Hunter as well, the way that they were treating him was almost unbelievable.

    However, he had finally figured out why they had been so good to him.

    He grumbled, ¡°To think they would ask me to find the Eyes of Osiris.¡±

    It had been to ask Lee Jun-Kyeong for a difficult favor.

    As Horus had said, Egypt was not in a situation where they could dispatch personnel to find the missing Set or the Eyes of Osiris.

    However, since they knew Lee Jun-Kyeong was chasing after Set¡¯s backing, they had assumed that he would face Set or the Eyes of Osiris one day.

    Thus, they had asked him to find them.

    But still, to ask him to go find their divine item¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s probably why they were being so nice to you,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to him as heughed.

    Horus didn¡¯t seem to want Yeo Seong-Gu to know, but that didn¡¯t concern Lee Jun-Kyeong. Yeo Seong-Gu was someone he could rely on.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a long sigh inside the shaking fusge of a ne.

    He had wanted to go back to using the Bifrost, but the Bifrost wasn¡¯t something that could be used without end. Not only had he continued to use it after going to Ennd, but he had also sent Jeong In-Chang and the others back to Korea with it.

    The Bifrost had also even been used to save the residents of Cairo, so it was now overloaded.

    It was only unusable for a short while, but they didn¡¯t have enough time to wait around for it to recharge.

    <i>Shake, shake.</i>

    Still, having judged that things were still rtively okay, they were traveling back on a ne. It was the same for the remaining Heroes as well.

    There hadn¡¯t been any monsters to invade the sky yet, so they all had flown back in their respective nes.

    ¡°At times like this, the nes always crash in the movies. Don¡¯t they?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu joked.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him ominously, and Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expression also quickly hardened in return, realizing that his words could be seeds.

    ¡°How is the investigation into Odin''s disappearance going?¡± Lee Jun-Kyoeng asked in order to change the atmosphere.

    ¡°We¡¯re still tracking him down,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded, his expression still stiff. ¡°He disappeared in his Territory. There has never been a case like this before¡­ All we can do is trust that something ridiculous hasn''t happened.¡±

    Odin was an important person in Korea, where the cataclysm was looming.

    Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong still needed him.

    <i>¡®I haven¡¯t even been able to get back what I¡¯ve invested yet.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t been able to get paid for the hard work he had done for Odin.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the Association President was still needed.

    Even if Odin was to be taken out one day, he had to be the one who did it. That was why they had to find him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong circted his mana stream. What he had to do now was to figure out a way for him to find Odin with it, who had grown another level this time.

    ¡°About the backing hidden behind Set¡­is it, by chance, what you had mentioned before¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems it is the man in ck.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt like it was that person again.

    He was convinced that the person who had secretly supported Utgard-Loki, the king of Utgard in China, and the person behind Set, whom Set called <i>that being</i>, was the same person.

    Moreover, <i>that being</i>¡­

    <i>¡®Could he be someone who wasn¡¯t in the original history¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was someone he hadn¡¯t heard about. Also, there was something else he had doubts about.

    ¡°For some reason¡­¡±

    <i>Shake, shake.</i>

    The air quivered as Lee Jun-Kyeong looked out the window and said quietly, ¡°I suspect that the man in ck is also involved in Odin¡¯s disappearance.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    In the high-speed ne, the two closed their eyes for a moment, thinking about the future silently.

    Then, just as Yeo Seong-Gu had joked about.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    There was an explosion.

 Chapter 146: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 146: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 2</h4>

    However, unlike what Yeo Seong-Gu had said, the ne wasn¡¯t what had exploded.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    A red ze was dancing outside of the window.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ze soared further with a series of explosions. It wasn¡¯t the ne, but where they had tond.

    "Incheon International Airport is on fire.¡±

    The airport was burning.

    Yeo Seong-Gu, panicked, also looked out of the window hurriedly.

    The two could see something through the mes burning furiously as if they were being fed dry firewood.

    ¡°It¡¯s the monsters!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expressions hardened at the same time. The two looked at each other and spoke in unison.

    ¡°The Cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°The Cataclysm.¡±

    The gate breaks that had happened in Egypt were now taking ce at Incheon International Airport.

    <i>Bang! Boom! Boom!!</i>

    The explosions continued to spread over the nes in the field, and the nes with filled fuel tanks that had been preparing to leave the country exploded one after the other.

    In the midst of the explosion, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see a few monsters between them. There were drakes covered in mes.

    It seemed as though this was at least an A-Grade Gate Break.

    ¨CPlease sit down and fasten your seat belts¡­

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    Even before the captain¡¯s announcement was over, the ne began to shake loudly.

    In other words, the force of the explosions had spread out into the sky. The scene outside of the ne had turned into hell due to the spread of the mes.

    ¡°Can wend?!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at the crew from the Association.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I think it would be hard tond anytime soon! For now, we¡¯ll turn the ne around and find¡­¡±

    Landing an airne into the midst of a fiery explosion was suicide. At the very least, there wasn¡¯t a single person on board who didn¡¯t know that.

    As the flight attendants were stamping their feet in a panic, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    He was asking if they could use the Bifrost yet, but Yeo Seong-Gu had shaken his head firmly.

    They were stranded in the sky of the Incheon International Airport. The ne was forced to fly further up in order to escape the mes and explosions, after which a series of explosions urred below.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s definitely people down there in the midst of the explosions.¡¯</i>

    He bit his lips while thinking of a way to save them.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> looks upon you with a hazy gaze.]

    Then, he made his move.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the flight attendant and ordered, "Open it."

    "What?" she asked confusedly.

    "Open the airne door!"

    ***

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Aet streaked down the sky and clove through the wind. Almost as fast as a diving jet, Lee Jun-Kyeong was falling to the ground.

    <i>p!</i>

    Suddenly, faint wings of fire moved from his shoulder des.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun>¡¯s gaze bes ever hazier.]

    Thanks to the interest he had received from <The Desert¡¯s Sun> while he was in Egypt, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still able to use his power somewhat while he was in Korea.

    Although the sponsorship had ended, he had still been able to manipte the wings of fire using his own power through the faint link that still connected him to <The Desert¡¯s Sun>.

    Soon, the wings would disappear. Once that happened, Lee Jun-Kyeong would plummet to the ground.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Therefore, Lee Jun-Kyeong elerated his pace even further. As the piercing wind brushed past his cheeks, there was another explosion.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, there was something different from before.

    ¡°Ahh!!!¡±

    He could hear the screams of people as well.

    Before he knew it, the ground had gotten close, and he could see fire drakes running wild and trampling around.

    People were dying around them due to the explosions they caused while the drakes just grew stronger and rushed around more violently under the power of the growing mes.

    It was a chaotic mess.

    Incheon International Airport, which had been the world¡¯s number one airport, was bing a disaster site.

    <i>Swoosh.</i>

    Finally.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell from the sky.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear pierced into the top of a fire drake¡¯s head, which had been running wild near a ne that had yet to explode.

    ¡°<i>Keugahh!!!</i>¡±

    The fire drake thrashed around with a grotesque scream.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    However, that was only for a short while. Muspel¡¯s Spear was absorbing the mes of the drake like a starving predator, which had been spewing me instead of blood.

    The drake was a monster that boasted of its huge size, yet it shrank in an instant.

    With a thud, it fell to the floor, seemingly only left with its skin.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wrenched out his spear and turned his eyes elsewhere.

    The timing was good. The wings of fire had disappeared only after hended on the ground.

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> withdraws its gaze.]

    [<The Desert¡¯s Sun> cheers you on!]

    Looking around, there were still a lot of raging fire drakes around. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already noticed something.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re strong.¡¯</i>

    He had been able to take out this fire drake easily. However, that had only been due to the force of gravity that had exponentially multiplied his power while falling and the almost absolute strength of his firebined with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    The fire drakes weren¡¯t the normal fire drakes either.

    "It''s started..." Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered while looking at the next drake. ¡°The cataclysm¡­¡±

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stomped on the ground.

    The cataclysm had begun, and the monsters had begun to strengthen.

    The thick mana in the air was feeding the fire, and the fire was giving the fire drakes strength.

    The monsters were stronger than ever.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s brief curse lingered in the air.

    ***

    <i>Swoosh! Swoosh! Squelch! Squelch!</i>

    A series of sounds broke through the monotony of explosions and rang throughout the space. Lee Jun-Kyeong was constantly moving, and the force of his body ripped through the air.

    [Your level has risen.]

    Although it had been a while since he had heard this notification, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t happy whatsoever.

    There were too many drakes.

    A gate was a huge space, and when the monsters that had been trapped there were released into a small space, there were too many for people to handle.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to hunt the drakes while spitting out curses. His experience was rising like crazy. His stagnant experience value shot up rapidly as if it was greedily absorbing the monsters that had be stronger in the face of the cataclysm.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear mercilessly pierced through the drakes as they rushed toward him while spewing roars and cries.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to shout out with an angry expression.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t see any survivors.¡¯</i>

    Incheon International Airport was filled with bodies that were in the process of orpletely burned to ashes.

    Even though he had been racing through the airport for nearly a quarter of an hour, he hadn¡¯t been able to find a single survivor.

    [The mana stream is active.]

    He tried to track people using his mana stream as there were sure to be Hunters at Incheon International Airport. Also, there would be the Association here, waiting for him and Yeo Seong-Gu to return.

    He had thought that he had figured out a surefire way to handle this mess, but there wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to swear again.

    The mana stream wasn¡¯t working.

    The gate break, and more importantly, the beginning of the cataclysm had influenced the area.

    That,bined with the incredibly chaotic mana around him that roared like crazy, was blurring the mana stream.

    He couldn¡¯t see anything using it.

    ¡°DAMN IT!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong threw his spear.

    <i>Split.</i>

    The spear had been shot into the point in the sky where the mes were the highest, but the end result was still devastating.

    All the drakes that had been running toward Lee Jun-Kyeong had been pierced in a straight line and stopped moving.

    The First me.

    The skill of the Demon King.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    He had been running wildly without even managing his mana, and the surrounding mes were reducing the density of oxygen in the air. In addition, acrid smoke had been going down his throat, so Lee Jun-Kyeong was out of breath.

    And then.

    ¡°Sa¡­ sav¡­¡±

    He heard a voice.

    ¡°Save m¡­¡± someone sobbed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sted off the ground and raced over to where the voice wasing from.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud!</i>

    The burning international airport was copsing around him as he raced even faster.

    When he arrived, the sight in front of him was devastating.

    ¡°...¡±

    Where people would have been waiting to leave the country, there was a woman sobbing, her arms wrapped around a child.

    <i>THUD! THUD! THUD!</i>

    At that moment, a drake suddenly arrived.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong threw Muspel¡¯s Spear without hesitation, and the footsteps stopped.

    "Are you all right?" asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as he quickly covered the woman¡¯s mouth.

    It would be dangerous if she swallowed any more smoke.

    ¡°My daughter¡­¡± she whimpered.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    She handed Lee Jun-Kyeong the child and copsed on the spot.

    Luckily, the child was fine, but the woman had already gone beyond the point where she could be saved.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong held the child in his arms, who seemed to have lost consciousness due to the acrid smoke and the series of explosions.

    He then continued to run forward, moving quickly while straining his ears, but he could no longer hear any other voices.

    The international airport had almost entirely copsed and was nearly inplete ruins.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    Behind him, as he moved forward, consecutive explosions continued to st outward.

    He knew, deep down, that ordinary humans would have already died.

    <i>¡®They already¡­¡¯</i>

    Even this child¡¯s survival was miraculous.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    At that moment, he had heard a wee voice.

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    It seemed as though the Hunter had followed after him and also managed tond safely on the ground.

    A subtle rainbow aura exuded around him.

    It was the true power of Heimdall that Yeo Seong-Gu had never shown up to this point.

    However, there wasn¡¯t enough time to observe it.

    ¡°...¡±

    Behind Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s back, there were several people who seemed to be survivors.

    They all looked like they had been through hell.

    With sobbing faces, they spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Th¡­the Hunters¡­¡±

    ¡°The Hunters?¡±

    ¡°The Hunters are still over there!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in acknowledgment and handed the child to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Yeo Seong-Gu epted the child with a difficult expression and nodded in return.

    In this current situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong was more suitable to go searching than Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to Lee Jun-Kyeong for no reason.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just smiled in response and turned back into the mes.

    Yeo Seong-Gu soon turned his gaze around.

    He had to protect the child and the few survivors right now.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared down nkly in a building where the fire was soaring.

    He was looking down at a burning corpse.

    The fire hadn¡¯t yet been extinguished, so it was engulfing the dead man¡¯s body. As he looked down, although the fire was still burning the corpse¡¯s body, the face hadn¡¯t been touched, so it was still recognizable.

    ¡°The White Tiger n¡¯s¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured nkly to himself.

    The body had been an acquaintance.

    He had been a member of the White Tiger n, an organization made up of the Hunters he had brought back from Heaven Lake Vige.

    "Why..."

    Why were they here?

    Why was this man burning to cinders here?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze was empty.

    <i>Pound!</i>

    Apart from that, however, his heart was beating violently.

    Anger.

    Loss.

    As the unknown insecurities dominated his mind, Muspel¡¯s Spear began to tremble.

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear is revealing its devilish aura!]

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong could care less about it.

    The light returning to his eyes, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the burning mes and the remaining shadow of the fleeing me drake.

    After that, he saw him.

    ¡°The man in ck¡­¡±

    A man in ck was staring at where he was.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    A thorn sprang out of the tightly grasped Muspel¡¯s Spear, prating through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand and beginning to wrap around his forearm.

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear is revealing its devilish aura!]

    <i>Step.</i>

    Despite the series of warnings, Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped forward without even recovering the body of the member of the White Tiger n.

    He walked toward the man in ck, toward the figure in the roaring ze.

    <i>Roar!</i>

    The ze, burning even more fierce than before, was now being sucked into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    As if drawing a circle with its mes, the vortex of fire raged around his body.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!!!¡±

    Then, he heard a familiar voice heard beyond the whirlwind of mes.

 Chapter 147: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 3</h4>

    A familiar voice sounded out. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over to see who was the owner of the voice in the midst of the raging mes.

    It was a mana that he hadn¡¯t been able to sense on the way here.

    <i>¡®Wait, over there.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who was calling for Lee Jun-Kyeong again, stood.

    He looked horrid, with burn marks all over his body, and scratches all over his greatsword.

    ¡°Goongje¡­¡±

    He held a wounded princess in his arms.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to ask what the hell had happened for Jeong In-Chang to look that way when the sight of people standing behind Jeong In-Chang soon caught his eye.

    ¡°...¡±

    Some were trembling uneasily behind the Hunter, while some were staring back at him with a firm gaze. It was the survivors and the White Tiger n.

    ¡°If I had known this would happen¡­we were just trying to gather here toe to see you¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said while rubbing his nose as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the rage that was about to burst out slowly begin to cool down.

    ¡°Well, here¡¯s your wee party,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    Won-Hwa, Fenrir, and Hyeon-Mu weren¡¯t with them, it just seemed as though the White Tiger n was all that was in front of him, but it seemed as though they were only a part of who was supposed to have gathered.

    ¡°I was trying to prepare a surprise wee¡­but we¡¯re the ones who were surprised,¡± Jeong In-Chang continued as he looked at himself and the White Tiger n.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded with a slightly relieved expression.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    The thorns protruding from Muspel¡¯s Spear were wrapped around Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm.

    <i>Step.</i>

    He turned his back to the group and still waiting in his sight was the man in ck, standing in the far distance.

    Moreover, the man in ck was standing under the guard of the incited drakes.

    ¡°Thank you all foring out for the wee party, but please go back first,¡± he said as he stood with his back to them.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted again at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Most of the survivors have been saved! Just please return with us,¡± he said, his voice seeming desperate from behind Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    He must have noticed the man in ck as well and was speaking as if he had realized how dangerous the man in ck was.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve finally returned¡­it¡¯s better if we go back together¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jeong.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Jeong In-Chang and said, ¡°I understand.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression was incredibly determined, and somewhere along the line, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes had been slowly getting overtaken by Madness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll open a path. If you go forward, you¡¯ll end up running into Seong-Gu Hyung. It should be fine for you to join together with him.¡±

    <i>Step.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke onest time to Jeong In-Chang and took a step forward.

    <i>Roar!</i>

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    As soon as he stepped forward, several survivors shouted in surprise.

    The mes that had been blocking their path had been split open, revealing an opening. Moreover, the mes that had tormented them with their heat no longer caused them any pain.

    The path had been opened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait for you for too long,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he turned around with the White Tiger n and the survivors.

    The two had turned their backs on each other.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Going separate ways.

    As Jeong In-Chang walked through the mes, the ze moved again to close the path.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    Finally, it was just Lee Jun-Kyeong and the man in ck left.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong dashed toward the man who was still staring down at him.

    ***

    ¡°Please hurry!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang moved forward while supporting the survivors.

    Even after breaking off from Lee Jun-Kyeong, the mes didn¡¯t touch them.

    Jeong In-Chang thought that it really was a great ability, the power tomand such terrifying mes that were upying such arge area.

    With Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s help, their difficult escape had be much easier.

    ¡°There¡¯s a drake ahead!¡± one of the White Tiger n members shouted as they ran forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Jeong In-Chang quickly shouted, but the White Tiger n had already met with the monster.

    One of the members of the White Tiger n, a man who had been a resident of Heaven Lake Vige that hade to Korea, swung a sword and attacked the drake¡¯s head.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    All they heard was the loud sound of iron shing.

    ¡°<i>Argh!</i>¡±

    A scream pierced through the air.

    The White Tiger m member, who had apprehensively attacked the drake¡¯s head, was rolling on the ground while holding his arms.

    He was the one who had run forward despite Jeong In-Chang¡¯s words.

    However, Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t angry.

    <i>Step.</i>

    He took a step forward toward the fallen man.

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± the White Tiger n members shouted.

    The reason why the White Tiger n member had attacked the drake even though he knew he wasn¡¯t the monster¡¯s opponent just now was simple.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Blood flowed down Jeong In-Chang¡¯s right arm.

    <i>Drip. Drop.</i>

    The monsters here weren¡¯t just any regr monsters.

    They were high-grade monsters. Moreover, they had been strengthened. They were too much for the White Tiger n to deal with without Ungnyeo by their side.

    Therefore, Jeong In-Chang and the princess had to step up and save the people, protecting the White Tiger n.

    However, every time he interfered, he received another critical injury. Therefore, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s physical condition at this moment was not good.

    ¡°We¡¯ll handle it,¡± the members of the White Tiger n said, stepping forward to surround Jeong In-Chang and the survivors.

    As they had only been helped, they no longer wanted to see Jeong In-Chang get hurt for their sake.

    ¡°It¡¯s all ri¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was about to say that it was okay, but then his body suddenly shook for a moment.

    <i>''I''ve lost too much blood.¡¯</i>

    He knew that he was in a dangerous condition as well.

    Nevertheless, there was always work to be gone.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    ¡°Goong¡­¡±

    The princess stepped out of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms and stood on her two feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, princess.¡±

    ¡°Goongje.¡±

    The princess erged her body, returning to herrgebat state.

    The princess¡¯ condition also seemed serious. When they saw that she wanted to get involved, the White Tiger n members refused to move aside with stiff expressions.

    They knew although they wouldn¡¯t be of much help in this fight, they still had to help deal with the drake somehow.

    ¡°S¡­save us¡­¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    The Hunters stood in front of the frightened survivors, who were crying out to protect them. Some of the men and women who had something to protect tried to step forward, but soon backed down again, seeing the White Tiger n members.

    They wanted to be of any amount of aid, but the enemies the group was facing were too strong for that. They were ordinary people with no power.

    Although this was a perfect situation where a Hunter could be born, that wouldn¡¯t have helped either.

    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll leave it to you all,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, acknowledging his condition.

    He chose to fight alongside the White Tiger n.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Alongside those that were providing him assistance but were grateful to be allowed to do so, Jeong In-Chang ran forward while dragging his sword.

    .

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    He was getting stronger.

    He had gotten stronger.

    While he wasn¡¯t as strong as Lee Jun-Kyeong, he had still be strong.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> offers to you¡­]

    [<Ogre Prince Seigfried> sponsors you.]

    Justice.

    <The Prince on a White Horse> woulde out again whenever there was justice to be found.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    The greatsword began to shine with light.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang kicked off the ground and shot toward the drake.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was an explosive-like sound.

    However, that wasn¡¯t from where they were.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    It came from where they hade from. There was a huge sh of mana there.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Then, a sound that no one could have expected reverberated through the air.

    The drake, which they hadn¡¯t been able to attack because of the explosion, seemed to split in half, its head falling off of its body.

    It was an impressively neat workmanship, but the afterimage of the blow seemedpletely out of ce in their surroundings.

    ¡°A rainbow¡­?¡±

    Traces of rainbow were left behind from the blow. However, Jeong In-Chang was able to extrapte who the person was on the other side from the traces.

    ¡°Mr. Yeo!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu was standing on the drake¡¯s severed torso, looking at Jeong In-Chang.

    "I''m here to help."

    ***

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was a violent explosion.

    The aftermath of the explosion was powerful enough to swallow everything in its vicinity, including the drakes surrounding it.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Moreover, it even destroyed some of the remnants of the international airport that were on the verge of copse.

    The center of the explosion was where two spear tips met.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had quickly headed toward the man in ck and exploded with incredible power. The drakes hadn¡¯t been able to even approach. As Lee Jun-Kyeong reached in front of the man in ck, he pierced forward with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    However, against the tip of his spear, a spear that was winding itself around his arm and devouring mana and mes with no end, was the point of another spear.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was the man in ck, a figure that wore a ck robe and whose face was hidden in the shadows.

    Even though he was lit up by the glow of the mes, the ck robes still covered the man¡¯s face, as if it was an item with concealment properties.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have any time to worry about that.

    ¡°A spear¡­¡±

    The spear that he had thrust forward was blocked by another spear.

    The man in ck also wielded a spear.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    In a rxed manner, the man in ck pulled back his spear and swung it around, settling into a stance.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t get his mind in order at the sight as the rising ominousness and anxiety turned his body to stone.

    However, that was only for a moment.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear took control of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm and reversed the aura of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. At the same time, the arm moved forward on its own.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    His arm had previously been frozen stiff and unable to move, but now it reacted on its own, blocking the spear wielded by the man in ck.

    A huge force transferred from the blocked spear.

    It was a strength beyond humans, beyond Hunters, beyond giants.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    His arm was being powered by Galdr, the mana stream, and even the power of a weak dragon heart, but it trembled as it was pushed back.

    <i>ng!</i>

    In the end, Muspel¡¯s Spear was blown away, flying through the air with Lee Jun-Kyeong in tow.

    ¡°...¡±

    The man in ck just silently looked down at him with his mouth closed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong steadied himself and stood up again.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear, spewing a devilish aura, had helped him of its own ord.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said quietly as he gained control of himself again.

    It wasn¡¯t that his mind had cleared up. It was just that an answer to his questions wouldn¡¯t be found like this.

    Thus.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He would go get one himself.

    Red mes shimmered behind his back.

    The mes that filled the international airport were being absorbed into his body even at this very moment.

    In the presence of fire, he was king.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear ripped through space as it pierced forward. The intense head would turn everything into ashes.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear had be a sun as it tore forward at the man in ck.

    <i>TSSSS!</i>

    Even though the spear was only just approaching the man, his ck robe was beginning to tear at the edges as if it was being split apart.

    The spear waspletely infused with heat and Madness and shed with the spear of the man in ck once again.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

 Chapter 148: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 148: The Beginning of the Cataclysm Pt. 4</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Rather than the sound of metal shing, it was almost like a bomb had exploded. Sound wasn¡¯t the only thing that seemed to explode from the sh either.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    A frantic me shot up between the two spears and flew into the sky.

    The mes stretched up like sticky sap and spread about the vicinity. A me hotter than those burning around the international airport engulfed the surrounding area.

    ¡°<i>GRAHHH!</i>¡±

    The drakes had been smashing around the international airport without any difficulty, but were now melting in ce. These were monsters that had the property of fire and strong resistance to mes.

    It was such a ridiculous scene, an unbelievable event, to the point where if anyone saw this scene, they would call it a hoax even while watching it firsthand.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The two spears collided once again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly turned around. The power of the man in the ck robe was stronger than he had expected. He was being pushed back even now, even while squeezing out everyst drop of power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have any ns on beating him here from the beginning, but this was a bit much.

    <i>¡®This man¡­¡¯</i>

    If this man was the dark secret of Utgard, and the man suspected of being the being backing Set, then he had to sh with him, regardless of the risk, and try to figure out who it was.

    What he wanted to do in this battle was to find something out, even if he had to use every trump card at his disposal.

    He just wanted to remove the ck robe and see who was underneath the hood.

    <i>sh!</i>

    However, even if that was all he had wanted, it wasn¡¯t easy.

    The man¡¯s spear passed by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s forearm, and his blood spilled, soaking his clothes.

    <i>Wriggle.</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear spewed out a few more thorns. Before anyone had noticed, the thorns extending from Muspel¡¯s Spear were winding all the way around Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm as if they were consuming him.

    The thorns were then surrounded by mes.

    ¡°<i>Cough</i>.¡±

    It was hard enough for him to even just block the man in ck¡¯s spear.

    However, on top of that, Muspel¡¯s Spear was acting up as well.

    [Muspel¡¯s Spear is revealing its devilish aura!]

    It was constantly trying to consume him.

    <i>¡®Does he not have any skills?¡¯</i>

    If there was something he could be relieved by, however, it was that the man in the ck robe only fought him using pure strength.

    There were no special maniptions of mana, skills, or any usage of mana in any way.

    The man in ck only dealt with him with nothing but strength.

    Thus.

    <i>¡®This really is revolting.¡¯</i>

    To think that this man was overwhelming him, who had the power to explode everything, with just strength alone.

    To think this man had the power to extinguish the mes created by the power of the Monarch of Fire.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was revolted.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and the man in the ck robes¡¯ spears struck again, causing another explosion.

    However, it didn¡¯t end like this.

    The man in the ck robe didn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of killing him, and Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have the strength to take off the man in ck robe.

    Therefore.

    [You are being eroded by the devilish aura.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong deliberately gave himself to Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    He could feel a squirming force, and an emotional mana refluxed into his body from Muspel¡¯s Spear. The thorns that had been mainly situated on his arm suddenly wriggled its way into his heart.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    [The devilish aura is stimting Madness.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, which had already turned red like blood, began to spew an even more crimson color.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knocked aside the man in the ck robe with a spear and forced him to take a step back. He then gasped as if he was tired. A thorn from Muspel¡¯s Spear was winding its way around his upper body.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t tell if this was his true feelings or something he was just saying, but he looked at the man in the ck robes with blood-red eyes.

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    At the same time.

    [The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone resonated with the weak dragon''s heart!]

    There was an explosive force that sted all around them, and the ground where Lee Jun-Kyeong stood had begun to melt.

    ***

    Theva was seething around them as Lee Jun-Kyeong shed with the man in the ck robe.

    However, unlike before, the robes of the man in ck were torn and in tatters. Nevertheless, the face was still shrouded.

    The problem was simple.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s condition was not normal.

    <i>CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!</i>

    The sound of shing iron caused a series of explosions.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was thrusting forward like crazy, piercing his spear forward.

    Whether it was his skill or his purpose in removing his opponent¡¯s robe, he had lost it all.

    With thorns pierced all over his body, Lee Jun-Kyeong just wielded his spear and stabbed it forward like crazy.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Ripping through space, his spear elerated even further as it burst into mes.

    The man in the ck robe swung his spear in response. With a sh, there was another explosion.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    After that series of explosions, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body began to change even further.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    It was an unpleasant sound.

    Scales were starting to grow on Lee Jun-Kyeong as he pierced the man in the ck robe¡¯s body.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    The thorns that hade from Muspel¡¯s Spear turned into something that resembled the skin of a reptile and covered him. It spread over half of his upper body and climbed up his neck.

    <i>CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!</i>

    With its appearance, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s momentum seemed to have be more intense.

    The spear that seemed to shoot forward endlessly was covered with scales and had morphed into an arm-like shape.

    ¡°<i>Greuguhhhh¡­</i>¡±

    With a strange sound, Lee Jun-Kyeong jumped into the sky and plummeted down to the man in the ck robe.

    <i>BANG!</i>

    For the first time, the man in the ck showed a response.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had fallen from the sky and stabbed his spear-arm down onto the man.

    Although the man in the ck robe had been able to stop him, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped in the air as if ignoring gravity and continued to press down on the man in the ck robe.

    The response of the man waspletely different from how he seemed previously, where he seemed to be able to knock away any of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s blows.

    ¡°<i>Greuguhhhh¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made the strange, guttural sound again and kicked the man in the ck robe in the face with one foot.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The man in the ck robe attempted to dodge, but the tip of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s foot caught onto a corner of the robe and flung it off.

    ¡°<i>Greuguhhhh¡­</i>¡±

    The two fell onto the ground, and Lee Jun-Kyeong gasped heavily out of exhaustion.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    The man in the ck robe turned to put on the robe that had been peeled off his body.

    Although it had only been for a moment, the robe had stille off, and a face was thus exposed.

    But, as soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong recognized the face of the man in the ck robe¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    A sound of disbelief escaped his mouth.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been eroded by the devilish aura and exhausted all of his strength. In addition, his appearance had changed as if he had been consumed by his own strength. Despite all that, he had suddenly been shocked into saying human words again.

    The Madness in his eyes and the changes in his entire body were still there.

    But.

    ¡°What the¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was still obviously surprised.

    The robe of the man in ck fluttered in the air.

    Although his face had been covered again, Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten a direct look at his face.

    ¡°<i>Tsk tsk.</i> This can¡¯t do.¡±

    It was the first time that the man in the ck robe had opened his mouth.

    Then.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    A spear shot out of the hands of the man and pierced itself into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s right shoulder.

    It happened in an instant, at a speed that could not be seen.

    The attack had prated past Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s senses and driven itself into his shoulder.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Blood torrented down from the hole in his shoulder.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Still, what was pierced into his shoulder seemed to be just a spear.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been eroded by Madness and the dragon¡¯s blood, but he should have been able to pull the spear out on his own and treat his injuries.

    However, there was something different about the spear that was stuck in his shoulder.

    There was something that continued to drive it forward.

    "<i>Argh!</i>"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s groans became more intense.

    ¡°So far¡­¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell to one knee as he stared at the man in the ck robe as his hand held the spear that was stuck in his shoulder in ce.

    He muttered, ¡°You¡¯ve just been ying with everyone¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The man in the ck robe approached slowly. "I just saw a new future."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it, the man in ck nearly stood directly in front of him.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    ¡°<i>AGHH!</i>¡±

    After twisting the spear stuck in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shoulder once more, the man in ck pulled the spear out.

    In the punctured hole left behind, the scales on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body moved to fill the gap. However, something seemed to be blocking them from closing up the wound.

    <i>p.</i>

    In the meantime, something came flying over to where they were.

    Sitting on the shoulder of the man in the ck robes was Odin¡¯s Familiar.

    ¡°Huginn. Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    It was the ck crow, Huginn.

    ***

    A group of people were staring intensely at the burning international airport with anxious expressions. It was Jeong In-Chang and his party who had led the survivors out of the international airport after meeting with Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>Rumble!!</i>

    They saw the international airport crumble into pieces, and could feel a huge aura exuding from there.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    It was a powerful mana that even ordinary humans could feel, leaving them goosebumps.

    <i>¡®Mr. Lee.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was fighting there. Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu thought of the same thing as they strained their eyes.

    <i>¡®Please, hurry.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Hurry up and end things quickly so you cane out.¡¯</i>

    They were waiting for him.

    The fight inside the ruins should be extraordinary. After all, Jeong In-Chang had seen the man in the ck robe. His power seemed beyond astonishment and reached a terrifying level.

    That was why he hadn¡¯t wanted Lee Jun-Kyeong to face the man in the ck robe, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had refused to leave.

    ¡°...¡±

    Considering that Lee Jun-Kyeong had his own reasons and still had decided to face the terrifyingly powerful man in the ck robe, that meant that the Hunter had something he believed in.

    That was why Jeong In-Chang believed in him.

    <i>¡®No matter what, he has always¡­¡¯</i>

    Because he would always return.

    Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed reckless, he was a calcting man. He would always weigh his chances of winning and make sure to secure his survival.

    He would only fight when he still had a chance toe back alive. That was why Jeong In-Chang believed in him.

    ¡°Goongje¡­¡±

    Still, it was impossible to not be anxious whenever he faced this situation.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, BOOM!</i>

    The mes shot into the sky, and the heat had spread over even up to where they were waiting.

    Nevertheless, the party couldn¡¯t move, as if they were stuck by nails driven into the ground.

    Even the survivors as well.

    ¡°...¡±

    The survivors also waited for Lee Jun-Kyeong, mouths shut tight with anxiety.

    They wanted to get out of here quickly but were unable to say anything. They were overwhelmed by the atmosphere exuded by the two men who were staring at the international airport.

    Thus, they stood there, waiting for quite some time.

    <i>BOOOOM!</i>

    A roar, iparable to before, sted out from the ruins of the airport.

    The international airport, ¡°it¡¯spletely¡­copsed¡­¡±

    Incheon International Airport, the pride of Korea, had copsed after failing to ovee the mes.

    The sky was covered with acrid smoke and clouds of dust.

    ¡°Keugahh!!!¡±

    Inside the destroyed airport, the drakes who were dying from the total copse of the building screamed.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± the White Tiger n shouted as they led the survivors back away from the explosion.

    The ce in front of them was dangerous, and thus, they had to return quickly with the survivors.

    Jeong In-Chang briefly turned his gaze back toward the survivors.

    ¡°...¡±

    Behind the survivors was a speechless sight.

    <i>Step.</i>

    In between the survivors, they could hear someone¡¯s steps.

    Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu looked at the man approaching them at the same time.

    ¡°The man¡­in ck¡­¡±

    He was walking toward them, carrying Lee Jun-Kyeong in his arms.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

 Chapter 149: The Land of the Cataclysm

    <h4>Chapter 149: The Land of the Cataclysm</h4>

    The man in the ck robe approached them, holding Lee Jun-Kyeong in his arms.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted as he rushed out, greatsword in hand.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess also shifted into herbat form and ran forward. The two were stained with blood and marred with burns, but their eyes still showed a will to fight.

    However.

    ¡°Leave it!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted, stopping them.

    Unfortunately, Jeong In-Chang and the princess, who was running forward, didn¡¯t listen to his orders. Lee Jun-Kyeong was in the hands of the man in the ck robe. They had to save him.

    That was all that filled Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    As for the princess, the voice of Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t even register, as she followed the will of her master, responding to the emotions flowing across their bond.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup~</i>¡±

    A greatsword missing its tip plummeted down from the sky.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    It just bounced off to the side.

    The man in the ck robe held onto Lee Jun-Kyeong with one hand while swinging his spear, batting away Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    ¡°Princess!¡±

    A spear was inserted into the princess'' thigh.

    ¡°...¡±

    The man in the ck robe¡¯s spear returned to his hand, just like Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    In an instant, Jeong In-Chang and the princess were on the ground, groaning, as they looked up at the man in the ck robe.

    ¡°Leave it!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted once again, stepping forward.

    He stepped forward, also with a sword in hand, but the tip of his sword was facing the ground.

    ¡°We need to save Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang howled as the White Tiger n members tried to make their movete.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    However, a rainbow veil appeared before they knew it, blocking the White Tiger n members, Jeong In-Chang, and the princess from moving.

    The White Tiger n members were flustered and tried to break through the veil, but it wasn¡¯t easy for them to get past the barrier.

    "What are you doing?" Jeong In-Chang shouted as if he were enraged as Yeo Seong-Gu added more power into the veil, making it impossible for them to even make a sound.

    The man in the ck robe, holding Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Yeo Seong-Gu, faced each other.

    However, the ends of their weapons were still facing the ground.

    "Just why the hell..."

    Yeo Seong-Gu reacted the same way Lee Jun-Kyeong had, saying the same thing that the Hunter had said before he copsed.

    His hand shaking, while Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t noticed at first, Yeo Seong-Gu was different.

    "You... Why...¡±

    He had spent a long time with the man in front of him, iparably long aspared to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Yeo Seong-Gu could recognize his aura, as he had gone back and forth countless times with the man into his Territory.

    Moreover, there was that weapon, as well.

    He recognized Gungnir, one of the few weapons received by sponsorship in the world.

    ¡°Odin.¡±

    He called out the name of the man in the ck robe.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Having been recognized, the man took off the robe, exposing his face.

    Although he couldn¡¯t hear anything due to the veil, Jeong In-Chang was shocked by the reveal.

    An eye patch.

    It was definitely Odin.

    ¡°Why on earth would you¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu tried to question him, but Odin didn¡¯t answer. The missing Association President just approached slowly with his spear. However, there was no hostility in his gait.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He simply dropped Lee Jun-Kyeong to the floor.

    Blood was streaming from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm as hey on the floor, pooling around his body. Moreover, there were scales that seemed to have spread from his arm, even reaching his neck.

    However, they were gradually disappearing before their eyes.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Odin took a step back, backing away as if to show he wasn¡¯t an enemy.

    <i>Drop.</i>

    A small drop of blood fell from his body, falling from a point on his arm.

    ¡°...¡±!

    As Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, Odin spoke.

    ¡°That brat is still somewhat useful,¡± he said in a different, somewhat alien voice.

    ¡°Did you abandon Asgard?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

    ¡°Keep him alive.¡±

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Before they knew it, there was only a single ck crow feather left where Odin had stood.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was in terrible pain.

    The reason that he had tried to match the man in the ck robe while knowing that he stood no chance was that he felt as though he could try by taking advantage of the unbridled power of Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    He had thought that with the weak dragon heart and his increased strength, he could have at least been able to take the robe from the man and escape without dying.

    He had even thought of a way to deal with his reckless condition.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Merlin¡¯s Ne was still shining at this point.

    In addition, there was the mana stream, which had leveled up.

    Finally, he also had the sponsorship received from <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    Using those three things, he had even devised a way to ovee the devilish aura of Muspel¡¯s Spear, which had left him lying here, slowly recovering.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    If there was something he hadn¡¯t anticipated, then it was that the devilish aura that Muspel¡¯s Spear had consumed within it wasrger than he had expected. Furthermore, the devilish aura hadbined with Madness, multiplying.

    However.

    <i>¡®Odin¡­¡¯</i>

    An aura had been released by a spear that had stabbed him in his right arm.

    Despite losing consciousness, despite being overwhelmed by pain, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind never stopped running.

    He remembered Odin.

    The man in the ck robe, the man he had been chasing after.

    It was Odin.

    However, something seemed off.

    <i>¡®No, it¡¯s not him.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    The man in the ck robe that he was thinking of was not Odin.

    As he had that thought, slowly, the light began to shine through his eyelids.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was barely able to lift his heavy eyelids.

    He could see a bright light shining down on him.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was on someone¡¯s back, and they were moving somewhere. Slowly, he began to shift his position.

    ¡°Did you wake up?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was carrying him, and as the Hunter noticed that he had woken up, he said something to him.

    ¡°Please¡­put me down¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong managed to croak out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just get some more rest,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he walked faster.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no other choice but to ept it. His body was in shambles.

    Whether it was Muspel¡¯s Spear¡¯s devilish aura, which had been more powerful than he had thought, or the man in the ck robe¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong eximed the man¡¯s name aloud as if he had received a shock of electricity, ¡°Odin¡­!¡±

    Everyone looked at him.

    As he looked back, he could see the White Tiger n members and the survivors in his sight. It seemed as though the survivors had also grown in number.

    ¡°Yes. I saw him too.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a familiar voice from next to him.

    He turned his head while still on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s back.

    It was Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°So it really was Odin.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s stiff expression proved that what Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen wasn¡¯t a dream. The man who had worn a ck robe at Incheon International Airport had definitely been Odin.

    "What are you trying to do?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked as Lee Jun-Kyeong moved his hand, but Lee Jun-Kyeong simply took something out from his inventory without saying anything.

    He pulled out two ck pieces of cloth.

    One was a piece of the ck robe that he had found where Set had disappeared, and the other was a small piece he had saved from when he had fought with Odin.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes.

    There were traces of mana carved into the ck pieces.

    He had to concentrate.

    Concentrate.

    Like a swaying breeze, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana swept through the two pieces.

    ¡°They¡¯re the same¡­¡±

    To his surprise, the mana from the two ck pieces of cloth matched each other exactly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang shouted in surprise at the same time, but Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°The two pieces are definitely the same. However, I¡¯m sure they aren¡¯t from the same person.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure.

    Odin wasn¡¯t the man in the ck robe that he was looking for.

    He spected, ¡°I think he had received a robe from the man in the ck robe and wore it here.¡±

    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±

    While Yeo Seong-Gu also felt simrly to how Lee Jun-Kyeong did, he still had to ask.

    ¡°During the battle with Set, Odin was definitely hosting a meeting in Asgard with you, Hyung,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his dry voice finally finding some vitality. ¡°It was the same as when I went to China. For Odin to ever leave his space in Korea¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu pointed out, ¡°I mean, that¡¯s something he can hide with his level of ability. What makes you so sure, though?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another reason.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Yeo Seong-Gu with tired eyes as he spoke.

    The reason that he was talking about.

    ¡°I can feel it in my gut.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve already discerned about the identity of the man in the ck robe. Also, Odin could never be the man in the ck robe that I¡¯m chasing.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded cautiously as he then asked a question.

    ¡°Then the ck robes mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Either Odin is on the side of the man in the ck robe¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Or, for some reason, he¡¯s cooperating with the man in the ck robe for the moment,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    There was something they couldn¡¯t forget.

    Odin.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a maniac when ites to curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a heuristic madman,¡± they said at the same time.

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded as if he was convinced.

    ¡°Still, even with that, Asgard¡­to think he would throw away everything he had achieved. What on Earth would make him do that?¡±

    Incheon International Airport had burned down.

    There was no way that Odin wouldn¡¯t have figured out the situation in Korea or that the cataclysm had begun.

    In a situation where he should have also been in a hurry toe forward and settle these crises, he had thrown it all away and followed the man in the ck robe.

    Everything he had achieved and all of his ambition had been jetted away.

    No matter how much one could say that he was a deranged madman when it came to his pursuit of knowledge, to think he could go so far as to throw it all away.

    ¡°Also, he let you live.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    There was no need to remind him. Although it could be said that he had been consumed by the devilish aura, Lee Jun-Kyeong had still maintained his sanity to some extent.

    His memory of the battle was vivid, and he knew that he had been defeated by Odin. Thus, it was only natural that it could be assumed that Odin had let him live.

    ¡°Moreover¡­he also helped me, as well.¡±

    In addition, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been in the process of being overwhelmed by the devilish aura that had been stronger than he had expected.

    But, Odin had stopped it with his power, stabbing him with his spear into his shoulder.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, then it would have taken quite a while for Lee Jun-Kyeong to fully wake up.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    All that remained were questions. However, there was something more important right at this moment.

    "Where are we going?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s back.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He could feel the people around him stop.

    The White Tiger n members were at the front, and the survivors were standing behind him, as Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong were in the middle.

    Because he was being carried on Jeong In-Chang¡¯s back, the scenery around him wasn¡¯t properly visible, hidden behind people¡¯s backs.

    Only sunlight and a bright red light filled his vision.

    As they waited for those that had stopped, Jeong In-Chang responded to him, ¡°We are going to Seoul.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to wait as he then asked again, ¡°Where are Hyeon-Mu, Ungnyeo, and Won-Hwa?¡±

    He had asked for the whereabouts of the others.

    "They are in Seoul."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    It was natural for them to go meet up with theirpanions in this situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also gotten in touch with some of the members of Asgard. I can¡¯t go through all of Asgard because of Odin, but I¡¯ve made my own preparations as well,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    This was the reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had given the information about the cataclysm to Yeo Seong-Gu in advance. He seemed to have made his own preparations, just as Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected.

    ¡°Also, we should be able to meet up with the League Guild on our way.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯sughter gave Lee Jun-Kyeong strength.

    "Can you move?" Jeong In-Chang asked Lee Jun-Kyeong, turning a question back to him, who was asking them for all of the answers.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly nodded and began to get off of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s back.

    <i>¡®The aftereffects of my battle still linger, but is the power of Immortality starting to take effect?¡¯</i>

    He looked down at the other heart that was now fully seated in the ce of his own heart.

    The Dragon Heart.

    Made through the power of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, it gave him a vitality close to that of immortality, just like the Authority that Siegfried had in his past.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was being healed quickly, even at this very moment.

    "Thank you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped on the ground, the scenery around him opening up because he had finally stood up.

    ¡°...¡±

    All he could see was a world in mes, where all that was left were ashes.

 Chapter 150: The Land of the Cataclysm Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 150: The Land of the Cataclysm Pt. 2</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.

    He could see the red light along with the sunlight as well as his body as it visibly healed.

    ¡°The world is¡­¡±

    It was on fire.

    The sight before his eyes was horrifying.

    Buildings were burning down into ashes, and the fire that was yet to be extinguished was engulfing the city.

    But.

    The screams.

    He couldn¡¯t hear them.

    ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked in a low tone.

    ¡°One day,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu answered instead of Jeong In-Chang.

    Yeo Seong-Gu was watching the city of ashes alongside Lee Jun-Kyeong and was also subdued.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been one day since you¡¯ve lost consciousness.¡±

    "In just a single day...¡±

    To think the world could change like this.

    "Where are we?" Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    "Incheon."

    They hade all this way, dragging the survivors behind them.

    After a whole day on foot, they arrived at Incheon after a day on foot. The city had turned into a city of ashes and the roads were cut off, unable to be traversed by cars.

    <i>¡®Just how¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s memories suddenly surfaced.

    The cataclysm that he had seen in the book of the Demon King and in the annals of history.

    It was a catastrophe that could bepared to the first advent of the gates, but was rated worse in severity.

    The cataclysm.

    He was seeing it unfold firsthand before his very eyes.

    ¡°In history¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong murmured to himself.

    He wondered, in history, how did the Hunters ovee this crisis?

    In the city, he couldn¡¯t hear a single scream or feel the presence of a single person.

    Could all of the people that lived in this huge city have died?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    <i>¡®No, that can¡¯t be possible.¡¯</i>

    They must have all hidden somewhere in order to avoid this disaster.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at everything and sighed.

    ¡°<i>Sob¡­ sob¡­</i>¡±

    He could hear people sobbing around him.

    They were the people who they had rescued from Incheon International Airport, or those they had found on the broken roads.

    They were howling at the sight of Incheon burning. It was as if their world had copsed.

    ¡°We will move on,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he stepped forward. ¡°There is a ce we have to go.¡±

    Filled with firm determination, Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ***

    Incheon had been a city of splendor.

    However, that splendor had turned into ash.

    <i>Step.</i>

    The group stepped on the ashes of the city.

    They had tried to take an abandoned car to get past, but it was difficult to drive through the ruined cityscape.

    ¡°<i>Chwiik!</i>¡±

    "We''ll take care of it!"

    Instead of the bustling sounds of people, only the sound of monsters crying and rampaging spread throughout the city of ashes.

    The White Tiger n had found their opponents and were searching throughout the city and dealing with the monsters.

    Fortunately, the monsters in Incheon weren¡¯t very highly ranked.

    They were just orcs and trolls.

    However.

    "Don''t let your guard down."

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong warned, they weren¡¯t allowed to be careless.

    The cataclysm had begun.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    Just as Lee Jun-Kyeong warned, the monsters had be stronger than ever.

    In the past, these monsters were at a level that anyone could deal with just by bing a Hunter and receiving some sponsorship were evenly matched with the White Tiger n, the elites of Heaven Lake Vige.

    Of course, the White Tiger n wasn¡¯t just being beaten.

    They had tried to grow as much as possible as fast as possible with all of their might.

    They were a unit that had obtained great support and connections with the help of Ungnyeo. Unfortunately, the monsters at the international airport had been too strong.

    ¡°<i>Chiiiik!</i>¡±

    The White Tiger n cleared out the surrounding monsters after a fierce battle, and thanks to this, Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, and Goongje¡¯s recovery was bing faster, while Yeo Seong-Gu was guarding the survivors in case of a possible attack.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Their footsteps grew faster as time went by.

    The survivors were bing exhausted, but they didn¡¯t ask where they were headed, just walking as they sobbed forward without a single word.

    They just wanted to go back home.

    "Unfortunately, all of Korea will look the same.¡±

    They closed their mouths and stayed silent after listening to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    The survivors all talked about family members they had been separated from and friends that they couldn¡¯t find.

    However, they were still all ordinary humans.

    They were limited in what they could do in the midst of this disaster, and it was safer for them to just obey the will of those who guarded them.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    The survivors thanked them every time they dealt with the monsters.

    In the midst of an unspeakable crisis, these people were unable to do anything, so the only thing they could do as they followed behind was offer their thanks.

    ¡°I¡­they call me Siegfried¡­!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang said in the midst of it all, as if he wanted to make his name known, even now.

    ¡°Thank you so much¡­ Mr¡­o¡­ogre¡¯s¡­ Um¡­¡±

    However, in response, all he heard was some nonsense¡­

    The White Tiger n also received some thanks as well, as Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were gathering energy amid the gratitude of the survivors.

    <i>¡®Ungnyeo¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of hispanions in Seoul.

    In his history, in the book of the Demon King, it had been Seoul that had been the most affected by the cataclysm.

    The main cause of the cataclysm was the condensation and saturation density of mana. Hunters were also a form of collected mana. Thus, the cataclysm would grow even more severe in the presence of strong Heroes.

    Seoul was where the Association was located.

    Thus, they were most likely facing the greatest changes.

    <i>¡®Ungnyeo, Won-Hwa, Fenrir¡­even Sangun is there as well.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, Asgard and the Association were most likely moving quickly in order to handle matters there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    Most likely, instead of the capital, he would have to worry about the situation outside of Seoul, or in the countryside.

    ¡°Yes. We are almost there,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu nodded.

    The Hunters could also feel that they had almost reached their destination, even if it wasn¡¯t for Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s response.

    They were running into the same monsters over and over and over again.

    The party could feel a cluster of mana somewhere ahead of them.

    Even with the increased difficulty in mana sensitivity due to the explosive increase of mana due to the aftermath of the cataclysm, they could still feel this cluster of mana ahead.

    That could only mean one thing.

    <i>¡®There are many Hunters gathered in one ce.¡¯</i>

    And that was where Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were headed.

    ¡°It¡¯s Inha University,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong as he looked at the building in front of him.

    This was the only site that had remained standing amid the ashes of the ruins.

    Inha University was located in Incheon.[1]

    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, almost afraid to finish his sentence.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Something was moving toward them.

    Something stealthy and fast.

    The moving figures, which a low-grade Hunter wouldn¡¯t even be able to notice, wasing toward them.

    Soon after.

    ¡°Guild Leader.¡±

    Hunters appeared before them.

    ***

    ¡°I had also tried to figure out some ns in my own way after you warned me about the cataclysm.¡±

    The decently standing building seemed to be full of everything.

    Food and clothing were piled to the brim¡ªall of a sudden, the university had be a sort of refuge.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    "Oh, my..."

    "Eun-Mi! Eun-Mi!"

    The university was full of survivors, some consoling the newly arrived survivors and somementing the situation outside.

    There were even some who were shouting at the newly arrived crowd, hoping to find some of their lost family members.

    Although they were still busily moving, their expressions looked much better than before.

    Yeo Seong-Gu stated, ¡°I purposefully set up a League Guild branch in an area where the Hunters were scarce. That¡¯s how the League Guild has been able to rapidly expand for some time.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the League Guild expanded?¡±

    The League Guild was a guild that advocated for a few elite members.

    While it wasn¡¯t a small number of members by any means, if there were a few more branches like the one they were currently in, then they really would have expanded just as Yeo Seong-Gu had said.

    No, it would have actually been reborn as apletely giant guild.

    ¡°Yeah. We absorbed some guilds and allied with others. I told you, I prepared in my own way. What do you think?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his sincere gratitude, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    This was a person who had listened to him, believed in him, and acted. In both the original time zone and now, Yeo Seong-Gu was someone that Lee Jun-Kyeong could only be grateful to.

    Yeo Seong-Gu shrugged as if he was embarrassed.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do from this point on?¡± asked Jeong In-Chang.

    The League Guild had gathered alongside the Hunters from the Incheon branch of the Association at this ce in order to n for the protection of the survivors and to slowly restore Incheon.

    However, theirmunication services had long been down.

    There was already a small veil hanging over the sky of Incheon. Something simr to what was in China.

    It meant that gateization was already in progress.

    Theirmunication services had been cut off, and the Hunters would have to save people directly by running to find them.

    In this situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s next move was important.

    ¡°We will¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to speak slowly.

    He had also made his own preparations for the cataclysm: when the cataclysm began, how to move, what direction to take. He had constantly simted it in his head and set his own ns.

    It was time for their first order of business.

    Although they would have to start in Incheon at this point, and not Seoul, it was something that had to be done anyway.

    ¡°We need to take control of the Incheon metropolitan area.¡±

    ¡°We need to be the ruler of the Incheon metropolitan area?¡±

    "Yes."

    It was an ideapletely out of the blue.

    To think they would have to take control of Incheon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to end the cataclysm, but I know how to mitigate the situation.¡±

    There was only one way to end the cataclysm, and that was to wait for it to all be over, which would only happen when the Hunters had taken control of the world once again.

    However, it would take quite a long time for that to happen.

    At the moment, it was enough for them to just ease the situation at hand.

    ¡°At the beginning of the cataclysm, all gates that had opened would have copsed simultaneously. Moreover, any that appearedter would also continue to copse.¡±

    That was what the cataclysm was.

    Until it ended, the gate breaks would continue to ur and the mana trapped inside would flood out, leaving monsters to continue to rage and people to die.

    ¡°The cause of the gate breaks must be eliminated.¡±

    ¡°Huh? If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, they would have to remove the cause of the gate breaks.

    Jeong In-Chang was trying to ask if that was the case if they would be ending the cataclysm.

    ¡°Even if we remove them, that would only be for a while, as the ruler will appear once again.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°However, if we deal with the ruler, we will be able to buy some time.¡±

    Then, Yeo Seong-Gu raised a question, ¡°However¡­ You definitely said that you didn¡¯t know about any way to end it any faster in the Nile.¡±

    While they were in the Nile, figures from the various countries had asked Lee Jun-Kyeong about how to end the cataclysm, or at least ease the severity of it.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had replied to them that he didn¡¯t know.

    Unfortunately, this was something that he really didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°This is a method that can only be used in Korea. I don¡¯t know how things would work in other countries.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°There are many facets to the cataclysm. Everything that I know is limited to just Korea.¡±

    The cataclysm wasn¡¯t the same everywhere.

    There were many differences in how it could be alleviated or resolved regarding the situation that was unfolding in each country.

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong knew was the path that the Demon King had walked. This was the only way to ease the impact of the cataclysm in Korea.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

    If he had told Yeo Seong-Gu first, then he could have told the Hunters the truth of what was happening when he had wanted to set up a branch to rescue people in the first ce and reduce the damage they had suffered.

    For a moment, doubt and anger seemed to sh across Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face.

    ¡°That''s¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke carefully.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the only one who can do this.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky.

    <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks down upon you.]

    The bastard was staring down on him.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Inside, there was a room full of silence.

    Outside, they could see the visage of a burning world.

    The outside was burning and dissipating into ashes, but there was only silence in the room.

    This ce was a location where not a single piece of furniture was even out of ce, and somewhere that no one could ever determine its location.

    In this room were three men.

    All three of them were wearing ck robes.

    <i>Shh.</i>

    One of them took off his hood.

    His exposed face was scarred,pletely burnt. However, rather than making him seem weak, it instead made him look even stronger.

    His name was Set.

    He, who had disappeared from Egypt, was standing in front of the two men now.

    "Egypt''s cataclysm has begun,¡± he said in a ringing voice.

    Soon after.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Another man also took off his hood. His left eye was covered with a ck eye patch.

    "I''ve been in contact with... the Underdog."

    The one who spoke ufortably.

    It was Odin.

    Set and Odin were reporting to another man in a ck robe.

    He was receiving reports from the ruler of a leading power of the world, from two of the world¡¯s leading Hunters.

    That man also threw off his hood.

    ¡°It¡¯s all beginning now,¡± he said.

    Rather than answering the reports, he looked out of the window.

    Odin stared at him.

    It was a face that he couldn¡¯t get used to, no matter how many times he looked at it.

    The person he reported to had a striking resemnce to someone he knew.

    <i>¡®The Underdog¡­¡¯</i>

    A striking resemnce with a Hunter who was currently making incredible waves around the world.

    1. In as in Incheon, and Ha as in Hawaii. Inha is a university founded by the first president of South Korea, and is a coboration school founded in partnership with Koreans who had emigrated to Hawaii decades earlier. ??

 Chapter 151: The Ruler of Incheon

    <h4>Chapter 151: The Ruler of Incheon</h4>

    ¡°There theye!¡± some Hunters on watch shouted.

    The Hunters who had leftst night to search for survivors were returning.

    ¡°There are survivors with them, too!¡±

    Countless people were following them in rows.

    From the city reduced to ashes by the cataclysm, people wereing back after rescuing others that were hiding there.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve returned!¡±

    It was Jeong In-Chang and the princess alongside the Hunters of the League Guild and the Association. They looked exhausted, and there were clear traces of battle on them, but their expressions looked cheerful.

    As if they were proud to have rescued the survivors.

    ¡°I think there are at least ten thousand people there?¡±

    ¡°I guess there is a reason you¡¯rete.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu smiled as they talked to the returning party.

    Jeong In-Chang recognized Lee Jun-Kyeong and waved his hand to greet him. The survivors came in one by one, but soon, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be full in no time.¡±

    Although Inha University was arge campus, it was nowhere enough to amodate all of the residents of Incheon.

    It wouldn¡¯t be enough.

    The Hunters searched every day, and they would be weed back as they rescued survivors.

    However, the survivors¡­

    It was bing increasingly difficult to amodate them.

    Moreover, the same went for their food.

    The food that returned with the search party from within the city of ashes was finite, and they weren¡¯t sure when it would run out.

    ¡°Still.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu as he said, ¡°We¡¯ve finished up handling the surroundings, and as there are also more Hunters joining us, we can still expand further.¡±

    Thend that had been taken away from them by the cataclysm they were also getting underway of iming it back.

    They would clean up the monsters around them and repair the buildings that were still standing.

    The survivors were divided into zones, and as they kept taking care of the monsters, the longer they would be able to hold out.

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at Jeong In-Chang, who had entered Inha University and shouted out once again.

    ***

    The Hunters gathered in an undergraduate office at Inha University.

    There was the person who was in charge of the Incheon branch of the League Guild, and the person who was in charge of the Incheon branch of the Association. In addition, even Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, Jeong In-Chang, and the other Hunters with leadership positions within the Guild, along with other rted members, were there.

    The undergraduate office was full.

    "The situation outside...¡±

    The reason they had gathered was that every time someone would go on a search, they would gather information from the Hunters, who hade back and collect it all.

    Incheon was a ce where theirmunication abilities were intermittent, and a veil was cast over like a divide.

    For them, the sooner they gathered the information, the better.

    "It''s serious."

    Jeong In-Chang was leading the meeting.

    The Hunters already respected him after he volunteered to go on a search party without taking a break.

    ¡°The number of monsters has decreased considerably, but¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang continued, disying the photos he had taken with a cell phone camera on a screen.

    ¡°The remaining monsters are gathering in one ce.¡±

    Looking at the picture that appeared on the screen, it was enough to frighten the Hunters.

    "Oh, my God..."

    "Is that...?"

    Hundreds, thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands of monsters were gathering in one ce.

    Moreover, it was hard for them to find traces of a city anymore.

    Lush forests and trees were grasping the copsed and burning buildings, wrapping the cement in their roots.

    It was unbelievable to think that this was something that had urred in just a few days.

    The Hunters sat quietly, shocked into silence.

    ¡°However, fortunately, the monsters are moving in the direction of City Hall, so more people than I thought had survived.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was thinking as he listened to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s report.

    The ruler of Incheon.

    The being that they would have to deal with.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s at City Hall.¡¯</i>

    Its location was evidenced from the monsters gathering on that spot.

    Being a ruler was an unusual and special existence.

    A boss monster from a copsed gate would no longer have the ability to lead any monsters.

    However, the existence of a ruler meant that these monsters, even the many boss monsters that were born from the copse of many gates, could be led by something.

    Only by knocking it down would the monsters scatter.

    It was easier to deal with unorganized monsters than with monsters that had congregated into groups. Moreover, as long as another ruler wasn¡¯t born until the end of the cataclysm, the monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to survive any longer and die.

    Or at least, that was what happened in history.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s report had ended, and next, it was Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s turn.

    ¡°We¡¯ve sessfully made contact with the outside world.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu was the unspoken leader of this survival base. It was only natural for them to follow him, who had made ns and prepared for many things.

    However, most of them didn¡¯t know about the existence of Asgard, or even Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s true identity.

    Thus, the existence of the Bifrost and many other things were secret.

    ¡°We seeded inmunicating with the outside world using a method that we had prepared in advance¡­and we were able to hear the circumstances outside,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said in a heavy voice. ¡°Fortunately, not all of Korea is like this.¡±

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>.¡±

    "That''s a relief."

    Many Hunters were relieved by this.

    They were happy to hear that things were okay outside, even if their own situation was poor.

    ¡°However, that just means that it¡¯s not all like this. In fact, there are still many ces that seem to be in a simr situation to Incheon. The areas that are still okay have Hunters who are evacuating people¡­¡±

    What he had just said was something that was obvious.

    ¡°And they are trying to see if they can rescue the isted areas.¡±

    They continued to feel relieved. However, there was something that he didn¡¯t say: what Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him.

    <i>¡®Whether it happens early orte, all of Korea, no, the entire world, will end up like this.¡¯</i>

    Evacuating the survivors was the right choice, and it was something that had to be done. However, it would still take a long time before they could rescue the isted areas.

    Still, there was no need to erase their hope.

    ¡°Furthermore, I also contacted several locations overseas.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had used the power of the Bifrost, which had slightly recharged, not to move, but to reach out to his contacts.

    ¡°Most of the foreign countries have situations that are worse than it is here.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However, nothing has been decided for certain yet. The power of humanity that we¡¯ve built up so far isn¡¯t weak.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had highlighted the main subject.

    "Thus, we move."

    ***

    The purpose and direction of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party had been decided.

    They would retake Incheon and advance to Seoul.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body was recovering, he quickly moved with the Hunters of Inha University.

    ¡°Kya!! You¡¯re so good at saving people?¡±

    ¡°Did you say that you were Siegfried?¡±

    ¡°No! What sort of ogre is¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had been searching around Incheon every day without a single day of rest in order to rescue more survivors.

    It had been a while since Inha University had filled up, and they had started to use the surrounding buildings to build the survival zone. Moreover, they were beginning to widen their zone as well.

    Jeong In-Chang was also working on a special mission.

    ¡°Although I¡¯ve never seen the being that we call the ruler¡­ I can feel a powerful force near City Hall. I¡¯ll work on getting information about that bastard as soon as possible.¡±

    It was the enemy that they would have to deal with, sooner orter. Thus, his duty was to get information about the ruler of Incheon.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gathered the information that he had brought him.

    Hebined that with what he had in the Book of the Demon King and what was written in history. However, there was no mention of what type of ruler it was anywhere.

    All he knew was that after a struggle with the ruler, eventually, humanity won, and some people were able to survive the dyed cataclysm.

    Then, at some point, humanity seeded.

    That was all the information that Lee Jun-Kyeong had.

    As he had said before, the book of the Demon King wasn¡¯t an encyclopedia. Instead, all it contained was the life experiences of the Demon King, an autobiography of his life.

    Therefore, although there were some rare pieces of information that others didn¡¯t know, there wasn¡¯t anything written about things that the Demon King hadn¡¯t known.

    They would just have to figure it out themselves.

    <i>¡®With my strength,bined with them¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong worked hard to acquire information and also recover his strength in order to deal with the ruler.

    <i>¡®I have to do this.¡¯</i>

    The only person who could topple the ruler was himself. The others could never handle something like that.

    Even if they were able to, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of them as surely as he could.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked out the window again.

    It was a shifting world.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks down on you.]

    He desperately needed the aid of this bastard.

    ¡°Then, for now, Hunter Jeong In-Chang, no, Siegfried¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s reputation, which hadn¡¯t yet been widely known, was skyrocketing. Yeo Seong-Gu had even deliberately started the meeting by stating his title to the participants.

    ¡°He will rescue the survivors and obtain information regarding the ruler. The others will be in charge of food procurement, dealing with the monsters, and locating where the veil starts.¡±

    The meeting then concluded with a clear and concise arrangement of duties by Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s long and heavy sigh.

    It seemed to imply a long fight toe.

    ***

    A few more days passed, and Inha University and the surrounding areas had all been restored.

    No more monsters were to be found, and people had already started restoring the ruined city.

    Although their actions were quick, considering the fact that less than ten percent of Incheon¡¯s total poption had survived, it was terrible.

    The rest of the residents had either died or were trapped somewhere, waiting to be rescued.

    They would be having a horrifying experience, marred by despair.

    However, there was something that gave them hope as well.

    Something had started happening.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter now too!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    Ordinary people had begun to awaken as Hunters, one by one.

    The only way to be a Hunter had been to prove oneself by risking one¡¯s life by entering a gate filled with mana.

    However, only a few people would risk their lives for the sake of bing a Hunter. Even if those people entered a gate, that didn¡¯t mean they would necessarily all be Hunters.

    But, things were different now.

    <i>¡®Incheon, the entire world. It¡¯s all undergoing gateization.¡¯</i>

    Mana was filling up everywhere, and thus, the eyes of the Sponsors began to reach all over.

    As the Sponsors who had yet to find any Incarnations came into contact with those they approved of, they began to choose their Incarnations, one by one.

    Those who used their weapons to protect their families.

    Those who were full of rage, wanting to destroy everything.

    Those who had been consumed by grief and despair.

    The Sponsors began to choose their Incarnations ording to their individual tastes, leading to the birth of Hunters.

    ¡°Those who have just be Hunters, if you want to participate, you¡¯ll have to get training from us temporarily!¡±

    These people had just be Hunters.

    Although they were supposed to have an Association to manage them, all they had at hand to handle them were the remaining members of the Association, along with a couple of League Guild members.

    Those who had be Hunters needed education, especially in this desperate situation.

    <i>¡®Or, they might not use their powers in the proper direction.¡¯</i>

    There were even some people that were calling for destruction and rage. If things weren¡¯t managed, then they could end up directing their strength to a group that waspletely innocent.

    Education was a necessity, and many things were taking ce under Yeo Seong-Gu.

    And, now.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    "Yes."

    Tension hung over his nodding face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave in an hour.¡±

    Today, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his group would be leaving Inha University.

    The survivors of Inha Unversity had already established a system, and as long as their work went well, they, too, would soon be able to join with the others.

    Those who had just be Hunters were still weak, and the Hunters of the League Guild and the Association all unquestionably listened to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    They would find stability and a system here.

    Thus, the party was ready to leave.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡± Yeo Seong-Gu sighed.

    Moreover, there was another reason why they were ready to leave.

    ¡°To think there is a Human-like monster¡­¡±

    It was that just yesterday, Jeong In-Chang had sessfully scouted out the ruler after numerous rounds of reconnaissance.

    Jeong In-Chang, wanting to save even more people after rescuing quite a few people already, headed to City Hall and saw it there.

    It was a little bigger than a human, but still had a human-like appearance.

    However, it had some differences aspared with humans, like pointed ears. It led the gathering of monsters.

    <i>¡®It was like it was building a kingdom¡­¡¯</i>

    ording to Jeong In-Chang, it looked as though it was building a kingdom.

    He said that it had its minions pushing away broken buildings, using the forest and trees to build something simr to a structure.

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to be deeply troubled by the new type of monster.

    ¡°How strong is it? What do you think?¡±

    The only person that Yeo Seong-Gu could ask was Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong tapped at his temple as if he was trying to remember.

    ¡°Odin¡­?¡± he said cautiously.

    He continued as he saw Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s wide-eyed expression.

    ¡°But not yet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°As time goes by, it will be stronger. However, it¡¯s still in the early stages of the cataclysm. So, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s reached that stage yet.¡±

    "That''s a relief,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, his expression rxing as if he was relieved.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not at that level yet¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression remained firm.

    It wasn¡¯t as strong as Odin, but it was still at a level that would be hard for him, Jeong In-Chang, and Yeo Seong-Gu to deal with together.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already shed with Odin, who had been wearing a ck robe, and already knew how easy Odin had been on him.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®Why did he let me live?¡¯</i>

    That fight had also raised questions.

    However, questions were a luxury at this point.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up.

    "Let''s go."

    The time hade to hunt down the ruler.

 Chapter 152: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 152: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 2</h4>

    The Hunters walked silently with quiet steps.

    In the city of ruins, the Hunters moved forward, stepping over the ashes and rubble of the copsed buildings. Their steps were quiet, but filled with the weight of the devastation around them.

    ¡°It¡¯s this way,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    He had continued to wander around Incheon in order to rescue survivors, so he was now pinpointing the path for his party to take. However, it wasn¡¯t that he was taking them on a path with no monsters at all.

    ¡°<i>Chwiiik!!</i>¡±

    Rather, it was full of monsters.

    Every corner of the way, monsters screamed as they attacked the party.

    <i>Squelch! Crack! Pow!</i>

    With intense sounds, they died one by one.

    Jeong In-Chang was deliberately guiding the party to ces full of monsters.

    They were groups of monsters that had to have been avoided when they were rescuing survivors, but things were different now.

    Half of Incheon¡¯s power was gathered here.

    Monsters weren¡¯t targets to be avoided anymore, but targets to be hunted.

    ¡°Rear guard!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted.

    At his cry, the Hunters formed a line and walked forward.

    They would ughter the monsters and advance.

    <i>¡®We have to leave here.¡¯</i>

    That was what Lee Jun-Kyeong had meant.

    If they were able to hunt the ruler of Incheon, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party would have to leave Incheon.

    With the ruler gone, Incheon would be a little safer, but if they could also ughter the monsters that were here as well, the survivors who were hiding would be even safer.

    This was a consideration that Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party could do for everyone before they left the city.

    <i>Step. Step.</i>

    The Hunters continued to walk out in silence.

    They would conquer Incheon and take it back.

    This would be the beginning of humanity¡¯s struggle to survive in the cataclysm.

    ¡°HA-A-EUP!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang ran out with much faster and stronger movements than before, his greatsword in hand, slicing through a huge tree-type monster.

    Like an axe, the greatsword cleaved through the base of the monster and cut it into two.

    ¡°<i>UUUUGH!</i>¡±

    With a grotesque scream, the monster that was in the form of the huge old tree fell down.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s grown,¡¯?</i>Lee Jun-Kyeong thought as he looked at Jeong In-Chang.

    Jeong In-Chang always was enthusiastic in what he did, both when he was with him and when he wasn¡¯t. Because of that, he grew with every battle.

    He may have earned the title Siegfried, but hadn¡¯t yet fully developed his abilities.

    However.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s about to bloom.¡¯</i>

    Thepleted Siegfried.

    He would be a person who could be of great help to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°<i>Uuuuugh</i>.¡±

    ¡°<i>UUGH!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    At that time,pletely different monsters surrounded their surroundings. They were so different to the point that even the degree of mana they emitted was different.

    The monster approached with a thump, seemingly a mixture of rocks and trees.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The Hunters stood nervously as they drew their weapons and held them aloft.

    However.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward and held out his hand.

    Suddenly, it felt like a burst of intense heat had sprung up all around them.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Suddenly, mes burst out, igniting the monsters in front of them.

    They were in a world where only ashes remained.

    The structures around them were just the remnant rubble of broken buildings anyway.

    <i>¡®This is a ce where I can use fire to my heart¡¯s content without any repercussions.¡¯</i>

    Shimmering mes engulfed them, and their bodies, which seemed to be made of rocks and wood, began to distort and melt.

    <i>¡®Looks like, I, too¡­.¡¯</i>

    He had grown.

    ***

    <i>''Status window.''</i>

    A blue window that hadn¡¯t been opened in a long time popped open.

    It was a skill and special ability that only Lee Jun-Kyeong had that others didn¡¯t, and it was one of the reasons that he had been able to grow stronger at an iparable speed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the blue window in front of him and thought to himself.

    <i>¡®The man in ck.¡¯</i>

    The man who was behind Set, the man who had turned China, Utgard, into and of ice.

    The man who had to have been behind Utgard-Loki, the king of the city of giants.

    Also.

    <i>¡®The man who had even reaped Odin.¡¯</i>

    As time passed, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to infer his identity for some reason.

    No, he had had his doubts about the man in ck¡¯s identity from the start.

    Thus, as time passed, the man had given Lee Jun-Kyeong a strange certainty. However, as he had no confirmation, he had neither affirmed nor told anyone.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®Why would he¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also had a bit of doubt.

    The man in ck¡¯s actions so far seemed to have only caused him confusion.

    Carnage and Madness.

    The act of manipting someone to create a disturbance.

    He had done so many things that it was ipatible with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought he was. It was to the point where even at this moment, he still had an iprehensible feeling.

    The true identity of the man in ck was¡­

    ¡°The Demon King¡­¡±

    The owner of the book that Lee Jun-Kyeong had read, and the true Hero that he had admired. A true Hero who had to be erased from history, though his achievements had still survived.

    For some, strange reason, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though the man in ck was the Demon King.

    But, if the man in ck was the Demon King.

    <i>¡®Is he looking at a status window, just like I am?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky.

    <i>¡®<The Sky of the Apocalypse>, what the hell are you¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky, full of questions, but no answers came back in response.

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to focus on the blue window that spread in front of him.

    [Lee Jun-Kyeong]

    [Special Ability: yer]

    [Sponsor: <Sky of the Apocalypse>]

    [Level: 89, Strength: 241, Agility: 281, Stamina: 210, Mana: 294]

    [Authorities: Monarch of Fire Lv MAX]

    [Familiars: Hyeon-Mu (Matured), A Skull that Contains Souls (Activating), Fenrir (Growth)]

    Although there were fewer additions this time than before, the numbers themselves were different.

    His level was approaching 100 before he had realized it.

    <i>¡®Level 100¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought back to a part of the book of the Demon King.

    [Just as there is a huge difference before and after every time the number of a stat value changes the number of digits¡­]

    His memories, just as intense as the day he read them.

    [The level is also the same. Still, the shift in level gave me a strength that was iparable to the shift in ability. It was almost like¡­]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly recited what he had remembered, ¡°It was like an evolution, not an increase in strength.¡±

    It was an intense memory, thinking back to the phrase that it was like evolution, not growth.

    However, the higher the level, the slower the growth.

    The growth rate wasn¡¯t fast in the first ce, and had now slowed down to a point where he had thought that it would have been better to be given sponsorship.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong recognized that it had also been his own fault.

    <i>¡®Because I didn¡¯t have any time to hunt.¡¯</i>

    The time he had spent in Ennd, the time against Set.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to devote much time to hunting.

    Unlike the beginning, when he had been raiding gates like crazy, his time spent hunting had been noticeably reduced.

    <i>¡®Well, leveling up is also slow,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought again as he looked ahead.

    It was infested with monsters.

    From a certain point, monsters had spread all over around them, oppressing the Hunters with the pressure of their mana.

    As the monsters grew stronger as they advanced, it meant that Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were moving forward in the right direction.

    ¡°It''s time, time for what I haven¡¯t been able to do until¡­¡±

    It was time for his hunt to resume.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Muspel¡¯s Spear appeared in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand.

    Although Jeong In-Chang, Yeo Seong-Gu, and numerous Hunters from Incheon were standing together, at this moment, the eyes of the monsters were focused only on one Hunter.

    In their eyes.

    ¡°<i>Ughh</i>.¡±

    There was only one person, a single Hunter, who was exuding an aura as powerful as their master.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A me erupted.

    [A Skull that Contains Souls will be activating soon.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked and kicked off the ground.

    ***

    "<i>Heol</i>,¡± someone groaned out.[1]

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± someone else said, shocked.

    ¡°...¡±

    Some even kept silent.

    The sight in front of them was the same, but the way that they all responded was different.

    .

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had finally been able to reach their destination after passing through and marred with blood and mes.

    The ce that they had expected to house the ruler.

    "That''s Incheon City Hall...?¡±

    They had finally been able to reach the vicinity of the Incheon City Hall.

    Although there was still quite a distance left before they arrived, there wasn¡¯t a single one among them who couldn¡¯t see the building, standing tall amidst the surrounding broken rubble.

    Where the Incheon City Hall used to be was an unbelievable sight.

    The City Hall building still retained its rubble and structure, but when they looked at it as a whole, it was impossible for anyone to see it as the old Incheon City Hall.

    It wasn¡¯t just that building, either.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    The Hunters swung their swords urgently.

    It wasn¡¯t monsters that they were swinging at.

    nts had appeared here and there, moving and growing on their own.

    Those that had grown slithered to the Hunters like snakes, and the Hunters, who were disgusted by it, cut through the nts with their own weapons.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong, who were in the lead, also were silent.

    They had arrivedte because they had been deliberately sweeping through the monsters.

    It seemed that the tired Hunters couldn''t erase the shock of when they saw the sight in front of them..

    Hopelessness.

    The despair that the world that they had belonged to had changed into somethingpletely different.

    ¡°How maddening.¡±

    It seemed to be a shock to Yeo Seong-Gu as well.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang, returning from his scouting, stood next to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It seems that the ruler is currently inside the Incheon City Hall,¡± he informed them.

    He had gone out on reconnaissance again in order to confirm the existence of the ruler.

    However.

    ¡°It seems so,¡± Lee Jun-Kyoeng responded.

    It seemed that he hadn¡¯t needed to go out on reconnaissance, as they could feel it even in this distant ce.

    A huge density of mana, warped around City Hall.

    Yeo Seong-Gu could feel it too.

    ¡°Is that what we have to deal with?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Heol</i>.¡±

    The energy that Yeo Seong-Gu had felt made his entire body tremble for a moment as he continued his words.

    ¡°Are you still confident?¡± he asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him that only he was able to defeat the ruler.

    Seeing this person, Yeo Seong-Gu was convinced.

    It was obvious, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, this was an enemy of a level that no one would be able to defeat. That was why he was worried that even Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t do it either.

    ¡°I can do this.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°This ruler¡­we¡¯re a good match.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around slowly.

    He looked at the Hunters and spoke.

    ¡°We will be taking a break for about an hour. After the break¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes scanned everyone as everyone looked back at him.

    ¡°We will be rushing to Incheon City Hall right away. Those who wish to go back may do so now. From that point on¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed before he continued, ¡°It will be hell.¡±

    ***

    ¡°The children seem to be dying.¡±

    There was a textured throne made out of wood, but it seemed too grotesque to be called a throne.

    <i>Wriggle.</i>

    It seemed¡­ Alive.

    It moved and changed, pulsating and wriggling as if it were alive.

    However, the person sitting on it had an extremely calm expression.

    ¡°Also¡­they seem to being to me,¡± the being said with a tired expression.

    The being had pointy ears and wispy blonde hair. However, their skin seemed as rough as that of a wooden doll, and their eyes were dull like those of a dead man.

    However, the being was beautiful nheless.

    Although they were a being that was impossible to tell if it was a woman or a man, they were still beautiful.

    The one seated on the throne stretched out their hand.

    <i>Strrrk.</i>

    The hand turned into a branch and touched the head of a screaming human.

    ¡°P¡­please let me live¡­!¡±

    The branch warped and wrapped around the human¡¯s head. Then, having warped into a round shape, it pulsated, as if sucking in the human.

    <i>Gulp, gulp.</i>

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    The being sitting on the throne could feel the life force being sucked in and made a face full of joy. There were a great many thingsing in through the stem.

    Vitality.

    Strength.

    Knowledge.

    Human Language.

    Human History.

    ¡°Hmm. So they¡¯re called Hunters¡­¡±

    Many things were being sucked into the one who was sitting on the throne.

    ¡°How quaint, this ce they call Earth.¡±

    The being slowly withdrew their hand, and then, the stems surrounding the human disappeared.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    In its ce, there was only a dry corpse lying there, as if all the moisture had been drained out.

    ¡°We will sweep these bugs out of this ce and rebuild our kingdom.¡±

    At the words of the being sitting on the throne, thousands of voices echoed all around.

    "<i>Uuugh! Uuuuuugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Uuuuuuuuuugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Uuuuuuuuuugh!</i>¡±

    The being sitting on the throne, The King of Alfheimr, had made their deration.

    1. Heol (?) is a sound of surprise in Korea. ??

 Chapter 153: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 153: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu wiped away the sweat running down his brow.

    Incheon had been a thriving city. But now it had be a fortress full of trees and rocks due to the cataclysm.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    And now it was bing a burning hell.

    ¡°<i>Uuugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Uuugh!</i>¡±

    Many of the monsters who had tried to attack the Hunters screamed in unison. Before they were even able to approach the party, parts of their body were burning to a crisp, falling to the ground.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The Hunters opened their eyes wide as they guarded their surroundings.

    The incredible sight before their eyes was all done by one person.

    ¡°The Underdog¡­¡±

    The Hunter they had nicknamed the Underdog had done it alone.

    <i>Flicker! Flicker!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Underdog, walked forward in the lead. With every step he took, mes soared and swept away the approaching monsters.

    The gathered Hunters had never seen such a wide area of effect skill. Not even the guild members of the League Guild, who had seen many S-Grade Hunters during their expeditions, had seen what was being unveiled in front of them.

    There was only one Hunter who seemed to have the power to create hell.

    Only one Hunter¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s really creating hell on earth¡­¡±

    The raging mes were melting the trees and rocks.

    Even the remnants of the city, rubble made of concrete and iron, were melting likeva and flowing like a river.

    It swept through the monsters that were trying to attack them.

    All of this, this terrifying scene straight from the underworld, was done by the hands of one person.

    ¡°<i>Uuugh!!</i>¡±

    The Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong, was building his kingdom of hell.

    However, that hell was only for the monsters, not the humans.

    As he walked forward, spewing mes from his hands, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a notification ring in his ear.

    [Your level has risen.]

    ***

    The ability that Lee Jun-Kyeong had shown was overwhelming and terrifying.

    Thus.

    ¡°Wow!!!¡±

    It was a great help to the Hunters¡¯ morale.

    They were encouraged and bolstered by the sight of the monsters being swept away, obtaining the energy to deal with the endlessly rushing monster tide.

    The battle had just begun, but soon, the monsters had begun to retreat.

    ¡°Push them to the side!¡±

    It was a scene that wasn¡¯t easily seen within a normal gate.

    In a gate, there was a special type of monster called a boss monster that would hold domain over any monster that existed within a gate, but these boss monsters would never allow their underlings to retreat.

    They would just use their hordes of monsters to just run toward the Hunters. It was a strategy that relied on these monsters to continue throwing the bodies of those under it at those that invaded its gates, exhausting them with the endless tide.

    However, the monsters here were different.

    As if they knew how to think properly, these monsters formed battle lines, attacked in strategic waves, and even knew to retreat systematically.

    Before they knew it, the Hunters had been able to advance quite a distance due to their incredible momentum and the monsters¡¯ movements.

    Although there were a vast number of monsters left, they knew that the situation would get even better if they could just push their way into the Incheon City Hall.

    ¡°Wow!!¡±

    The hopeful shouts of the Hunters were making Incheon ring. They tried to use this momentum to advance even further, but suddenly.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    The mes that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been pouring out had stopped.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly stopped moving, and the Hunters looked at him with bewildered gazes, confused at his sudden actions that happened just as they were full of morale.

    However, they soon found out why he had stopped the advance.

    "Help me!"

    The voices of people desperately begging for help were beginning to enter their ears.

    ¡°Please¡­! Save us!¡±

    ¡°Save us!!¡±

    ¡°Sto¡ª!¡±

    They could hear the screeching voices of survivors.

    Suddenly, people had appeared in front of the Hunters who had been trying to chase after the retreating monsters.

    They were floating in the air at the end of what seemed to be a tree branch, their faces twisting with pain.

    All the Hunters could hear were their screams.

    "Please¡­! Kill me¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had stopped when he saw them.

    As the Hunters stood speechless at the shocking sight, there was someone who ran out first.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    It was Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Are you all right?!¡±

    As soon as he had realized what was happening, he ran forward without caring about anything else to try to save the people.

    His great sword tore through the trunk of a tree that had people tied to its branches, and those people were caught by the princess in her ogrebat form.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The rescued survivors were in horrible shape.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    As he saved the people, Jeong In-Chang bit his lips and cursed furiously.

    It was a disastrous sight.

    The people were thin and starving after a few days of being confined, and there were many who were missing one or two limbs as well.

    Moreover.

    ¡°S¡­save me¡­¡±

    These people continued to show up without an end.

    The party wasn¡¯t able to follow after the monsters anymore.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were standing in front of the Incheon City Hall.

    However.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re stranded here,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said with a frown.

    ***

    The Hunters that had been quickly advancing toward the Incheon City Hall with Lee Jun-Kyeong in the lead had been stranded.

    ¡°Wat¡­water¡­please¡­¡±

    ¡°Please¡­!¡±

    ¡°Save us!¡±

    They were stranded because of the screaming people.

    Humans were being brought out endlessly.

    Although they continued to try to save the people that were thrown out by the monsters quickly and continued their march forward, before they knew it, more people tied to the branches of a tree trunk would appear once again.

    ¡°S.. save me!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was forced to put his mes away.

    If he would use his Authority of mes now, when these human shields that were tied to tree branches had shown up, then these ordinary people who had done no wrong would be burnt to cinders.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes went out and the Hunters had overextended themselves in order to rescue the stranded humans, the monsters began to attack again.

    ¡°<i>Uuuuugh!</i>¡±

    Only a handful of Hunters were left blocking the monsters on the front lines.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong, the princess, Jeong In-Chang, and Yeo Seong-Gu were still fighting against the monsters, the monsters were cleverly advancing, using the people as shields, taking back the ground they had lost.

    ¡°Sa¡­ Save me¡­!¡±

    If they engaged in battles against the monsters without any care for their surroundings or made use of any wide area of effect skills, it would end up being a massacre of the ordinary humans.

    In the end.

    ¡°Retreat!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had no choice but to step back for a while.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang also nodded in agreement.

    There was no reason for them to force a victory at the expense of humans in this fight to save humanity.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Although Jeong In-Chang, who was filled with rage, swung his greatsword again, his greatsword had lost the edge that it had in battle, unlike before.

    ¡°Retreat! Fall back!"

    The Hunters began to back down.

    ¡°...¡±

    Carrying survivors on their backs, the faces of the Hunters who had to fall back were filled with an uncontroble rage.

    ¡°We have to stop the monsters from going forward!¡± shouted Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Their retreat would only be possible after they gave the other Hunters time to retreat with the rescued survivors.

    The Hunters had been divided.

    ¡°Agreed!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The strongest Hunters blocked the battlelines and killed the monsters that tried to cross them.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­!</i>¡±

    The monsters continued to try to attack the rearguard, but fortunately, the number of monsters that got through them was small.

    There was a stampede of monsters.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swung his spear, killing a mysterious monster.

    At the same time, he looked over at the Incheon City Hall.

    ¡°...¡±

    There was a huge mana that he had been sensing since earlier.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s staring at me.¡¯</i>

    He could feel it looking at himself.

    As he gazed right back into that bastard¡¯s eyes, Lee Jun-Kyeong then turned away.

    ¡°We¡¯re retreating now too!¡±

    ***

    "It''s interesting."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t mistaken that gaze that was upon him.

    The King of Alfheimr had been gazing upon the approaching Hunters from its fortress at Incheon City Hall.

    The King of Alfheimr, Elfame, felt a mysterious feeling about thend that they had suddenly fallen upon, the Earth.

    Beings that seemed to be called Hunters, from a race they called humans.

    It was a developed civilization.

    ¡°So the doors are opening here and there on thisnd, it seems. The rest are also falling upon thisnd as well.¡±

    Moreover, he could also feel the arrival of many kingdoms and tribes on this right now.

    ¡°How pitiful,¡± Elfamemented sincerely.

    It was a pitiful existence.

    Havinge to an unknownnd that was called the Earth, they had been a race that had lost their hometown and had been subject to being wanderers for a seemingly endless era.

    They were disced people.

    Moreover, there were others.

    ¡°You all are in the same boat as I am too.¡±

    These beings that had entered through the doors were in the same boat as Elfame.

    He had left his destroyed homnd and spent countless years in the gap between dimensions.

    Moreover, he, who had been the most beautiful king of all, even among his entire people that had been known as the race of beauty, had be dark and muddy, forming into a corpse.

    Just like their most abhorred enemy, the Dark Elves.

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only change that they had faced.

    The gap between dimensions was a ce where life could never exist¡ªa ce imbued with many emotions, especially malice and many various auras of hatred.

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    The gap had affected their minds as much as their bodies.

    Elfame, the King of Alfheimr, looked out once more.

    The reason for his concern was simple.

    There were two beings approaching this ce, strong and strange beings.

    Although he had stolen the knowledge about the Hunters from the humans, those beings seemed to surpass what he had absorbed.

    ¡°Still, how weak they are.¡±

    Even still, Elfame tutted out loud.

    They had enough strength to be among the strong, but the sight of them seemingly sacrificing themselves to save their own people was just an expression of how weak they truly were.

    Someone who had that sort of strength, regardless of what was causing their people to die, should only move for their own benefit.

    Nevertheless.

    "How nice."

    Elfame smiled slowly.

    The weakness of the strong beingsing this way also meant that he had a chance to grow.

    Although he was Elfame, the strongest being that caused trembles all throughout Alfheim with just a whisper of his name, he had, for centuries¨Cno, millennia, been trapped in the gap between dimensions and had be quite weak.

    He relished the fact that an opportunity for him to return to his greatest physical condition wasing out of its own will.

    "Soldiers, push forward,¡± Elfame began to order once again.

    ¡°Use their kind as a shield, use their kind as your spear.¡±

    ¡°<i>Uuuugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to see for myself what kind of race the humans are.¡±

    Numerous trees began to move around Elfame.

    In the Incheon City Hall, which had already be a fortress of Alfheimr.

    At least here.

    "I am a god."

    ***

    ¡°Just who the hell is that ruler?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked emphatically.

    The Hunters had no choice but to eventually retreat and reform their battle lines.

    Many of their fellow Hunters had to take their survivors back to Inha University, so they were left having to wait for their return.

    In the meantime, the monsters attacked, and the raids had increased in intensity. Moreover, the level of the monsters had also increased.

    They were being trapped.

    The Hunters had always been the ones who had hunted the monsters, but at this moment, it was like they were being hunted instead.

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned as if he was irritated.

    It wasn¡¯t just him, either.

    Many hunters, including Jeong In-Chang and the princess, felt the same way.

    The monster attack and the feeling of being hunted by mindless creatures was not a good thing.

    Moreover.

    ¡°Please¡­. Please save me¡­¡±

    Some of the Hunters were even more infuriated at the condition of the people that were being used as the monsters¡¯ weapons and shields.

    Only a few of those who had been saved by the Hunters could be said to be normal. From their withered bodies to missing limbs, it was impossible to tell what sorts of horrors they had gone through.

    There were even those that were foaming at the mouth like they were crazy.

    ¡°Just what the hell¡­¡±

    Although they were still grateful that there were so many people that had survived, they were still indignant that someone, or something, had done this sort of torture to people while they were still breathing.

    "That, that monster... It''s a devil¡­"

    Then, someone who hade to their senses grabbed a Hunter and spoke. Because the people hadn¡¯te to their senses up to this point, the Hunters hadn¡¯t been able to actually hear the situation that had happened inside the walls of the City Hall.

    "What the hell happened to you?" the Hunters quickly asked.

    ¡°Tha¡­that bastard¡­the h... Humans¡­¡± the survivor said, foaming at the mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s eating¡­¡±

    After barely spitting out thest words, the survivor fainted on the spot.

 Chapter 154: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Ruler of Incheon Pt. 4</h4>

    Anger erupted on the faces of the Hunters as they looked down at the man who had fainted.

    A human-eating monster.

    More infuriatingly, this human-eating monster even used humans as tools.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    The sound of someone clenching their teeth hard rang throughout the group.

    Jeong In-Chang was looking at the Incheon City Hall with zing eyes. Although he looked as if he would go running in at any moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, drawing his attention away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± he said, suddenly proposing aplete retreat.

    Although they were just around the corner from the Incheon City Hall, he was saying that they should return all the way back to Inha University.

    "But¡­!"

    There were not many of those in the party who were willing to ept Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s orders to retreat in their current situation, where their goal was just around the corner.

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu gave weight to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s decision.

    ¡°What Jun-Kyeong said is right.¡±

    Everyone listened to the man inmand.

    ¡°We won¡¯t be able to make any sort of progress at this rate.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have also made the same judgment as Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The bastards are attacking us using people as shields. Even at this moment, they continue to attack¡­ At this rate, the survivors will be in danger.¡±

    That was why they needed to retreat.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang seemed furious that he had to turn around without being able to do anything while standing right in front of such monsters who hadmitted horrifying atrocities.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Everyone felt the same way.

    People were dying, screaming out in pain, and their appearance had filled the Hunters with a fiery rage.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going back empty-handed.¡±

    At that time, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward and spoke.

    ¡°What do you n to do¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked when he saw Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression, which seemed to be solemn, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t respond

    Just.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He raised his aura.

    Earlier, he had leveled up by ughtering the monsters, so his physical condition had recovered even more than before.

    Also, just as the space around them was filling up with mana, which strengthened the monsters, the Hunters were also being strengthened.

    The power of the Hunters who used mana was also being increased. The Hunters seemed to have no idea how to make use of the vast amounts of mana just yet, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    He wasn¡¯t using it with a fixed skill or power, but instead with an ability called the mana stream.

    Bybining it with the internal qigong and Galdr, he was able to control his power output and manipte mana.

    The space around him began to vibrate, almost copsing, as Jeong In-Chang and the Hunters hurriedly moved the survivors away to the back.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear began to tremble back and forth and howl in his hand.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    The spear¡¯s vibration heated the atmosphere around him.

    Some of the Hunters, including Yeo Seong-Gu, who hadn¡¯t pulled away from him, felt suffocated by the scorching heat emanating from his body.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t use any mes,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought as he gathered his strength.

    He knew he couldn¡¯t use any mes in this blow.

    If they were keeping people hostage, then it would be an obvious conclusion that they would have kept many people alive in Incheon City Hall.

    Since his mes didn¡¯t discriminate between allies and enemies, Lee Jun-Kyeong made sure he condensed it as much as possible.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    He swung his arm with an incredible roar.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear then disappeared, apanied by a slight sound of something tearing.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    At the same time, a roar that seemed to break space itself burst outward, sting away the atmosphere above them and creating a gale that pushed away the Hunters.[1]

    "Let''s go back."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had turned around somewhere along the line, had Muspel¡¯s Spear in his hand again.

    This time, the spear was coated in something red, almost like blood.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Keughk¡­</i>¡±

    Elfame, the King of Alfheimr, was grasping his right shoulder.

    There was a hole in his tough body, which had been covered in a hard armor made of rocks and wood.

    He murmured to himself as he stemmed the flow of blood, ¡°Have I been looking down on them too much¡­?¡±

    The look in his eyes had changed, even though his mouth was distorted with pain.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    His eyes formed a half-moon shape, red with pleasure.

    He wondered, how long had it been¡­

    ¡°How long has it been since I¡¯ve suffered from a wound¡­¡±

    In the long years of his past, no one had been able to hurt him in the stagnant Kingdom of Alfheimr. Moreover, his world had copsedter, trapping him in the gap between dimensions, where he had felt nothing, an absence of sense, let alone a wound.

    Having recovered his body and his senses awakened, Elfame was only concerned with rediscovering his appetite and exploration.

    He had finally suffered a wound.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    The pain, the pleasure.

    The feelings that it gave were intense.

    He could feel it.

    He knew it.

    He was alive.

    After so many years, he finally felt alive again.

    There was something else to his joy as well.

    ¡°How good. Exciting!¡±

    He had found out that his enemy was strong, that the being these humans called Hunters were strong.

    Although he had known that their abilities were great, he hadn¡¯t realized it would be to this degree.

    ¡°They dare to hurt me?! Elfame, the King of Alfheim¡­¡±

    He seemed to speak as if he was scolding someone, but a smile spread across his lips.

    The blood that flowed along with his tears was pleasantly warm.

    ¡°I should give you an award.¡±

    The King of Alfheimr raised himself up.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    It was as if Incheon City Hall itself, which had turned into a fortress, was trembling.

    He decided that he would give them an award.

    To these bastards, who had dared to harm his body.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to be eaten by me!¡± the King of Alfheim, Elfame, eximed as he raised his hands.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    It was as if thunder had struck the earth.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the Hunters continued to retreat to Inha University.

    As the monsters were persistent in chasing and the Hunters wereden with the burden of the survivors, the return to Inha University was filled with heavy and difficult steps.

    ¡°Do you think they found out our location?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked, as he noticed that the monsters had furthered their range of attack, even beginning to reach near Inha University.

    As the monsters seemed to have located their home base, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question was a matter of course.

    ¡°They most likely already knew where we were,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    It was meaningless.

    The huge aura that Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt at the Incheon City Hall, the ruler of Incheon who had already begun itsmand of the roaming monsters, would have already known that this ce was a base for the Hunters.

    It just simply hadn¡¯t touched this ce so far.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his gaze over to the Hunters.

    They were exhausted.

    The Hunters had been fending off the continued attacks of the monsters. Even though none of them had gotten harmed, they were incredibly fatigued.

    Their blood, sweat, and tears was taking a toll on their bodies.

    ¡°What sort of¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you already returned?¡± a hopeful and questioning voice said from Inha University.

    It seemed to be questioning if those who had left to deal with the ruler had already returned.

    Then.

    ¡°What in the¡­!¡±

    They couldn¡¯t help but be surprised again at the sight of so many ordinary humans.

    "It seems that there are arge number of survivors in Incheon City Hall," Yeo Seong-Gu said on behalf of the party.

    ¡°...¡±

    The faces of the Hunters who had stayed behind to protect the base distorted as Yeo Seong-Gu continued to exin.

    It was a tale about monsters who were using humans as shields and prey¨Cit was only natural for them to get angry.

    However.

    ¡°Keep quiet about the details,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, ordering everyone to remain silent.

    "Also help the rescued survivors heal and recover in a separate area."

    It was time to quarantine them. They would be isting the rescued survivors from the existing ones.

    "Why..."

    ¡°It will cause distress.¡±

    When Jeong In-Chang asked a question, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded for Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°When the people in Inha University learn about the stark reality of Incheon, any of them who even had the smallest bit of hope will be shaken and fall to despair. Seong-Gu Hyung¡¯s choice is right.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    The Hunters began to direct the survivors.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be in trouble at this rate,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, looking at the moving survivors while seeming calm.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang, who had been with Lee Jun-Kyeong for a long time, could feel it.

    Feel what was emitting off of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    His burning rage.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu hade out to the gymnasium to meet with Lee Jun-Kyeong with a tired expression.

    It was the middle of the night.

    After they had transported all of the survivors that had been rescued and started treatment, they began to feel the aura of the monsters attacking again. Lee Jun-Kyeong called out only Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang from the rest.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    Following behind Yeo Seong-Gu, Jeong In-Chang had also arrived at the gymnasium.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that all of the people he had called out had gathered and looked out toward the city.

    The electricity had been cut off by the cataclysm, and the streets were full of darkness with a bleak aura spreading out like a suffocating fog.

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could bring it up, Yeo Seong-Gu spoke up instead, ¡°Are we going right now?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong replied simply, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I mean, we were nning for it anyway, right princess?¡±

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had only called them to the gymnasium, but Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang seemed to already know what he had wanted them for.

    ¡°Mr. Lee isn¡¯t the type of person to just sit and just take something like that.¡±

    They had set out to take down the ruler of Incheon, but had returned without any results.

    The Lee Jun-Kyeong that Jeong In-Chang knew could never move on just like this.

    ¡°We have to return as much as we received,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    After all, the Lee Jun-Kyeong that he knew was a more petty man than one would think.

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang smiled, and the anger that had subsided over the day raised its head once again.

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung, please stay here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°As you saw what happened during the day, the enemy isn¡¯t an ordinary monster. It¡¯s hard topare it with any other monster that isn¡¯t able to use its brains,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he drew Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°They will begin the raids again.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re feeling it too already, aren¡¯t you, Hyung?¡±

    ¡°The Hunters at Inha University will be enough.¡±

    They could feel the aura of the monsters.

    Those bastards were preparing for a raid as they waited for the night to be over.

    Everyone in the encampment knew it already, and the Hunters of Inha University had long been prepared for the attack.

    ¡°No, they aren''t.¡±

    The greatest help Yeo Seong-Gu could do was to help keep Inha University safe. There was something that only he could do, a backup n in case something went wrong.

    ¡°You have to stay behind because you have the Bifrost, Hyung.¡±

    Because he was the one with the divine item.

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded with a heavy expression. One of the great advantages of Yeo Seong-Gu was that he didn¡¯t require a lot of persuasion.

    ¡°Do you really n on trying with just the two of you?¡±

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu asked them anxiously, Lee Jun-Kyeong nonchntly answered after tying his shoces, ¡°We aren¡¯t trying; we¡¯re going to seed.¡±

    <i>Step.</i>

    ¡°There should still be countless people in the Incheon City Hall. There will only be more and more deaths as time goes by. We have to finish it quickly¡­¡±

    So.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back.¡±

    Hearing even Jeong In-Chang answering, Yeo Seong-Gu eventually turned his head away and went back to Inha University.

    He hadn¡¯t even said goodbye.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang faced each other, smiles on their faces.

    ¡°So what are we going to do now?¡± asked Jeong In-Chang, who neverined about Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s decision.

    What they had to do today was.

    ¡°An assassination.¡±

    1. If you¡¯ve ever watched Fire Force, this is what basically just happened. ??

 Chapter 155: The Second Skull

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Second Skull</h4>

    In the city of Incheon, where night had fallen, there were two people running through the streets.

    Their bodies seemed to melt into the background as if they had assimted into the darkness.

    They had hidden their presence and identities using Merlin¡¯s Ne. It was something that couldn¡¯t be done during their daytime charge, but now that it was just the two of them, Merlin¡¯s Ne was able to hide both Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang quite well.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    Even down to their auras.

    <i>Step. Step. Step. Step.</i>

    They continued to go forward through the ashes.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang called out in a voice that was barely audible.

    They stopped.

    ¡°The monsters...¡±

    They looked outward in the dark. There were numerous monsters advancing toward Inha University. So many, in fact, that it could be said to be almost all of the monsters in Incheon.

    However, they seemed to be advancing without even making a sound, most likely because they were monsters in the shape of trees and rocks.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes trembled as if expressing his anxiety.

    ¡°Is there any way¡­¡±

    He seemed to be able to ask if he could go back and inform them even now.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we already prepared for that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered.

    Inha University had already prepared for an attack.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no way that they would know that it¡¯s this many. Look at them. There is no end to them.¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang had said, the number of monsters advancing was so great that it was difficult for them to estimate.

    However.

    ¡°Believe in them.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward. He didn¡¯t light his power of me toward the monsters or give any signals to Inha University.

    ¡°We do our job, they will do theirs.¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t get involved in the monsters that were attacking Inha University.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    The aura of Merlin¡¯s Ne, which had been concealing Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, had disappeared before he knew it. Even in the darkness, they were clearly visible.

    Then, the monsters advancing toward Inha University looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang for a moment.

    But, soon.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    They quickly turned their heads back toward where they had been heading and advanced toward Inha University.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    He quickly stepped forward as his next sentence entered Jeong In-Chang¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Because we¡¯ve already been caught.¡±

    A far greater number of monsters than they had expected were heading to Inha University.

    That could only mean one thing.

    <i>¡®The ruler is waiting for me.¡¯</i>

    The ruler of Incheon, that bastard, had deliberately emptied the Incheon City Hall to lure him in.

    ***

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword cleaved through the monster without any hesitation.

    Unlike during the day, there were no Hunters they had to move together with and no ordinary humans they had to rescue. Their pace was rapid, and they were able to arrive at the Incheon City Hall, which hadn¡¯t been far in the first ce.

    The fact that the distance between them and the city hall had been short only meant one thing.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    That the monsters would have also arrived at Inha University. Basically, they should have arrived at the university at the same time they would have arrived at the Incheon City Hall.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword cut through the monsters, moving faster and more nervously, most likely because he was concerned about the monsters¡¯ arrival.

    In the vicinity of the Incheon City Hall, there were far fewer monsters than they had expected.

    That was proof that most of them had headed for Inha University.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang swung his sword with even more agitation.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also quickly stabbed out with Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    The assassination was already a failure.

    If an enemy was luring him in, it meant that he was already fully prepared.

    <i>¡®I have to hurry up and kill him.¡¯</i>

    The most important part was for them to disrupt the attacking monsters.

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    The sound of their footsteps as they relentlessly cut through the monsters rang through the Incheon night air.

    Incheon City Hall had be a bizarre structure. It was a ce where trees and rocks intertwined with concrete and iron and felt like it was a single breathing life form.

    The monsters became corpses and disappeared.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    However, soon, Incheon City Hall, not the monsters, started attacking them.

    A patchwork of the wreckage of buildings, trees, and rocks, the city hall squirmed as if it were alive.

    <i>Clench!</i>

    It grabbed at Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess moved faster than Lee Jun-Kyeong. Once she escaped from his arms, she quickly ballooned in size.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    She swiftly pounded the branch that was wrapped around Jeong In-Chang, turning it into splinters.

    ¡°Thank you, princess!¡± Jeong In-Chang said, urgently expressing his gratitude.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The branches were besieging Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the princess.

    Moreover.

    <i>Slither.</i>

    The branches seemed to regenerate endlessly.

    Even the branch that the princess had broken a while ago had long since wriggled over on the ground, regenerating as it expanded once more.

    ¡°There will be no end to this,¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a harsh expression.

    They couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A loud explosion could be heard from far away, evidencing what they already knew¡ªthat Inha University was being attacked by monsters.

    Inha¡¯s Hunters weren¡¯t weak, so they trusted the Hunters to hold the monsters at bay.

    However.

    <i>¡®The ordinary humans¡­¡¯</i>

    It was a certain fact that many ordinary humans would be harmed in the process.

    They had to defeat the ruler of Incheon and dismantle the monsters as soon as possible.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of the death toll and circted his strength, Jeong In-Chang shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of things here!¡± he continued as he raised his sword with both hands.

    As if his words had given her strength, the princess also swelled up the muscles in her arms and readied her attack stance.

    The branches wriggled as if they thought that the two would resume their attacks.

    However.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and said to the Hunter, ¡°But it seems as though the branches would attack me from over here anyway?¡±

    The branches stemmed from the Incheon City Hall. Even if Jeong In-Chang stood, blocking this ce, and Lee Jun-Kyeong moved quickly, the branches would just attack Lee Jun-Kyeong again from the other side.

    His intentions were good, but they were meaningless.

    ¡°There are things that even you don¡¯t know, Mr. Lee.¡±

    However, Jeong In-chang, who red at the branches and spoke, was acting unusually.

    Explosive mana emanated from his body.

    ¡°...!¡±

    His mana expanded to an extent such that Lee Jun-Kyeong was shocked. It wrapped around the branches and took control over the space around them.

    "How¡­?¡±

    He had always been right next to him, but Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t noticed. Although he knew that Jeong In-Chang had grown up, he didn¡¯t expect it to be this much.

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, whose eyes were wide open in surprise.

    He raised an eyebrow and smiled. As if he had deliberately been hiding it from Lee Jun-Kyeong until now, he exploded all of his mana at once.

    Then, acting as if he was happy that he had been able to pull one over on Lee Jun-Kyeong, his mana spread out.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not done yet.¡±

    Still breathing with a bit of difficulty, he raised his aura once more.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    He had already been surprised earlier, but Lee Jun-Kyeong could not help but be astonished once again.

    The mana that had expanded explosively gathered again and headed toward Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Mana stream!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted loudly in surprise.

    It was an application of mana that was only possible if one fully mastered the mana stream.

    That wasn¡¯t it either.

    ¡°I also practiced internal qigong a lot as well¡­¡±

    As if all the mana had been gathered using the mana stream, the mana around them flowed across Jeong In-Chang The exploding manapressed, increasing in density and wrapping around him.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    Then, he¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    His body soon began to change.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he had just forgotten, or if, because he had thought that the Hunter¡¯s growth had been taking too long, that he hadn¡¯t had any expectations for him.

    But, there it was, right in front of him.

    ¡°Siegfried¡­¡±

    It was Siegfried, a Hero from history.

    The dragon yer.

    A man who had in the Demon King¡¯s dragon and spread his fame across the world.

    A man who had built his reputation in Korea, where there were many outstanding Hunters.

    Dragon yer Siegfried.

    Right now, at this very moment¡­

    <i>Crack.</i>

    ¡­Jeong In-Chang had be the true Siegfried.

    ¡°Ipleted the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. When I went back to Korea before you, I hunted like crazy.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had just spoken to Lee Jun-Kyeong, was no longer struggling to contain the mana.

    Rather, he had trampled on and forcefully subdued it.

    His body and his greatsword hadpletely changed.

    His greatsword, which had a few chips on it from its long use, had restored its edge and hardened. It became covered with scales. In addition, it hadpletely been absorbed into his hand, even rising up to its forearm.

    His appearance looked like he waspletely one with the sword, and it seemed contrary to his historical nickname.

    <i>¡®A dragon.¡¯</i>

    He resembled a dragon tightly grasping a big w.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess smiled at Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoke as if to say, ¡®Look at this!¡¯

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t talk anymore.

    <i>Cleave!</i>

    Instead, he plunged the greatsword that had be one with his arm into the ground.

    His mouth opened slowly.

    ¡°Gram¡­¡±[1]

    A vision seemed to appear on the ground where the greatsword had been pierced, an illusion of a dragon and an ogre, fighting to the death.

    ¡°Activate.¡±

    ***

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    Behind Lee Jun-Kyeong and his fast-moving footsteps, he heard something that resembled a scream.

    <i>KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!</i>

    The branches¡ªno, more than that, the entire Incheon City Hall seemed to be crying out.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard about it before.

    <i>¡®Gram¡­¡¯</i>

    That was Jeong In-Chang¡¯s technique that the Hunter had shown Lee Jun-Kyeong right before he had taken off.

    It was obviously not perfect yet and immature in development, and it was a skill that seemed as though it took quite a bit of effort just to activate it.

    However.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the skill that had killed the Demon King¡¯s dragon.¡¯</i>

    A smile spread across Lee Jun-Kyeong''s lips as he ran quickly.

    Inha University was under attack, and Jeong In-Chang was struggling along against the Incheon City Hall, which had turned into a monster.

    However, heughed nheless.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s grown.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang really had grown a lot.

    Moreover, he had truly be a dependablepanion.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head was full of too many things and extremely confused due to not only the ongoing fight, but the cataclysm that had urred faster than he had expected without any warning.

    But, although he was said to have been burdened by great anguish and agony, his confused mind seemed to be at ease at this moment.

    A reliablepanion had be stronger.

    Moreover, he had even surpassed expectations and be stronger and faster than he had in the history of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s time.

    ¡°I guess¡­!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as he ran. ¡°I wasn¡¯t just a bad influence¡­!¡±

    The things he had done in the name of returning to the past and saving the world had caused many things to change. Because of that, many people had to suffer as a result.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong had always hidden a vague sense of guilt deep within his heart.

    However, now, that guilt had gone away a little bit.

    He wasn¡¯t only a bad influence.

    He had made the world, the people who would save others, stronger and faster than they had gotten their strength before.

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    Goosebumps of joy broke out all over Lee Jun-Kyeong as he ran.

    Contrary to his expectations, Jeong In-Chang had definitely been able to keep the branches in check.

    They didn¡¯t attack Lee Jun-Kyeong anymore, and Jeong In-Chang was doing a great job keeping them upied.

    <i>''Gram.''</i>

    An ability of pulverization.

    Jeong In-Chang was demonstrating its power against the entire Incheon City Hall bypletely erasing and consuming the regenerating branches.

    And with that thought, Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Incheon City Hall had be much bigger than before, with arge door in a medieval style that didn¡¯t seem to fit its original decor.

    Behind this was the ruler of Incheon.

    Then.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has finished processing.]

    As always, the timing was perfect.

    1. Siegfried¡¯s sword in Norse and Germanic mythos, the sword he received to y a dragon. ??

 Chapter 156: The Second Skull Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Second Skull Pt. 2</h4>

    This was the first andst thing that <The Sky of the Apocalypse> had given him.

    A single Familiar: A Skull that Contains Souls.

    From that, a reliable subordinate, Hyeon-Mu, had been born, and now, a second subordinate was appearing as well.

    This time, a skull that had devoured the soul of Anubis.

    When Hyeon-Mu had been born, he had consumed both Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su, who had been iplete Heroes. This time, things were different.

    This time it was the soul of a Hunter who was powerful even among the Nile.

    The skull had be bloated after consuming Set¡¯s second-inmand, Anubis. That was why it had taken so long. In the same vein, that was why Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking forward to it.

    [A Skull That Contains Souls has finished processing.]

    Now, it had finally activated.

    All he had to do at this point was name it and wake it up.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    The huge door that was blocking the way began to open itself. It opened with the sound of iron screeching against each other, and a violent mana was seeping out through the crack of the open door.

    "<i>Cough</i>."

    This was a ruler, a creature of great power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt like his whole body had been restricted to the point where he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth.

    Fluent Korean passed through the open door.

    ¡°Wee,¡± it said. ¡°Warrior of the second world.¡±

    Although the huge door was still opening, through the gap, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see an indescribable being looking back at him.

    He looked simr to a human, but also seemedpletely different.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch regarding his identity.

    ¡°The ruler of Incheon.¡±

    He could see the being through the ever-widening gap; it was weing him with open arms, as if he had been waiting for him.

    <i>¡®A warrior of the second world.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeon reflected on what the being said.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Then, he stepped toward the open door.

    The mana weighed heavily on his body, but it didn¡¯t stop Lee Jun-Kyeong from walking up.

    It was just a test that the ruler had given him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong overcame it and entered. Afterward, like nothing had happened, he scattered all of the violent mana the being had unleashed and headed inside.

    <i>Step.</i>

    He could see it from afar. The ruler¡¯s pupils had trembled for a moment. But soon, a long smile spread around the ruler¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    A mysterious, grotesque smile.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong entered through the gap in the doorway and scanned the area with Muspel¡¯s Spear in his arm.

    ¡°...¡±

    Whether it was Incheon City Hall, no, Korea, there was so much space beyond the doorway that it was impossible to even determine if he was still on Earth.

    Whaty beyond the door was like apletely different.

    They were in a ce full of greenery andrge trees, and, moving beyond the size of the space, it felt like he was connected to apletely different world.

    However.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong groaned for a moment at the terrible stench that stung the tip of his nose.

    Therge green forest had a terrible odor instead of a fragrant smell of grass. Lee Jun-Kyeong was familiar with this smell.

    ¡°Corpses¡­¡±

    It was the smell of bodies rotting.

    Soon, they entered his view.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong unknowingly clenched his jaw. That was how disastrous the sight he was looking at was.

    There were the bodies of people scattered around like the half-eaten abandoned snacks of children, withered and rotting, the stench overwhelming the forest.

    <i>¡®Tha¡­that bastard¡­eats...humans¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could finally clearly understand the meaning behind what that ordinary person he had saved had meant.

    Then, he looked at the being.

    ¡°...¡±

    The being was also observing him as well. The eyes that looked at him from afar were the gaze of someone who had tried to lure him in.

    It was interested in him.

    But.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unlike before, it was no longer smiling.

    The being was just looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a stiff face, like the corpses that he had eaten and not disposed of.

    The trembling gaze of the bastard in front of him was easy to read.

    It wanted to ask him something.

    "Who are you....¡±

    ***

    At the same time as Lee Jun-Kyeong was meeting with the ruler of Incheon at the Incheon City Hall, a short distance away, changes were also taking ce in Seoul.

    The cataclysm had begun, but the changes in Seoul weren¡¯t yet significant. The general public had begun evacuations and the Hunters were always preparing for a battle. Compared to Incheon, it was so slight that it wasn¡¯t enough for them to say that there had been any damage.

    The Hunters had blocked the monsters pouring out of the gate break, and they had made preparations to retake thend that had been isted by the cataclysm.

    Korea was a small and narrownd, and they had thought that as long as <i>they</i> came forward, all of the problems would be solved well.

    Especially because.

    ¡°Asgard will actively intervene in this situation.¡±

    Asgard, the organization behind South Korea, had gotten involved.

    ¡°Now that Odin and Heimdall are away¡­¡±

    The current meeting was not hosted in Asgard as they normally did.

    The situation was good, but Seoul was isted.

    Thus, the Asgardian Hunters gathered at the conference hall of the Korean Association.

    "Thus, I''ll takemand."

    Oh Hyung-Seok was the one who spoke confidently.

    The Hero with the title of Baldur.

    Although Asgard had portrayed the image of an unshakable and dependable organization, it too was facing a cataclysm, just like the cataclysm in the unstable outside world.

    <i>¡®Odin is missing.¡¯</i>

    Odin, who was the core of Asgard and presided over everything, had disappeared.

    That was why Baldur hade back from Egypt first.

    Moreover, though Odin was missing, even the other high-ranking member who could preside over a meeting, Heimdall, was also gone.

    Heimdall was someone who didn¡¯t get along with everyone in Asgard. Still, his ability was recognized, so in Odin¡¯s absence, he was the one who would preside over the meetings.

    But in the absence of both¡­

    This situation had never happened, nor had it been nned.

    ¡°Is there anyone who has aint?¡±

    That was why Baldur had stepped up.

    Most of Asgard¡¯s members were just powerful Hunters, with no leadership skills or political power to lead anyone.

    Thus, most of them were able to answer quite easily.

    ¡°Do whatever you want."

    The Hunters in Asgard were not yet aware of the seriousness of the situation.

    The world, Korea, was changing. But to them, the cataclysm was just something that, although it was a hassle, it was still possible for them to deal with.

    Moreover.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Some even weed Baldur''smand.

    Asgard was a group of individuals, but some of them were still bound to shine.

    Baldur was one such man.

    He was close to all of Asgard and was recognized as a star.

    "Odin has prepared a few things for this situation."

    Baldur proceeded with the meeting naturally.

    "Also, the situation is more serious than we thought. Thus, you have to hurry up and move¡­¡±

    ¡°Just tell us if it¡¯s okay for us to go here or there. You know. All we know is how to fight.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Baldur rubbed his temples at the twisted meeting.

    Asgard was a group of individuals. Moreover, beyond a few, it was a group of powerful Hunters.

    <i>¡®How did Odin control¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered if Odin had just sent them off somewhere in order to use them at the right times.

    Baldur felt an unbearable impatience.

    And.

    "Does anyone know where Chiwoo is?"[1]

    Baldur changed the subject.

    A Hunter who didn¡¯t belong to Asgard and was also the most powerful weapon in Korea wasn¡¯t in Seoul at the moment.

    He had left Seoul under Odin¡¯s orders and hadn¡¯t been able to return before the cataclysm had began. Moreover, as he was always on a secret mission, there was no record of where he had gone, either.

    ¡°That brat¡­¡±

    When the topic turned to Chiwoo, everyone¡¯s expressions hardened as it was the title of the most annoying person.

    However, in the end, no one knew where he was.

    As the meeting continued diligently, the door of the conference room suddenly opened.

    <i>Squeak.</i>

    "Who the hell dares...!¡±

    The Hunters from Asgard that were in Seoul were all gathered here. But then, the door had opened when there was no one left to intrude.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Baldur¡­?

    The faces of those who looked at the door hardened. Baldur, who had been hosting the meeting, had seen beyond the door the fastest as his hands shook and his expression hardened.

    A voice was heard from beyond the open door.

    "You were doing great."

    It was a familiar voice.

    "My son."

    It was Odin.

    Baldur''s face hardened even more.

    Odin, who had disappeared, seemed to suddenlye to find him, and even called him his son.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    That was a secret that no one should know.

    ***

    "Who are you?" said the ruler of Incheon, an enemy that had weed him in.

    However, that wee seemed like it onlysted for an instant.

    The ruler¡¯s voice turned cold.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "I am Elfame, the King of Alfheim, which is the great forest empire."

    Incheon¡¯s ruler introduced himself to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who refused to respond.

    ¡°I will ask you once again. Who are you?¡±

    Now, there was only a fierce hostility left from Elfame.

    ¡°There was no information about an existence like you, a warrior of the second world, from the knowledge I absorbed from my prey,¡± Elfame continued, hoping to hear Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer.

    "You are like them."

    "What does that mean?"

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand anything that you¡¯re trying to say to me.¡±

    He aimed Muspel¡¯s Spear at the one suddenly asking him something out of the blue, trying to act all mysterious.

    "My empire was trampled down by those bastards and made to disappear. You are¡­¡±

    The ruler¡¯s explosive mana overwhelmed the space around them.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    As if responding to the mana emanating from Elfame, the space fluctuated around them and the trees began to grow.

    <i>¡®Mr. Jeong.¡¯</i>

    By this point, Jeong In-Chang had probably lost his strength. Still, seeing how Lee Jun-Kyeong could still feel his aura, the Hunter was most likely safe.

    The ruler of Incheon, who had introduced himself as Elfame, was gathering all of his strength.

    ¡°Are you one of those bastards?¡±

    ¡°By bastards, you mean¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to give ambiguous answers.

    However, Elfame, with an even more indignant look, screamed in anger, "I''m asking if you''re in league with the ones in ck!"

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Before he knew it, something that seemed like an arrow flew past Lee Jun-Kyeong''s cheek.

    It was an attack that he hadn¡¯t been able to see, nor even feel.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also had a stiff expression.

    "You''re not," Elfame said, seemingly certain of something. "You are not one of them."

    The fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to avoid his attack just now.

    With that, Elfame seemed certain.

    "Then, why do you have the same aura as them?"

    If he was talking about the bastards,

    ¡°Are you by chance talking about the Sponsors?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Elfame.

    Although he had tried to draw out more answers using ambiguous responses, Lee Jun-Kyeong had just decided to ask straightforwardly since he had failed.

    ¡°Sponsors¡­?¡±

    "Yes."

    "Are you calling these bastards your Sponsors?" Elfame said in a sneering voice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly went through his memory.

    <i>''The rulers.''</i>

    The rulers of districts that had emerged during the cataclysm.

    They were said to have a terrifying powerpletely different from anything that humanity had ever faced before, and that they had broken and trampled on everything.

    Also, they would never die.

    The allied Hunters had been able to drive them out after many sacrifices, but the rulers had only been banished, not killed.

    The only exception was the Demon King

    He was able to kill the rulers.

    They continued to vanish. At some point, no new rulers appeared. That was how Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard that the cataclysm had been resolved.

    Therefore, he had dozens of questions.

    <i>¡®Just how.¡¯</i>

    How.

    <i>¡®Why could only the Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    Why was he the only one who could kill the rulers?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to see if he could determine the answer to that question on his own.

    ¡°Let me ask you a question too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Elfame.

    ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    The words slowly left his mouth. If he could hear the answer to this question, then Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand many things.

    ¡°Are you a Sponsor?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the ruler of Incheon, Elfame, the King of Alfheimr.

    1. The Korean version of the Mythical Chiyou of China/Hmong. ??

 Chapter 157: The Second Skull Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 157: The Second Skull Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Are you a Sponsor?¡±

    Elfame¡¯s face was strangely distorted at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question.

    It first seemed reminiscent of anger, but soon turned to ridicule.

    "Hahahaha..."

    Elfameughed with an unpleasant sound as Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to keep an eye on him in order to stay alert.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll attack.¡¯</i>

    Although he was having a conversation with Elfame, the being was still the enemy.

    An upromising enemy.

    Considering he was a being who ate humans and enjoyed himself while doing so, Elfame was an enemy that Lee Jun-Kyeong had to y.

    Moreover, it was clear that this bastard would also aim to kill him as well.

    Nevertheless.

    <i>''I need to get information.¡¯</i>

    The reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t immediately attack him was so that he could get information about the existence of a ruler that he had encountered for the first time.

    ¡°Sponsor¡­you¡¯re asking me if I¡¯m one of those bastards, the ones in ck,¡± Elfame chuckled.

    After he finishedughing, he was once again cast in a shadow of unknown emotion.

    ¡°To give you a simple answer, no, I¡¯m not one of those bastards,¡± he continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Though, I did almost be one of them.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt goosebumps appear across his body.

    <i>¡®I almost became one of them.¡¯</i>

    There were many kinds of information that could be uncovered from that single sentence. However, the reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong got goosebumps was because the ruler was no longer trying to talk to him any further. Instead, he had begun to exert his strength.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    An intense strength overwhelmed the space.

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t tell anymore,¡± Elfame said, his face shifting between red and blue, conveying his anger and palette of intense emotions.

    He spoke as he caressed one of the thousands of wooden arrows floating in the air.

    ¡°If I eat you up, then maybe I can be one of those bastards¡­¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Arrows began to plummet down upon Lee Jun-Kyeong like rain.

    However, as if he had prepared in advance, Lee Jun-Kyeong faced the thousands of arrows by piercing forward a single time with his spear.

    <i>Swick!</i>

    ***

    Baldur, who had been hosting Asgard''s meeting, was sitting at the desk in his room with a subdued expression.

    The Heroes'' quarters had been hastily arranged in the Association, and Baldur was no exception to this rushed amodation. He sat there at his desk, sighing.

    The room was a mess, as if it represented the anger he felt.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    As if his rage still hadn¡¯t subsided, he let out a deep sigh.

    He, who had hosted Asgard¡¯s meeting, just looked out the window with empty eyes.

    <i>''Odin is back.¡¯</i>

    The leader of Asgard had suddenly disappeared at an important moment without notice. Then, he came back just as unannounced as when he had disappeared.

    Returning to the isted Seoul, he didn¡¯t even exin whether he had been in Seoul all along or if he had really gone somewhere.

    He just came back and then suddenly revealed a secret not meant to be exposed.

    <i>''My son.''</i>

    The first words he had uttered when he returned.

    Odin had revealed something that he had wanted to keep a secret for the rest of his life.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Baldur sighed again.

    It wasn¡¯t something that he had necessarily wanted to hide. It was simply something that had be a secret because Odin refused to acknowledge it.

    But, why would he suddenlye back and reveal it?

    <i>¡®Bring me the Apple of Idunn.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, Baldur wondered why he would suddenly ask him to bring an Apple of Idunn first without any other exnation or formal processes as soon as he returned.

    The Apples of Idunn were difficult to harvest, and the quantity was limited, so it was something that would take time.

    Odin was sitting naturally and holding the domain over the office of the president.

    Also, the meeting had ended.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    He wondered what he was trying so hard for.

    That was the source of Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s anger.

    He had worked his whole life, even trying before he had be a Hunter.

    Since he was an abandoned child, he tried several times to be recognized by a father who refused to.

    But¡­

    ¡°Just like this¡­?¡±

    It was such an empty ending.

    No matter what enemy he toppled, no matter what he had tried, the man had never called him a son. But, suddenly, Odin just came back and casually revealed it in front of everyone.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    Although he had received recognition, it was infuriating.

    Although he had been recognized, all that was left was even more confusion, anger, and shame.

    Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s anger was overwhelming the room.

    But then.

    Soon.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    There was a knock on his door. A man was standing in front of his door, and it was a man he hadn¡¯t sensed a single trace of before the knock.

    "My son."

    He heard the voice again.

    Odin was here.

    ***

    Thousands of arrows flew toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. He tried to protect himself by either using fire to burn them, using mana to break them, or by quickly avoiding them.

    However, they continued to chase Lee Jun-Kyeong, regenerating from any damage, even if they were burned, broken, or otherwise battered.

    More importantly, they weren¡¯t slow.

    No, they moved faster than any arrow that Lee Jun-Kyeong had ever seen.

    They flew through the air in borate curves, trying to subdue him.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong groaned.

    He felt extreme pain, as if he had been poisoned, when a wooden arrow just barely brushed past him.

    Quickly using the mana stream to drive out the invading aura, he continued to move his body.

    There was only one enemy in this space, the King of Alfheimr.

    However, it was almost as if he was dealing with an army.

    The arrows the Elfame controlled were like living creatures, and they felt like his soldiers.

    Each one¡¯s movement, trajectory, and even speed were different.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that could all really be controlled by one person.

    <i>¡®No, that¡¯s not a person.¡¯</i>

    Even still, something of that ability was ridiculous.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Moreover, the ¡®wooden¡¯ arrows only looked like wood, as its material was so hard that it couldn''t even bepared with ordinary iron.

    The arrows he hit using Muspel¡¯s Spear didn¡¯t break but instead bounced off, and, finding their trajectories again, they would eventually fly back toward Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    "Hahaha..."

    Behind the army of arrows, Elfame had a bizarreugh, a nasally sound, almost as if he was excitedly waiting for his dinner.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at him while measuring the gap.

    <i>¡®He said he could be a Sponsor if he eats me, right?¡¯</i>

    Elfame had said that if he was able to eat Lee Jun-Kyeong, he could be them.

    Moreover, even before he had said that, Elfame had mentioned that he had almost reached that level.

    <i>¡®What are the identities of the Sponsors¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind moved constantly.

    <i>¡®The rulers that only the Demon King could kill¡­¡¯</i>

    He tried to derive an answer based on ambiguous information, but there was still one thingcking.

    ¡°Have you ever met any other Hunters?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Elfame while still under the attack of the arrows.

    Elfame seemed to think of all of this as a game and a meal.

    Therefore, he showed an attitude of being fine with talking to Lee Jun-Kyeong leisurely, even before the start of the attack.

    Although Elfame¡¯s attacks had started, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t nervous yet.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been deliberately hiding his strength.

    He had been avoiding and moving around using as little force as possible, making Elfame think that this was all he was capable of.

    Merlin¡¯s Ne, as well as the mana stream, were working brilliantly to deceive his perception.

    Thus.

    "It¡¯s nothing," replied the bastard. ¡°I¡¯ve only eaten several of those Hunter brats.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself that he wanted to punch the bastard who just spoke of eating humans like nothing was wrong with it in the jaws, but he still had to hear an answer.

    ¡°But,¡± he said.

    Avoiding another arrow, he surrounded himself in mes like a barrier.

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m different? That there is something different between me and those Hunters you called brats?¡±

    There would be no reason for this monster to show such interest in him if the monster was able to simply eat any Sponsor-sponsored Hunters to be simr to those bastards.

    If he had met with other Hunters, then this monster was telling him that he was different from them.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    A dismalugh prated the barrier of fire as arrows headed for Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re just like any ordinary warrior of the second world?¡± Elfame asked a question. ¡°Do you think I, the ruler of the mighty forest empire, would deign myself to mix words with just any warrior of the second world?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°There is a reason why you are able to have this conversation with me.¡±

    <i>ZZt.</i>

    Thousands of arrows that had been spread through the space suddenly stopped moving in unison. As if they were messing with him, they stopped in position, points facing him.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve acknowledged that you are in an equal or simr position to me.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°You are different from the other warriors of the second world.¡±

    The arrows morphed from their previous shape, no longer taking the form of arrows.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    Their appearances changed with a horrifying sound. The condensed density of the wood began to release and inte into arger figure.

    The arrows.

    ¡°You¡¯re different.¡±

    They had be soldiers.

    The thousands of arrows had be things that resembled Elfame, looking down at Lee Jun-Kyeong with bows and swords in hand.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Atst, Elfame took a step forward as if to announce his participation in the battle.

    ¡°You are a king.¡±

    The bastard was saying something Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand.

    <i>Creaaaak.</i>

    Then, he finally began to explode out with his condensed power, his mana spreading out like thunder.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the same.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    mes began to erupt from all over his body.

    Monarch of Fire.

    He was a lord of fire.

    The moment that all of the mes had gathered at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feet, Lee Jun-Kyeong also said something mysterious, ¡°I¡¯ll bestow you a name.¡±

    As Elfame was about to move, an energy that hadn¡¯t appeared so far in the space raised its head. A dark aura emitted from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bracelet, and the mana, shining with a purple light, wrapped around his arms and mixed into the mes.

    Soon after.

    ¡°Hel.¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The bracelet had broken.

    ***

    Seoul was a city that could still say that it was safe amid the cataclysm urring all around the globe.

    Outside of the city, people were standing on the road to Gyeonggi-Do.

    There was a beautiful woman with long straight hair flowing down her back, holding a puppy in both hands, and some men with a strange sort of appearance.

    A man who looked like he was Chinese, and a man who wore a hood pulled deep over his face, and even a child with white hair.

    They were walking toward Gyeonggi-Do, where the cataclysm was already urring, rather than toward the safe Seoul.

    In principle, it was impossible to leave Seoul.

    However, they had snuck out of the city, even going so far as to walk on their own feet rather than use a car.

    Then.

    Suddenly, the hooded man and the white-haired child stopped.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the woman with the long straight hair. It was Ungnyeo.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, there was no answer.

    Like a robot that had stopped working, the two just stood there, staring nkly somewhere.

    ¡°...¡±

    In response, Ungnyeo looked in that direction as well. As she had studied hard while she was in Korea and was sensitive to geography, she knew what was in the direction that the two had stopped to look toward.

    <i>¡®Incheon.¡¯</i>

    That was where <i>he</i> would be.

    These two were sensitive to any changes that he might have had.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with him?¡± Ungnyeo asked anxiously.

    However, the white-haired child and the hooded figure shook their hands.

    ¡°Jookyung has.¡±

    ¡°My master has.¡±

    They answered her at the same time.

    ¡°Found me a new sibling.¡±

    ¡°Given me a new sibling.¡±

    Ungnyeo could only look at where they were indicating after hearing the indecipherable answers.

    There seemed to be darkness cast over the ce where they had been looking.

    ¡°Let''s go. To find Jookyung''s house.¡±

    The first one to move among them was the white-haired child, Fenrir.

    He had be more familiar with the humannguage than before, and with the correct pronunciation, he spoke as he stepped forward.

    They were headed to Gyeonggi-Do.

    The reason why they had left Seoul and were heading to a dangerous ce was simple.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go find the house.¡±

    It was because their house was in that direction.

    They knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong would return well without their worries. Therefore, Ungnyeo and the others had decided that they would have to protect the house he would return to.

    For him, who was always going off to leave for somewhere.

    They wanted to make him a ce he coulde back to.

    Of course.

    ¡°We also have to save the families.¡±

    The family members of the White Tiger n were still there, and so the party was leaving for Gyeonggi-Do for their safety as well.

 Chapter 158: The Second Skull Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 158: The Second Skull Pt. 4</h4>

    <i>Wobble.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang stumbled as he walked down a straight road.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess was surprised by the sight and quickly supported the Hunter, after which Jeong In-Chang thanked her.

    <i>¡®I am¡­¡¯</i>

    He had fulfilled his role.

    As a result of the continuous efforts he had made during Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s absence, he was confident that he had grown enough to satisfy both of them. This allowed him to show the strength he had curated today.

    It was a strength curated from growth that was impressive enough to make Lee Jun-Kyeong surprised.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    The corners of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth rolled up even as his vision blurred.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m happy.¡¯</i>

    Whether it was that he had made Lee Jun-Kyeong satisfied in him, or that he had been able to give him inspiration, or that he had even made the Hunter¡¯s eyes widen in surprise.

    He was happy and satisfied.

    Although it was so hard to use, to the point where he had wanted to die, where even breathing would be difficult, it still felt good when he thought back to how Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes had widened in astonishment.

    <i>Crackle.</i>

    The greatsword was separating from his arm, which was the sword that had be a part of his body earlier. Then, the dragon scales gradually peeled off his body. The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had been emptied, waiting to be filled once again.

    Although the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had been fully charged once and this had given Jeong In-Chang a chance to grow, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    It wasn¡¯t perfect just yet.

    Maybe because the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone had been divided into two once before, but it was still iplete. It would likely take a few charges before it could be possible for it to maintain the strength that it and Jeong In-Chang had shown earlier, making it into their own.

    Thus, this time was only just a taste of what was toe.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang smiled once again, thinking about it.

    He had grown. Now, he was able to experience the fruits of his efforts. Moreover, it made him even happier to think about Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was always happy whenever he had shown signs of growth.

    Obtaining power meant that one could protect someone with their own will.

    <i>¡®My own justice.¡¯</i>

    He was now able to put strength and conviction behind his own will and justice.

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> gazes at you warmly.]

    Moreover, there was his dependable Sponsor as well.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    It sometimes embarrassed him, but seeing the gaze of the Sponsor who always looked at him with a dependable support, Jeong In-Chang smiled again.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had been walking, stopped for a moment and breathed heavily. All the branches that had been attacking him had disappeared.

    Although there had definitely been many of them that had been destroyed using Gram¡¯s power, it also meant something else as well.

    ¡°Mr. Lee must have started his battle¡­¡±

    Now that Jeong In-Chang¡¯s body wasn¡¯t stable, he knew that if he entered that battle as well, he would only get in the way.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang poured a potion all over himself and then drank the rest, spurring his recovery.

    However, his state was more like a mana overload. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t recover from a strain like that using this method. A sparking blue light began to flicker in and out of existence around his body.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    He still had the ability to recover his mana by beginning to circte the mana stream and using his internal qigong.

    Moreover, he had a cheat as well.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    The mana that was held inside of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone embedded in his sword was also helping him recover faster.

    Jeong In-Chang thought back to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said to him before.

    <i>¡®The Immortal Siegfried.¡¯</i>

    The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was said to give its user an almost immortal power and that was why Siegfried had been given the moniker the Immortal.

    Now, Jeong In-Chang was clearly feeling that power of immortality.[1]

    His body was recovering before his eyes, second by second.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Before he knew it, Jeong In-Chang was no longer reeling from the loss of mana.

    No, now, he was walking forward slowly.

    Walking forward to help Lee Jun-Kyeong fight.

    ¡°...¡±

    He arrived at a door from which a chilly wind blew out. The door had been tightly shut andpletely divided the inside from the outside, as if it were some type of restriction. Jeong In-Chang knew intuitively that there was a fight going on beyond the door.

    <i>¡®There are no auras or even any soundsing from beyond the door.¡¯</i>

    However, he couldn¡¯t feel anything beyond the door, as if it had been connected to apletely different dimension.

    "Princess," Jeong In-Chang called out while holding his greatsword. He was preparing to break through once the princess had opened the door.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess approached the door with a nod.

    "Whew..."

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how intense the fight would be behind the door.

    Even so.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s this much, it should be enough to at least see their footsteps.¡¯</i>

    Thinking that his growth had caught up to Lee Jun-Kyeong at least to some extent, he was confident.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like Mr. Lee had any time to hunt properly anyway.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang smiled to himself for a moment before entering the battle.

    <i>Squeeeak.</i>

    At the princess¡¯ touch, the great door began to open.

    Then.

    He could feel it through the opening door.

    ¡°What the fu¡­¡±

    A terrifying aura.

    And the scene he saw through the gap was¡­

    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±

    ¡­hell.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was silence in the room.

    Odin, who should have been in the Association, was sitting in Baldur¡¯s room.

    He was quietly staring at Baldur with one eye.

    Baldur sat silently, wondering.

    <i>¡®What should I ask first?¡¯</i>

    He had so many questions, so many that he didn¡¯t know which one to ask first.

    Where did he have to start?

    <i>¡®Maybe why did he suddenly recognize me all of a sudden as his son?¡¯</i>

    This was a self-made man who had been prominent in Korea before the concept of a Hunter had even appeared.

    Jang Hyo-Jin.

    However, if there was one mistake this perfect man had made, if there was one secret that he would want to hide, it was him.

    Baldur.

    Then, as the Hunters appeared and Jang Hyo-Jin rose to an even higher position, Baldur had be a secret that the Association President had to hide even more.

    However¡­

    <i>''I gained strength.''</i>

    Oh Hyeong-Seok had obtained strength.

    Because he was someone who had gained power, enough to be noticed even among the rampant Hunters, Jang Hyo-Jin allowed him to live, not killing him to hide his shame.

    <i>¡®If you want to be acknowledged, then try and convince me you¡¯re worth it.¡¯</i>

    Odin had epted him into the Association and into Asgard, keeping him by his side.

    But, Baldur knew that it was for surveince, not because he was favored in any way.

    Nheless, he worked tirelessly to gain recognition.

    However.

    ¡°Do you really mean¡­¡±

    In the end, Baldur had decided on his first question.

    ¡°Are you really just acknowledging me like this?¡±

    All of his efforts seemed to have gone to waste.

    It was like everything about him hade from the climb he had so arduouslypleted.

    But, he didn¡¯t want it.

    Not like this.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to gain your acknowledgment this way.¡±

    Odin just looked back quietly at Baldur¡¯s watery gaze.

    ¡°I understand your sorrow and hardship.¡±

    It was a warm phrase that seemed impossible to hear and made Baldur''s eyes widen.

    ¡°Moreover, I want to designate you as my sessor.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s eyes seemed as though they couldn¡¯t grow any wider, almost as if they were about to tear at the seams.

    Sessor.

    Yes, he had wanted his father¡¯s recognition, but it hadn¡¯t been to that extent.

    <i>¡®But I heard that Odin had already decided on a sessor¡­¡¯</i>

    To think he would say that so suddenly.

    Baldur found himself in a situation where he didn¡¯t know how to react to the confusing response from Odin anymore.

    ¡°But, for that, I have something to ask of you.¡±

    The eyes of Jang Hyo-Jin and Oh Hyeong-Seok, Odin and Baldur, met suddenly.

    ¡°Would you be the ruler for me?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Oh Hyeong-Seok lowered his head for a moment, unable to decipher what was going on.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    The moment Oh Hyeong-Seok couldn¡¯t see him, Odin¡¯s lips curled and his eyes lit up, as bright as they were cold.

    ¡°Will you?¡± Odin asked.

    ¡°Can I have some time to¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Odin firmly responded to Oh Hyeong-Seok¡¯s question.

    ¡°Would you be able to give me an answer here? I have a need for you. I need your sacrifice.¡±

    Odin stood up and approached Baldur.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    His hand wrapped around Baldur¡¯s shoulder.

    It was a warm touch that he had never felt before, a warmth that he had never felt as the bastard child.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Baldur wept involuntarily.

    At this moment, he truly felt that he had been recognized.

    ¡°Will you be the ruler for me?¡±

    Odin''s voice.

    ¡°My son.¡±

    It sounded as sweet as candy.

    ***

    As they walked toward Gyeonggi-do, they could feel a veil that was formed by the mana surrounding the province as well, just like the one that divided the North Korea they hade from with South Korea.

    Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul were also bing separated in the same way.

    The cataclysm.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone was thinking about what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said repeatedly.

    What he had warned them about countless times hade without notice, and it hade when everyone was scattered, but when they had gathered together.

    ¡°...¡±

    The expressions of the White Tiger n were heavy.

    They had never been apart in Heaven Lake Vige. Now they were separated and isted from their fellow members in Incheon, where dozens of them had gone to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Moreover, there were also their family members, who had remained at home in Gyeonggi-Do.

    Although there were still members of the White Tiger n still there, and Ungnyeo had also raised a barrier as well, and thus they knew it would still be safe, the insides of the White Tiger n still seemed to be burning.

    ¡°...¡±

    They continued walking.

    They were hiding their mana with Ungnyeo¡¯s ability, so they didn¡¯t even ride cars to avoid attracting any attention.

    They walked and walked.

    Eventually, in the distance, they could see the veil dividing Gyeonggi-Do from the rest of the world.

    ¡°It¡¯s the veil.¡±

    Even if they were walking, it wasn¡¯t that far of a distance to them. Since everyone was able to move quickly because they were all Hunters, they had quickly arrived at the veil in Gyeonggi-Do.

    However.

    ¡°There are Hunters over there,¡± said Won-Hwa, who had followed Lee Jun-Kyeong from China, as he pointed at some people in front of them.

    Blocking the way, there were Hunters guarding the border between Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul.

    ¡°If we pass that guard station, we won¡¯t be able toe back whenever we want,¡± Won-Hwa said in a heavy voice.

    Seoul was still safe.

    However, considering that Gyeonggi-Do had a veil enveloping it, it wouldn¡¯t be a safe ce at all.

    As they would no longer be able to return to the safe area without restriction if they crossed that border, Won-Hwa tried to give them another chance.

    ¡°For those of you who still would like to say, even now, please don¡¯t hesitate to stay,¡± he said.

    However, all he received in response was a never-ending nagging.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not my family there, it¡¯s my friend¡¯s family!¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to tell me to leave Soon from next door to be there on his own?¡±

    ¡°Watch what you say!¡±

    Moreover, even Fenrir and Hyeon-Mu had something to say.

    ¡°We have to find Jookyung¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°We must protect the Master''s belongings.¡±

    Won-Hwa was astonished by their response.

    ¡°I guess they¡¯ve made their decision,¡± Ungnyeo said to Won-Hwa with a smile on her face.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Although Won-Hwa only heard nags and scoldinging his way, he was smiling brightly as well.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m so fortunate to have met them.''</i>

    Those who were faithful.

    Those who knew the importance of theirpanions.

    Those who would take risks to protect and save someone.

    Being with them was something to be proud of.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s break through,¡± Won-Hwa said, quickly stretching out his hand.

    A thin, shining needle flew toward the Hunters in front of them, barely visible in the light.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    They copsed on the spot helplessly.

    It really was a truly amazing technique.

    Won-Hwa had also grown.

    Perhaps because they had judged that there wouldn¡¯t be any people that would cross the veil so easily, the number of Hunters guarding it was small, allowing them to easily approach the front of the veil.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Won-Hwa was the first to move.

    When he put his hand on the still-weak veil, it rippled, disappearing like an afterimage spreading across the surface of the water.

    Won-Hwa stepped forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go find our home!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re right behind you!¡±

    The White Tiger n and the others all crossed the veil.

    After crossing the veil, everyone turned around and looked back at Seoul.

    The veil had be much sturdier after crossing inside, and it seemed that it would be difficult for them to cross back over without something like the Bifrost to help them.

    However, their expressions after making such an irreversible choice weren¡¯t too bad.

    But then.

    ¡°...T¡­that¡¯s impossible¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    "What is that?!"

    They only had to see the changes in the Seoul that they were looking at for that to change, though.

    ¡°A veil is drawn over¡­!¡±

    It was a veil, thicker and stronger than the one that had enveloped Gyeonggi-Do.

    A golden veil was hanging over Seoul, the Seoul they had just left.

    1. Earlier in the book, Immortality was listed as an authority, but at this moment, it¡¯s being referred to as a power/skill earned through an item, so we will be listing it as a power until further rification is made. ??

 Chapter 159: The Second Skull Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 159: The Second Skull Pt. 5</h4>

    Jeong In-Chang stood bbergasted at the sight of Hell spread out in front of him.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    As if a spear and arrows had been thrown and shot at him, a fierce wind barreled toward Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess hurriedly blocked in front of him.

    <i>Slice! Squelch!</i>

    Even though it was just wind, it had still cut through the princess¡¯ skin. It was a fierce wind that could cut through even the tough hide of an Orge Mage.

    ¡°Princess!¡± Jeong In-Chang called out,ing to his senses.

    He plunged the greatsword into the ground and circted his mana.

    A thin, protective barrier formed around them, blocking the way, and the wounded princess was once again held within Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms.

    He looked over again.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    It was a sight that made even forming words difficult.

    ¡°A¡­a ghost?¡±

    There were thousands of soldiers, seemingly formed of wood and stone, that were being confronted by seemingly blurry astral figures.

    .

    It was like watching a great battle in hell.

    The soldiers of wood and stone attacked the astral figures with well-refined weapons.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    However, their attacks were just fleeting, cutting through the spiritual figures. In contrast, the astral figures weren¡¯t even properly armed.

    <i>''Are those people¡­ ?''</i>

    They even looked like ordinary Korean citizens.

    But they wept bitterly.

    <i>¨CKyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa</i>

    And they clung to the soldiers of wood and stone with ear-piercing screams.

    Every time they made a move, a fierce wind blew across Jeong In-Chang¡¯s skin.

    Moreover.

    <i>Ssssshhhh.</i>

    The astral figures clinging to the soldiers made of wood and stone melted their bodies as if their astral bodies had a corrosive aura.

    It was a horrifying scene. At the center of it, there were two people who seemed to be colliding with reality itself.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Although seemingly having the same appearance as the soldiers, there was a being who was pressuring Lee Jun-Kyeong with movements full of vitality.

    Jeong In-Chang instantly recognized who it was.

    ¡°The ruler of Incheon¡­!¡±

    He had seen that being before. The ruler was moving at a speed that was hard to follow with one¡¯s eye.

    <i>Swish! Swick!</i>

    He was shooting arrows at Lee Jun-Kyeong, but the arrows seemed more like spears than anything else, too huge to be called simple arrows.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    They had incredible destructive power, like bombs.

    An arrow with that sort of power would st through someone¡¯s body, rather than pierce or cut through the skin, even just by brushing against it.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was swinging Muspel¡¯s Spear to swat aside the arrows. As the spear swung, it spewed out heat as it elerated.

    <i>ng!</i>

    It collided with an arrow.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blocked the tremendously destructive arrows that were the same size as his spear.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear was endlessly vomiting mes.

    ¡°<i>Ha</i>¡­¡±

    At that moment, Jeong In-Chang seemed to be suffocating. He had thought that he had grown enough to catch up to Lee Jun-Kyeong, even if it was just a little.

    <i>¡®Just how the hell does he do it¡­?¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already gone further.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to even hunt, so it wasn¡¯t as if he could have received proper sponsorship either.

    Of course, his growth was still by no means simr to a typical Hunter¨Cno, he was at a level that not even Heroes could easily follow.

    Jeong In-Chang suddenly remembered what the Hunter had told him.

    <i>''I''m a little different from a normal Hunter.''</i>

    He had asked Lee Jun-Kyeong how he had been able to grow so quickly.

    <i>¡®I am¡­¡¯</i>

    He still didn¡¯t quite understand hispanion¡¯s answer then.

    <i>¡®I am a yer.¡¯</i>

    But now, he understood more clearly than ever that the Hunter was apletely different being from people like him.

    ¡°<i>Kyyyaaak!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang turned his head at the sudden shouts.

    The soldiers of wood and stone hadn¡¯t been able to damage the astral figures whatsoever until suddenly, their weapons had a blue aura that began to cut through the astral figures.

    <i>¡®Mana¡­¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang recognized it.

    Now that the astral figures were starting to suffer,

    <i>Clench.</i>

    He knew it was time for him to make his move.

    ***

    <i>ng!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel his ears trembling, his hearing fading.

    The arrows shot by Elfame had grazed by his ears, and the waves alone were enough to make his eardrums explode.

    Elfame was a terrifying archer, an archer with skills to the extent that one wondered if there was anyone who could be titled a master archer whenpared to him.

    However, such a masterful archer was aiming at himself.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    It was the worst type of enemy.

    Moreover, there was another problem.

    <i>¡®More and more¡­¡¯</i>

    He was getting stronger.

    Whether it was the arrow¡¯s speed or his movement, they were rising rapidly.

    At first, he had been able to attack the bastard, but by this point, he barely had enough time to dodge the arrows.

    If there was something for him to be relieved by, it was that he had something helping him on the side.

    ¨CGroooogh.

    An iprehensible cry rang out in Lee Jun-Kyeong''s head, a new subordinate who controlled the astral figures to block Elfame¡¯s army.

    Hel¡¯s aid was great.

    The soldiers of wood and stone seemed to be Elfame¡¯s clones, and he could feel the speed at which Elfame strengthened was slowing down as he defeated his soldiers one by one.

    But even so, there was no answer.

    ¡°Heh heh¡­¡± Elfameughed madly, pressing down on him.

    ¡°The ruler¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was somewhat aware of the power of the ruler, which he had only seen in books.

    When the cataclysm struck, the Hunters had struggled a lot. However, it wasn¡¯t because they were isted from one another due to the augmented monsters or the veil or because there were constantly urring gate breaks around them.

    <i>¡®The rulers.¡¯</i>

    No, it was because of the rulers.

    They had intelligence iparable to the monsters and strength unparalleled to any boss monster. While no detailed information about them survived to his time, tales of how fierce and strong they were had been told in many different ways.

    It was also said that different rulers appeared in different regions, and these rulers each had their own unique abilities and growth methods.

    That was the most important part.

    <i>¡®The growth method.¡¯</i>

    These rulers could grow like Hunters.

    There were rulers who appeared fully grown in the first ce and also rulers who would appear and then grow stronger over time.

    Just like the Hunters.

    Thus.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t mention anything about the rulers to them.¡¯</i>

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong had told them about the existence of the rulers, then the Hunters around the world would have tried to kill them quickly, no matter what they would have to sacrifice.

    However, if the Hunters killed a ruler, then the ruler would be revived.

    <i>¡®They would alwayse back in theirpleted states.¡¯</i>

    That was why he had refused to exin about the rulers.

    The Hunters would make their own judgments and attack if they felt like it, which was what Lee Jun-Kyeong thought would be the best way for things to go.

    The problem was something different.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The problem was the fact that he was having a difficult time right now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down.

    His thigh had been grazed by one of Elfame¡¯s arrows.

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a fatal injury as he had defended against it using his mana, but the ruler¡¯s attacks were beginning tond on him.

    <i>¡®Mr. Jeong.¡¯</i>

    Also, Lee Jun-Kyeong had noticed that Jeong In-Chang had arrived, but he had no time to care about him.

    He had to take down Elfame quickly.

    He had to kill that monster in front of him that was getting stronger at every moment as he was a monster that devoured people.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    But.

    He was getting stronger too quickly.

    <i>¡®Muspel¡¯s Spear¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been feeding Muspel¡¯s Spear mes continuously.

    Although it felt stronger after doing so, that was all there was to it.

    <i>¡®Just like when I fought Odin¡­¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t reaching the level of change as it had during that fight. If he had that much strength at this moment, then he would be able to defeat Elfame.

    Wait.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been deliberately wary of Muspel¡¯s Spear for a reason and quickly suppressed his reinforcement of the weapon.

    Someone¡¯s words had suddenlye to mind.

    <i>¡®Make sure you don¡¯t get devoured.¡¯</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear was a demonic spear, so it was always aiming to consume him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been suppressing it so far, but the stronger he got, the stronger Muspel¡¯s Spear would get in return.

    It was always aiming to consume him, casting its demonic aura at him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt it ever since thest fight against Odin.

    There were too many possible dangers that could overwhelm him, so it wasn¡¯t a good idea for him to unleash an untamed demonic beast.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts continued, a voice whispered in his ear, ¡°Are you daydreaming?¡±

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    ¡°What are you thinking about in front of me?¡±

    Elfame''s arrow went into Lee Jun-Kyeong''s back.

    He hadn¡¯t even been able to protect the area with his mana.

    ¡°<i>Cough!</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong screamed and coughed up blood. He looked behind himself with eyes dripping blood.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    Elfame was standing before his eyes, letting out a bleakugh again, havingnded there before he had noticed.

    ¡°Now, be consumed by me,¡± he said as he reached out with his hand.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had to make his choice now.

    <i>¡®Who will I be consumed by?¡¯</i>

    Would it be Muspel¡¯s Spear?

    Or the man-eating demon?

    The answer was decided.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear began to spew out thorns.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to have be an engine.

    The mana flow emitted from Muspel¡¯s Spear pumped through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body, passing through the dragon heart.

    Then, the Madness, dragon¡¯s blood and mana circted through him and passed through Muspel¡¯s Spear again.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    The spearbusted into mes.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear no longer was in the shape of a spear. Rather than calling it a spear, it had be a weapon muchrger, much longer. A weapon the size of ance soon appeared in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Dragon scales encroached all over him.

    His Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was much different from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s.

    Not only did Jeong In-Chang have resistance to the dragon¡¯s blood, but he was also manipting pure dragon energy, an energy untainted by Madness.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The Berserk Dragon¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked up at the sky.[1]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s appearance waspletely unfamiliar.

    He spread wings made of bones on his back and rose into the sky. Scales had sprouted all over his body, and his arm had merged into ance, just as Jeong In-Chang had done with his greatsword.

    He was a Dragon Knight.

    <i>¡®The Dragon Knight of the Berserk Dragon.¡¯</i>

    For some reason, Jeong In-Chang thought of that phrase.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was floating in the air, and Elfame, who was on the ground, collided.

    <i>Boom!!!!</i>

    Before, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to keep up with Elfame¡¯s speed, but he was different now.

    Not only had his speed increased.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    His attack range had also widened.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong stabbed out with his spear, a wave exploded forth, rippling through space as if it was tearing the very reality apart.

    ¡°Keughk!!!!¡±

    The soldiers of wood and stone that remained alive in the form of Elfame all died.

    <i>¨CKyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.</i>

    Even the astral figures who had been fighting the soldiers couldn¡¯t handle it either.

    It was a relentless fight, and there was another growth.

    However.

    Jeong In-Chang felt uneasy and ominous at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s altered appearance.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong increasingly shed with him and left wounds, nervousness appeared on Elfame¡¯s face as he tried to keep Lee Jun-Kyeong in check.

    ¡°How uncivilized¡­!¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s growth was incredibly rapid, it was ominous.

    Jeong In-Chang continued to feel uneasy and out of sorts.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reddened eyes briefly passed over Jeong In-Chang¡­

    <i>Shiver.</i>

    ¡­Jeong In-Chang felt ice go down his spine, leaving goosebumps in his wake.

    Although it was true that Lee Jun-Kyeong was pushing the ruler back, he was worried that he would lose hispanion in the process.

    However.

    ¡°Hel¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out a word that Jeong In-Chang had never heard in the air.

    Then, a change urred.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    The astral figures that were dealing with the soldiers suddenly turned and headed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Soon, they merged together, condensing into an armor-like form.

    Some also moved over and clung to the burningnce.

    ¡°The scales¡­!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    The astral figures were clinging to his body, dissolving the scales as they had dissolved the soldiers.

    Moreover, as they passed through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s entire body, they seemed to turn something around within him.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes had been consumed by Madness, but as they slowly regained reason, he felt it.

    <i>¡®A new power of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    He had finally gotten it, a new power that the Demon King had used in the past.

    1. Reference to one of Korea¡¯s most famous games, Dungeon Fighter Online. ??

 Chapter 160: A New Power

    <h4>Chapter 160: A New Power</h4>

    The entire world.

    All of the world¡¯s mightiest Hunters.

    They had all knelt before his power as they trembled.

    He was the one with absolute power, and it was a power that could subdue any and everything.

    The power of the Demon King.

    His power had made such a deep and strong impression that even Eden was afraid.

    This was a group that had been created by the strongest Hunters who had ovee the cataclysm and all other crises, surviving into the future. An organization created by those who called themselves gods with the power to rule over everything in the world.

    But even they were afraid of his power. It was to the point where they would go and find any trace of the Demon King and erase them.

    With the power of dragons and holding domain over mes, he was said to have been able to handle three of the twelve gods of Eden at once with only his own ability.

    However, his power that made the world cry didn¡¯t end there.

    <i>¡®He also led his army.¡¯</i>

    Although the Demon King also had hispanions, his army was of apletely different nature.

    Thousands¨Cno, tens of thousands of beings that were like Familiars.

    That was how he had the power to face the world on his own.

    [My army, they lived and died with me.]

    The other Hunters thought that they were Familiars, but in truth, they were of a different existence.

    The Familiar of a Familiar.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already experienced something simr with the Familiar he had created, the Familiars of a Familiar.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu¡¯s soldiers.¡¯</i>

    His Familiar Hyeon-Mu, and the skeleton soldiers that he could raise, seemed to be simr to what the Demon King could control.

    However, there was something that made the Hunters¡¯ tremble in fear even more than the army of skeletons.

    <i>¡®An army of ghosts.¡¯</i>

    There was a hidden figure among the Familiars of the Demon King.

    A gloomy Familiar that always stayed hidden away.

    That being¡¯s strength, the Ghost Army, had been one of the Demon King¡¯s legions that had made the world tremble and cry with their iprehensible power.

    Moreover, the Demon King had also used his Familiars to create new powers as well.

    ¡°Ghost ze.¡±

    This was a power with an unusual, terrifying name.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±

    That very power was the purple and blue me that rose from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand.

    [Achievementpleted!]

    [You havepleted an incredible achievement!]

    [You have acquired the skill, Ghost ze.]

    A blue window briefly appeared in front of him.

    [Ghost ze: Can manipte the mes of the soul.]

    It was a simple exnation, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t need much more than that as he already knew what the skill was.

    -<i>Kyaaaaaa!</i>

    Screams that seemed to tear through one¡¯s mind echoed through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head. They went directly to his brain, bypassing his ears, and screamed even more.

    -<i>Kyaaaaaa!</i>

    It was a deafening cry that might have made an ordinary human go mad, but Lee Jun-Kyeong simply endured it as kept his eyes wide open.

    ¨CSave me!

    ¨CKill that bastard!

    ¨CKill him! Kill!

    The screams soon turned into voices, and their words were full of resentment and malice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong epted them all and looked over at Elfame.

    The bastard was clearly bewildered by the situation, but he had also noticed the change in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    Indigo sparks flickered on the tip of the Muspel¡¯s Spear that was connected to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand. Although it took the form of a me flickering in and out, it didn¡¯t radiate a scorching heat.

    Rather, it seemed to exhale a cold chill.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    The sparks were swaying as if they were about to shoot at Elfame at any moment.

    Elfame slowly nocked an arrow on his bow and aimed it at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Their two gazes met.

    <i>Twang!</i>

    As if he felt something ominous, Elfame shot the arrow. It tore through the air and barreled toward Lee Jun-Kyeong with great destructive power.

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, it suddenly stopped right in front of him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t lifted even a single finger, but the arrow spun furiously in ce as it slowly began to turn around.

    It was only then that he was able to see it.

    ¡°A me¡­¡±

    The indigo me was like a will-o¡¯-the-wisp. A single ember had attached to the arrow and redirected it.

    Soon.

    <i>Pow!</i>

    The arrow had shot back through the air toward Elfame, and it was flying as fast as when Elfame had first released it.

    <i>Swick!</i>

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>¡­¡±

    Elfame had been able to catch it, but soon, he groaned and dropped the arrow to the ground.

    The indigo me looked like it only exuded bleakness and chill.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s hot.¡¯</i>

    It was too hot, more than any me that Elfame had ever felt.

    Watching him as he flustered, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally raised a hand.

    <i>Ssssk.</i>

    His appearance was bizarre.

    The dragon scales had begun to encroach on his body again. Muspel¡¯s Spear had seemingly fused into his hand earlier, forming one limb, but it grew into an evenrgernce than before that also spewed indigo mes.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    However,pletely opposite to the mes on his weapon limb, crimson mes were exuding from the rest of his body.

    It was an unforgettable, majestic sight.

    In addition, he, who had been consumed by Madness, dragon blood, and even the demonic nature of Muspel¡¯s Spear, was breathing slowly and keeping his sanity intact.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>¡­¡±

    The Madness and devilish aura that was trying to rule and dominate his very being wasn¡¯t strong enough anymore.

    -<i>Kyaaaaaa!</i>

    The deafening voices that resounded in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head kept bringing him back to his senses.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s clear.¡¯</i>

    Despite his usage of Madness and dragon blood, he stay painfully sane.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong plummeted down, barrelling toward Elfame.

    ***

    The battle had entered another phase again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been able to keep up with the strengthened Elfame before. Now he wasn¡¯t being pushed back any further.

    ¡°<i>Keughk! Keughk!!</i>¡±

    Rather, he was actually overpowering the king instead.

    The me was like fuel as Lee Jun-Kyeong sped up faster and faster with explosive power.

    ¡°<i>Keughk!</i>¡±

    Elfame was still getting faster, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had already sped up to the point of overwhelming him.

    He was the Monarch of Fire, and the mes he created brought both destructive power and speed at the same time.

    <i>Swick!</i>

    The indigo me continued to block all of Elfame¡¯s arrows, while the king continued to shoot more in order to somehow create a gap.

    <i>Swick!</i>

    An arrow halted near Lee Jun-Kyeong and then shot right back toward Elfame again.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Elfame was filled with rage.

    ¡°To me, the king of Alfheimr!¡±

    He seemed to think that what he had thought was his prey was suddenly rebelling against his authority.

    ¡°With just this paltry strength¡­!¡±

    Elfame¡¯s power was still soaring.

    His speed increased, and his arrows became more powerful.

    Even so, the wounds on the king increased.

    Moreover, the wounds¡­

    ¡°My recovery¡­¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t recover.

    He had been able to heal from every wound that Lee Jun-Kyeong had barely been able to make. Now, he was suddenly unable to recover whatsoever due to the effects of the indigo me, Ghost ze.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swung his spear. While Elfame blocked it with his bow, due to the gap in strength, the spear that hade barrelling over like a bullet struck the King. Elfame copsed over in a way that was not befitting the dignity of a king.

    ¡°<i>Gasp</i>¡­¡±

    He stood up again and bleaklyughed like he did earlier.

    ¡°KheheheheheheheheheheaaaaAAAAA!¡±

    He screamed grotesquely.

    Feeling the serious condition that Elfame was in, Lee Jun-Kyeong momentarily took a step back. Moreover, although he wasn¡¯t showing any signs of it, he wasn¡¯t in a good situation, either.

    <i>¡®Ghost ze is running rampant through him.¡¯</i>

    His newfound strength was found through his new Familiar, Hel, who was able to handle souls.

    With its aid, he had been able to learn Ghost ze.

    However, since it was a power he had acquired so suddenly in order to deal with such a powerful enemy, it was still too immature.

    Even if he vaguely knew how to use this skill, actually using it was a different beast.

    The most important concern was that it ran amok.

    The souls that Hel dealt with weren¡¯t formed out of nothing.

    They were the souls filled with resentment that were piled around this area.

    <i>¡®They are the souls who had been eaten by Elfame and murdered by his subordinates.¡¯</i>

    That was why they were spewing out such a terrible grudge against the King and trying to eat away at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s consciousness.

    They were able to push aside the devilish aura and Madness through their incredible strength, but that was also why and how they were able to try to swallow him whole too.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was manipting a delicate tug-of-war between them.

    As he tried to reign Ghost ze in once again, Elfame suddenly stopped his breathing.

    ¡°<i>Gasp</i>.¡±

    At the same time, Incheon City Hall began to vibrate.

    <i>Rumble!!</i>

    It almost felt like the cirction of a mana stream. It was a huge flow of mana, and it was the mana that had dominated the Incheon City Hall. All of it gathered toward Elfame.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although Elfame¡¯s sudden change betrayed his serious condition and seemed to indicate that he should attack him now, Lee Jun-Kyeong was adamant.

    ¡°No, not now.¡±

    <i>¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t seem to be able to see it because he wasn¡¯t familiar with the mana stream, but Lee Jun-Kyeong knew.

    <i>¡®If I attack him now¡­¡¯</i>

    The mana in Incheon City Hall¨Cno, the flow of mana that had been dominating all of Incheon would begin to run out of control.

    It would cause a huge explosion and could be a disaster.

    ¡°The whole of Incheon could be in danger,¡± he exined.

    That was why he had to wait and aim for right when that bastard had finished preparing.

    The moment that the mana would be suppressed and not run out of control.

    The moment when he would be the most vulnerable.

    That was the moment he was waiting for.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    The ground suddenly distorted, and something came out.

    It looked to be covered with bark, but it seemed harder and more dangerous than any material on Earth.

    Elfame picked it up off the ground.

    The huge flow of mana seemed to have condensed and formed a single arrow.

    ¡°Kehehe¡­¡±

    The moment he aimed he began tough bleakly again.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    This was the opportunity.

    Ghost ze was burning even more fiercely, his mes were raging even more furiously, and even his mana was lit ame.

    The Authority that would scorch everything and hold dominion over all things zing,

    [Monarch of Fire grows.]

    Monarch of Fire, the Authority that had reached the master level, had grown further.

    It was an ability that should never have grown.

    However¡­

    <i>¡®The master level is¡­¡¯</i>

    It was just something that was limited to those who had been sponsored.

    As a yer, this was just another wall that could be broken.

    [You have obtained ???]

    Now, this wall had broken and turned into something else, something he still wasn¡¯t able to know.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    However, its effects were something he knew.

    An explosion of great power erupted as the arrow shot by Elfame and the burning Lee Jun-Kyeong collided.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ***

    ¡°<i>Cough, cough.</i>¡±

    Blood flowed across the floor, drenching the shirt of the one who was vomiting continuously.

    The quantity was so great that it had gone past lethal blood loss, to the point where the survival of the one vomitingy in question.

    ¡°<i>Cough</i>¡­¡±

    He vomited blood once again.

    As he coughed more blood, he looked up ahead, and the opponents faced each other once more.

    ¡°I¡­am¡­the¡­king of¡­ Alfheimr¡­¡± he said after swallowing blood and matching his opponent''s gaze.

    Elfame had a huge hole in his neck.

    <i>Shing.</i>

    Facing him was the arrow that he had shot that had been made from the enormous mana as it floated in the air.

    The arrow had been shot, but it hadn¡¯t reached its target.

    The indigo me, Ghost ze, had blocked the arrow.

    It had been a condensation of the aura that had beenrge enough to dominate Incheon.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough to ovee the grudges of those you had killed.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t wrong. In fact, he could also feel it now, the terrifying resentment that was held against Elfame.

    The souls that had been summoned by Hel weren¡¯t only those of Earth. After all, the people of Incheon alone wouldn¡¯t have been able to block that arrow.

    ¡°It was all of those you¡¯ve killed so far¡­¡±

    It was an unfathomable amount of souls.

    All of those beings that had been in in the name of the king from thend of Alfheimr had joined together with the souls of Earth to block that arrow.

    ¡°In the end, you will die for your karma,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the bastard as put away his spear.

    The dragon scales and Madness receded.

    Also.

    ¨CThank you.

    ¨CThank you very much.

    ¨CI¡¯m so grateful.

    The souls that had been only screaming in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head were all disappearing after expressing their gratitude, so he was returning to his original state.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Elfame fell to his knees, unable to ovee the bleeding.

    Although he was the king, he had to look up at Lee Jun-Kyeong at this moment.

    He coughed up blood again and said, "One day¡­they¡­hade¡­to find me¡­¡±

 Chapter 161: A New Strength Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 161: A New Strength Pt. 2</h4>

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Foam appeared over the gaping hole in Elfame¡¯s throat as he tried to heal his wounds.

    However, the foam soon lost its power and disappeared, but not before having at least some amount of effect as it allowed the fallen king to continue speaking out loud.

    ¡°They¡­¡±

    The bastard was definitely dying after being pierced by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The ruler of Incheon, the King of Alfheimr.

    The bastard.

    <i>''The look in his eyes has changed.''</i>

    As Elfame suddenly began to speak, the look in his eyes waspletely different from before. His gaze, which had seemed to be possessed by madness, had changed to a more gentle one at this moment.

    ¡°By they, do you mean the Sponsors?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    <i>¡®I think he¡¯ll answer me.¡¯</i>

    It seemed that the ruler would answer all of his questions.

    ¡°If¡­they are the same beings¡­as I¡¯m thinking of¡­then yes, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Elfame whispered quietly. ¡°Alfheim was unified by my hand after a long war¡­ But during the era of peace after the war¡­¡±

    It was an unbelievable statement, but the bastard continued to exin.

    <i>¡®To think it would be a world where everything had been united.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong backtracked for a moment. It wouldn¡¯t be believable if it had been a small one, but it would have made sense if after a great war had ended that it had been time to call for peace.

    Almost like¡­

    <i>¡®The world in my past.¡¯</i>

    Earth in the era that he had lived in.

    On that Earth, where everything had been unified by Eden, it could be said that there was peace in some ways on the outside.

    However, on the inside, everything was festering.

    ¡°They hade to the festering world¡­so they were like saviors.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to understand Elfame¡¯s words.

    ¡°They¡­they made us a newmon enemy¡­¡±

    ¡°A new enemy?¡±

    ¡°A connection¡­to another dimension¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong listened to Elfame¡¯s exnations without asking any further questions.

    Bubbles of blood continued to foam up on Elfame¡¯s throat, but it was a fatal wound that couldn¡¯t be treated by anything.

    He wasn¡¯t able to determine when he would stop talking.

    ¡°If you win¡­the dimensional war¡­¡± Elfame said.

    He looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a mocking smile.

    He may have been the dying one, but that smile was that of an arrogant king.

    ¡°You can be a god¡­¡±

    His lips had continued to move, but no words continued toe out. His eyes still held onto life, and they narrowed into a smile while the corners of his lips curled up.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Vomiting a burst of bleakughter as the look in his eyes reverted back to the same light as before.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He fell forward, and the sound of his breathing had stopped.

    Just.

    The sound of blood slowly pumping.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    On the ground, crimson, indigo blood pooled on the floor.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had felt that there was something strange about Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s conversation with Elfame, hadn¡¯t stepped up earlier, but now, he cautiously approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoke.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand to Jeong In-Chang, motioning for him to stop.

    The situation regarding Elfame¡¯s death.

    He had obtained information, but it wasn¡¯t to the level that he would be satisfied with.

    At that time.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks over at you.]

    He was finally hearing that bastard¡¯s voice again after so long.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looked down upon you with a satisfied smile.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just quietly listened to its voice, waiting.

    Soon.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> desires a sacrifice.]

    [Would you like to make a sacrifice?]

    The voice of the system brought a notification out of the blue.

    <i>¡®Sacrifice.¡¯</i>

    He would bet on it.

    No one would have ever heard this term before, and no one would hear this term in the future.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky.

    Incheon City Hall had been destroyed as a side effect of the battle. Looking up, there was an illusion in the sky, as if someone¡¯s eye could be seen through the open ceiling.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to that eye in the sky.

    ¡°Hel.¡±

    He summoned Hel, who had be his newest Familiar.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Hel hadn¡¯t appeared physically up until now, so when he appeared after being called, Jeong In-Chang shouted out of surprise, ¡°A¡­a ghost!¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting like this after seeing their astral figures earlier?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the shocked Jeong In-Chang.

    A pale, translucently white astral figure appeared between Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was as if the figure was wearing a robe, and the only thing that could be seen clearly from within the white figure was its sparkling purple eyes.

    ¨CMaster.

    It was Hel.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded without saying a word.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    Something slowly emerged from Elfame¡¯s body, along with a bleak breeze.

    ¡°What you want is this bastard¡¯s body and strength, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to someone unknown.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> licks its lips wistfully as if to express how regrettable.]

    Soon.

    [The sacrifice has been made.]

    [You havepleted ¡®The Priest¡¯ achievement.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> sponsors you ???.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked away from the sky, and before they knew it, Elfame had disappeared from the ground where he had fallen.

    Instead.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    The unusual arrow that Elfame had shot at the end was in his ce.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached and picked it up.

    Although Elfame had shot it as an arrow, what Lee Jun-Kyeong had picked up looked like something that was a little different.

    It seemed more like a wooden sword.

    [You have acquired the sword, Mistilteinn.[1]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> shows a satisfied smile, revealing its bloody teeth.]

    The name of the sponsored item in question marks was revealed, and the sound of the bastard¡¯s satisfaction rang through the air.

    ***

    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take, Hel?¡±

    In response to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sudden question, Jeong In-Chang yelped in surprise.

    ¡°Damn it! Don¡¯t do that!¡± he shouted as a hazy astral figure reappeared.

    Hel nced over at Jeong In-Chang before it spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CAs it is a soul that holds so many things¡­it looks like it will take quite some time¡­

    Hel had harvested Elfame¡¯s soul, as it had the power to extract memories from an offered soul.

    However, since Elfame¡¯s memories and powers were so vast, it seemed like it would take a lot of time for Hel to bring them outpletely.

    Despite that, Lee Jun-Kyeong was satisfied with the current situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how long it takes.¡±

    The secret of the Sponsors that hadn¡¯t been solved even in his history or the book of the Demon King¨Cit was clear that Elfame had a piece of that fragment.

    ¡°Try to extract his memories without losing any.¡±

    ¨CUnderstood¡­

    Hel answered in a ghastly voice as it disappeared again.

    ¡°Ha¡­it feels like my liver will fall out,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he stroked his chest.[2]

    ¡°I mean, you saw the astral figures during the battle anyway, so why are you acting like that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Well, I was so agitated at that time, so¡­and also¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face turned red as he tried to make excuses.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at his flustering as he thought to himself.

    <i>¡®Elfame held a clue about the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    He was collecting all the information that he had heard from him.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®The Demon King, Eden¡­¡¯</i>

    He also came to a conclusion about what they had said about not knowing the identity of the Sponsors.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a high probability that they knew the identities of the Sponsors as well.¡¯</i>

    It was only that they hadn¡¯t written it down. Basically, they had just lied about not knowing.

    If it was them, then it was more likely that they knew about the identities of the Sponsors than not.

    The main reason for this was the fact that even Elfame had knowledge of the identities of the Sponsors.

    <i>¡®They were Hunters who would have fought against the rulers throughout history, so it would be ridiculous to think that they wouldn¡¯t have spoken with them.¡¯</i>

    Although Elfame seemed to have treated him specially, there was no confirmation that he wouldn¡¯t have done the same to the other Hunters in his past.

    Even if the King had said that he was special, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt that Elfame would have most likely told a simr tale to anyone else who was strong enough to have approached him.

    <i>¡®Almost like he had no other choice.¡¯</i>

    The reaction that Elfame had made was incredibly messy and boisterous, so much so that Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand why, no matter how special the ruler had thought that he was.

    Almost as if he had had no other choice, the bastard had behaved iprehensibly.

    <i>¡®This means that the Hunters who hadpeted with the rulers in my past most likely knew about the secret of the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt convinced again at this moment that the Demon King hadn¡¯t written down everything in the book.

    As he organized his thoughts, Jeong In-Chang called out to him again.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned over to look at him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s grown tremendously.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t been able to talk to the Hunter because he had been immersed in so many thoughts due to Elfame, but Lee Jun-Kyeong recognized that Jeong In-Chang had definitely grown considerably.

    Even the power that he had shown, Gram.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to praise him but had to stop.

    ¡°That new subordinate of yours¡­¡±

    He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question.

    ¡°Is it a woman? Or is it a man?¡±

    ***

    ¡°Why are you curious about that?¡±

    "Just¡­¡±

    Thanks to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s ridiculous question, the Hunter only received a scolding rather than any praise, all the way to Inha University from Incheon City Hall.

    By the time the scolding had ended, they had already arrived near Inha University.

    ¡°...¡±

    The reason they were able to rx like this was simple.

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    It was because they knew that the battle at Inha University had already ended.

    The ruler had died, and an army without a leader was nothing more than a rabble.

    In particr, for monsters who only lived on instinct alone, the fact that the ruler who had bolstered their strength and formed their strategy had died only meantplete defeat.

    ¡°Looks like things went well,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Yeo Seong-Gu, who had greeted them.

    Yeo Seong-Gu was in a simr shape to Inha University.

    ¡°You look like a mess,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong joked.

    His armor was torn in various ces, and his skin was red as if it had been soaked in blood.

    <i>¡®He most likely held most of them back on his own.¡¯</i>

    He most likely had fought the hardest.

    ¡°The ruler¡­ Did you take it down?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked as he slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The Hunters nearby were busy clearing up the ruins, but they all looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong as they heard Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s question.

    They may have been able to infer the answer from the situation around them, but nothing was asforting as hearing the confirmation out loud.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was a simple answer.

    And then.

    ¡°Waaaaaaaa!¡±

    "Oh, yeah! The Underdog is the best!¡±

    ¡°I told you, we¡¯re okay now!¡±

    The cheers of the Hunters erupted.

    The battle had ended.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Jeong In-Chang also smiled at each other.

    Then, as always.

    <i>Squeeze!</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong after the fierce fight.

    The cataclysm in Incheon seemed to be over.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, after leaving Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s embrace, looked over at him.

    "Thank you for your efforts."

    "Good work."

    As they praised each other, the survivors at Inha University also began to cheer in relief as they heard the news.

    ¡°Still, monsters will continue to appear. So we can''t rx until everything is over,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Still, we most likely won¡¯t be under threat as badly as this from now on, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    As the two looked over at each other for a while.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    They felt the thrum of mana.

    It was a trembling of mana that a low-level person could never feel.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong noticed it wasing from Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Is that the Bifrost¡­?¡±

    Since he had been with the Bifrost for quite some time, he had be aware of its unique mana signature.

    Yeo Seong-Gu raised his hand for a moment and closed his eyes, resonating with the Bifrost.

    Then.

    ¡°...¡±

    His expression stiffened.

    ¡°It was a message from the outside.¡±

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could ask, Yeo Seong-Gu stated gravely, ¡°The cataclysm has begun in Seoul as well.¡±

    1. ding for Mistletoe, from the Hromundar saga Gripssonar. ??

    2. As mentioned in earlier chapters, the liver is where Koreans associate courage and bravery. ??

 Chapter 162: A New Strength Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 162: A New Strength Pt. 3</h4>

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s stony expression only evidenced the truth.

    He had kept in touch with someone through the Bifrost.

    ¡°...¡±

    Upon hearing the news from Seoul, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang fell silent.

    <i>¡®The cataclysm of Seoul.¡¯</i>

    It was only natural that the cataclysm also would ur in Seoul.

    However.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s happening too quickly.¡¯</i>

    Just like the start of the cataclysm, the cataclysm in Seoul urred much faster than normal.

    <i>¡®But Hyung is too flustered.¡¯</i>

    Seoul was the headquarters of the Korean Association, and there were outstanding Hunters in Seoul that were even recognized across the world.

    <i>¡®Moreover, Asgard is also there, which is one of the best secret organizations as well.¡¯</i>

    Even if there were to be a cataclysm, the damage wouldn¡¯t spread easily in the first ce.

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expression seemed to get more and more distorted.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong carefully anticipated and waited for his exnation, he felt the mana suddenly disappear.

    The Bifrost, Heimdall¡¯s divine item, became inoperative for a while again as Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expression distorted even further.

    ¡°Just what¡¯s going on?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Seoul¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu replied quietly, his expression even graver than before.

    ¡°It¡¯s on fire.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What do you mean Seoul is on fire?¡±

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong had just returned after defeating Elfame, it wasn¡¯t good for them to talk outside. After all, Yeo Seong-Gu had just suddenly heard the news about Seoul,

    The people had just started to have hope after Inha University had won against the monster tide and Elfame had been defeated.

    That was why they couldn¡¯t let them know the news about Seoul.

    <i>¡®We can¡¯t trample on their hope.¡¯</i>

    Most of the people at Inha University were from Incheon, but many of them resided in Seoul as well. That meant that their families were there. If there was a change in Seoul, which was known to be safe until now, it could cause a panic.

    So they dropped it, cleaned the outside ruins, and went inside.

    Although many people were still tidying up outside, they still had to talk separately.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>¡­¡±

    It was just the three of them: Yeo Seong-Gu, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Jeong In-Chang.

    They sat around a table.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you rest a little?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had juste back after defeating the mighty enemy who was the ruler of Incheon, so the traces of battle were clearly visible on his face and body.

    He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like you look any better, Hyung. Let¡¯s just hurry and talk before we rest. For now, thises first.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°What do you mean Seoul is on fire? I mean, I know that the cataclysm may have begun in Seoul, but you¡¯re saying that damage has already urred¡­¡±

    ¡°That is." Yeo Seong-Gu began to speak. ¡°The Hunters have disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang both shouted at the same time as they were startled by what they had just heard.

    ¡°Whether it''s the Hunters at the Association, the League Guild Branches, or the members of the numerous guilds, they all seem to be keeping their positions¡­the problem is that the upper management of the Hunter Association seems to have disappeared.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­¡±

    ¡°Asgard,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu interjected. ¡°It means that the Hunters of Asgard have disappeared.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch that something strange was going on.

    ¡°The sudden appearance of the cataclysm, the outpour of the monsters, even the missing leadership.¡±

    There were three variables.

    ¡°Those who remain are holding back the tide, but apparently, fire has engulfed Seoul due to the sudden situation.

    ¡°Still, at least there is some relief.¡±

    Even though Yeo Seong-Gu said that Seoul was on fire, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    It meant that there were still many Hunters left.

    It was said that Asgard had taken most of the power andmanded it, but the remaining Korean guilds were also still strong.

    As long as they existed, Seoul would not be destroyed so quickly.

    ¡°We just have to believe¡­¡± he muttered.

    "That¡¯s right. However." The bad news from Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t end there. ¡°This isn¡¯t bad news about Seoul¡­but for you and In-Chang.¡±

    Now, even Jeong In-Chang, who had only been listening, was looking at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Soon, all of their expressions hardened.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard news that all of the members of the White Tiger n, including Ungnyeo, have disappeared.

    ***

    At Inha University, morale began to rise.

    The Hunters had begun to push the monsters away, and the concentration of mana that had filled the air was gradually fading. The gate breaks were still happening, but they could feel the number of urrences gradually diminishing.

    They were retaking Incheon.

    After the death of Elfame, the ruler of Incheon, who was presumed to be the culprit of Incheon¡¯s cataclysm, Inha University was regaining its vigor.

    ¡°Take some more!¡±

    ¡°Pleasee over here for your meals!¡±

    There were also arge number of ordinary humans who had been held captive at Incheon City Hall. They were the countless people who would have be Elfame¡¯s prey if they had been left alone.

    These people had been brought back, joining the group of survivors at their base. In addition, the Hunters who had gone out to clear the monsters woulde back with survivors every time they returned.

    Many people were still alive in Incheon.

    ¡°They said it was the Underdog, right?¡±

    "What was?"

    ¡°The man who saved us!¡±

    People started to chant the name of the Underdog again, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and then soon began to cheer for Yeo Seong-Gu as well.

    ¡°Siegfried was there too!¡±

    Somewhere along the line, there were even people who would cheer for Jeong In-Chang.

    The residents of Incheon were regaining vitality again, regaining their happiness.

    However, for Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others who had actually saved them, they were prepared for the worst, their hearts burning with worry.

    ¡°Is there any news?¡± he asked.

    Ye Seong-Gu responded, ¡°The connection with Seoul has beenpletely cut off. Still, as the veil over Incheon is being lifted¡­ I¡¯ll try to get as much information as I can, as I¡¯ve been able to connect with the other regions asionally.¡±

    They had no choice but to rely on Yeo Seong-Gu tomunicate with the outside world using Bifrost.

    Unfortunately, even after waiting, there was no good news.

    ¡°It seems that the cataclysm has begun all throughout Korea.¡±

    Rather, all Yeo Seong-Gu was able to tell them was bad news.

    News came that stated the cataclysm had now begun all over Korea, even in the other parts that had still been safe.

    Yeo Seong-Gu said grimly, ¡°The connection is gradually fading.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°What do you n on doing?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the one who had the most information among them and was also the one who could make use of all the intelligence they had gathered as well.

    He had be the leader of their group, so it was up to him to choose their destination.

    Incheon would be able to find its feet even without them.

    <i>¡®Seoul¡­and also the other regions as well¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong racked his brains over and over again.

    Then.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    The door opened as someone entered the room. There was only one other person in the encampment who could enter the room in which they were having their meeting.

    ¡°Oh, have you arrived?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Looking tired, Jeong In-Chang entered and sat down. He looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    While Yeo Seong-Gu had taken on the role of contacting the outside world, Jeong In-Chang had been searching along the veil, looking for any passageways to the other regions.

    The smell of monster blood emanated from his body. Since the Hunters hadn¡¯t been able to go near the veil yet, Jeong In-Chang had been hunting the monsters along the boundary alone.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu had wanted to convince him to rest a little, they both also knew that none of them had that luxury.

    Jeong In-Chang reported, ¡°The veil is growing more stable.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°Not the veil over Incheon.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shifted in his seat, adjusting his posture, and continued, ¡°It seems that the veil in the other directions is actually weakening¡­it¡¯s just that the veil in the direction of Seoul is growing more stable and stronger. It¡¯s gotten to the point where it doesn¡¯t seem possible to cross it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong''s faces hardened. It would be difficult to go to Seoul. To make matters worse, the veil was growing stronger in that direction as well.

    <i>¡®If we use the Bifrost, we should be able to break through the veil, but¡­¡¯</i>

    If they did that, then the Bifrost would lose its power once again for a while, meaning that the only way they had tomunicate with the outside world would be gone again.

    It was a difficult decision.

    An impossible choice.

    ¡°For now¡­¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong decided on a direction.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong, please continue to check the condition of the veil for a few more days.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Please somehow find out the location of Ungnyeo and the White Tiger n.¡±

    ***

    Years ago, one day, a gate appeared in Korea.

    A few days after that, the first gate break urred, and monsters roamed the streets of Korea for the first time.

    Monsters had appeared in Seoul, the center of Korea. On that day, Seoul suffered catastrophic damage, where many people had died.

    As Seoul was the capital of a nation, and because it was extremely densely popted, abnormally so, Korea underwent a loss that shook it to its very core.

    However, after that day, they were able to push aside the monsters, defeating them, and Hunters who could deal with the monsters and raid the gates were born.

    <i>¡®The headquarters of the Korean Association has been established in Seoul.¡¯</i>

    Again the epicenter of change, in Seoul, the capital of the nation, the Association headquarters was established in order to protect the people from doom.

    Although there were many interests and politics involved in its location and establishment as well, the fundamental philosophy existed as well. Following this, numerous guilds that had been based on the Korean Association¡¯s structure also then settled in Seoul.

    Thus, the status of the Korean Hunters shook the world, and Seoul established its might.

    <i>¡®Bing one of the safest cities in the world.¡¯</i>

    Countless people moved to Seoul due to its safety, so the city was able to develop even further, bing a ce at the top of the world¡¯s spotlight.

    However, that incredible Seoul was now¡­

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    It was on fire.

    "Kya!"

    There were the sounds of people screaming.

    ¡°This way!¡±

    There were also the cries of Hunters.

    ¡°Chwiiik!!¡±

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    There was even the screech of monsters and the war cries of the defenders.

    Seoul had turned into a battlefield just like it had back then when the monsters had taken over the city due to the copse of the gates, like the day that had been called a disaster.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    In the midst of it all, someone stood, watching over it all. Even centered among all the chaos, a single ce still stood firm.

    The Hunter Association.

    There, in the president¡¯s office, someone was looking through the window down at the city from hell.

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>¡­¡±

    He had been looking down silently, but had suddenly let out a groan.

    Red veins pulsated all over his body, appearing and disappearing without end. His face had turned red, but as he moaned in response to some pain, he soon gained control over his breath and drove away his agony.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>¡­¡±

    Every time he exhaled, something that seemed like white smoke would leak out of his mouth.

    Mana.

    The very foundation of the power of the Hunters, the gates, and even the source of the monsters was leaking out of the Hunter¡¯s mouth like steam on a cold winter morning.

    "<i>Kya!!</i>"

    <i>Shwick!</i>

    In response to the screams that rang outside again, he closed the curtains shut.

    By establishing an independent space, he separated the president¡¯s office from themotion as if he had no interest in the situation unfolding outside.

    He soon sat down at the desk.

    ¡°<i>Whew</i>¡­¡±

    Serenity shed across his face as he exhaled again.

    The veins gradually disappeared, and he calmed down and turned his head.

    It was a dazzling visage, iparably beautiful.

    This was Baldur, the one called the Hero of the World¡¯s people.

    Sitting in the chair, he looked around the president''s office with indifferent eyes.

    ¡°How good.¡±

    He was now sitting in a ce he couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of being in.

    <i>¡®My son.¡¯</i>

    Although all he had wanted was to be recognized, his father had not only recognized him, but even had made him his sessor.

    ¡°...¡±

    Of course, if there was something that he could see as a problem, it was that he was in a position that no one except his father had acknowledged.

    The president¡¯s office had now been quarantined and sealed. It was to the point where even any of the Hunters residing in the association wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the ce easily.

    However, Baldur was satisfied.

    <i>¡®Father.¡¯</i>

    He was satisfied because he had been recognized by that one specific person. It was the phe person whom he had just craved so much to have obtained his acknowledgment.

    Moreover, he had also obtained incredible power.

    He, who had been a Hunter, had be a Hero, belonged to Asgard and umted great power, had now gained so much strength that all of that he had aplished before was meaningless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Baldur said as heughed into the air.

    <i>Rip.</i>

    The space in front of him was torn like paper, and from within that void, the res of Hunters who were staring daggers at Baldur as if they wished to kill him could be seen.

    Asgard.

    They were looking at Baldur in captivity.

 Chapter 163: A New Strength Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 163: A New Strength Pt. 4</h4>

    It had already been a week since they had gotten rid of Elfame. The original n had been to y the ruler of Incheon and head to Seoul quickly.

    However, that n quickly went awry.

    Despite having in the boss, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were left unable to head to Seoul.

    ¡°Seoul has beenpletely obstructed.¡±

    The cataclysm had now begun in Seoul, and it had also been surrounded by an imprable veil as if it was refusing any intruders. It was an isted situation where no one could enter or exit.

    They had considered forcing their way through.

    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to tell what¡¯s going on in Seoul.¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    However, it was too dangerous.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were spending time cleaning up monsters in Incheon and trying to rescue survivors.

    "I''m going to go crazy."

    However, they could never befortable with how things currently were.

    ¡°Where the hell could they have gone?¡± he continued with an impatient expression.

    All of them were still antsy since the whereabouts of Ungnyeo and her party were still unknown.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°They should all be doing okay, right?¡± Jeong In-Chang continued to speak as if trying to erase his anxiety, but Lee Jun-Kyeong just sat with his eyes closed without saying a word.

    ¡°Are you not even worried, Mr. Lee?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked, frustrated.

    <i>Blink.</i>

    Only at that moment did Lee Jun-Kyeong open his eyes and look back at the Hunter.

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had spoken out of frustration, but he soon had a stiffened expression as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong staring back at him. He could see it. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression was unusual, different from how the Hunter normally was as he opened his eyes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also worried.

    Jeong In-Chang sheepishly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong as stood up.

    Although he was still trying to train his mana stream in this situation, there was no way that he wasn¡¯t worried at all.

    <i>¡®I can''t concentrate.¡¯</i>

    They were hispanions who had been with him and fought alongside him.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way that I wouldn¡¯t be worried knowing that their whereabouts are still unknown.¡¯</i>

    However, there was still something he could be relieved by.

    ¡°They are still alive, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu and Fenrir were by their side, and they were also his familiars.

    As a result, he was able to still feel some sort of relief through his vague grasp of their condition.

    However, there was still a problem.

    <i>¡®They aren¡¯t doing great.¡¯</i>

    Fenrir and Hyeon-Mu¡¯s connection with him wasn¡¯t consistent, as if they were injured. Although there was the possibility of this instability being a result of the veil, it was still inevitable that he would get more and more worried.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his inventory and took something out as if he was trying to distract himself from his thoughts.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked at the object they had seen before. It was one of the spoils obtained from ying Elfame.

    ¡°Mistilteinn¡­¡±

    A blue window appeared briefly before Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes before disappearing. The window indicated the name of the item, but no other information emerged.

    <i>¡®If the status window appeared¡­¡¯</i>

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had the special ability, <i>yer</i>, it was still wasn¡¯t easy for him to be able to examine the details of just any item. They had to be a special and rare item such as Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    Or.

    ¡°A Sponsor-Grade item.¡±

    They would have to be a divinity-grade item sponsored by the Sponsors, such as the Bifrost or Zeus¡¯ Lightning.

    Thus, he had tried to uncover the identity of the item in front of him and its power.

    "Did you find out something?" asked Jeong In-Chang.

    He shook his head. "No."

    However, there was no windfall of any kind.

    He exined, ¡°I can feel that it has a strong mana, but that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°A strong mana¡­¡±

    ¡°The mana that is in this thing is, at the very least, the level of the Bifrost,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, holding the item like a long stick.

    ¡°There must be a way or method to use this¡­¡±

    He had no clue about its use.

    He had tried to figure out its structure with his mana stream, even going so far as to imbue the item with mana, but nothing seemed to work.

    <i>¡®I even tried to absorb the mana in Mistilteinn, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had tried to absorb Mistilteinn using the power of his dragon heart, Muspel¡¯s Spear, and the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone. However, it had been no use, He eventually realized it was a waste of time.

    ¡°May I take a look?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong only had a single word as an answer.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ***

    Around the time he was studying the power of Mistilteinn and the investigation into Seoul and the veil had continued, a sudden change urred.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had killed monsters and saved survivors today as well, and had noticed something as he was conducting his daily study of Mistilteinn.

    <i>¡®Merlin¡¯s Ne is?¡¯</i>

    The ne had been well hidden in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest, dangling from his neck, but it was spewing light everywhere.

    Considering that he hadn¡¯t done anything to it himself, the change in the ne could only mean one thing.

    ¨CCan you hear me?

    That its owner had been the one to influence it.

    Merlin¡¯s voice came into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head.

    ¡°Merlin¡­!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with wide eyes.

    They were currently in a situation where nomunication was possible due to the veil except through the Bifrost. In other words, in his hands right now, there was another means of contacting the outside world.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong held Merlin¡¯s Ne tightly in his hands, worried that the voice would cut off.

    ¡°Merlin! Merlin!¡±

    The ne didn¡¯t answer Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s call for a while.

    Just as he started to be anxious¡­

    ¨CThe connection¡­isn¡¯tplete¡­

    Intermittently, he could hear Merlin¡¯s voice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly looked around.

    <i>''Merlin''s Ne is being affected by something.¡¯</i>

    That could be the only exnation as to why the connection had suddenly been made and why for some reason, the connection had now just disconnected momentarily.

    As he looked around, he realized something.

    <i>¡®Mistilteinn!¡¯</i>

    He realized that he had put Mistilteinn, which he had been studying so far, back into his inventory.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly opened his inventory and withdrew Mistilteinn, holding it in one hand as the other held onto Merlin¡¯s Ne.

    ¨CCan you hear me?¡±

    That was the answer.

    He eximed, ¡°I can hear you!¡±

    ¨CSomething is affecting my ne. The connection is now stable.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear Merlin¡¯s calm voice again. He looked down at Mistilteinn in his other hand for a moment and then asked, "How''s the situation over there?"

    Although it was clear that Mistilteinn had some sort of effect on the ne, there was no guarantee that it wouldst.

    <i>¡®Seong-Gu Hyeong had said¡­¡¯</i>

    The Hunter had said that his connection with the European side had beenpletely cut off as well. That was why, this was the perfect chance to ask about the current state of Europe, right as he¡¯d gotten connected with Merlin.

    <i>¡®I can hear about the situation regarding the Round Table and Olympus.¡¯</i>

    They were the two secret organizations that operated on the European side.

    This was his opportunity to hear about their situation and the overall cataclysm unfolding in Europe.

    ¨CIt''s...it''s not very good here.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as if his heart was stopping at her every word.

    ¡°Europe..." he muttered.

    Europe was strong. With tworge secret organizations on its back, Europe should have been able to survive the cataclysm and emerge from its grasp.

    However, he didn¡¯t expect to hear such a thing from Merlin¡¯s mouth.

    ¨CWhat you called the cataclysm¡­ It was more dangerous and difficult than I thought. Here, the cities are all isted, and the Round Table is responding quickly to the situation.

    "That''s a relief."

    ¨CBut...

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed while waiting for Merlin to continue.

    ¨CThere is a problem with Olympus.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The secret organization with powersparable to that of Asgard.

    Moreover, that was the ce where <i>she</i> had headed.

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s younger sibling.

    <i>¡®Park Yu-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Somehow, there was a problem with Olympus.

    Even before Lee Jun-Kyeong could ask, Merlin continued quickly.

    ¨CThey say that Zeus has disappeared. No one from Olympus is able to properly handle any rescue or anything as they are trying to locate Zeus in the midst of the cataclysm.

    The sound of her voice was getting smaller and smaller.

    ¨CThat¡¯s why we¡­after conducting the rescue response within Ennd, tried to contact Olympus and¡­

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    Before Merlin was able to finish, the ne stopped spewing its light, quieting down. Although the powers in the ne still remained the same, it had disconnected once again.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to facilitate the connection again and contact her somehow by bringing Mistilteinn closer to the ne.

    ¡°Damn, it¡­¡±

    However, it was no use.

    Merlin¡¯s Ne soon lost its strength again, and Lee Jun-Kyeong just turned to look at Mistilteinn with faint eyes.

    A voice rang throughout his head.

    <i>¡®Zeus is gone.¡¯</i>

    That ominous sentence made him think of something

    He had gone through the same thing a while ago, and had even met that person who had disappeared as well.

    "Odin..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized he would have to meet up with Yeo Seong-Gu again.

    ***

    "We''re finally going home today."

    "Everyone, take care of your stuff!"

    ¡°Are we leaving anything behind?¡±

    Korea was a smallnd.

    Even if there were monsters all over the city, it was a simple matter to clean it all up, especially now that they had joined up with all the Hunters and the ruler had been in. The monsters in the city quickly disappeared.

    Although they were still limited to the areas where the Hunters could be active as the city was still in shambles, the residents of Incheon were all ready to go home.

    "We¡¯re going back!"

    "It''s all thanks to the Underdog."

    "Thank you!"

    Things were stabilizing here. Although the cataclysm had arrived, Incheon¡¯s problem was resolving quickly.

    "Thank you."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party watched the people who continued to thank them.

    "The number of new Hunters is close to five hundred,¡± said one of the League Guild members. He was a Hunter who was in charge of Incheon until they found another suitable person to take his role.

    ¡°There are monsters everywhere¡­¡±

    He continued as he pointed towards the sky.

    ¡°And everyone is growing quickly because of the cataclysm, and the eyes of their Sponsors are avidly watching as well.¡±

    The cataclysm.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said it before.

    <i>¡®The birth and growth of Hunters would explode.¡¯</i>

    The cataclysm caused quite a few changes due to monsters, but it was also apanied by the birth and growth of Hunters. In the end, the only thing that mattered would be whether or not one was able to ovee the cataclysm.

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±

    "It''s all thanks to you, Mr. Underdog,¡± the Hunter said. Even he, as a League Guild member, looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with respect.

    The Hunters would often go back and forth near Incheon City Hall, and they had all seen it.

    ¡°That terrifying¡­aftermath is¡­¡±

    All around the building were the vast traces of the aftermath of the fight between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Elfame.

    Since the Hunters were familiar with their levels of power, all of them had realized how powerful Lee Jun-Kyeong really was. Thus, they were all grateful that he had used it in the right direction.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized these people hadn¡¯t rotted inside yet.

    ¡°You seem quite popr,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he scratched his shing bald head.

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong was embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do, Yeo Seong-Gu soon also expressed his gratitude to Jeong In-Chang as well.

    "Thank you, Siegfried."

    "Of course... Wait, what?"

    ¡°Thanks to your kind heart that worked for the people, we were able to rescue countless survivors. Siegfried, you have be a great example for us.¡±

    Siegfried.

    <i>Shhhh!</i>

    When Yeo Seong-Gu gave a thank you message to Jeong In-Chang, the young Hunter¡¯s face quickly heated up like a kettle, right about to spray steam everywhere.

    "That''s great. And after all those times you had said you wanted to be famous,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong teased as he poked him in the waist.

    While Jeong In-Chang bowed his head shyly, the League Guild member gave a small smile and said his goodbyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    He was going in order to lead the people.

    Some people were going home, while others hadn¡¯t been able to find their homes yet.

    Although there were some people whose homes weren¡¯t in Incheon and were left to resort to looking at those who left with envious eyes, even they all had something simr in their eyes.

    ¡°Hope.¡±

    Hope that they, too, could go home as well.

    Thus, those who would leave and those who would stay have been decided.

    Still, both sides would gather together ande up with a n so that they could all live on.

    ¡°We should go too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    The survivors weren¡¯t the only ones who were leaving.

    Yeo Seong-Gu replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Jeong In-Chang were also leaving today as well.

    After pondering for a long time, they had finally decided on a destination.

    ¡°Ungnyeo is¡­¡±

    They had received news that she and her party were headed to Gyeonggi-Do.

    Yeo Seong-Gu had received the information from a League Guild member from beyond the veil that the party had been found in Gyeonggi-Do.

    <i>¡®Seoul will be able to endure somehow.¡¯</i>

    It was the city with the most and the strongest Hunters of Korea.

    Therefore, rather than them heading to Seoul, it made more sense for them to go where there were fewer Hunters with arge amount ofnd to cover.

    <i>¡®And Gyeonggi-Do, where it would be like hell¡­¡¯</i>

    It was only right for them to go there, and it was even more of a natural choice as it would allow them to join Ungnyeo¡¯s party.

    "Let''s go home."

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his group were part of the group leaving for home.

    Then.

    .

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    ¡°Oh, shi¨C!¡± cried out Jeong In-Chang as Hel, the new Familiar, also appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°Are you still getting scared by it?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°I know, right¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang lowered his head in embarrassment.

    ¡°<i>Hup</i>.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu started to hup.

 Chapter 164: Homeward

    <h4>Chapter 164: Homeward</h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± a voice said.

    ¡°<i>Pfft</i>.¡±

    ¡°<i>Pfft-cough cough!</i>¡±

    As soon as they heard Yeo Seong-Gu speak, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, who had been trying their best to stifle their chuckles, burst intoughter.

    ¡°I could never have dreamed that you would be afraid of ghosts, Hyung,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face flushed red in response as the other Hunter quietly called out to his Familiar again.

    <i>¡®Hel.¡¯</i>

    ¡°<i>Shriek!!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Hup!</i>¡±

    When the Familiar materialized once again, Jeong In-Chang was rmed once again while Yeo Seong-Gu huped repeatedly.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    With gaunt faces, they both shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smirked as he beckoned for Hel to return.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as his voice betrayed his mirth.

    ¡°I mean, even if we say that Mr. Jeong is going to be like this, what reason do you have to be scared of ghosts, Hyung? You probably faced a lot of undead and ghost-type monsters before¡­ I just can¡¯t understand it.¡±

    After the gates had appeared, the Hunters eventually came to believe in the existence of spirits as they began to be able to see them. The undead or ghost-type monsters that would asionally appear at the gates served as proof that a soul existed.

    Moreover.

    <i>¡®I mean, there¡¯s no way they could ignore it, either.¡¯</i>

    The world had already be a mess, and people¡¯smon sense and the things that they had thought were the truth had already been overturned from a long time ago. Consequently, various religions and ideological systems have no choice but to change various things.

    "To think you''re afraid of ghosts...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu was one of the strongest yers in the world.

    Thus, there was nothing more ironic than the great Heimdall being afraid of ghosts.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you know nothing,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he waved his hand with a disgusted expression.

    ¡°I have trauma because of it.¡±

    ¡°Trauma?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, now curious.

    ¡°Before I became a Hunter¡­when I was really young,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, scratching his head. ¡°There was an instance when I saw a real ghost.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked. ¡°Huh? Hyung, are you some sort of shaman? Or maybe you¡¯re being haunted by¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you little brat.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned for a moment as he wrestled with his memory and then continued to exin his story, ¡°I don¡¯t remember very well, but when I was very young, a ghost appeared and had said something to me. Ever since, I¡¯ve been afraid of them.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jeong In-Chang voiced, expressing surprise for a moment after having listened quietly for a time.

    ¡°Especially because the ghost that I saw then looked like that thing. A blurry figure that seemed to be wrapped in robes and¡­anyway, that¡¯s why. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m actually afraid of the undead or other ghosts,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He then added, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever reacted like this to a ghost, anyway.¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s still right. You really are afraid of ghosts.¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong made fun of him again, Jeong In-Chang, who was standing next to him, spoke to Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I also¡­ I¡¯ve had a simr experience, too.¡±

    ¡°Aw, baby. It seems you must have been weak as a child.¡±

    At Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s cheeky remarks, although Lee Jun-Kyeong could clearly see that the Hunter teasing Jeong In-Chang waspletely ironic, he felt an unknown sense of incongruity.

    <i>¡®They both had the same experience¡­?¡¯</i>

    ¡°Tut tut. You must have been weak as a child.¡±

    Both of the people had experienced the same thing. Moreover, it was a ghost that was looked simr to Hel.

    Hel materialized again, looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    It was a blurry figure, and it was impossible to see the face of the existence wearing the robe.

    The Familiar greeted Lee Jun-Kyeong with a small nod.

    ¡°<i>SHRIEK!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Hup</i>.¡±

    Then, as Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang were about to say something to Lee Jun-Kyeong, he covered their mouths.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    They had reached their destination.

    The veil.

    They had arrived at the veil that closed off Incheon¨Cno, that closed off Seoul.[1]

    ***

    Although Incheon and Seoul were widely expressed as having been divided from one another, the reality was a little different. The cataclysm didn¡¯t appear, having divided the different regions of Korea exactly into the districts of the cities. This was also true regarding Incheon and Seoul, which were two of thergest cities in Korea.

    To be precise, the veil that divided Seoul and Incheon had been erected around where Bucheon met with Yangcheon-Gu.[2]

    <i>¡®The veil that encloses Gyeonggi-Do is¡­¡¯</i>[3]

    Gyeonggi-Do was the destination of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    The part of the veil that they would have to cross on the road to arrive at their destination was near the south side of the city.

    Of course, since the veilpletely surrounded the area, the party would still have to take a detour to get there.

    The party was currently in a tent on the road from Bucheon into Yangcheon-Gu.

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu, who had already seen the veil, Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to see it for the first time himself.

    ¡°It really does¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while touching the veil that blocked the air before him. ¡°...seem quite difficult to break through.¡±

    The veil was extremely sturdy, and what formed the veil was none other than mana.

    The veil that entrapped Seoul was like adamantine andpletely infused with a concentrated mana. So much so that the veil glowed golden, emitting light to the point that the situation in Seoul wasn¡¯t visible anymore.

    <i>¡®On the inside¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡°As the days pass, the veil seems to be getting tighter and tighter with each passing day. Is this normal?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned. ¡°It¡¯s natural for the veil to harden, but¡­that will eventually only continue till it reaches a certain point.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°For now, we¡¯ll just have to continue to expect it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he ced a hand on the veil. The pulsating barrier only pushed back at his touch as if trying to reject his hand.

    ¡°A veil is like a gate,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued as he looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu. ¡°The harder the veil, the more condensed the mana it possesses¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu could already anticipate what he was going to say, even though he didn''t listen to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had to say to the end.

    ¡°So it means that there are powerful monsters and rulers inside,¡± he interjected.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. "Yes."

    A veil would make a city like a gate.

    Gates were divided ording to rank, and what divided the ranks of the gates was the mana.

    That meant that the higher the level of the gate, the stronger the monsters would be.

    Yeo Seong-Gu wasn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡°...¡±

    The party was silent for a while as they looked at the veil.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After staring at the barrier in front of them for a while, they began to make their move.

    It was time to go to their first destination.

    ¡°On to Gwangmyeong.¡±

    To Gwangmyeong.[4]

    ***

    Although Gwangmyeong was a city in the province of Gyeonggi-Do, it hadn¡¯t been enclosed within Gyeonggi-do¡¯s veil. However, that didn¡¯t mean that it had been connected to Incheon, either.

    It was a ce that had been blocked off from Incheon due to its own veil and had then been reconnected thanks to the weakening and eventual copse of Incheon¡¯s veil after Elfame had fallen.

    However, just because it had its own veil didn¡¯t mean that there was a ruler in Gwangmyeong.

    Although the cataclysm had begun and Gwangmyeong wasn¡¯t detached from its effects, there was no ruler there.

    It could almost be said to be some sort of middle ground.

    Inrge cities, rulers would appear with the cataclysm without fail, but in small and medium-sized cities, even if a veil appeared due to the cataclysm, rulers weren¡¯t guaranteed to appear.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party crossed into Gwangmyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was possible for them to move by car, but there was a reason that they were walking.

    ¡°<i>Kiiiik!</i>¡±

    It was because there were many monsters here as well.

    Although the monsters in Incheon were in the process of being eradicated, Gwangmyeong was full of monsters, even at the entrance.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party moved forward while ying monsters.

    ¡°Have you ever contacted Gwangmyeong?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked Yeo Seong-Gu, his clothes covered with the blood and flesh of monsters.

    The other Hunter shook his head. ¡°There aren¡¯t any forces for me to contact on this side¡­still, there is a branch of the Association, so let¡¯s go there first.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response, and they started moving again.

    The city was in a more severe situation than when he had first seen Incheon, and the devastation made them unable to differentiate the city from a gate or the Korea in which they lived.

    People¡¯s voices couldn¡¯t be heard.

    The only thing that could be distinguished in their surroundings was the cries of the monsters who had found Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    ¡°<i>Kiiiik!</i>¡±

    As if the monsters were hiding everywhere, they seemed to pop out from all around them, running towards the party. Soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions were forced into a war of attrition.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to his second brat, ¡°Hel.¡±

    It was the newest member of his Familiars.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    This brat.

    ¡°It only shows its true value when dealing with arge number of enemies.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, the monsters that were running toward the party halted.

    ¡°<i>Kiiik?</i>¡±

    Something seemed to be stirring under the feet of the monsters, who had stopped moving with puzzled expressions.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    Upon closer inspection, it seemed that their ankles had been caught on by something gray. They were unable to do anything to lose their restraints before something else happened.

    <i>Swoop!</i>

    The monsters that had lined the road disappeared.

    As for what was left behind in their ce¡­

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    ¡­Indescribable holes were left in the ground.

    ¨CI have carried out the order.

    Hel disappeared again afterpleting its task.

    Its ability held domain over the soul and the underworld, and the monsters that had beening toward them were buried alive into the ground through its power.

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong repeated the same words as Yeo Seong-Gu, but the meaning was different.

    <i>¡®My mana¡­¡¯</i>

    Unlike Yeo Seong-Gu, who was admiring Hel¡¯s ability, he was shocked because the amount of mana consumed by Hel was enormous.

    However, even while he was shocked, monsters were still appearing constantly.

    ¡°<i>Kiiiik!</i>¡±

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s break through.¡±

    They started to run forward.

    ***

    The Gwangmyeong Association Branch was said to be located between Gwangmyeong City Hall and the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex. Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party headed there, guided by Yeo Seong-Gu.

    However, as they continued forward, the further they entered the city, the more their expressions hardened.

    ¡°...¡±

    Incheon was said to have been at least somewhat safe with the establishment of a League Guild Branch and the gathering of Hunters ording to Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s arrangements. However, unlike Incheon, Gwangmyeong was close to ruins.

    Unlike the monsters that would appear here and there, there wasn¡¯t a single sign of human life, so their senses just filled with the smell of the rotting corpses and burning rubble.

    ¡°...¡±

    As theirplexions paled, with hardened expressions, they proceeded.

    Moreover, the closer they got to Gwangmyeong City Hall, the more severely they worried. As the Hunter Association Branch, even if it was just a little, the road leading to the building should have been at least a tiny bit safer.

    ¡°<i>Kiiiik!</i>¡±

    However, instead, monsters were still appearing in droves.

    This had evolved into a situation where the Hunters seemed as though they had been unable to organize anything at all, so they were assuming the worst.

    <i>¡®The Hunters, and¡­even the ordinary humans¡­¡¯</i>

    They had all most likely died.

    It had been some time since the cataclysm had begun.

    Although it seemed as though it had been ages as they were in the midst of a catastrophe, in reality, it was a length of time that could still be described as short.

    The possibility that this many people would have died withoutsting in that time¡­

    <i>Tadak, tadak!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong started to run even faster, and the same went for Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang.

    Before long, they arrived at their destination.

    The Gwangmyeong Hunter Association Branch Building.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    No, now, it was just a pile of broken stones.

    The disappearance of the Hunter Association branch could only mean that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s assumption had be true.

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    It was a voice of anger and despair, Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, silence and a long sigh.

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong left the two behind and closed his eyes.

    His mana stream grew day by day.

    He could do it: he would read the flow of mana.

    Even within the veil and in the midst of the chaos of the cataclysm, he chased after the flow of mana, searching and searching.

    Then.

    ¡°I found it,¡± he said with a brightenedplexion.

    ¡°I found it! Traces of people!¡±

    1. The veil that had blocked off Incheon had fallen after Elfame died, but on the other side was the veil of Seoul. ??

    2. Roughly the middle point between Incheon and Seoul. ??

    3. Incheon is on the northwest coast of Korea, and one would have to head east and pass through the metropolitan area of Seoul to get to Gyeonggi-Do. ??

    4. East of Incheon, southeast of Bucheon, and southwest of Seoul. ??

 Chapter 165: Homeward Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 165: Homeward Pt. 2</h4>

    He had finally found traces of people by using mana stream.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s hidden.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, at the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel a sense of disharmony in his surroundings.

    The world around him waspletely brimming with mana due to the cataclysm, and traces of mana that he had barely been able to sense with his mana stream seemed as if the aura of the people had been hidden by someone.

    This was a sign that there was someone else involved, and this someone who was working impossibly hard to try to hide the residents. But, even still, he was able to find them.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Over there,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, pointing his finger somewhere. Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang nodded as they looked over.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I notice it too¡­?¡± asked Jeong In-Chang

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had pointed out the exact location, they also seemed to be able to feel the sense of incongruity as well.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s simr to that¡­¡¯</i>

    They noticed that it looked simr to the mana veil constructed by the cataclysm.

    A formation.

    Where Lee Jun-Kyeong had pointed, there was a formation that hid people¡¯s presence.

    It seemed to cover such a wide range, and it was a barrier of a fairly high level.

    ¡°So it¡¯s at a level enough to fool our eyes¡­¡±

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m d,¡± Jeong In-Chang said in a relieved tone.

    ¡°The fact that there is a barrier here means that the Hunters are still alive and that they are protecting something¡­¡±

    Somewhere along the line, a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that a lot of people have survived?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at him as the Hunter let out a sigh of relief.

    Innread ].

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Unlike Jeong In-Chang, Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expressions were not very good. They both had a hardened, somewhat relieved but indescribable expression.

    ¡°You never know.¡±

    However, the person who responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong was Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°If the people are actually safe.¡±

    ***

    The closer they approached, the more the barrier became more sophisticated.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like a pretty strong Hunter?¡±

    Being able to create formations of this magnitude was tantamount to proof that the ability of the Hunter who had created it was great.

    <i>¡®At least Hero-Grade.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that it was a high-ranking Hero-Grade Hunter that had set up this barrier.

    Although there were unorganized groups of monsters rampaging around the barrier, they only seemed to hover around the barrier itself.

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be able to notice it,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu remarked.

    ¡°I guess there really was a reason why they didn¡¯t deal with the monsters,¡± Jeong In-Changmented as well.

    The people were safe even if they didn¡¯t clean up the monsters, so it seemed as though the Hunter had meant to avoid making any useless sacrifices.

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s the same as abandoning anyone that isn¡¯t under their protection.¡¯</i>

    No matter how well the formation had been set up, it didn¡¯t seem as though it was enough to be able to gather all of the citizens of Gwangmyeong within its barrier.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that it would be fortunate if there were even ten percent of the total poption of Gwangmyeong protected within its barrier.

    ¡°The Hunters¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed slowly and said, ¡°Or, at the very least, it means that the Hunter who had made this barrier had no intention of saving the countless other people in Gwangmyeong.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s brows furrowed. As if Yeo Seong-Gu had the same thoughts as Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunter was quietly shaking his head.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, there was something slightly different in his expression.

    ¡°By chance¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. ¡°Is it someone you know?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face expressed something ominous, and the gloom in his eyes alluded that he knew something about the creator of the barrier or the situation at hand.

    ¡°I have some guesses, but it couldn¡¯t be.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu shook his head, but his ominous expression didn¡¯t fade away.

    They moved carefully, slowly along the edge of the barrier. They continued on their path as they observed the monsters and the ruins outside of the barrier.

    When they finally stopped, it was only because it felt as though someone was staring at them.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    It was a peculiar gaze that could be felt from somewhere nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Hunter,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said after sensing the mana.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head toward the gaze he could feel from somewhere on the outskirts of the barrier before them, he suddenly frowned.

    ¡°...¡±

    There were a total of three Hunters looking toward them, and they were outside of the barrier just like they were.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt something indescribable as he saw their faces.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re thinking about something.¡¯</i>

    Even though they had found Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, the Hunters before them didn¡¯t take any action. It was clear that they were troubled.

    ¡°This way!¡±

    And finally, the Hunters called out to the party.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could see it¡ªthere was something strange about how the Hunters acted after they had discovered the party, standing there thinking about what to do.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Underdog and Yeo Seong-Gu?¡±

    They were acting strange when they had recognized his party, and these actions caused him and hispanions to deepen their suspicions.

    The Hunters had followed them all the way to the inner edge of the barrier. Lee Jun-Kyeong subtly asked them a question, probing their intentions, ¡°You seemed to have seen us earlier and stopped for a moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah! Um¡­well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Just¡­we just didn¡¯t expect to meet you here!¡±

    There was a tremble in their voices as they seemed to trip over themselves to answer quickly.

    Then, Yeo Seong-Gu made the next probe, ¡°But the outside was full of monsters just now¡­¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    The Hunters weren¡¯t able to easily answer their questions as if it was a difficult topic. Instead, they simply turned around and guided the group toward the barrier.

    ¡°This way!¡±

    Following, the party entered the formation and headed toward the Sports Complex. However, as they entered the formation and continued forward, there were no signs of any people around them.

    <i>¡®These guys are deliberately avoiding any people as they guide us somewhere.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong signaled with his eyes toward Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang.

    Because he had now entered the barrier, he was able to verify the aura of people using his mana stream. Although he could sense that there were most likely people inside the gymnasium, the Hunters that were guiding them were taking them into a building that was empty of residents.[1]

    ¡°Who is the one who set up the barrier?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked again.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Hunters'' expressions hardened again. Although they refused to answer properly, Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions all sensed it.

    <i>¡®Something is wrong.¡¯</i>

    There was something the Hunters were hiding, and it was most likely the kind of sickening thing that they shouldn¡¯t know about.

    To them, who were moving cautiously as they weren¡¯t able to get involved just yet, a voice rang out.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    At the same time, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face hardened.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m weing you once again, my old friend.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face twisted as he looked over at the owner of the voice.

    It was a skinny man who looked frail. However, his whole body was adorned with fancy decorations and luxury clothes. He had spoken as he looked over at them.

    ¡°Is it someone you know?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked Yeo Seong-Gu quietly.

    Soon, Yeo Seong-Gu responded.

    ¡°Aegir, a Hero who had been banished from Asgard.¡±[2]

    The man named Aegir was looking toward them with a bright smile, with dozens of Hunters standing behind him.

    All of them seemed to be strong, radiating a deadly aura.

    They were sure of it.

    ¡°There really seems to be a problem here.¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions had finally met with Aegir, the overseer of this ce and the person who had erected the barrier. However, they still weren¡¯t able to see the people.

    <i>Step. Step.</i>

    All they seemed to do was walk around the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex and head off somewhere. The sound of multiple footsteps quietly resounded as Aegir stood in front of them, guiding them as his Hunters stood behind them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions were walking forward like captured prisoners.

    While Jeong In-Chang seemed to be displeased with the situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu just silently followed.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Aegir said.

    Eventually, they had arrived at a room that seemed to serve as a waiting room.

    ¡°Heimdall. While I¡¯d like to have a long talk with you, the way you look right now makes me think that you need a little break,¡± he continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Rest for now. What you are searching for wille to find you soon, so let¡¯s talk about them then.¡±

    After saying that, Aegir disappeared with the Hunters. Although they had wanted to ask the Hunter and his followers something at all, they weren¡¯t able to.

    Jeong In-Chang opened the door to the room they had been guided to, his face stiffening at the sight before him.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Jeong In-Chang why he was reacting like that, his face also stiffened as he looked around the room they had been guided to.

    They had been guided to a room that seemed to be a remodeled waiting room that had been used by the athletes.

    However, the sight of the room that was before them was incredibly off-putting.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    It was gorgeous¨Cto the point of insanity.

    From furniture that was clearly of the highest quality to cabs made entirely of gold and silver. The opulence had reached a point where one could be confused whether they were a renovated waiting room of a sportsplex or a small, high-luxury hotel room.

    To think, in this cataclysm, in a world that was beingpletely devastated, to think someone could enjoy such a luxury.

    ¡°The bastard hasn¡¯t changed,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said in a heavy voice.

    The topic had turned to the identity of Aegir, which, while Lee Jun-Kyeong had not asked about, he was still curious about.

    ¡°That bastard was one of Asgard¡¯s Hunters. Although he has the title of Aegir, he is less known than you might think.¡±

    Aegir was someone who had been given a title that signified the identity of a Hero, but he was someone who wasn¡¯t well known.

    That could only mean one thing.

    <i>¡®Proof of being strong.¡¯</i>

    He was someone who hadpletely ignored the prestige and reputation that was seen as necessary to be a Hero and still obtained a title. That could only mean that he was favored by his Sponsor because of his incredible ability.[3]

    To think that such a Hunter existed.

    <i>¡®But I don¡¯t remember the title Aegir.¡¯</i>

    However, it was a name that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t ever heard of in either the book of the Demon King or in the annals of history.

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked around the room and sat on a gorgeous sofa as he looked over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°He was a promising Hunter that carried out the secret orders of Odin.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hisst mission before he was banished was¡­¡±

    The reason why the Hunter named Aegir had been banished.

    ¡°It was to monitor trends in Europe.¡±

    ¡°Olympus¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Olympus.¡±

    A picture had been drawn in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head, connecting the dots.

    A promising Hunter, one who moved secretly, and Olympus.

    He spat out, ¡°Defection.¡±

    "That''s right." Yeo Seong-Gu nodded. ¡°That bastard was a spy who had gone to monitor Olympus, but instead, he was captured by Olympus and had information about Asgard stolen from him.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re saying someone like that only ended up being exiled?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Exile is just a word.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°That bastard ran away and hid when his betrayal was discovered, and Asgard was unable to find him. That was why I had thought about him when I saw the barrier here.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was astonished that Aegir had been able to avoid Asgard¡¯s gaze. That meant that the Hunter had the ability to avoid even Odin''s gaze.

    Something ominous ran down his spine.

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°That bastard even received another title while at Olympus.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ominous feeling grew bigger, Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°Multiple Sponsorship. While at Olympus, his title was Midas.¡±

    ***

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    A pale figure started roaming around the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex. It came out of a certain room and was trying to inspect the ce after being ordered by someone.

    It was Hel.

    The figure moved secretly using its astral figure and was examining the situation around them.

    ¨CIt''s like a pce, Master.

    Helmunicated with Lee Jun-Kyeong as it traveled throughout theplex, directly exining the situation in the building to the party.

    ¨CEvery room is full of colorful ornaments strewn all over the ce¡­

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    ¨CSome rooms arepletely filled with gold.

    Hel moved and headed elsewhere, to the ce where the people were expected to be.

    The gymnasium.

    Hel, having entered the building, spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong in an emotionless voice.

    ¨CI have found the humans, Master.

    The figure quietly described the scene that had caught its gaze.

    ¨CThey are like ves, Master.

    1. Korea has massive sportsplexes with multiple buildings and things to do, like batting cages, hiking trails, ser fields, etc. One of these buildings is a gymnasium. ??

    2. The host of the gods in Norse Mythos. His celebration for the gods is where Loki insults the other Norse gods, eventually resulting in the trickster¡¯s imprisonment until Ragnarok. ??

    3. If you remember our first antagonist, Choi Yeong-Seong, Asgard had put the lives of dozens of Hunters on the line to try to boost his reputation enough to be a Hero forparison. ??

 Chapter 166: Homeward Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 166: Homeward Pt. 3</h4>

    Just like a picture that had been drawn in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head, the scene that Hel was observing was projected into his mind.

    ¡°...¡±

    A throng of people were crammed into the yground like cattle, breathing heavily with emaciated visages and exhaustedplexions.

    The people, who were obviously ordinary humans, were squatting, packed together in a crowded gymnasium.

    <i>¡®The Hunters¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, they were also being watched by Hunters. When the people tried to appeal to them for something, the Hunters ruthlessly suppressed them in response.

    Soon after, the scene in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind disappeared as Hel had halted the gaze, mingling as if the Familiar had felt that he had seen enough.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes in silence.

    ¡°Just what¡¯s going on that you¡¯re acting like that?¡±

    He responded quietly, ¡°The man they called Aegir¡­ I think he¡¯s keeping people captive.¡±

    ¡°Captive?¡±

    He exined, ¡°They¡¯vepletely filled the gymnasium with people and are monitoring it through Hunters.¡±

    ¡°What??!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted as if he were surprised. ¡°Just why on earth would they¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±

    Then, as if Yeo Seong-Gu had realized something, he looked around to Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoke.

    "That bastard really did...¡±

    "What are you talking about?" Jeong In-Chang asked.

    "That bastard, he..."

    Yeo Seong-Gu tried to proceed carefully, but someone else responded instead.

    ¡°He figured out how to turn vitality into gold,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The Monster of Gold, Midas. A monster who would hold ordinary humans captive in the midst of the cataclysm and use their vitality to create gold¡­ a Hero.¡±

    Whether it was in history or in the book of the Demon King, he had never heard of the name Aegir.

    However, he had heard of Midas.

    A man who had risen to fame in the midst of the cataclysm¡ªno, a monster.

    No different from any monster, his evil deeds were all recorded in the book of the Demon King, even though none were recorded in official history.

    Midas was someone who had been left as a Hero in official history, even though he had cast gold using the vitality of tens of thousands of people who were suffering in the midst of a disaster.

    His misdeeds had been wiped, and the humans of the future knew him to be just a Hero that had fought in the cataclysm.

    <i>¡®The gold that he had produced during the cataclysm¡­¡¯</i>

    That had be the capital that was used to establish Eden.

    He had ended up dying at Eden¡¯s hands, but Eden had allowed him to remain a Hero, perhaps because he had been the master of the gold they had stolen.

    ¡°Th¡­this!!!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was filled with anger. He tightly clenched his trembling fists and shouted loudly.

    ¡°Right now, just right now, we have to go beat that dog bastard to death immediately!¡±

    He was ready to leave at this very moment, about to open the door and find Aegir.

    However.

    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at the same time, and Jeong In-Chang turned to face them, flustered and angry at their reaction.

    ¡°Then are we just going to let this¡­!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who was about to get enraged, closed his mouth when he saw their faces. They were also contorted with anger.

    However, they were more patient than Jeong In-Chang, and they had the rity to grasp the current situation.

    "We''ve fallen into a trap,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered. "If we act as we please now...¡±

    ¡°Aegir would most likely take the lives of those in the gymnasium at this very moment,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    ¡°The residents are hostages currently with the purpose of tying us up¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s fists were clenched tightly, his veins prominently protruding from the force of his grip.

    ***

    ¡°Overseer Aegir has given you permission to see the facility.¡±

    The next day, a Hunter under Aegir came to the room where the party was staying. Jeong In-Chang had a haggard face as if he had stayed up all night, while Yeo Seong-Gu had aplex expression.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, on the other hand, had afortable expression reminiscent of someone who had peacefully slept for quite a while.

    ¡°What about Aegir?¡±

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu expressed his cold hostility, the Hunter still attempted to deflect his bloodlust with bravado.

    ¡°As he¡¯s on official duty¡­hisck of time¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu snorted. ¡°Ha.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, as a conveyance of what the overseer had said¡­¡±

    Even though the Hunter had cold sweat running down his back as he tried tobat Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s bloodlust, he still continued, ¡°If it¡¯s you, Heimdall, I believe that you would know what sort of situation you are in¡­ so¡­ let¡¯s dispense with the nonsense¡­¡±

    <i>Pow!</i>

    The sound of a leather balloon popping resounded throughout the room.

    Jeong In-Chang had wielded his fist.

    The Hunter got hit squarely by it and was rolling around.

    ¡°Damn it,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to watch what I¡¯m doing because I won¡¯t be able to run wild here anyway, it seems¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    The threepanions rose from their seats and looked down at the fallen Hunter.

    He red back up at them while holding onto his cheek with trembling hands.

    ¡°What have the Hunters been doing all this time?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked coldly. ¡°Are you saying that you all still sat on the sidelines even though you knew what Aegir was doing? You, who are supposed to protect these people with your lives on the line?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu walked forward quietly to the Hunter¡¯s side. He leaned down, his hand moving toward something sticking out of the Hunter¡¯s pocket.

    ¡°Wait¡­that¡¯s¡­!¡±

    Although the Hunter struggled to regain his possession while being astonished, he suddenly screeched, ¡°<i>AGH!</i>¡±

    The Hunter was left with no choice but to scream as he was being stepped on by Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s boot.

    The thing that hade out of the Hunter¡¯s pocket, the object that was shing¡­

    ¡°A gold bullion¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked at the Hunter with a cold gaze.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He threw the gold bullion at the Hunter¡¯s face.

    The Hunters, those who were entrusted with the protection of the people, had sat on the sidelines, quietly acknowledging Aegir¡¯s evil deeds, allowing the actions of a man who was killing people.

    They had kneeled before the power of gold.

    The world was facing disaster and countless people were dying, but¡­

    Yeo Seong-Gu spat, ¡°You bastards just chase after sparkly things then.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and hispanions went out of the room, and with stiff faces, they slowly walked down the hallway.

    ¡°...¡±

    To them walking out in silence.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Hunters, who seemed to be guarding the facility, looked over at them but soon lowered their heads in silence. They, who had received gold made from the lives of people, looked away.

    It wasn¡¯t because they were ashamed to have epted Aegir¡¯s gold or because they had stayed silent at the deaths of the residents.

    No.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    It was just that the bloodlust emanating from Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions naturally forced them to bow their heads.

    ***

    ¡°Overseer Aegir, are you sure this is okay?¡± asked a Hunter, who could be called an assistant manager of the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex.

    His eyes were shaking uneasily.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Guild Leader of the League Guild and the Underdog¡­are you sure this is really okay?¡±

    The Hunters knew the identities of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, so they were shaking with anxiety. Before the catastrophe known as the cataclysm had urred, these were Hunters who had made the entire world tremble.

    Moreover, these Hunters would also have discovered their evil deeds and betrayal by now.

    ¡°The fact that they, who should have been over at Incheon, havee here means¡­¡±

    ¡°It means that they should have solved the issues over at Incheon.¡±

    Atst, Aegir answered the Hunter¡¯s questions.

    Considering they were Hunters who had been able to solve the catastrophe known as the cataclysm and move forward was a testament to how strong they would be.

    ¡°So¡­don¡¯t you think that killing¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you even kill them?¡±

    Aegir looked at the Hunter with a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What, do you really think you idiots can kill them in the first ce?¡±

    Aegir spoke to them in a mocking tone of voice, but it was an undeniable truth.

    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s not like they can do anything here in the first ce.¡±

    "Because I understand Yeo Seong-Gu.¡±

    Aegir stretched with both hands clenched tight,nguidly relieving pressure. Unlike the anxious Hunter, he had a rxed attitude.

    ¡°They know I¡¯ve taken the humans hostage, so they won¡¯t be able to move recklessly. Although that doesn¡¯t mean we can use it to threaten their lives, still¡­¡± Aegir said as his smile deepened. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±

    He rose from his seat. Outside his window, the sight of countless people standing in ce, trembling with fear and anxiety could be seen.

    ¡°Though you all may not know it, it¡¯s because the power and status of Yeo Seong-Gu are higher than you may think. No matter how angry that Underdog or whatever is and how much he wants to act individually, Yeo Seong-Gu will stop him.¡±

    <i>Slurp.</i>

    Aegir stared out the window toward his kingdom, and he moistened his lips with his tongue.

    "Athena¡­ it would be so great if that bitch woulde¡­¡±

    "Pardon?" asked a Hunter.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. For now, just keep a close eye on those bastards. No matter how difficult it is for them to make a move¡­¡±

    Aegir pointed his hand at a woman outside the window as he continued.

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying that one should always keep vignt for a psychopath. Also, bring that girl in.¡±

    At Aegir¡¯s final words, the Hunter said his goodbyes and left the room.

    ¡°U¡­understood.¡±

    ¡°<i>Kekeke¡­</i>¡±

    Left alone in the room, Aegir smiled grimly.

    He mused to himself.

    Who would have known that the world would have turned out like this?

    Having luckily gained strength, he had be powerful and had joined Korea¡¯s Asgard. Moreover, his journey hadn¡¯t ended there, but he had also formed a connection to Olympus, enjoying great wealth and power.

    However, his secret actions had been discovered: his deeds of killing people and using them to create gold. But then, while he was hiding, a cataclysm had taken ce.

    ¡°Really, to think that the world would have changed like this.¡±

    Moreover.

    This cataclysm.

    ¡°And what a world it really is.¡±

    For those like Aegir, it really was the best sort of world.

    <i>Slurp.</i>

    He moistened his dry lips again.

    ***

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s tightly clenched fist continued to tremble.

    Aegir had told them to take a look around the facilities, as if he was teasing them. It was the same as him telling them to go sightseeing and gaze at the people who were being held hostage.

    Moreover, just as the overseer had intended, the trio was watching the crowd gathered at the gymnasium.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had mingled with Hel¡¯s gaze and saw their actual appearances, this was the first time that Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang saw the atrocities before them.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    The people had been herded into the gymnasium like beasts, so much so to the point where there seemed to be no ce for them to even sit down with how packed they were.

    Moreover, the food and drinking water provided to them was also ridiculously inadequate.

    ¡°Even children¡­¡±

    Almost as expected, there weren¡¯t just adults in the throng. The children and the elderly could be seen as well. Even with just a nce, it was easy to see that everyone was in bad shape.

    ¡°Please¡­something to eat¡­¡±

    ¡°The children are sick¡­¡±

    The people quietly appealed to the Hunters.

    However.

    "Shut up!"

    ¡°Do you think we have anything left over to give to you vermin?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die?!¡±

    The Hunters had nothing but ruthless curses as they pressured the people back.

    A woman approached one of the Hunters, holding a child who looked emaciated.

    ¡°My child is sick¡­please¡­¡± the tearful woman said.

    The child was clearly sick, barely able to take a breath. Even with a nce, it was obvious that it was an urgent situation.

    The Hunter snapped, ¡°Go back. Don¡¯t move from your ce!¡±

    She pleaded, ¡°Please¡­¡±

    ¡°You stupid bitch!¡±

    The Hunter kicked her in the stomach mercilessly.

    As her face distorted in pain and the child was about to fall from her grasp, something blurred toward them from the side.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Then, as the child slipped from her fingers, someone caught the falling figure.

    Jeong In-Chang had made a move before he had even realized it, catching a hold of the child and supporting the woman.

    ¡°Who¡­ who are¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    As embarrassment and gratitude intersected.

    <i>nk.</i>

    The edge of a greatsword was ced on the Hunter¡¯s neck with a delicate sound.

    ¡°How dare?!¡±

    The Hunters around them were shocked by what had happened and made to move for their weapons.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    But immediately, they dropped to their knees, unable to even stand properly under the vast pressure of mana that crushed their bodies.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    There were two things that were trembling under the weight of the mana.

    The Hunter the greatsword was aimed at.

    ¡°...¡±

    And.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s hand, veins throbbing and pulsating in anger.

    He was ready to cleave through the Hunter at any moment, but he knew that doing so wouldn¡¯t solve anything at this time.

    ¡°You will die by my hands,¡± he said.

    Therefore, after saying so, Jeong In-Chang curbed his anger and put his sword away.

    Turning around, he handed over the child he was holding with one arm over to the embrace of the mother, and handed something over with the other.

    ¡°This is a potion. It can cure most basic illnesses, so feed this to your child.¡±

    ¡°T¡­thank you!¡±

    The woman gave him a heartfelt thank you, but that wasn¡¯t the only problem that existed in that gymnasium.

    ¡°Me¡­me too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also sick as well!¡±

    ¡°My child too!¡±

    As if they had realized that this was their chance, all of the people in the gymnasium were shouting and rushed toward Jeong In-Chang.

 Chapter 167: Homebound Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 167: Homebound Pt. 4</h4>

    Suddenly, people rushed toward Jeong In-Chang.

    As his face blushed from the ridiculous sight, the sounds of the Hunters echoed.

    ¡°Back off!¡±

    However, the people had already lost their reason. The crowd that hadpletely filled up the gymnasium was rushing toward Jeong In-Chang, pushing over one another as they came forward.

    ¡°My child!¡±

    ¡°I have to get the medicine too¡­!¡±

    While Jeong In-Chang waspletely lost as to how to handle the sudden situation, the Hunters eventually drew their weapons.

    ¡°I told you to back off!¡± they screamed.

    ¡°<i>Ack!!</i>¡±

    A few who weren¡¯t able to see the drawn weapons were injured by the Hunters¡¯ menacing movements, and the surrounding area suddenly became a mess.

    ¡°<i>Kyaak!</i>¡±

    Soon, the screams of people and confusion followed.

    It seemed that the situation would continue to escte further, quickly reaching uncontroble chaos.

    However.

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    With a quiet voice, the people stopped moving. Moreover, not only had they stopped moving, but they also lowered their heads, trying to avoid the speaker¡¯s gaze.

    In the midst of this sudden situation.

    Jeong In-Chang, who had been at the center of the chaos, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been watching everything from the side, and even Yeo Seong-Gu looked over to the owner of the voice.

    ¡°I will not tolerate any fuss. Hunters, keep an eye out for those who cause problems.¡±

    It was amanding tone, one that had reached the point of oozing arrogance.

    ¡°Un¡­understood.¡±

    However, the Hunters followed without any signs of resistance.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong hated to admit it, the confusion had been settled by a single man.

    It was the man he was looking at, and it was because of his single order.

    That man was smiling as he looked over to where Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party were at. However, his gaze didn¡¯t fall on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He stated snidely, ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    No, it was on Yeo Seong-Gu.

    The skinny man, Aegir, was wearing an ornamental robe twice asrge as his body. The ruler of the Gwangmyeong Sports Complex was looking over at them.

    ¡°As for you, please don¡¯t create any fuss without reason, either. If you¡¯re a guest, then act like a guest.¡±

    He had even dered a warning to Jeong In-Chang.

    Jeong In-Chang clenched his fist with an unknown expression.

    <i>Step.</i>

    However, he soon had no choice but to withdraw.

    The situation here was strange and was also infuriating.

    However, there was still an irresistible truth that it was all controlled by that man.

    Moreover, Jeong In-Chang also knew this was a situation where a big incident had almost urred because of him.

    But, as he eventually withdrew to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side, he heard the Hunter speak to him.

    ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang replied weakly, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Then, Aegir, who had suddenly appeared, raised his hand and ordered the Hunters to do something.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for food!¡±

    Food.

    wread .

    The people then raised their heads again and stretched out their hands.

    ***

    ¡°Just what the hell is this¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang still seemed shocked.

    The situation in Gwangmyeong waspletely different from that of Incheon.

    Incheong was a ce where rules and order were maintained by the League Guild and the properly formed Hunter Association that had been prepared in advance.

    However, Gwangmyeong was a city of chaos.

    Someone with power had oppressed everyone here and treated them like ves.

    ¡°Just why are they listening to him?!¡±

    Moreover, the people would just bow their heads and hold their breath in front of that enormous power. It was the same with the Hunters as well.

    The economy had been ruined by the disaster, so they had chosen to follow Aegir, epting the gold that he would give them.

    ¡°Just why the hell are the Hunters, who are supposed to protect the people¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke quietly in response to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s inmed words.

    ¡°Not all of them are doing this for the money.¡±

    He continued quietly, ¡°Hunters don¡¯tck money, and very few people would follow him just because of some measly gold bullion.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang asked, ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    ¡°Because they can¡¯t stop him.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang quieted down at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s bitterugh.

    ¡°Although they may not be short of money, they most likely treasure their own lives. Even if they put their lives on the line¡­¡±

    ¡°They most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Aegir,¡± Jeong In-Chang finally responded.

    The Hero, Aegir, was a Hero with enough ability that both Asgard and Olympus had recruited him.

    Moreover, for Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong, this was the first time they had seen Multiple Sponsorship. A man with two titles¡­

    Although being bestowed Multiple Sponsorship wasn¡¯t necessarily directly rted to one¡¯s strength, as special of an urrence as it was, it was a truth that had to be acknowledged.

    <i>''He might be hiding something.''</i>

    The Midas that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, the Aegir he had been told about, were just brief descriptions in the book.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    The only person who knew anything about him in detail was Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°So nothing has changed. About that trash.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu emitted cold anger.

    ¡°He¡¯s someone who¡¯s good at politics and espionage, and that was why he was sent to Europe as a spy,¡± the bald man said bitterly as he looked around.

    The room they had been assigned to was something that he could never forget. A feeling of anger threatened to erupt from him as he looked at the ce decorated in gold.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any ideas,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said. His face betrayed his feelings that he had no answer for how to deal with the current situation. It was the same mindset as Jeong In-Chang.

    Although they all agreed that Aegir should be killed, it wasn¡¯t easy to get rid of someone holding hostages.

    That was why Aegir was so confident that he feltfortable making fun of them. The party was in a situation where they still had to continue onto Gyeonggi-Do, but they also couldn¡¯t just ignore the Gwangmyeong residents'' plight and leave.

    ¡°The kids¡­they seem to be sick.¡±

    Although it had been amotion caused by Jeong In-Chang, there was still something that they had been able to learn.

    It seemed that the children gathered all had something inmon.

    They were all sick.

    ¡°Is this also a side effect of the cataclysm?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    Considering that the cataclysm resulted in the world being filled with mana, it was clear that it would have a lot of influence on any non-Hunters.

    Moreover, regarding children¡­

    It was an easily usible story.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer was contradictory.

    ¡°On the contrary, if we¡¯re talking about any effect the cataclysm could have on the children, it would only be positive. Since their bodies aren¡¯t fully developed, their ability to ept mana is extremely high.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    This time, it was Yeo Seong-Gu who answered Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question.

    He held aloft a golden ornament in his hand. ¡°Aegir. It¡¯s his doing.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°The bastard creates gold using vitality¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    The bald man stated bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s true. Nothing is as full of vitality as a child.¡±

    When Jeong In-Chang was about to shout with anger once again, Yeo Seong-Gu moved first.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    He got up, opened the door and shouted, ¡°I will meet with Aegir!¡±

    As if they had been waiting, a group of Hunters approached.

    ¡°We will lead you there.¡¯¡±

    ***

    ¡°Do you like my kingdom?¡±

    He messed with a pile of gold bullion while not even deigning to look at their gazes.

    The man with the two titles, Aegir and Midas, was speaking down to them, his attitude obviously mocking them.

    Because the people were hostages, he was confident that Yeo Seong-Gu and his party wouldn¡¯t be able to act recklessly.

    ¡°You always had a soft heart. That''s why you can''t make it big," Aegir said, going one step further and even giving advice to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Look at me. Haven¡¯t I be the king of a city?¡±

    He finally looked at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°The two next to you¡­so they¡¯re the Underdog and Siegfried, it seems.¡±

    He even seemed to know Jeong In-Chang¡¯s title, as if the Hunter had his own intelligence.

    Facing Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, Aegir maintained a rxed attitude.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang were measuring his strength.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s strong.¡¯</i>

    With two titles and two sponsorships, Aegir was obviously strong.

    However.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s manageable,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang, who were different from before, thought at the same time.

    Aegir was at a level that they could deal with.

    His abilities were intrusive in many ways. Although there was a chance that the Hunter also had something hidden in reserve, it was still clear that he was weaker than the enemy that they had faced earlier, Elfame.

    Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded at each other for a moment.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡±

    The Hunter wasnguid even in response to the actions of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case, but don¡¯t think about doing anything stupid,¡± Aegir said, smiling.

    ¡°As all of those who were here before¡­¡±

    He raised his right hand and waved it, and his right hand then began to emit a golden light.

    Then.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong saw it, thousands of golden threads tied to Aegir¡¯s hand.

    There was no need to ask what they were connected to.

    ¡°If I die, thousands of children will die with me. What an incredible sight it would be. For I am a great man who feeds on the dreams and lives of children.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeo Seong-Gu.¡±

    Aegir finished with his warning and turned to look at Yeo Seong-Gu. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your goal is, but I just want to be able to rule this ce quietly.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ do you really think it will go the way you desire? Although the world is currently facing a catastrophe, it will soon return to normal. Do you really think you¡¯ll be okay then?¡±

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Aegir''s smile deepened.

    ¡°I mean, that could happen, yes. However, when that timees¡­¡±

    Aegir''s gaze met Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s, his eyes tainted with madness and greed.

    <i>''The eyes of a monster.''</i>

    It was simr to the gaze of a person who had given up on being human.

    ¡°I will most likely be holding even more lives of the children in my hands. Considering that the world is on the brink of ruin, if it¡¯s regarding the lives of the children who will lead the future¡­ don¡¯t you think they would be worth their weight in gold?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°All I want is to quietly rule a city and livefortably.¡±

    ¡°But with Odin¡¯s personality¡­¡±

    In order to threaten Aegir, Yeo Seong-Gu even brought out Odin¡¯s name, which was something he hadn¡¯t wanted to have to mention.

    However.

    Aegir smirked. ¡°I know that Odin is gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°I heard that Zeus has also disappeared?¡±

    "You¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others¡¯ eyes widened in shock.

    The information at Aegir¡¯s fingertips was beyond imagination¡ªa secret that even Yeo Seong-Gu, who had the divine item, Bifrost, hadn¡¯t been able to verify.

    ¡°I have no intention of telling you even if you ask. Either way, there is only one thing that I can offer you,¡± Aegir responded firmly.

    ¡°Leave quietly. It¡¯ll be troublesome for me to try to kill you as well. Whether you want to go save the world or roll over and die after you rest for a bit is your choice. You only need to leave my city,¡± he concluded.

    Aegir then turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions, who hadn¡¯t left, and asked, ¡°What, do you have more to say?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu could feel it¡ªif they left here, now, they would never get another chance to save the people in the gymnasium.

    Although children would be coteral damage, killing Aegir here was¡­

    Yeo Seong-Gu thought that it might be a way to prevent more losses.

    The sacrifice of the few for the many.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What are youughing about?¡±

    As Yeo Seong-Guughed inexplicably, Aegir asked a question, frowning at the sight.

    The sacrifice of the few for the many.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let myself fall down that road too.¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have finished making a decision without answering the Hunter.

    He wouldn¡¯t walk the same path as Odin, and he refused to be like the dark side of Asgard.

    Thus.

    ¡°As you said, we will leave.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu stood up from his seat and spoke.

    ¡°Give me some time.¡±

    ¡°Time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Aegir looked worried for a moment. It was clear that Yeo Seong-Gu had some sort of intention in asking him for some time.

    <i>¡®What could be the reason?¡¯</i>

    Aegir couldn''t guess that easily.

    Therefore, he simply replied, ¡°I can¡¯t give you long. Please leave in two days.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that much¡­it¡¯s enough.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang then also stood up simultaneously, and the three soon moved to leave the room.

    Although Aegir may not have seen it, the three of them were smiling inexplicably.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a way.¡¯</i>

    Because Lee Jun-Kyeong had found a way.

 Chapter 168: Homebound Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 168: Homebound Pt. 5</h4>

    ¡°So, two days¡­¡± Aegir muttered to himself in his room. There was something about it all that was strange.

    He had told Yeo Seong-Gu to leave, but the Hunter instead refused.

    ¡°So, two days¡­¡±

    Rather, he said that he would leave himself after two days.

    Of course, granting his request made Aesir uneasy.

    <i>¡®If a problem or another appears¡­¡¯</i>

    If Yeo Seong-Gu and hispanions wouldn¡¯t listen to his demands, or if a conflict urred, Aegir knew he would be in a disadvantageous situation.

    No matter how much Heimdall cared for the ordinary humans, he was still a Hunter of Asgard.

    There was cruelty within the bald man too.

    If, by chance, Heimdall defied all expectations and moved to kill him, throwing the ordinary human¡¯s lives to the side, he would die.

    Aegir himself was a Hunter with Multiple Sponsorships and two titles.

    However, he wasn¡¯t a Hunter who had much fighting power.

    It was only that he was special enough to have obtained two titles. In terms of objective strength, he had nevere close to that of Yeo Seong-Gu.

    He muttered, ¡°On top of that, there¡¯s that bastard too.¡±

    He had seen the two rumored Hunters in person for the first time during theirst meeting, and among them, there was one who had caught his eye.

    ¡°The Underdog¡­¡±

    The encounter with the Hunter had been seared into Aegir¡¯s mind.

    It was a short encounter. During their meeting, Lee Jun-Kyeong had said very little.

    Even so, Aegir had remembered Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice very clearly.

    Aegir was someone who hadmitted betrayal as a spy. That was because he had a very good intuition and had been able to find a perfect opportunity to do so.

    <i>¡®There are people I can touch, and¡­¡¯</i>

    He was able to judge those he couldn¡¯t.

    As for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°He¡¯s someone whom I should never touch.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t because he had felt something from the Hunter; it was just that his own instinct, his own intuition, was telling him so.

    Remembering the Hunter¡¯s indifferent gaze, Aegir shuddered for a moment.

    They reminded him of a gaze he¡¯d seen before.

    ¡°Damn, it¡­¡±

    It was the gaze of an absolute.

    And it invoked in him the same fear that he had for Odin and Zeus.

    Aegir mmed his fists on his desk.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    The Hunters waiting outside of the room were rmed by the sound and rushed into the room. Aegir moved his hands off his desk and looked over at the gathered Hunters.

    ¡°From today on, all of you will watch those intruding bastards. Watch every single move they make. What they eat and even when they poop. Report everything to me!¡±

    Considering that Yeo Seong-Gu had asked for two days, it was only natural for Aegir to suspect that they would do something.

    Thus.

    ¡°I refuse to have to just endure it.¡±

    Although he had no choice but to give the party their requested time, he didn¡¯t intend to allow them to use it to bring him to their mercy.

    He had been under another¡¯s hand his entire life, and he refused to allow it to happen again here.

    ¡°I gave them the time¡­but¡­.¡±

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Aegir drew a deep breath.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work out to their advantage.¡±

    Soon, he got up from his seat and called the other Hunters who were still waiting.

    ¡°Gather the humans. It seems we have to proceed with the ceremony.¡±

    ***

    ¡°That bastard will prepare too,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu, who had asked Aegir for two days.

    It was true that they had asked for two days in order to n their next move, and Aegir wasn¡¯t someone who wouldn¡¯t have noticed that.

    ¡°They¡¯ll make sure to dig traps and make preparations so that we can¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang nodded.

    ¡°Did you really find a way?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded in a determined voice.

    The encounter with Aegir, where he had been able to meet the Hunter at close range, was exactly what Lee Jun-Kyeong had hoped for.

    It was necessary for him to observe the Hunter in order to deal with the spell formations that Aegir had spread throughout the gymnasium.

    ¡°I had been a little afraid because he was said to have Multiple Sponsorship, but to be honest, he was reallyckingpared to what I had imagined,¡± Jeong In-Chang remarked.

    ¡°For the most part, your thinking is correct. Multiple Sponsorship is really only meaningful to the strongest Hunters. For that bastard, he had only been able to be a hero <i>because?</i>of his Multiple Sponsorships.¡±

    p??wread".

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±

    ¡°So, what is that method you were talking about?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The method that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been looking for was a method to save the people.

    A method that could dismantle Aegir¡¯s spell formations and protect the residents.

    <i>¡®A method to defeat him.¡¯</i>

    And.

    He had finally found one.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and looked over at Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°M¡­me?¡± said Jeong In-Chang, flustered, as he pointed at himself with his finger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°Yes. This is a method for you to defeat him yourself, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I will?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang may have been the one who had been most angry at Aegir¡¯s actions, but he seemed flustered when he was told that he was the method they were going to use to defeat the Hunter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exined, ¡°When we met Aegir, I took a look at the mana that he had spread out. It was definitely an ability that could connect to people around him and take their lives at any time.¡±

    ¡°....¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jeong.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shook off his bewilderment and had a solemn look on his face.

    ¡°You want to save the people no matter the cost, right?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although he was intimidated by the warning-like tone, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s answer was nothing but resolute, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°It will be very painful and torturous. Are you still willing?¡±

    ¡°Will I die?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What if you could?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Jeong In-Chang smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°I still have to do it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then looked over at the two and continued, ¡°In two days, we¡¯ll create the method. The only issue is that the bastard will most likely be fully prepared¡­¡±

    Knowing exactly what Aegir was up to would be of great help. Although it was possible for him to keep watch through Hel, it¡¯d be difficult if it got caught.

    Even if Aegir was a weaker Hunter than they had thought, there was still the possibility that Hel¡¯s existence would be discovered.

    There were many disadvantages to Hel getting caught.

    In order to defeat Aegir, Lee Jun-Kyeong would need not only Jeong In-Chang¡¯s help but also Hel¡¯s.

    Then.

    ¡°Someone ising.¡±

    The group frowned as someone approached the room.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    Then, someone opened the door without permission. As soon as those who had approached the party¡¯s room entered, they bowed their heads.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Are these people you know?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked when Jeong In-Chang acted as if he had recognized them.

    Jeong In-Chang spoke in a voice that only Lee Jun-Kyeong would hear.

    ¡°These are the Hunters who had tried to help the people during themotion before.¡±

    During themotion created by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s intervention, these were the Hunters who had cautiously taken steps to protect the people when the chaos had almost gotten them into danger.

    Although it wasn¡¯t something great enough to be praised, Jeong In-Chang had still remembered them as their reactions had been different from the other Hunters.

    ¡°So you remember us.¡±

    One of the Hunters quietly raised their head and looked at the party with a face that seemed to be full of resentment.

    Their eyes were wet and inmed.

    ¡°Help us,¡± they said.

    ***

    ¡°Line everyone up to this side!¡±

    At Aegir''s cry, the Hunters began to move quickly.

    ¡°Kya!!¡±

    ¡°Please!¡±

    ¡°At least the children¡­!¡±

    The people screamed, but still, the hands of the Hunters showed no mercy.

    ¡°Sob, sob.¡±

    After the few who had tried to rebel had been pummeled by the Hunters¡¯ fists, the people had no choice but to follow their directions while weeping.

    Everyone here knew what the result of the defiance would be, as many had already died.

    They had no choice but to follow orders as they had clearly seen people dying before their eyes, their life force absorbed to serve as an example.

    ¡°Everyone shut up and line up on this side.¡±

    Aegir had originally only connected himself through a golden thread to children, but now, those who had been lined up consisted of men and women of all ages.

    Feeling the need for more hostages, Aegir brushed everyone''s bodies with his right hand.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    At that time, a certain Hunter swallowed, his hands, obviously nervous, trembling.

    ¡°It will be fine.¡±

    He spoke quietly to the people in a voice that Aegir couldn¡¯t hear.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    A few nodded, beginning to cry.

    Not all of the Hunters in the Gymnasium were evil.

    While there were Hunters who were willing to harass the people as they were attracted to the wealth gold could bring there, there were also Hunters who were only reluctantly following Aegir.

    Either just to live.

    Or.

    ¡°...¡±

    Those Hunters would sometimes hand out food to the people without Aegir¡¯s knowledge and secretly help them when they were in danger.

    ¡°It will be fine.¡±

    The same went for the Hunter, who was reassuring the people now.

    He was one of the Hunters who had no choice but to follow Aegir because his family was being held hostage.

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡±

    To a child who was crying for their mother, the Hunter handed over a piece of chocte.

    ¡°Eat this,¡± he said, his eyes watery.

    ¡°What are you doing there? Line them up quickly!¡±

    At Aegir¡¯s cry, he eventually began to lead the people again. However, the people who were under his direction were still a bit relieved.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Havinge into contact with everyone at some point, Aegir let out a meanugh.

    Now, everyone in the gymnasium was his hostage.

    Whatever Yeo Seong-Gu would do, he was certain that the bald man definitely wouldn''t be able to abandon more than 20,000 people.

    Aegir was confident in it.

    His gaze moved elsewhere, to a gaze that was staring at him.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re nning on trying something, go ahead.¡±

    Aegir¡¯s gaze focused on Yeo Seong-Gu, and the Hunter looked at him and smiled.

    Everything would be fine.

    He was sure of it.

    ***

    The promised two days had passed.

    Contrary to Aegir¡¯s worries, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had just spent the two days quietly.

    Although they had asionallye into contact with the people in the gymnasium, they didn¡¯t talk about much with them.

    A Hunter reported, ¡°They just seemed to apologize, asking them for forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°They also said that someday, someone woulde to save them.¡±

    Aegir received hourly reports from his Hunters and eventually concluded that Yeo Seong-Gu had given up on everything.

    "Hmm¡­¡±

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he would just believe everything he was hearing at face value. Because he had been a double agent in Olympus and Asgard, his ability to read the room was well-developed.

    However, he didn¡¯t worry too much because Aegir felt as though his preparations had been thorough enough.

    ¡°Then, I guess I should see you off now.¡±

    The two days had passed as promised, and Aegir rose from his seat.

    He was off to send off¡ªno, to ridicule the departing Yeo Seong-Gu and hispanions.

    His hands glowed golden, and his Hunters stood behind him.

    This was his kingdom, his soldiers, and his ves.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Everything had be the world that he had desired.

    A world where he could be king.

    A world where his power, his authority, could rule everything.

    Now, the invaders of his kingdom would leave.

    ¡°<i>Hehehe</i>.¡±

    Moreover, the umted gold would one day be of great help to him.

    Even if the world ended up fine, he still had his hostages, and gold could make anything possible.

    He had a massive pile of gold, enough that it could be a country¡¯s entire budget.

    Everything was perfect.

    That was why all that was left was for the intruders that were giving him the ominous feeling to disappear now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should leave now?¡± Aegir, having met with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party somewhere down the line, said to them with a sneer.

    Yeo Seong-Gu responded softly, ¡°That¡¯s right, as the promised time has passed.¡±

    Then.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Aegir¡¯s face contorted.

    There was something, something strange.

    ¡°If you do something stupid¡­¡±

    Aegir raised his right hand once again, golden light, shaped like des, spewing from his palms.

    ¡°The humans won¡¯t be safe. Don¡¯t do anything stupid, and just leave,¡± Aegir reminded them again.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party didn¡¯t move as if they had been nailed to the ground.

    Then, at that moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, ¡°Hel!¡±

    Flustered, Aegir quickly took a defensive posture, but then, nothing seemed to happen.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Thinking that they were just trying to make fun of him, Aegir then made a move, trying to carry out his revenge.

    But the moment he tried to move his hand, thinking to himself that he would have to kill at least one or two people in order to relieve the resentment in his stomach¡­

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡­He felt a huge shock shaking the ground.

    "What?"

    As the bewildered Aegir looked ahead.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    A young man with a bright smile was driving a greatsword into the ground.

    The sword cleaved through the cracked ground like tofu, making it start to tremble.

    ¡°Gram. Activate.¡±

    At the same time, as the man spoke, everything changed.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The golden light that shone from Aegir¡¯s hand.

    ¡°NO! IT CAN¡¯T!¡±

    It was all pouring into Jeong In-Chang.

 Chapter 169: Homebound Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 169: Homebound Pt. 6</h4>

    Siegfried was the Hero of an era.

    And Gram was the ability that had killed the dragon of the Demon King.

    The ability, Gram, wasn¡¯t just about an incredible attack power. It also had another ability, something that perfectly matched with Siegfried''s nickname of the Immortal.

    ¡°<i>AGHHH!</i>¡±

    A scream that echoed through the room burst out from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth.

    A golden light was pouring down over him. Originally, the light should have shone down on the people in the gymnasium, but for some reason, everything was focused on him instead.

    ¡°No!¡± Aegir shouted in bewilderment.

    As an experienced Hunter, he was able to see how the situation was unfolding.

    He muttered, ¡°The¡­the hostages¡­¡±

    He had held the people in the gymnasium hostage, trying to use his ability to exploit the possibility of absorbing the people¡¯s life force at any moment. However, at this moment, his hostages had be meaningless.

    There was only one person who was suffering the torment that the people should have been suffering.

    ¡°<i>AGHHHHH!</i>¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was enduring it all.

    This was the second ability of Gram.

    As long as Jeong In-Chang wished to do so, he would be able to absorb and endure any enchantments or spells that were around him.

    Since Siegfried was als known as the Immortal, he had used those qualities and abilities together to save many of hisrades.

    However.

    ¡°M¡­ Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    The Jeong In-Chang now was different from the Siegfried he had heard about.

    Although he had been bestowed the title Siegfried and had uncovered how to use Gram, he still hadn¡¯tpletely grown into the Hero he would eventually be.

    For now.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s toocking for the nickname, the Immortal.¡¯</i>

    While Jeong In-Chang¡¯s body was dyed in golden light, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the Hunter¡¯s vitality rapidly escaping his body.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!!¡±

    As the brilliant golden light filled the room, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to make a move.

    Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t endure for long.

    Thus.

    Now, when his hostages were useless, it was time.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    It was a golden opportunity for them to kill Aegir, who hadmitted great evil.

    At the same time as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cry, Muspel¡¯s Spear was thrust forward.

    ¡°You dare!¡± shrieked Aegir. In anger, he stretched out both his hands. From his palms burst out a radiant golden light.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A huge golden shield had appeared in front of him all of a sudden, blocking Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    As Aegir waved his hand, the golden shield then disappeared. In its ce, a golden sword fell from the air.

    <i>ng!</i>

    In turn, Lee Jun-Kyeong blocked Aegir¡¯s blow, but he wasn¡¯t Aegir¡¯s only enemy either.

    ¡°Die!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, finally bursting out in anger.

    Even his sword, which one normally couldn¡¯t easily see, was held in his hand.

    Flustered, Aegir held out his other hand, and another golden shield appeared, blocking the blow.

    <i>ng! sh!</i>

    Resounding crashes filled the room.

    Although it was only a brief sh, Aegir realized he was being overwhelmed. If things continued in this manner, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before it turned out as Yeo Seong-Gu and hispanions wished.

    Thus.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± he shouted at all of the surrounding Hunters.

    ¡°Kill all the bugs in the gymnasium!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Kill them!¡± he shouted again.

    The Hunters hesitated at Aegir''smand.

    Eventually, they drew their weapons.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°<i>AGHHH!!!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>.¡±

    In the midst of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s screams, Lee Jun-Kyeong groaned.

    Countless golden swords adorned in the air were pouring down toward Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu like rain while their attacks that were made in the gap between falling des were blocked by a golden shield that was as sturdy as an iron wall.

    ¡°Just how many lives have you taken?!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at Aegir.

    Aegir¡¯s ability was to turn people¡¯s vitality into gold. In that process, he also absorbed some of that vitality as well, allowing him to enhance his abilities for a short period of time.

    Seeing how Aegir had grown iparably from before, it was clear to see just how many lives he had consumed.

    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    At Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s words, who was shouting again, Aegir looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions with a ghastly smile as if he was proud of having defended himself better than he had thought.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve killed a lot. Didn¡¯t you notice theck of people when you came here?¡±

    The golden light grew even deeper.

    ¡°Soon, the Hunters blinded by gold will kill people. And once that happens¡­¡±

    When the brilliant golden light grew brighter to the point where it blinded Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party like a shlight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get even stronger!¡±

    <i>sh!</i>

    A bright light burst out, filling the room.

    ***

    ¡°Kill them! This is Overseer Aegir¡¯s order. Kill them!¡±

    The Hunters who had escaped themotion inside shouted toward the gymnasium. Aegir had already ced Hunters around in case of an unexpected situation. Hearing the order, they were all flustered by themands they had been given, finding themselves scrambling to look around their surroundings.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?! Draw your weapons!¡±

    ¡°I told you, kill them!¡±

    The Hunters who had escaped the room shouted nonstop as they headed for the gymnasium.

    ¡°W¡­what¡­?!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡±

    The people in the gymnasium caught notice of the situation and started screaming. The throng of people began to push against each other.

    ¡°Out of my way! Someone save me!¡±

    They all shoved among the crowd, struggling to live in any way possible.

    Eventually, one of the stronger, better-built men who was closest to the Hunter tried to force his way through the line of Hunters to try to preserve his life.

    However, his actions were a mistake.

    <i>Click!</i>

    The Hunter that had been shoved aside drew his weapon out of an involuntary reaction, and the man who had shoved him was then shed through by his weapon.

    ¡°AHH!¡±

    Streams of blood flowed from his body. The man screamed terribly.

    ¡°Kyaa!!!¡±

    Along with that, desperate screams began to echo through the gymnasium.

    The people started running wild.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to die! We¡¯re going to die!!¡±

    Convinced that they would die anyway, they started to move without care, and the gymnasium soon devolved into aplete mess.

    Then, finally.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    All of the Hunters drew their weapons.

    Even though the people were afraid of the Hunters.

    ¡°Out of the way!¡±

    ¡°Please, move¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m begging you, move!¡±

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    None of them stopped moving.

    If they backed down at a time like this, they would all die.

    Moreover, it was not only just themselves but also their families.

    Tense emotions filled the gymnasium.

    ¡°You bastards! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Eventually, the Hunter who had delivered Aegir¡¯s order came close to the crowd and raised his sword. He was one who had killed countless people, blinded by Aegir¡¯s gold.

    He was known as a notorious man-Hunter among the trapped people, and he wielded his sword at the crowd.

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    His sword swiftly cut down on a man who had escaped their enclosure.

    <i>ng!</i>

    However, the sound that he heard from his blow was different from what the man-Hunter expected.

    It should have been the sound of flesh cleaving, but instead, there was the sound of weapons shing.

    Then.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Soon after was the sound of flesh cleaving that he had been expecting.

    The only problem was.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    What had been cleaved was his own flesh.

    The Hunter raised his head and looked directly in front of him.

    There was a man holding a sword with a trembling hand.

    ¡°You bastard.¡±

    He soon pulled out the sword he had thrust into the man-Hunter''s chest.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Sshing blood gushed out like a fountain.

    This was a Hunter who had killed his ownrade.

    The confusion suddenly increased, and the Hunters didn¡¯t know how to solve the escting situation.

    Then.

    ¡°Everyone, run away!¡±

    ¡°This way¡±

    ¡°Move aside, you bastards!¡±

    The Hunters started helping the humans.

    They pushed aside the Hunters who were blocking the way of the people, wielding their weapons if necessary.

    The Hunters, who had always pushed people aside, were now helping people.

    ¡°We¡¯ll help you!¡±

    They were the Hunters who hade looking for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They had had no choice but to follow Aegir before, but now, it was the right time for them to make their move in this confusion, in the unstoppable screaming and chaos.

    ¨CThis way.

    A hazy astral figure then began to guide the people.

    ***

    Aegir¡¯s expression was one of bewilderment.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Moreover, it was covered in blood.

    Not much time had passed.

    Although he had thought he could try to hold his ground, the ones in front of him were truly monsters.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    They werebeled monsters on the merits of their strength alone.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes were melting through the gold that Aegir had conjured, and the tip of Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s sword seemed to skip through space as it attacked him.

    To be frank, he was in a situation where just being able to hold on until now was something that could be called luck bestowed by the heavens.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A spear flew forward again, aiming for his life once more.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Unable to cast any more gold, Aegir had blocked Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear with his bare hands.

    ¡°Agh!!!¡±

    This time, it wasn¡¯t Jeong In-Chang screaming, but Aegir.

    Jeong In-Chang, who was devouring all of Aegir¡¯s power away from him, looked a little exhausted by this point, but he had a much betterplexion.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­gasp¡­</i>¡±

    He was continuing to prevent Aegir from siphoning the people¡¯s life force. Although Jeong In-Chang¡¯s own life force was still being drained as he was still holding Aegir back, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he had grown during this short time.

    The speed at which his vitality was restored was unusual, and his recovery rate was much faster than when he had first activated Gram.

    It was evident that he had grown stronger in the midst of this battle.

    Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that was different.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Something pale and white continued to flow into Jeong In-Chang.

    It was Hel, the Familiar who was supposed to be guiding the people out. It was aiding Jeong In-Chang from a distance. Since it was a Familiar who handled souls, it was aiding in restoring Jeong In-Chang by converting the souls of the numerous living things that had died in the vicinity into vitality.

    Everything was falling into ce.

    ¡°Damn it! My kingdom¡­!¡±

    Aegir was being driven back without any ability to retaliate.

    As it had be difficult for him to siphon off any more life force, Aegir had been strengthening himself with just the life force that he had been able to absorb so far.

    However, now, he reached his limit.

    ¡°This is your karma.¡±

    Before he realized it, Yeo Seong-Gu had moved behind him.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    A brilliant rainbow-colored sword struck Aegir in the back and pierced through his chest.

    ¡°Keheuk!¡±

    With a scream, Aegir vomited handfuls of blood.

    His eyes trembled in disbelief as he stared down at his pierced chest.

    He looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu, who had stabbed him, his face determined and gaunt.

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu had just killed someone, Aegir couldn¡¯t find any sadness or guilt on his face.

    ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu whispered to Aegir again as he held the de that had pierced the Hunter¡¯s chest.

    Aegir tried to push away his sword with trembling hands, but it was useless.

    It was a Hero¡¯s weapon, and it was the sword of a Hero who was in charge of the upper levels of Asgard.

    Yeo Seong-Gu hadn¡¯t revealed his full strength until now.

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but¡­¡±

    The sword began to be pulled out, little by little, drawn out not by Aegir¡¯s will but through Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s wishes.

    ¡°This is your karma.¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The sword was fully drawn from Aegir¡¯s chest, and red blood gushed out like a fountain from the hole left behind.

    Gold and blood flowed from his body, mixing into a stream.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already put Muspel¡¯s Spear away by this point and was looking over at the fallen Aegir. It was the futile death of a man who had tried to be a king by taking people hostage.

    He was looking down on Aegir, who had copsed to the floor and was trembling as he looked back at the two, his face mixed with anger and resentment.

    <i>¡®This bastard is¡­¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he looked down at Aegir.

    He thought about the rulers who had appeared in the world alongside the cataclysm, beings that could easily have been considered monsters.

    He looked down at Aegir.

    This bastard, too.

    <i>¡®How is he any different from them?¡¯</i>

    Although he was a human by race, his actions were no different from those of the rulers.

    His actions were no different from that of a monster.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt an indescribable emotion as he stared down at the fallen Hunter.

    At that moment, Aegir had let out hisst breath.

    When he stopped breathing, his mana ceased to flow.

    It was a certain death.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to save the others,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, the brilliant sword in his hand disappearing as he let go of its hilt.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Once Aegir had died, Jeong In-Chang, who had been holding all of the Hunter¡¯s powers at bay, gasped as he stood up from the ground, using his greatsword as a cane.

    Still.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­?¡±

    ¡°...Jun-Kyeong?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t put away his spear.[1]

    For some reason, he had an ominous feeling.

    At that moment.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    The blood that began to gush out from Aegir¡¯s body began to mix with the gold on the ground that Lee Jun-Kyeong had melted during the battle and began to flow back into Aegir¡¯s body again.

    ¡°Avoid it!¡±

    1. Earlier in the chapter, it says that he had put his spear away before Yeo Seong-Gu had dealt the final blow, so one of the two seems to be an error. ??

 Chapter 170: Homebound Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 170: Homebound Pt. 7</h4>

    Mixed with blood, molten gold was flowing toward Aegir, who had breathed hisst breath.

    ¡°Avoid it!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted at Yeo Seong-Gu, who was standing next to Aegir, full of fear as the unusual movement of the mana felt extremely threatening.

    Then, just as expected.

    <i>Boom!!</i>

    An explosion urred.

    As if the blood and molten gold that flowed into Aegir¡¯s body had caused some sort of vtile reaction, a st of heat and mana exploded outward with thick smoke.

    ¡°Hyung!!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Yeo Seong-Gu, who hadn¡¯t been able to back away from the body before it exploded. Lee Jun-Kyeong then circted his strength, dispersing the thick smoke.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    In front of him stood Yeo Seong-Gu, who had blocked the explosion by forming a protective barrier just in time, a rainbow-colored shield.

    However.

    ¡°Damn, it¡­¡±

    The power of the explosion must have been greater than he had expected, as it had broken through and wounded Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Although it wasn¡¯t a big wound, the fact that the protective shield created by Yeo Seong-Gu had been pierced was important.

    Then.

    ¡°Behind you!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again.

    <i>ng!</i>

    A resounding rusting sound and then...

    ¨CGRAHHHH!

    ¡­something resembling a grotesque cry sted toward the party.

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu moaned as he blocked the sudden attack.

    Against his de was a golden arm, having swung toward him from the remnants of the smoke.

    The rainbow-colored sword was being pushed back even though Yeo Seong-Gu was blocking the onught with all of his might.

    The party looked at the man with the golden arm with bewildered eyes.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    Aegir, whom they had been certain had stopped breathing, was attacking Yeo Seong-Gu with a body stained with gold.

    However, it was only his arms and legs that were stained golden.

    His face was the same as when he had died, and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Aegir swung his arm at Yeo Seong-Gu again.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The sound of shing iron was followed by an explosion. Yeo Seong-Gu was pitched back, hitting the wall, while Lee Jun-Kyeong stabbed forward with his spear.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Aegir, who had definitely only had his golden left arm that was attacking Yeo Seong-Gu, suddenly turned and struck Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear with his other arm, which suddenly also turned fully golden.

    ¨CGRAH!

    As the lethal cries rang in their ears again, the Sponsors of the party''s voices rose to attention.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    [The Prince on a White Horse]...]

    [The King of the Rainbows]...]

    [They look toward ???.]

    "What?"

    ¡°What did they just say?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Their Sponsors were watching the presence that was in front of their eyes.

    What had been Aegir had now be something else.

    ¨CGRAHHH!

    Aegir looked at the party again while screaming another guttural cry.

    [??? looks over at you.]

    Shockingly, he heard a notification.

    ***

    "<i>Kyah!</i>"

    Chaos reigned over the people.

    They were screaming and running, but while they rejoiced that they were finally free from Aegir¡¯s control, their escape wasn¡¯t yet sessful.

    ¡°Kill them! Kill them!¡±

    While there were Hunters who helped people, there were just as many Hunters who had sided with Aegir instead.

    ¨CThis way.

    In this battle of Hunters, the people followed after a figure that looked like a ghost.

    As they screamed, some held their children. All ran to survive somehow, holding each other¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Hurry!¡± shouted the Hunters helping the people, urging the residents.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    A cold aura encroached on the space. At the same time, all of the Hunters who were on the side of Aegir screamed and copsed, grabbing at their necks while eximing in pain.

    ¨CI can¡¯t hold them for long.

    Hel was helping the Hunters aiding the people as it guided the survivors along.

    The Hunters on Aegir¡¯s side were suffering from Hel¡¯s abilities and became defenseless.

    ¡°Regret your sins in the afterlife!¡±

    Quite a few Hunters on Aegir¡¯s side met death at the hands of the protecting Hunters. However, even with the widespread debilitating effects caused by Hel, the Familiar¡¯s abilities were still quite limited against many of the Hunters that remained.

    ¡°How ridiculous,¡± the powerful Hunters that could withstand Hel¡¯s power said, still standing and killing those that guarded against them.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that you¡¯re innocent?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Regardless of your reasons, it¡¯s disgusting that you have the audacity to say such things to us after having done the same things.¡±

    The Hunters attacked those who guarded against them while ridiculing them. For some reason, they were gradually beginning to defeat those Hunters with ever increasingly powerful attacks.

    Several people died in the aftermath of the sh, but even so, there were some who still wanted to keep order.

    ¡°Move! Quickly!¡±

    ¡°Protect the children!¡±

    Although this was a horrifying ce to be trapped in, they all knew that they had to concentrate even further and escape¨Cto escape the gymnasium.

    Soon.

    ¡°There¡¯s our escape!¡±

    The exit was nigh in front of them.

    Due to the sacrifice of the Hunters, the people were on the verge of escaping.

    ¡°We¡¯re disgusted by ourselves too.¡±

    Then, the one who had the conversation with Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others, one of the guards that had approached their door, spoke as he aided those who were still alive to escape and looked over at the Hunters who criticized him.

    ¡°We, too, are sinners.¡±

    His sword swung down and attacked the Hunter before him, the de infused with mana.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to atone for what we¡¯ve done.¡±

    The sword fell down, splitting through the other Hunter¡¯s torso.

    He had grown.

    In order to protect the people and help them escape, he had been granted sponsorship.

    [You have been granted sponsorship.]

    Thus, the Hunter, who had been able to cut down his enemy due to his growth, then wiped at his blood-covered face.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    He, who then shouted at the people, having relieved himself of his guilt a minuscule amount, smiled faintly.

    <i>Crack.</i>

    An eerie sound rang out, and as his gaze descended, he saw something sh in his eyes.

    ¡°G¡­gold¡­¡±

    A golden arm caught his gaze as if it was a representation of his own guilt.

    He carefully turned his gaze, and before his eyes, he saw a monster.

    ¨CGrunt, grunt.

    The Hunter he had just cut down had turned into a golden monster and plunged his arm into his chest.

    ¡°<i>Kyaaa!</i>¡±

    The people, who had somehow been able to keep order till now, finally began to descend into chaos.

    ¨CGrunt, grunt.

    The Hunters who had stood on Aegir¡¯s side.

    The dead.

    They were rising, bing something else.

    ***

    ¡°What the hell is that¡­?¡±

    Aegir, who was dead, hade to life.

    .

    His body had turned golden, but that wasn¡¯t the problem at the moment.

    ¨CGrah.

    The current problem was the aura that emitted forth from that thing that was making such a guttural cry.

    Even at a nce, it was a strange flow of mana.

    Especially.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who used his mana stream to examine Aegir, couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed.

    The energy that was being emitted by Aegir was almost like¡­

    ¡°Eme¡­?¡±

    It was simr to what he had felt from Elfame, the Ruler of Incheon and the King of Alfheimr.

    He was confused.

    ¡°Why is the Ruler¡¯s aura...¡±

    Elfame had been a being from another dimension. Why could his aura be felt by Aegir, who had been human?

    Moreover, they had definitely heard a notification when that thing had stared back at them.

    This issue wasn¡¯t the only other problem that arose either.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chewed on his lips and spoke, having heard something.

    ¡°A problem has developed outside¡­¡±

    ¡°Outside?¡±

    ¡°The Hunters who died¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was gaze-mingling with Hel, passed on the scenes he was watching to hispanions.

    ¡°They are being revived with a golden body like Aegir.¡±

    The party looked at Aegir.

    That creature, Aegir, was watching them back with its head tilted, reminiscent of a newborn baby.

    The aura it exuded seemed inherently dangerous, forcing the party to hold back on making their next move.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Can you fight?¡± he asked Jeong In-Chang, who had been the reason they had been able to defeat Aegir.

    Jeong In-Chang readily responded in a steadfast voice, ¡°Of course.¡±

    The three stood together and looked over at Aegir, his¨Cno, its body continually growing bigger.

    They felt as though it should have stopped breathing at any moment before them, but it didn''t. Lee Jun-Kyeongmented, ¡°I don¡¯t think we can mess with it just yet.¡±

    The flow of mana running through it was strangely grotesque as if it would explode if they messed with that flow at any moment.

    Currently, the people hadn¡¯t been able to escape fully yet, so if an explosion happened here, everyone would die.

    So, Lee Jun-Kyoeng quickly devised a n.

    ¡°Then, Mr. Jeong, please go and help the people escape along with the princess.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression hardened for a moment after hearing that.

    ¡°I will send only the princess,¡± he replied stubbornly. Because he had been the one who had to drop out of the main battle every single time.

    ¡°All right,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong agreed to his response.

    ¡°Princess,¡± Jeong In-Chang called. His familiar, who had been watching quietly until now, appeared by his side. The princess, having materialized, had a slightly different appearance from before.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The princess, who had looked like a doll made to be a small ogre, was talking like a person while its skin color had be paler.

    Its appearance had changed, which was why it hadn¡¯t been able to participate in the fight so far.

    ¡°You heard, right? Do you think you can do it?¡± Jeong In-Chang said to the princess in a warm voice, asking if it could save the people.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The princess turned around after giving a simple answer, just like Fenrir had done at first.

    The familiar¡¯s body grew, little by little, shifting into the body of the ogre mage, the keeper of Madness.

    However, the princess¡¯ appearance was now different from before, revealing a slightly smaller body, lighter skin, and a slightly more human-than-ogre appearance, visually bing a princess.

    <i>¡®Evolution.¡¯</i>

    The princess¡¯s evolution had finished.

    Her size may have changed, but the power she possessed was even more majestic than before.[1]

    <i>Thud. Thud.</i>

    With reddened eyes that left a trail of light, she left the room and the party behind.

    ¡°Now, it looks like that one is ready, too,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked over at Aegir.

    The stabilization of its mana seemed to be over.

    ¡°There will be explosions.¡±

    Thus.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    <i>Crash!</i>

    <i>Whirl!</i>

    All three attacked Aegir at the same time.

    The spear thrust forward, the greatsword split the ground, and the rainbow-colored sword moved in an instant and struck down on the top of Aegir¡¯s head.

    There was nowhere for the creature to escape, and their incredible forces joined together, creating a windstorm around them.

    However.

    <i>ng!</i>

    There was an audible ringing sound. At the same time, all three of them retreated.

    All three attacks had been sessful, but only small scratches had been left on Aegir¡¯s body.

    It had a terrifyingly strong constitution.

    ¨CEnemy.

    Aegir spoke in a humannguage for the first time again, and his body waspletely bathed in a golden light.

    <i>Gurgle. Gurgle.</i>

    With a gurgling sound, the creature¡¯s body began to swell.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    The gold that was all around them, the gold that had been melted by Lee Jun-Kyeong, began to move into his body.

    It was no longer a shiny block of mineral, but instead the essence of mana.

    ¨CEnemy!

    Aegir, who had absorbed the gold that had rushed toward its body, barreled at Lee Jun-Kyeong with an erged body. Even at that moment, it was ever-growing.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    1. If Jeong In-Chang can¡¯t find a human wife, maybe his Sponsor really did set him up. ??

 Chapter 171: Homebound Pt. 8

    <h4>Chapter 171: Homebound Pt. 8</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    At the loud explosion, the escaping people looked behind themselves.

    ¡°The gymnasium¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s copsing!¡±

    The people shouted as they escaped, turning around to see the gymnasium in which they had been trapped for so long go up in mes. The heat and smoke buffeted them from afar.

    Their prison, the gymnasium that had kept them confined, had copsed into ashes.

    They, who had barely been able to escape with the aid of the Hunters, looked back at the gymnasium with indescribable expressions.

    Seeing them standing there with such a variety of different emotions, the remaining Hunters shouted at the dumbfounded survivors.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    There had been an explosion, and the gymnasium had copsed.

    That could only have meant one thing.

    ¡°We need to get away from the gymnasium as soon as possible!¡±

    Whatever the cause of the explosion, the aftermath of the battle would soon reach where they were as they were only just slightly away from the gymnasium itself.

    Thus, things would bepletely chaotic if they didn¡¯t move.

    The Hunters helped the people with their own individual abilities.

    Some of them protected the residents with shields, while others provided buffs and healing.

    ¡°You tough little bastards!¡±

    Others continued to battle against the golden monsters that chased behind them.

    ¨CPlease continue to move.

    Hel was also guiding the people to the safe passageway.

    They were going toward a safe area where the monsters had been wiped out two days ago through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s orders. Hel¡¯s role was to lead the people there now.

    Its blurry astral figure moved quickly.

    ¡°P¡­please slow down a little¡­!¡± the exhausted survivors begged, but there wasn¡¯t enough time for them to have that luxury.

    Instead.

    ¨CPlease entrust me with your bodies.

    Something, a chilly aura, began to flow under the survivor¡¯s feet.

    Then.

    ¡°Huh!!¡±

    The people eximed at the strange phenomenon¡ªit felt like their bodies had begun moving on their own.

    As the exhausted survivors moved quickly through Hel¡¯s aid, the Familiar urged them once again.

    ¨CI can¡¯t hold out for very long, so please hurry.

    The survivors were quickly moving toward the safe area, leaving the Hunters behind.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    In the meantime, explosions continued to rock the gymnasium.

    Although the survivors¡¯ only response to the explosions was fear, the Hunters were different.

    ¡°...¡±

    They hadn¡¯t learned the mana stream, but since they were Hunters, they were still sensitive to mana.

    Feeling the explosions that rocked the gymnasium and the terrifying mana that followed, their expressions hardened.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    This was an aura that they had felt for the first time since they had been living as Hunters, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end while their hearts felt as if they were being choked.

    Their pulses were racing, and they struggled to breathe.

    ¡°What the hell is this¡­!¡±

    They looked back at the gymnasium with even more anxiety than the human survivors had.

    ¨CGrah. Grah.

    The golden monsters that had been chasing them had stopped all of a sudden. Then they began to move elsewhere.

    ¡°They¡¯re turning back!¡±

    They had started to run toward the copsing gymnasium.

    They ran while destroying everything they could see, as if their only purpose in life was to return to the gymnasium. It looked as if they were sacrificing their life force to run even the slightest bit faster.

    In the midst of that strange event.

    ¨CYou guys should hurry too.

    Hel spoke to the Hunters as well.

    Now that they hadpleted their purpose, they also started running madly after the survivors as well.

    With an ominous aura that seemed to creep around them, they started to run in the opposite direction of the golden monsters, almost as if they were trying to shake off a horror that was nipping at their heels.

    ¡°I have to go back!¡± some of them shouted.

    They were the ones who had met with Lee Jun-Kyeong before.

    ¡°They are still inside of the gymnasium!¡±

    After saying so, they set out to rescue Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party, who were still inside the gymnasium. Moreover, there was also a monster that had helped them but had still remained behind.

    A monster that was said to be a princess had wiped out the golden monsters and paved the way for them.

    A few Hunters joined the ranks of the returners. Looking back at the Hunters, who chose to leave with the people, they nodded at each other in agreement.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Explosions urred again from the gymnasium. As the gathered Hunters were about to throw themselves toward the ze, a blurry shape appeared before their eyes.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a figure that caused them fear, as they were all Hunters who had gone through many battles. Moreover, they recognized the figure as a colleague.

    ¨CMy master.

    It was Hel.

    The Familiar spoke as it blocked the path of the Hunters, who were trying to return to the scene of the battle.

    ¨CHe does not need your help.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    ¨CHe is someone who has reached the point where he doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help¡­

    Hel turned its gaze toward the gymnasium, looking back in its master¡¯s direction while it spoke.

    ¨CHe is someone with that much strength.

    ***

    ¡°Are we supposed to see it as some sort of golem?¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted in the midst of the explosions.

    There was a monster rampaging right before their eyes.

    ¡°Are we supposed to find its core?!¡± he said while looking at Aegir, who had transformed into some sort of golden statue.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Aegir, who had died ande back to life, had be an entirely new being. He was emitting strange mana while making the entire area around them into a mess.

    Larger than an ogre, he was devouring the gold around him and growingrger andrger.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Whenever he swung his fist, a storm of mana was formed.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    This storm turned any area it touched into gold.

    <i>Screech. Screech.</i>

    The transformed gold then melted into liquid again and was absorbed back into his body. In this repetitive manner, the monster that was Aegir was erging his body.

    ¡°The princess must be doing well, right¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang spoke again, worried about the princess while in the midst of dealing with the monster.

    Then, in his ear, he heard the voice of the princess much clearer than before.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    Footsteps shook the ground, and the owner of the voice that had called out passed Jeong In-Chang right away.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Then, the figure collided with Aegir, the human-monster hybrid.

    Aegir flew into the air,nding and rolling on the ground.

    ¡°Princess!¡± Jeong In-Chang called out to the figure in a weing voice.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    Although the princess had evolved and began to speak few human words, whenever she changed into abat state, she was the same as before, only able to seemingly repeat the same word.

    The princess waved her hand at Jeong In-Chang as if telling him not to worry, but the blood that flowed from her body was enough for him to guess what she had gone through.

    Jeong In-Changughed.

    ¡°Move aside!¡± he shouted, abruptly running toward her just like she had done to Aegir, pushing her away.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s small hand shoved the princess far away in a shocking manner and with an intense roar.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    His groan quickly followed.

    He had blocked the iing golden arm with his greatsword.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± he called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who still hadn¡¯t responded to his question from before.

    ¡°...¡±

    Meanwhile, Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu continued to look for an answer.

    Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t seemed to have noticed it, but Aegir was now somethingpletely different from anything they hade across.

    This new creature wasn¡¯t a Hunter.

    Nor a monster.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s something that isn¡¯t anything that already exists.¡¯</i>

    The bizarre mana it radiated gave Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had his mana stream circting, a strange sense of uneasiness.

    Moreover.

    ¡°That thing¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu hadn¡¯t learned the mana stream, but he was a powerful Hunter in his own right and seemed to sense something as well.

    Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have an inkling of the identity of that creature, even if it was only a slight hint.

    He seemed to have been convinced of something by the continually changing Aegir¡¯s appearance, raising his rainbow-colored sword and murmuring quietly to himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like what I saw there¡­¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to Yeo Seong-Gu as if he had noticed something.

    ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­when you were in Anngr¡­¡± he said.[1]

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he was even more surprised by his friend¡¯s blurted response.

    ¡°How did you know about Anngr¡­!¡±

    Anngr.

    This was the first time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given any glimpse of knowing of its existence.

    Anngr was a ce only known to a select number of people, a group that included Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>¡®And Odin¡­and Zeus¡­¡¯</i>

    This was because it was rted to the strength of those Hunters who could rule the world and the Territories that they had.

    While Yeo Seong-Gu was bewildered, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly changed the subject, ¡°So you saw something like that in Anngr?¡±

    There was no reason to talk about Anngr right now.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Right now, they had to discuss Aegir, who was rampaging around as if he was going crazy.

    ¡°How much do you know about Anngr¡­¡± asked Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong evasively responded, ¡°Just a rough idea.¡±

    ¡°As expected. Yes. I¡¯ve seen that aura be radiated in Andngr.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he had guessed something. ¡°Did you feel it when you signed a ¡®Direct Contract¡¯?¡±

    ¡°To think you know about that as well¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, nodding as he stood with an expression as if he had been hit on the head.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was right.

    It happened when he had contracted directly with a Sponsor in Anngr.

    ¡°It is simr to what I felt from the Sponsors.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expressions hardened.

    The cataclysm.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s something I don¡¯t know about it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Aegir as if he had found a clue.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then whatever it is¡­¡±

    ¡°We have to deal with it right now.¡±

    Aegir¡¯s transformation wasn¡¯t perfect, and the strange mana was circling around him unsteadily.

    The moment that thing becamepletely stable, if things went ording to what Lee Jun-Kyeong was thinking¡­.

    <i>¡®Would it be simr to the descent of a Sponsor¡­?¡¯</i>

    While he couldn¡¯t be sure of it, he was sure that it was a usible idea.

    The transcendent being that was called a Sponsor, or at least something with that power, a being whose identity was still unknown, would descend into the present world.

    That could only mean one thing.

    <i>¡®It would be no different from the apocalypse.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward.

    He had no time to look for weaknesses.

    Even though he was wounded, he would have to figure things out by shing with it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    Then, the heavy voice of Yeo Seong-Gu rang out.

    ¡°The power that I was reluctant to use until now¡­¡±

    Until now, Yeo Seong-Gu had never shown his true strength.

    He was a pir that supported Asgard and was renowned even in the distant future.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had never seen Yeo Seong-Gu use the power that matched that reputation just yet, and now, Yeo Seong-Gu was going to bring out that strength.

    However.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong dissuaded him.

    He knew very well why Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t use that power¨Cit was like poison to him.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong held Muspel¡¯s Spear aloft.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    The cataclysm.

    It had brought about numerous changes that he didn¡¯t know about.

    <i>¡®The Book of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    This would be a new opportunity and a great deal of new knowledge for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Moreover, as the aftermath of the cataclysm wasn¡¯t written in the book of the Demon King that had given him strength, it would be something else for him as well.

    <i>¡®A record of history.¡¯</i>

    The events in the cataclysm were unknown even in history¡ªhe had been able to see them with his own eyes and feel them with his own body.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang, who was tying up Aegir with the princess, shouted.

    At that moment.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong crushed the ground around him as if it had been stepped on by a giant.

    A huge amount of mana descended.

    The cataclysm was filled with the unknown that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know.

    But.

    <i>¡®The cataclysm strengthened the monsters.¡¯</i>

    There was something about the cataclysm that he did know about.

    <i>¡®It had also strengthened the Hunters.¡¯</i>

    The cataclysm hadn¡¯t only changed the monsters and the world.

    The Hunters, the powerful Hunters, were imbued with new strength.

    Jeong In-Chang had grown and learned Gram.

    However, unlike him, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t changed until now.

    But he could feel a huge energy flowing through his body.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    As Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    mes rose from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They weren¡¯t the same crimson mes from before.

    Instead, they were dark, pitch-ck mes.

    Innread".

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was being consumed by them.

    In his ear, notifications began to be heard.

    [The weak dragon heart has consumed mana up to its limit¡­]

    [The weak dragon heart has evolved into the Heart of the Dragon of the Apocalypse.]

    At the same time.

    <i>Riiipppp!!</i>

    The sound of space tearing resounded.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> watches the battlefield.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hated to acknowledge it, but he also heard the most trustworthy voice as well.

    [...sponsors its Incarnation.]

    1. The second of three heavens of Norse Mythos, above Asgard and below Vidinn. It¡¯s supposedly to the south and above the realm of the gods and a resting ce for those who died in Ragnarok. ??

 Chapter 172: Homebound Pt. 9

    <h4>Chapter 172: Homebound Pt. 9</h4>

    The dragon heart had finally evolved. Under the influence of the cataclysm, just as everyone else had grown, he had also grown as well.

    ¡°The Dragon of the Apocalypse¡¯s heart,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he felt the burning mes.

    The mes devouring him weren¡¯t hot or vicious in any way. Rather, they were tranquil instead.

    ¨CGrrr.

    Aegir had growled.

    Both Lee Jun-Kyeong and the traitor had transformed into something else during the cataclysm, Aegir, who had transformed into something not human, was wary of Lee Jun-Kyeong transformation and backed away.

    ¡°What just happened¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°...¡± Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s silence was obvious.

    <i>Click.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took another step forward.

    Everyone would transform during the cataclysm. However, the longer it took for some people to undergo that change, the more dramatic that transformation would be.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had gained strength.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> watches over the battlefield.]

    <i>¡®How insane.¡¯</i>

    And, thanks to the <i>reliable</i> support of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, he had gained so much strength that he almost wanted to vomit from the sudden change.

    At this moment, he was feeling somethingpletely different from before. ck mes had enveloped his body, but Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel something else. There was the Madness that had tormented him, the devilish aura that dwelled in Muspel¡¯s Spear, The demonic mana that was mixed into the blood of the monsters, the dragon¡¯s blood, and¡­

    ¡°Mana¡­.¡±

    These were powers thatposed him, and they all contrasted. Now, they had all mixed into one and were burning up from within him.

    Despite that, he encountered none of their ws. Whether it was being swallowed up by the devilish aura or Madness, or being overtaken by the demonic mana, or even the reversed flow of the dragon¡¯s blood, none of that urred.

    All of his powers had been newly aligned under his mana and the newfound power of his ck me. It was a terrifying strength.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken a single step, but the ground had beenpletely crushed under his pressure.

    ¡°What is this¡­!¡±

    Hispanions were stunned once they felt the unbelievable power.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve received my overduepensation all at once,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, looking up at the sky momentarily.

    His satisfiedughter seemed to be visible through the ck mes.

    While it was true that Aegir had transformed and was definitely dangerous, he was not in apleted state. Rather, it instead seemed as though the creature was bing more and more unstable in the process of beingpleted.

    Moreover, while he himself wasn¡¯t in aplete state either, he was stable. That was the difference between the transformed Aegir and himself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fist. In the ce of the vanished Muspel¡¯s Spear, something else was grasped in his palm.

    ¨CGROWL!

    Aegir stepped back again, as if the creature had realized there was nowhere else to retreat to. Meanwhile, he settled into an attacking posture. A strange power that was neither mana nor anything they had seen before was radiating from him.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    "Damn it!"

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    In the aftermath of the explosion of the creature¡¯s aura, Yeo Seong-Gu, Jeong In-Chang, and the princess copsed from the pressure. It felt as if the world was pressing them down.

    Jeong In-Chang looked ahead as he rubbed his eyes. Something ck and gold collided.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    A small sound then broke the silence, reminiscent of air escaping a balloon.

    Jeong In-Chang quickly noticed where the change wasing from.

    ¡°In Aegir¡¯s chest¡­!¡±

    .

    There was something ck embedded in the chest of Aegir, who had turned into a golden giant.

    The ck <i>thing</i> was burning.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The golden giant began to crack open like a golden egg.

    ¨CGEUGAHHHHHHHH!

    Aegir was breaking apart and roaring so loudly that it seemed as though it would shake the very world. Even so, its strength hadn¡¯t erupted out from its broken body as it had been sealed by the ck <i>thing</i> that was embedded into his chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s sealed¡­?¡±

    <i>ng!</i>

    After the crack urred, something began to change from within the ck <i>thing.</i>

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    With a small resonance, everyone¡¯s hearing disappeared for a moment.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked ahead as he pped at his deaf ears.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack, crack!</i>

    The sound of something shattering spread out, and their hearing returned.

    <i>Swft!</i>

    With a thunderous roar, the ck <i>thing</i> distorted like a ck hole and began to devour the golden giant.

    ***

    London, the capital of Ennd, was undergoing the cataclysm like the rest of the world. Everything was on fire, and the streets had been filled with the screams of people. The city that was normally filled with people¡¯sughter was now instead filled with the cries of monsters.

    ¡°<i>GROARRRR!</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>CHWIIIK! CHWIIIIIK!</i>¡±

    However, there was something odd about it all. Right now, the screams of the people couldn¡¯t be heard at all.

    It was too soon to say that it was because everyone had died or that they had already been able to flee. Even if the sound were faint, it would still be normal for the screams of the people to still be heard. However, at this moment, only the cries of the monsters could be heard throughout London.

    In this grotesque London, there was only one ce where the voice of people could be heard: London Bridge, one of the symbols of London.

    ¡°Ha¡­ ha¡­¡±

    The sound of heavy breathing could be heard, and it wasn¡¯t just one person struggling here either. Instead, it was dozens of Hunters.

    ¡°Damn, it¡­¡±

    Around them were hundreds of dead bodies. In addition, there was someone wearing a robe, opposing them.

    ¡°How awesome.¡±

    The dozens of Hunters who were still alive were ring at the robed man. He was the one who had created all of the corpses.

    ¡°<i>Chwiiiik!</i>¡±

    A monster that had been roaming around near London Bridge lost its temper and began to rampage toward the group, its target the man in the ck robes. The monster was running toward the man as if it couldn¡¯t feel anything that was happening around it at all.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Hunters held their breath and just watched the situation unfold.

    Within a split second, the monster that had been rampaging toward the man in the ck robes fell down to its knees in front of him and groaned with its head down, almost reminiscent of a pet that had met its owner.

    ¡°<i>Keureung¡­</i>¡±

    The man stroked the monster''s head.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Suddenly, before the Hunters could even notice, the monster¡¯s head exploded.

    The man in the ck robes was now covered in the monster¡¯s blood as he looked at the Hunters admiringly as he said, "It really is awesome.¡±

    He then continued, ¡°Did you really evacuate the people by setting up formations and shifting the axis of space? You really do have an incredible ability¡­¡±

    Speaking in a low voice, the man in the ck robes gazed over at a woman who looked exhausted.

    ¡°Merlin.¡±

    Merlin was the head of the Round Table that protected Britain and was also a transcendent Hunter among the ranks of such as Odin and Zeus.

    She should have been inside of the Round Table, but was gasping wearily on London Bridge. Next to her was Arthur.

    ¡°Merlin¡­!¡±

    The two had received a fake Excalibur from Lee Jun-Kyeong, so their curse had been lifted for a while. However, they had been confined to the Round Table as the curse would be restored again if they were to ever exit its boundaries¡­

    Of note, the cataclysm was now, so it had also changed them quite a bit as well. That was how they had been able to shift the axis of space and save the people in order to deal with the man that had attacked London and turned it into a mess.

    Now, even while outside the boundaries of the Round Table, their curse was still temporarily lifted.

    Merlin looked at Arthur and said, ¡°Arthur¡­ I¡¯m okay.¡±

    Arthur also seemed tired.

    "Ha¡­¡±

    The knights all breathed heavily. The dozens of surviving Hunters were all Knights of the Round Table, which had stepped out of the shadows for the sake of Ennd herself. They didn¡¯t do this because of a single monster.

    ¡°Just who the hell are you, really?¡±

    No, it was because of only one man: the man in the ck robes that stood in front of them. He had appeared in Ennd while they had been driving out the monsters. He killed people and released even more monsters. He was by no means an ordinary man.

    ¡°Hmm¡­.¡±

    He fell silent for a while.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Then, he soon shuddered as if in surprise.

    The Knights of the Round Table exchanged nces nervously.

    The power of the man in ck had been astounding, and they had already lost many of theirrades at his hands. Just as they were thinking that they couldn¡¯t lose their nerve, the man in ck opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± he said. ¡°Looks like that little brat has gone a step further.¡±

    A different,ughing voice hade from his mouth this time.

    The knights were watching his movements as the man looked into the distance.

    Although they continued to turn back to look at Merlin and Arthur, asking for orders, they couldn¡¯t. There weren¡¯t any orders that could be given.

    After all, to be a Hunter meant that the stronger one became, the more one would be able to see. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t see a single opening at all.

    The man in ck was an iron wall¨Cno, he was like a huge abyss. The aura they could feel was incredibly dangerous as if it would devour them at any moment. Thus, a standoff ensued.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    But then, a reckless knight started to run forward, disobeying orders and running forward alone.

    ¡°Lancelot!¡± Merlin called out, but the knight was already on his way to face the man in ck.

    Lancelot had lost hispanions. Furthermore, he had been forced to watch his people be ughtered.

    ¡°I will make the opening!¡±

    Although he was rushing forward recklessly, his eyes were calm with a tranquil gaze that no one had ever seen before. Hisnce ripped through the air as he advanced.

    ¡°Hold him down!¡±

    Merlin also moved her wand. It was the signal to attack the man in ck, whom they had been unable to attack easily with his overwhelming force.

    ¡°Knights of the Round Table,¡± Arthur murmured quietly as he pointed his sword at the man in ck, who seemed to be bound in an invisible shimmer. He was in the form of a child, but at this moment, he looked as if he was an adult. Arthur was someone whom the knights only had a vague idea of his identity, but they still listened to hismands without saying a word.

    He ordered, ¡°Protect Ennd.¡±

    ¡°Hail!!¡±

    With a simple chant, the knights ran forward.

    While the man in ck was bound by Merlin¡¯s mighty magic, Lancelot had seeded in approaching the man in ck at close range.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!!¡±

    Hisnce pierced the air and mana, reaching toward the man in ck.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Unfortunately, thence bounced off the man as if it had been swatted aside. Lancelot had lost his weapon, which was a shameful urrence as a knight. Undaunted, Lancelot took out his spare sword and swung it.

    <i>Shhing!</i>

    The results of his hellish training after sparring with the Underdog were about to be shown to the world.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    A bone-shuddering cleaving sound rang out into the air.

    ¡°Lancelot!¡±

    However, Lancelot had fallen. The man in ck, who definitely should have been bound by Merlin¡¯s power, had moved freely and cut him down. No one had been able to catch sight of what he had used to cut down Lancelot.

    ¡°A spear¡­¡±

    Only Arthur had been able to see the man in ck¡¯s weapon: a ck spear.

    ¡°Cut him down!¡±

    ¡°For Ennd¡¯s Justice!¡±

    After Lancelot, the rest of the knights had reached the man in ck.

    They were knights that represented Ennd, and these top Hunters of the World attacked the man at the same time. Storms raged, rain fell, and even the very space was torn apart.

    <i>ng! ng! ng!</i>

    At that time only the sound of metal resounded, and Arthur shouted after gathering his strength, "Move!"

    ¡°Haaaaa-eup!¡±

    The knights parted ways, and Arthur swung Excalibur with a gigantic force that seemed to push the dimensions apart.

    <i>Chaaaaang!</i>

    A great golden moon appeared in the world and plummeted down upon the man in ck.

 Chapter 173: Homebound Pt. 10

    <h4>Chapter 173: Homebound Pt. 10</h4>

    The symbol of London, London Bridge, was copsing.

    This tragedy wasn¡¯t because of a monster¡¯s attack, however.

    No, the destruction of London Bridge was the fault of the Round Table, the organization that represented Ennd.

    ¡°It was inevitable¡­¡± Merlin said as she looked at the copsing bridge with eyes filled with sorrow.

    Fatigue and mncholy shed across her beautiful visage.

    However, barring her, everything in the vicinity was soaked in red blood.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Everything, everyone was soaked in blood, one¡¯s own blood if not the enemy''s. Or even the blood of theirrades.

    The members of the Knights of the Round Table, which used to number well into the dozens, had decreased noticeably.

    ¡°Lancelot¡­¡± Gawain whispered, lifting the knight up.

    The knight had been torn to shreds.

    His arms were shaking like leaves in the wind, and his eyes were unfocused.

    ¡°Did I fulfill my duty well¡­?¡± Lancelot asked.

    While losing dozens of hisrades in the vtile confrontation, Lancelot had put his life on the line, rushing in to create an opening for those who fought beside him.

    Although the battle had begun once Arthur had attacked and ended with the copse of London Bridge, Lancelot had still done his duty well.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gawain replied.

    They had won.

    With the city falling apart around them, the Round Table had won.

    ¡°Lancelot.¡±

    The dying Lancelot heard the voice he so longed for.

    Merlin.

    She took Lancelot''s hand.

    A bright, shining light burst from their sped palms¡ªshe was trying to prolong Lancelot¡¯s life.

    ¡°<i>Cough!</i>¡±

    However, Lancelot¡¯s condition was difficult for even Merlin to treat.

    Merlin knew that the true identity of the man in the ck robes must have been something truly terrifying, as even her power, one so great that it could provide treatment on par with an elixir, waspletely useless.

    Thus, to be able to be of aid in taking such a being down meant something. She said, ¡°Lancelot, your contribution was tremendous.¡±

    ¡°Lady Merlin¡­¡± he gasped.

    She continued, ¡°You have truly saved Ennd¡­ A knight that is the embodiment of loyalty and honor.¡±

    Teardropsced with blood fell down upon Lancelot¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°Moreover, you are a benefactor to us all.¡±

    London Bridge had copsed. Lancelot¡¯snce, which had broken and fallen into the Thames, was sinking to the depths.

    ¡°T¡­ thank yo¡­¡± Lancelot struggled out, expressing his sincere gratitude.

    ¡°I have¡­received¡­your orders¡­¡±[1]

    Barely able to say his final words, his voice trailed off as he said his goodbyes.

    Having lost all his strength,ying helplessly in Gawain¡¯s arms, Lancelot thus died.

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    Merlin turned to look into the Thames with a rarely seen expression, one full of rage.

    That man had been torn to shreds by Arthur.

    That man in the ck robes had sunk into the Thames alongside London Bridge and Lancelot¡¯snce.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    From behind, they heard the sound of heavy breathing.

    It was Arthur.

    Having struck down the man in the ck robes, he was gasping for breath as he pulled himself together.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been hurt so much today.¡±

    The damage that they had taken was to the extent that the very existence of the Round Table was endangered, and it had happened because of only one single person.

    That man used a power that seemed toe from demons.

    That man also seemed to rule the monsters.

    A man who truly seemed to fit the title of the Demon King¡­

    Just as the knights seemed to be under the thrall of a shuddering fear, Arthur¡¯s voice rang out again.

    ¡°But we¡¯ve won.¡±

    Arthur stood tall, using the Excalibur that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him as a staff.

    ¡°We defended Ennd, and the great knights who have given their lives have sacrificed it all for the sake of our homnd. As a result of their sacrifice¡­¡±

    He looked like a child, but he seemed to stand taller than anyone else.

    ¡°We won. We will continue to win.¡±

    ¡°Hail.¡±

    ¡°Hail.¡±

    When the knights raised their swords and saluted Arthur, a heart-stopping voice resounded.

    ¨CIsn¡¯t it too early for you all to celebrate your victory?

    Everyone¡¯s gaze instantly turned back to the river Thames.

    ¡°...!¡±

    A man in ck robes was standing proudly on its waters.

    ¡°How¡­!¡± Arthur eximed in astonishment.

    The feeling of cutting down that man was still vivid. Arthur hadn¡¯t just cut him once, he had torn him into dozens of pieces and buried them along with London Bridge.

    To think¡­

    That man¡­

    ¡°You survived¡­!¡±

    The man snorted. ¡°Your view of the world is too shallow.¡±

    He spurred the waters of the Thames and slowly ascended into the sky, reaching the ce where the knights were gathered.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Facing the knights, who were silent in their astonishment, he slowly removed the hood that covered his face. That hood had nevere off, even during the fight against Arthur.

    As he did so, Merlin¡¯s bewilderment only grew further.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±

    Merlin was the first one to show surprise, but not the only one.

    ¡°How do I¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Just what¡­?¡±

    Chaos ensued among the knights.

    The face of the man in the ck robes was eerily familiar.

    ¡°Sir Underdog?¡± Gawain said to the man.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not him,¡± Merlin said, shaking her head in denial.

    The man¡¯s face was clearly simr to that of the Underdog, but at the same time, it was different.

    Moreover, although the Underdog may not have known it, Merlin had cast a spell on him.

    It wasn¡¯t a spell meant to harm him, but a spell that was to save him if he found himself in danger.

    However, she couldn¡¯t feel even the slightest trace of the spell¡¯s mana.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me with that imitation of Excalibur,¡± the man said to Arthur, ignoring the murmurs of the knights.

    Arthur took a step into the air and moved forward.

    "No! Arthur!¡± Merlin shouted, stopping Arthur from continuing further.

    Merlin understood Arthur¡¯s condition better than anyone else.

    If Arthur shed with that man as he was right now, then death was all but certain.

    ¡°I was just distracted by the unexpected development. Let¡¯s handle this quickly.¡±

    The mood changed in an instant, and within a fleeting moment, in the blink of an eye¡­

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    ¡­Arthur screamed, a long spear stuck in his shoulder.

    It was a razor-sharp spear that resembled a sharpened dragon fang.

    ¡°Die,¡± the man in the ck robe said.

    <i>BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!</i>

    A string of massive explosions ensued.

    As a ck cloud rose, the knights ran forward.

    ¡°Lord Arthur!¡±

    ¡°Arthur!!!!¡± Merlin screamed as she stretched out her hands, the ck clouds quickly receding.

    Standing where the cloud had been, a white-haired Asian man was holding onto the bleeding Arthur¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Then, what if it was real?¡±

    The white-haired Asian man was holding Arthur with one hand. His other hand held aloft a splendidly adorned sword.

    ¡°Excalibur¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    His breath was rough, and he exuded a dark aura.

    The man slowly raised his hand, and with it came out something that seemed to be a fast-beating heart.

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    Actually, it was too grotesque to say that it was exactly like a heart. A ck spear tinged with gold skewered it.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    It had lost its body, but was still beating.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The wielder of the spear infused mana into it and blew apart the heart, scattering the pieces everywhere and melting the remnants.

    ¡°We took it down¡­¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang had said, they had defeated the monster.

    He turned around and looked around. The ruined surroundings were dotted with gold, blood, and something dark and ominous. The fight had been so intense that describing it as terrifyingly awe-inspiring did not evene close.

    It transcended humans.

    <i>¡®No¡­it wasn¡¯t even something that could have happened on Earth.¡¯</i>

    He had never even considered that there could have been such a battle on this.

    Aegir, who had turned into something bizarre, had resisted to the very end, even as his body was destroyed.

    Even after an explosion, Aegir had continued to move even after his body had fallen.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    The unbelievable thing was that the same was true of Lee Jun-Kyeong too, who was struggling to breathe as he expelled a dark aura from his body. He wasn¡¯t fine either.

    While dealing with the golden giant, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also received several injuries. But that wasn¡¯t the most terrifying part.

    <i>Gurgle.</i>

    The most horrifying part was his recovery. His body was healing in an almost grotesque way, It was apletely different resilience and mechanism even whenpared to Jeong In-Chang, who had also gained the power of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    It was almost as if time was reversing.

    His body looked like it was going back to a time before he got injured.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thus stepped on Aegir¡¯s corpse and looked over at the party.

    Tension took over the trio, as the dark aura that he exuded every time he exhaled felt different from before. There had been instances before where Lee Jun-Kyeong had lost his sanity and reasoning when he had exerted that level of power before.

    Thus, Yeo Seong-Gu cautiously asked him, ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡± A momentter, the response came.

    "Yes."

    Slowly, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s condition was changing.

    The ck me that had consumed him, the ck breath that spewed out like smoke¡­ Everything was fading.

    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m going to die,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong joked, twisting his body left and right and taking a step forward.

    The fight with Aegir was still vivid in his mind.

    It was entirely different from the time before.

    Unlike before, when there was the chance that he would be consumed by the devilish aura or Madness while fighting, everything had been under his control.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    From the very beginning, this time, the overflowing power seemed to be his own.

    Then, as if possessed by something, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, ¡°Status window.¡±

    He opened the blue window, and the window disced his own status to him. A lot of information was listed, but Lee Jun-Kyeong saw only one line clearly.

    [Level: 99]

    His own level.

    He had thought that he had reached level 100 by now, but his level was still 99.

    ¡°Is it saying from here¡­¡±

    As if he had forgotten the existence of Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself.

    ¡°I can be even stronger¡­¡±

    Looking at the blue window as it closed quietly, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky.

    <i>¡®<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...¡¯</i>

    Just who was that bastard?

    <i>Thud.</i>

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    Just like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong copsed.

    Jeong In-Chang carefully picked up Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had fallen to the floor, and quickly inspected his condition.

    ¡°Ha¡­what a relief. It just looks like he passed out,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, sighing in relief.

    Then, while holding the fallen Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu looked at each other.

    ***

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    A huge white wolf was crossing the road without hesitation, running along a road full of abandoned cars.

    ¨CGrowl.

    He growled quietly as he searched the area.

    In Gyeonggi-Do, the damage wasn¡¯t as great as they had expected, perhaps because thend was wide and the poption density low.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    The white wolf continued to search for something, sniffing the air with his snout and feeling the mana around it. He only stopped after running for a while.

    ¨CGrowl.

    The wolf slowly approached the thing that it had found.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    As it walked forward, the wolf¡¯s appearance changed, and it soon transformed into a small white-haired child. The child picked something up from the ground.

    <i>Sniff. Sniff.</i>

    In his hands were people¡¯s clothes and even a lost shoe from someone who had fled so quickly that they couldn¡¯t afford the split second required to pick it up.

    They were traces of people, a sign of the dozens of humans that had been forced to flee by <i>something</i>.

    ¡°I found it.¡±

    That was the very thing that the boy was looking for.

    He examined the clothes and traces scattered around him. He then picked them up and transformed again, running back the way he came.

    ¡°<i>Grr¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl!</i>¡±

    Although the wolf ran into monsters from time to time on his return, all monsters that crossed his path were in a hurry to run away.

    They could feel it¡ªa feeling of great power. They were sensing a predator and hiding themselves away.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    The wolf heard a warm voice calling to wee him back as he arrived at his destination.

    ¡°Ooonyeo,¡± Fenrir said, having turned back into a human and handing the clothes in his possession to Ungnyeo.

    ¡°The people. I found it.¡±

    They had returned to the vi that Lee Jun-Kyeong had bought in Gyeonggi-Do. After many twists and turns, they had arrived home. However, the family they had wanted to see wasn¡¯t there waiting for them. In their ce were traces of battle, traces of urgency.

    They had fled from something. And that something¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not a monster,¡± Fenrir said to Ungnyeo with a clear gaze. "It¡¯s a person. A Hunter.¡±

    The family of the White Tiger n had fled from Hunters, not from monsters.

    1. This is a customary formal farewell from a knight in Korean. ??

 Chapter 174: Homebound Pt. 11

    <h4>Chapter 174: Homebound Pt. 11</h4>

    Ungnyeo¡¯s expression turned cold.

    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re Hunters?¡±

    When they had returned to their home in Gyeonggi-Do, all they had found were traces of their families running away from something. But to think they would be fleeing from Hunters instead of monsters.

    ¡°...¡±

    Anger and worry descended on the faces of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige¡ªno, now the Hunters, the members of the White Tiger n. Furthermore, they hadn¡¯t left their home in Gyeonggi-Do without any preparations either. Ungnyeo had created multiple barriers to protect their family members, but when they had returned, the barriers had already disappeared.

    To be more specific, someone had forcibly broken the barrier. But to think it had been Hunters. This could have only meant one thing, that these Hunters had deliberately invaded.

    "By chance¡­¡±

    With an extremely stiff expression, Ungnyeo mustered up the courage to ask a question to Fenrir.

    ¡°Corpses. None. No one was killed,¡± Fenrir responded without even listening to the question.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Sighs of relief could be heard from all around them.

    ¡°Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    The loudest sigh came from the man who had followed Lee Jun-Kyeong from China who was also nicknamed Hwa Tuo. He turned his head.

    ¡°For now, I want to allow the people to rest first. Mr. Won-Hwa, can you help me with that?¡±

    Won-Hwa nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±

    The party had left Seoul and had traveled to their home in Gyeonggi-Do, but they hadn¡¯t been able to get there without sacrifice. The cataclysm had already begun in Gyeonggi-Do. This was a time when no one could know when a group of monsters would appear, so the roads had been made unpassable.

    If there were only one thing that they could have said had been a relief, it was that they had still been able to travel through the mountains.

    ¨CRest until we call for you again.

    After all, they had someone that could be called the ruler of the mountains: Sangun. In the midst of this cataclysm, he, too, was changing.

    ¡°Has your strength fully returned?¡± Ungyneo asked.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    Sangun had lost much of his strength after having died ande back to life, but was now beginning to regain his strength.

    ¡°However, it seems that most of it should return after a little while.¡±

    Although hey in Ungnyeo¡¯s arms in the form of a small puppy, the aura that radiated from him was definitely not normal, simr in strength to when he had dominated and reigned over Mt. Baekdu.

    Sangun was gaining much in this cataclysm as well.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    One of the quietest members of the party suddenly opened their mouth. It was a gloomy voice, and the hood was pulled so deep over the figure¡¯s face that it was impossible to tell who was under the cloak. However, whoever it was, it was obvious that they were extremely emaciated.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve regained your strength, can¡¯t you change your appearance? Why do you still look like a puppy¡­¡±

    With a choking sound, Sangun cleared his throat and responded, slightly embarrassed, ¡°Ahem. I feel morefortable this way.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Flustered, Sangun¡¯s white fur seemed to turn red for a moment.

    Ungnyeo had been stifling herughter and looked over at the emaciated figure who had asked Sangun a question. ¡°How is your condition?¡±

    The figure wearing the hood carefully pulled it back at Ungnyeo¡¯s words, the exposed face withered beyond belief. However, it was impossible to hide the rising vitality emanating from within the figure.

    Ungnyeo spoke again, calling out to the figure, ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    ***

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    A voice came to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears as he came to his senses. He could see Yeo Seong-Gu looking down at him after forcibly opening his eyes. He then calmly looked around and discovered that he was in an unfamiliar ce.

    ¡°We¡¯re still in Gwangmyeong,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    ¡°I see,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, slowly getting up.

    ¡°How is your body?¡± the Hunter asked again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. In fact, it¡¯s a bit bewildering how normal I feel.¡±

    Although it seemed that the sudden growth had put a strain on his body, when Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses again, he found that his condition had risen to being nearly perfect. It felt as if overflowing vitality was circting all throughout his body.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    This time, he asked, ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    He sat down on the bed and shook his head slightly to clear his mind. Aegir, who had ruled over Gwangmyeong, had died, and the survivors had escaped. He wanted to find out what had urred to the city and the residents after he had passed out.

    ¡°Look for yourself,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he pulled back the curtain.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    ¡°...¡±

    In front of him was the sight of ruins being bathed in intense sunlight. There was nothing left of the city that used to be filled with buildings lined up one after the other, and there were even random little holes in the ground here and there. While he took in the sights of the city with bewildered eyes, he heard Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s voice again from behind him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, because the residents are safe,¡± stated the bald man. ¡°Also, Hel conducted its job quite well. Although there was a small issue¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¡°The destruction even reached the ce where we had nned to evacuate the residents.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued, ¡°By chance, we found an even safer ce than where we had originally nned for.¡±

    To Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s surprise, Yeo Seong-Gu pointed toward the hideous holes that littered the ground.

    ¡°A natural cave was created by the explosions. The terrain is good, and the gold that had been created by Aegir hardened quite well, so there isn¡¯t any fear of it copsing either¡­

    ¡°And the surrounding monsters should have been cleared up in the midst of the fight as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Currently, it¡¯s the safest ce in Gwangmyeong. We¡¯ve moved the residents into it for now.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then asked, ¡°Then we are in¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had said that they had moved the residents to the cave, but he had woken up in an intact building.

    ¡°The residents need furniture and food if they are to stay there for a while, so we¡¯ve had the Hunters roaming around the surrounding buildings to search and secure supplies. As for us, I brought you to a nearby building for your safety.¡±

    <i>Creak.</i>

    Just as Yeo Seong-Gu finished, the door opened.

    ¡°Why do I always seem to bete?¡± a familiarughing voice said.

    Jeong In-Chang was standing in front of the door, looking over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back over at him and responded jokingly, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re always so busy.¡±

    Whenever Lee Jun-Kyeong would get hurt or go unconscious, Jeong In-Chang would always find a solution to whatever they had to handle. Perhaps because he saw the trust in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, Jeong In-Chang awkwardly scratched at his chin.

    ¡°Well¡­ I think that our urgent food issue has been handled for the time being,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, sounding embarrassed.

    <i>Rustle.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up. His body was full of vitality, but his head still felt a little hazy because he had passed out earlier. As he looked out the window, his gaze gradually became clearer.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Then, as if he had noticed something, he quickly found his ne. It had somehow remained intact even after such fierce battles.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Unfortunately, no light emanated from the ne that he was holding.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang both asked him a question at the same time as they could probably both feel his bewilderment.

    ¡°Ennd¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke to them with a gaze filled with anxiety.

    ¡°Something seems to have happened in Ennd.¡±

    ***

    Merlin¡¯s ne was not something that was normal. In fact, by her description, it would be safe to assume that it was even a form of magic itself.

    <i>¡®As long as there is nothing wrong with me, the ne will always exist in apleted state.¡¯</i>

    The ne was connected to Merlin. That was why finding out it had lost its power while he was unconscious was something incredibly rming. The ne had lost its luster, turning into an ordinary essory.

    ¡°Just what¡­¡±

    What happened to Merlin? Lee Jun-Kyeong knew the power that Merlin and Arthur held. They were some of the strongest Hunters in the world, and he thought they would be able to survive, no matter what adversity they faced. But, something had happened to such an entity.

    ¡°Could it have been something in the cataclysm¡­¡±

    Based on everything he had seen and felt, anything could have happened in the cataclysm.

    <i>''There are things I don''t know.''</i>

    He hade to realize that there were more things that didn¡¯t exist in the book of the Demon King or even in the records of history.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Listening to the footstepsing from afar, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the person approaching him a question, ¡°How was it?¡±

    In response, Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at him and shook his head.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t work. It¡¯s nearly impossible tomunicate whatsoever with the outside world.¡±

    At Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request for him to investigate what had happened in Ennd where Merlin resided, Yeo Seong-Gu had attempted to use the Bifrost to investigate, but didn¡¯t make much headway.

    ¡°The Round Table is strong. You don¡¯t have to worry too much,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as if he was trying to reassure his friend. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression didn¡¯t rx at all.

    "Thest thing we said¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu as if he had remembered something about Merlin.

    ¡°Thest time I spoke to Merlin, she had said that she was going to go meet with Olympus.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Zeus is gone, and¡­do you think that Olympus could have something to do with the troubles in Ennd?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    The battle had ended, but for some reason, uneasiness continued to gue their party.

    The only good thing was that the situation in Gwangmyeong had turned out better than they had expected.

    ¡°We should head out,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu nodded.

    They weren¡¯t in a normal room. Instead, they were in a dusky cave. However, even without a single me, the walls of this peculiar cave glowed on their own.

    "How amazing."

    Fortunately, with Jeong In-Chang¡¯s interruption, the topic changed.

    ¡°This cave was created by the melting and hardening of Aegir¡¯s body, and¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve even warded off the monsters.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Jeong In-Chang all looked at each other and smiled.

    There were still many monsters left in Gwangmyeong, as the Hunters who had followed Aegir¡¯s orders hadn¡¯t cleared out any of them before. Furthermore, arge number of Hunters had died while escaping from the gymnasium. Although the future of Gwangmyeong was uncertain, fortunately, a cave like this had appeared.

    Yeo Seong-Gumented, ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t seem to be like this because of Aegir¡¯s gold.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at the walls of the cave. The cave seemed to beposed of a mix of dirt, stone, gold, and ck ash. The ck ash had an unknown origin and it had mixed into the walls.

    He himself had also been instrumental in creating this grotesque cave that had also cleared out the monsters in the vicinity. Although it would take some time for them to figure out exactly what had happened, it was fine as long as it was safe. It was fortunate that the residents would have a safe ce to stay until they were able to get help from other Hunters.

    As the party moved along with Jeong In-Chang, they were received by the cries of people.

    ¡°Wow!!!¡±

    People overflowed with liveliness. They were happy to have survived and joyous to be able to feel their hungry stomachs and encourage one another.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although it was difficult for the Hunters to join with the others just yet, they could see that the Hunters were getting closer to the residents, little by little. The children were even expressing their gratitude by bringing the food they had been given to the Hunters to share with.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen here, now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Yeo Seong-Gu.

    There was no more time left for them to stay in Gwangmyeong. Now that the cataclysm was progressing so rapidly, they had to hurry to Gyeonggi-Do.

    However, the Hunters that resided here were those who had followed Aegir. Even if those that remained said that they were fighting for the residents, it was impossible that there wouldn¡¯t be any ones who had agreed with Aegir wholeheartedly.

    As the one who defeated Aegir, along with Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang, the three knew that although they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any abnormal behavior from the Hunters while they were here, it could happen again as soon as they left.

    Once they left, the Hunters could dominate the people again. Of course, while there would be those who would fight against it, it wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°I got in touch with Incheon. They will be sending Hunters here as things seem to have improved a lot over there.¡±

    "What a relief."

    "And,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and brought up a heavy topic. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go to Gyeonggi-Do.¡±

    ¡°Do you n to stay here?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Yeo Seong-Gu just shook his head.

    ¡°No. I think I should go to Seoul.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No matter what anyone else says, the ce with the most Hunters is Seoul. Moreover, they are all Hunters who can help people in the midst of thisplete mess.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued with a wry smile on his face, ¡°I think I should go to Seoul and sort out the situation there, first.¡±

    After all, a ruler had appeared in Seoul, and the city had be a sea of fire.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t respond easily, and just turned back, looking at the residents.

 Chapter 175: Homebound Pt. 12

    <h4>Chapter 175: Homebound Pt. 12</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party didn¡¯t waste any time like they had in Incheon.

    Due to the effects of the cave that had been created through the battle between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Aegir, monsters weren¡¯t able to approach their refuge. Consequently, most of the Hunters had gathered into one ce. Thus, there was no reason for them to have to spend much of their own time handling the aftereffects.

    ¡°Are you leaving?¡± someone said to Lee Jun-Kyeong as the party finished preparing to head out.

    He turned around. ¡°Ah.¡±

    It was a familiar face. He was one of the hunters who had asked them for help against Aegir¡¯s tyranny.

    ¡°What about the others¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Yeo Seong-Gu shook his head.

    Most of the other Hunters who had gone to find him had died, even the leader who had led them all to beg them for help.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said the Hunter.

    Regardless of what had happened to hispanions, he expressed his gratitude to Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, Mr. Underdog, and yourpanions¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to imagine the horrors we would have had to undergo.¡±

    The three of them had bitter expressions. Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could say anything, the Hunter continued, ¡°We also know that our sins will not easily be washed away.¡±

    It had been an inevitable choice as they would have been killed if they hadn¡¯t joined Aegir, but they were Hunters who had stood on the tyrant¡¯s side. However, even if it hadn¡¯t been much of a choice, that didn¡¯t mean that their sins were erased. After all, children had been taken away by Aegir¡¯s orders, and the people had been persecuted. Many of them had even died.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Just like the fist that the Hunter clenched, it had been like a mire that, no matter how much one struggled, couldn''t be escaped.

    ¡°There are always exceptions,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said. ¡°Your sins can certainly be said to be great, but¡­that doesn¡¯t mean that they are impossible to wash away.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu slowly approached him and held his clenched fists. The Hunter, who couldn¡¯t raise his head in shame, just trembled before him.

    ¡°Ask them for forgiveness. Protect the people here for the rest of your life, and save ten times as many people as the lives you sacrificed.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Still, I guess it still is an unforgivable sin,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu continued.

    The Hunter finally raised his head, tears running down his cheeks. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what the Hunter could be thinking at this moment.

    <i>¡®The people who had begged him for help. The children who had their vitality stolen by Aegir. Even the image of himself taking those children to their deaths.¡¯</i>

    He didn¡¯t know which image could be torturing the Hunter before him. However, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s wasn¡¯t done there. ¡°Thus. Try. Try until everyone forgives you.¡±

    The Hunter finally answered, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    <i>¡®For the rest of your life¡­atone¡¯</i>

    It was an unforgivable sin. So, Yeo Seong-Gu told him to atone for it. In that process, he was to save as many as he could from this point on.

    ¡°Although the past is something that can¡¯t be undone, a future that hasn¡¯t been set can be shifted toward the right path.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had finally finished, and both the Hunter and Jeong In-Chang were both lost in their own thoughts. Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself as if he had felt something from Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s words, ¡°The past and the future¡­¡±

    <i>¡®Am I in the past?¡¯</i>

    Or was he facing a future that could be changed?

    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t tell anything yet.¡±

    ***

    They hadn¡¯t developed much affection for Gwangmyeong and they also felt very cramped, so the party quickly departed from the city. Moreover, because they had wasted quite a bit of time from the unexpected ambush in the form of Aegir, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party quickly moved to Gwacheon.

    When they arrived, Gwacheon had apletely different visage from the cities they had been to so far.

    ¡°It¡¯spletely ruined¡­¡±

    It was a barrennd with nothing left, and the only living and breathing things were the monsters that roamed the ruins. They stayed within the confines of the city, destroying everything in their sight without leaving Gwacheon, as if they considered the dim veil that surrounded the city as their territory.

    There were no Hunters remaining. There were no people either. Only blood, death, and corpses could be seen. Gwacheon waspletely ruined.

    ¡°The monsters are strangely strong,¡± said Jeong In-Chang, who had gone out on reconnaissance, with a blood-soaked face.

    His body was littered with signs of battle. In fact, he was even injured.

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said while rubbing his brows with his hand.

    The monsters in Gwacheon were abnormal, and filled with an overwhelming power. This was the true sign of it all.

    ¡°The aftermath of the cataclysm,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around as he spoke.

    Even if Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t gone out on reconnaissance, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it. A huge amount of mana filled all of Gwacheon, and there was a dense, demonic mana apanying it as well.

    Clearly, this one was one of the cities most affected by the cataclysm. Orcs were no longer something that Hunters could take down by teaming up, and even the goblins werepletely different from what they knew.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked.

    Everything in this ce was destroyed. Lee Jun-Kyeong brought up wanting to search through the ruins once again, and thus, the group searched after traces of people without rest for a day.

    However, they only found one thing: more and more corpses.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    There were only the remains of people who had died under copsed buildings or corpses dragged about by monsters. Not a single trace of living humans could be found here.

    Yeo Seong-Gu asked him once again, ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    He was asking if they would continue the search.

    In order to continue any further, they would have to wipe out all of the monsters here. But, whether it was Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang, Yeo Seong-Gu, the princess or Hel, there was no way for them to clear the monsters in Gwacheon by themselves even though their power was at a level that no one could ignore.

    ¡°There are too many of them.¡±

    There was no way for them to clear the monsters in Gwacheon by themselves. Gate breaks continued to ur, so monsters were pouring into the ruins endlessly. If there was even one person left, they would do anything to save them.

    <i>¡®However, there¡¯s no one here.¡¯</i>

    No matter how hard Lee Jun-Kyeong tried, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of a living human. Thus, the decision was made.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to leave Gwacheon.¡±

    They would only be passing by.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang also didn¡¯t object to his decision. Not only was it a reasonable decision, but it was also just the reality.

    In contrast, the situation in Incheon had been very good. While Gwangmyeong was persecuted under Aegir¡¯s rule, it was still better than Gwacheon.

    This was what it meant to be in the cataclysm, the moment when people would start talking about the end of the world again. This event would change many Hunters and even the world itself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky with a conflicted gaze. He had gained strength and became stronger. He had met Aegir and even uncovered some truths. The stronger he became, the stronger he would be.

    <i>¡®Many things have been uncovered.¡¯</i>

    There were the things he hadn¡¯t known, and the truth of things that only those who experienced it would know. After the fight with Aegir, Lee Jun-Kyeong had chewed over it dozens of times a day.

    <i>¡®The book of the Demon King. And even in history.¡¯</i>

    He had gained strength and retraced his memories based on the newly acquired information that he had. But still, other things appeared. There was the truth that he hadn¡¯t been able to see as he hadn¡¯t known about it.

    And now, he had obtained the conviction of truths that he hadn¡¯t been sure of earlier with feeble doubt.

    ¡°The Sponsors are not on the side of humans,¡± he said.

    <i>¡®The cataclysm was created by the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to talk with <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, even in the cataclysm, the clear blue sky refused to give him an answer.

    ***

    As they had decided, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party left Gwacheon. However, it would leave them unsettled to just walk past the destroyed city like nothing had happened, so unlike how they had nned, they still went through Gwacheon onest time for a day.

    ¨CNo trace of people could be found.

    They attempted to use Hel¡¯s abilities to manipte souls, but the result was the same. No one was left. It hadn¡¯t even been that long, and they didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but they had no choice but to ept that conclusion as this was the cataclysm.

    After leaving Gwacheon, they headed to Seongnam. The dimly lit veil that surrounded it wasn¡¯t the same as the formidable one that had divided Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul. This veil was one that they were able to pass if they were to put some effort into it.

    When they arrived at Seongnam, they were surprised. ¡°It¡¯spletely different.¡±

    All they had done was cross a thin, almost invisible veil, and almost surprisingly, they ran into people just after walking for a short time.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Underdog?¡±

    They were Hunters who were standing guard, well-armed with weapons. They weed Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Guild Leader of the League Guild!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Yeo Seong-Gu!¡±

    The group also shouted in wee of Yeo Seong-Gu as well. For a while, the party was shocked by the reaction of those they had run into.

    ¡°You¡­!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted in a flustered but weing tone.

    ¡°How are you here?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°Guild Leader!¡±

    ¡°Guild Leader!¡±

    Hunters jumped out of the group before them and rushed toward Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>Clench!</i>

    They hugged each other fiercely, exuding an aura of delight in meeting once again. After the intense greeting, Yeo Seong-Gu said, ¡°These are the League Guild members.¡±

    He introduced them to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang in a weing tone, a mixture of pride, joy, and relief.

    ¡°But why are you here?¡± he asked the guild members.

    However, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong who was taken aback at Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s question.

    ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t prepare the Seongnam front, too, Hyung?¡±

    He was shocked because he also knew the faces as well¨Cthe guild members of the Seoul Branch of the League Guild.

    At that question, everyone¡¯s faces hardened.

    ¡°...¡±

    "We¡­¡±

    After a while, they spoke through dry lips.

    ¡°We fled Seoul.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Guild Leader.¡±

    At their hardened expressions, a familiar feeling surfaced: guilt.

    ¡°Seoul¡­¡±

    One of the Hunters who stood guard spoke to Yeo Seong-Gu and the party.

    ¡°It has be hell.¡±

    ***

    Ungnyeo and the White Tiger n continued to follow the trail without a break. The traces of their families who were fleeing form the Hunters had been left for too long. They were certain that those who were targeting the family members of the White Tiger n were Hunters. While there were Hunters among those who had been left behind, most of them were still ordinary people. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid the Hunters for such a long distance.

    Whether it be traces of battle or whatever, Ungnyeo should have found something that showed their stand.

    But, even more strangely, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that drew concern.

    ¡°The monsters¡­¡±

    The number of monsters were decreasing as they followed the trail. Unlike on the outskirts, there were extremely few monsters along the trail of the family members. Thus, she was even more anxious.

    "This way!"

    Fenrir moved quickly and followed the trail. Although tired from the continued pursuit, the White Tiger n rather pushed forward even faster, burning with fighting spirit. They had to save their families. They had to return triumphant.

    However, there was something off.

    <i>''There are no people.''</i>

    Ungnyeo continued to have doubts.

    No matter howrge thend was and how low the poption density of Gyeonggi-Do was, she just couldn¡¯t understand why they hadn¡¯t run into anyone by this point, let alone their family members.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t far.¡±

    As questions arose from chasing the traces, finally, Fenrir found a clue. Fenrir was not an ordinary being, so he wasn¡¯t using smell to find them. Instead, he was sensing human vitality. He tracked them by pursuing their unique mana, the scent of their very lives.

    Fenrir stated with confidence of his discovery, ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    It meant that their destination was near. The group sped up.

    ¡°Get on.¡±

    Still, unlike their burning fighting spirit, the White Tiger n was still getting more and more exhausted physically, and so, Fenrir offered his back to them. Even if Sangun controlled the animals around them for them, there wouldn¡¯t have been many wild animals that would be ridable in Korea. Thus, in the end, the White Tiger n climbed up on Fenrir¡¯s back and continued on.

    <i>Caw. Caw.</i>

    As they traveled forward, they could hear the sound of crows greeting them from the sky. Fenrir stopped.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    They had arrived where the trail had ended.

    ¡°But there isn¡¯t anything here?¡±

    All Ungnyeo and everyone else could see was a wide in.

    As their bewilderment continued, the faces of Sangun and Fenrir suddenly hardened.

    ¡°...¡±

    And soon, Ungnyeo, Hyeon-Mu, and Won-Hwa also reacted in turn.

    ¡°...¡±

    They all looked up at the sky at the same time as if they had all nned it in advance.

    <i>Caw.</i>

    There was the sound of crows that they had heard before. Moreover, the sky had clearly been bright.

    But, something had happened.

    ¡°When did it get so dark?¡±

    ¡°Hey, look over there!¡±

    ¡°The crows¡­ !¡±

    They were covering the sky.

    Among them, an unusuallyrge crow was slowly descending and approaching. It had an enormous aura.

    They all prepared for battle. Eventually, the crow¡¯s voice reached the ears of the party.

    ¨CI was waiting for you.

 Chapter 176: A Changed World

    <h4>Chapter 176: A Changed World</h4>

    ¡°Here is your coffee,¡± a Hunter said as they handed over a steaming cup of coffee to Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter¡¯s hands moved slowly and carefully, almost as if they were handing something to their first love.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong epted the offered coffee and thanked the Hunter. Instead of epting the thanks, the Hunter responded with gratitude as well, ¡°Th¡­thank you!¡±

    After realizing what he had said, the Hunter quickly left the room, embarrassed.

    "<i>Pfft</i>."

    ¡°<i>Puhaha!</i>¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang, who were sitting together by the side, finally burst intoughter, unable to hold it in any further.

    ¡°What, no date?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu teased.

    ¡°You¡¯re so popr,¡± Jeong In-Chang added.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shrugged in response to their teasing and drank the coffee. They were currently residing in Seongnam, staying at the temporarily erected Hunter Association building.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been a month since we arrived in Seongnam,¡± said Yeo Seong-Gu as he looked out of the window.

    With the curtains drawn back, they could see a view of the city through the window. It was as vibrant and safe as it had been before the cataclysm. People weren¡¯t afraid to go out into the streets, the markets were active, and even schools were running. This ce waspletely different from the other cities they had been to so far.

    ¡°We¡¯ve stayed here too long,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, putting down the coffee cup.

    Originally, it had been a ce they should have just passed by, but unfortunately, they had been forced to stay for unavoidable reasons. Something was keeping them from going to Gyeonggi-Do, their original destination.

    When they were about to leave and head to Gyeonggi-Do, a veil that had already grownpletely out of control appeared in front of them, blocking them from passing forward. It was a barrier that couldn¡¯t be crossed even with the Bifrost.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Jeong In-Chang all tried to tear down the veil somehow, but it was to no avail. Thus, they stayed in Seongnam as they looked for a way across.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve gotten the affection of the residents because you¡¯ve stayed here for such a long time,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu teased.

    The reason that the Hunter from before had reacted in such a manner was that the party hadn¡¯t just taken a break while staying in Seongnam. Rather, they had moved even more madly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally been able to conduct a hunt that he had been too busy to handle before. In the end, he had not only cleaned up the surrounding area around Seongnam but had also gone all the way to Gwangmyeong to take down the monsters.

    He was a Hero to both the people and the Hunters. Lee Jun-Kyeong was praised as a true Hero by everyone, and it wasn¡¯t just him as well. Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu were also raising their reputations even further.

    ¡°I mean, the difference in performance is absolutely overwhelming. I have nothing to say.¡±

    Still, as Jeong In-Chang said, Lee Jun-Kyeong and their activities were worlds apart. Lee Jun-Kyeong was destroying hordes of monsters single-handedly, saving people and wiping out anything in his path. He was acting like someone who was angry about something.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a sigh.

    ¡°How is the situation?¡± he said, changing the subject.

    Not only had they been clearing the monsters in the area, but they had also been driving their information gathering.

    ¡°There still isn¡¯t any response from Seoul. It¡¯s impossible for us to cross the veil or even make any contact,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded.

    The Hunters in Seongnam had exined it to them: Seoul had be hell. Many of the hunters currently in Seongnam were those who had fled from that hellscape.

    <i>¡®A ruler¡­a ruler¡­¡¯</i>

    A ruler had suddenly appeared in Seoul, but no one knew what it was. Moreover, just how strong could it be that it had built such a solid barrier and taken over Seoul?

    They tried all kinds of things in order to get that information, but they couldn¡¯t find an answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same overseas. Everyone¡¯s situation is getting more and more serious. Cities that used to be safe are now facing the aftermath of the cataclysm as well.¡±

    ¡°Is there any news from Egypt or Europe?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu frowned as if he was ced in a problematic situation.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been able to get in contact with Egypt, but the situation isn¡¯t very good. They lost too many Hunters during Set¡¯s rebellion. Although they seem to be holding together somewhat so far, it''s not a good situation.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°As for Europe,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, his hand kneading his brow.

    ¡°London haspletely copsed, and we can¡¯t get in touch at all. I also only heard this from one of the Hunters who had escaped.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Jeong In-Chang all looked out of the window. Seongnam, the city, still had its original appearance.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a changing¡­¡¯</i>

    No.

    It was a changed world.

    ***

    ¡°Mr. Underdog!¡±

    ¡°Siegfried!¡±

    Whenever Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang went out together, people came up to say hello. They were celebrities in Seongnam.

    ¡°Where are you going today?¡±

    ¡°We will follow you!¡±

    Whether it was the Hunters of guilds that supported Korea, Hunters who belonged to the Association, the League Guild members, or even those who had only just be Hunters, everyone was fond of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang. Whenever they would go out, monsters would disappear, and people would be saved.

    ¡°This time, we n to go to the border of Gyeonggi-Do,¡± Jeong In-Chang said to them.

    ¡°We, too, will¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but this time, only the two of us will go,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded firmly to the request of the Hunters.

    The Hunters all lowered their heads in response. However, it wasn¡¯t because they had been rejected.

    ¡°We apologize. We will work even harder.¡±

    No, they seemed to think it was because they had be a burden.

    Because the two had always shown such an overwhelming gappared to them, the Hunters were not only envious of them but also self-deprecating about themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    "Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Like we said before¡­¡±

    Their faces stiffened as Lee Jun-Kyeong rxed his smile.

    ¡°We have to move on from here. We¡¯re only going alone because we intend to examine the veil.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The Hunters¡¯ expressions hardened at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s words. It was something that the party had said from the very beginning as they arrived at Seongnam, that they were nning to go to Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°Gyeonggi-Do is dangerous. Don¡¯t you think gathering more Hunters in Seongnam and traveling all at once¡­¡±

    The Hunters made the same suggestion every time.

    ¡°We can¡¯t wait. We have people waiting for us.¡±

    However, they were rejected every time.

    ¡°We understand.¡±

    In the end, the Hunters retreated, and Lee Jun-Kyeong finished his preparations.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    A car revved its engine and was making noise in front of them. As stated earlier, Seongnam was a stable city. No one had to worry about being attacked by monsters or worry about roads being cut off, and thus, they were able to travel by car.

    ¡°Hunter Lee.¡±

    During their time here, their driver had always been this man.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at the voice that called out to him. The person who was calling him Lee Jun-Kyeong in this situation, and not the Underdog, was ¡°Mr. Kim.¡± It was Kim Su-Yeong, the member of the Association with whom he had had a rtionship with since he had be a Hunter.

    Surprisingly, his manager was in Seongnam. It wasn¡¯t that Kim Su-Yeong had also fled from Seoul, but that around the time Lee Jun-Kyeong had been traveling abroad, Kim Su-Yeong had been managing Hunters all over the country, so he had been in Seongnam when the cataclysm began.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook hands with Kim Su-Yeong. It was destiny, and Kim Su-Yeong had no idea exactly how grateful Lee Jun-Kyeong was that his manager was still alive. Kim Su-Yeong also smiled as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, and they all entered the car.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    The car vibrated slightly and started to move forward.

    <i>¡®Soon¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he looked out at the city out of the window.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ll be leaving.¡¯</i>

    They had stayed here too long. The only reason they had stayed here was to find a way.

    ¡°Did you find a way to get to Gyeonggi-Do?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked.

    ¡°I think so,¡± he responded.

    Now, they seemed to have found a way.

    ***

    The intangible veil now looked like a physical barrier that was ckened and hardened. It seemed to be formed of some strange sort of material rather than energy like before.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong touched the veil as he walked forward with the corpses of monsters piled up around him. Behind him were Kim Su-Yeong and Jeong In-Chang.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    He continued to touch the veil as he walked forward, and there was no wavering of the wavelength of the veil or any changes as he interacted with it. It was just something hard andpletely stiff like stone.

    ¡°...¡±

    This was why they couldn¡¯t leave. They had tried to pierce through the veil with the Bifrost, but it had just been a waste of its power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ¡°Please back up a bit.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong and Jeong In-Chang nodded and took a step back. Looking at the veil, Lee Jun-Kyeong held Muspel¡¯s Spear in his hand.

    The spear of me burned red. It had consumed the blood of monsters and grown ustomed to the mes, so it was glistening like blood.

    ¡°<i>Ha-eup.</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath and gathered his aura. He would use all of the experience he had umted so far and the strength to apany it.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, boom!</i>

    He thrust forward in a straight line. A single line of fire hit the curtain, the First me. Acrid smoke and mes burst out. A wave of heat blew over them.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    When their sight returned, they could see that the veil stood, undamaged.

    ¡°How ridiculous,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said in amazement.

    The aura that Lee Jun-Kyeong had just exuded had been so strong that it had taken his breath away, even as he was growing as a Hunter. But even still, the veil stood without a single blemish.

    ¡°It seems that the answer isn¡¯t to attack it in one ce. As the entire veil is interconnected, as long as it¡¯s not pierced¡­¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to cross it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you seemed to have found a way?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked.

    Just like his question, Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that he thought he had found a way.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as he waved his hand.

    Then.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    They heard Jeong In-Chang exim.

    Jeong In-Chang was still frightened by the blurry shape that suddenly appeared in front of him, perhaps still not having gotten used to it yet.

    ¡°Hel.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiar, Hel, had appeared. It had been wandering around the vicinity following some kind of orders.

    ¡°How are the preparations?¡± he asked.

    ¨CI¡¯ve finished, master.

    Hel nodded and replied. It was an unusual Familiar, different from Fenrir or Hyeon-Mu.

    As for what that unusual Familiar had prepared¡­the earth roared, and clouds covered the sky.

    p??wread].

    <i>DDDDDDD.</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    Suddenly, thousands of corpses appeared, and they were all corpses of monsters. Hel waved its hand like amander and gave orders to the undead.

    <i>Oooughhhhh. Oooghhhh.</i>

    The half-dead, half-revived monsters moved forward with strange screams.

    <i>Boom!</i> <i>Boom!</i> <i>Boom!</i>

    Moving quickly, they mmed their bodies directly into the veil, over and over.

    Smoke rose from the veil from where they collided, and blood and flesh flew everywhere as the resurrected monsters returned to their graves.

    ¡°Is it working?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked, but Lee Jun-Kyeong simply watched the scene unfold without giving an answer. After quite some time, the monsters that seemed to appear endlessly had all disappeared.

    ¡°...¡±

    And as for the veil, it was stained with the blood and flesh of the undead monsters.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¨CHmm¡­

    ¡°Can you do it?¡±

    ¨CPlease give me a moment, master.

    Hell asked Lee Jun-Kyeong for a moment and began to spread its aura. The familiar was preparing something with the energy borrowed from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>BOOOOM!</i>

    A huge explosion urred.

    ¨CIt seems possible, master.

    In the midst of the cloud of smoke thatpletely obscured their field of vision, the only thing that rang in the ears of Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party was the voice of Hel.

    ***

    ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± someone asked.

    A great number of people were camped out in front of the temporary Association building established in Seongnam, and they were all looking at someone with their respective expressions. Their focus was on Lee Jun-Kyeong as he was saying his farewells to the crowd with arge backpack on his shoulders.

    ¡°There are many Hunters here in Seongnam. We¡¯ll select a few to follow you.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay a little bit¡­¡±

    Although the words were the earnest wishes of the Hunters mixed about, Lee Jun-Kyeong was adamant.

    ¡°No,¡± he said.

    ¡°Everyone, please protect Seongnam. Also, there is Gwangmyeong and Incheon as well¡­ you all must protect Korea.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± he concluded, turning around without hesitation. In front of him were Jeong In-Chang and Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Are youing with us?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong was waiting as well.

    They looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong with their own respective heavy loads on their backs and nodded in assent.

    "Then, let''s go,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    It was time they would set off.

 Chapter 177: A Changed World Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 177: A Changed World Pt. 2</h4>

    Seongnam was a stabilized city. Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t known it yet, but there was another ce that was simr: Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-Do. This ce, which was close to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s final destination, had also been stabilized.

    Although there weren¡¯t enoughrge buildings and ces for many people to gather aspared torge cities such as Seongnam and Seoul, the residents of Gyeonggi-Do still happily gathered in Yangpyeong. Most of them were living in tents or store buildings, but they were living a stable life, so there were no signs ofint from them. After all, there were no monster attacks or any worries about food.

    ¡°This is all thanks to that Lord!¡±

    "It''s really God-given luck that the Lord is with us.¡±

    "Thank you."

    "I hope you all have a fruitful day."

    People cheered and encouraged each other, and the scene was starkly different from thendscape of the city behind them.

    It wasn¡¯t just because they were all residents of Gyeonggi-Do. The cataclysm had brought them all together, working for one another, thinking about one another.

    And all of that was possible through the work of that Lord.

    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s give thanks to that Lord!¡±

    The Lord was a person who kept Gyeonggi-Do safe and protected the people in the midst of the cataclysm, and they were also the owner of the new building being built off to the side.

    The people began to move in groups, each with their own roles in their miniature society.

    ¡°Those who have awakened as Hunters, this way!¡±

    ¡°Those of you who are established Hunters, prepare to head out!¡±

    The newly awakened Hunters were trained, while the other Hunters went out in groups and rescued any survivors. The rest of the residents did whatever they could, taking on whatever role they could carry out. They all moved with proud expressions, grateful and full of pride to have survived.

    Then, there was the one who looked down upon them all.

    ¡°...¡±

    He drew the curtains shut.

    <i>Click.</i>

    As the darkness fell, the man soon turned on a fluorescent light. Power still ran in Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the man mused, nodding leisurely as if satisfied with the appearance of the city they had erected.

    And.

    ¡°How abominable," a voice sounded.

    A woman was sitting on a sofa to the side. Her appearance was striking, with long ck flowing hair. Although she didn¡¯t appear to be bound by any restraints, she was utterly trapped.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a physical or magical restraint.

    "Let everyone go.¡±

    Instead, the man before her was holding the people she was supposed to protect hostage, and that was why she wasn¡¯t able to make many moves easily.

    It had already been a month since she had arrived here. She tried everything she could, but she was always blocked by that monster and couldn¡¯t do anything.

    "If you want to leave, leave,¡± the man would say.

    "I won''t stop you from leaving. But it seems if you do, you won¡¯t be able to guarantee the safety of that wolf or the White Tiger n,¡± he would say in a bored and dry manner of speech. It was a tone that would leave even more goosebumps along the woman¡¯s arms.

    ¡°...¡±

    In the end, she, Ungnyeo, was forced to be silent.

    It had already been nearly a month since she had arrived here, a ce that they had found by following the traces of the residents of Heaven Lake Vige. They had arrived at this surprisingly stable city, but it was the man before her who had weed them.

    She had been attacked by him and his men. In the end, Fenrir was chained down, and the Heaven Lake Vigers imprisoned. The man before her was someone who had the strength to chain Fenrir down with his men.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>¡®Sangun, Mr. Won-Hwa¡­ Hyeon-Mu.¡¯</i>

    If there was any silver lining, then it was that some of them had been able to flee from the chaos at the expense of Fenrir. So far, the man before her hadn¡¯t been able to catch them yet, and she knew they woulde to their rescue after retreating.

    They woulde back.

    With <i>him.</i>

    "It¡¯s obvious what you''re thinking. Were you really leading people with that level of ability?¡± he said in a mocking tone. ¡°You must think those escapees are going to bring that bastard here.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    As his words hit the nail right on the head, Ungnyeo immediately shut her mouth.

    However, he hadn¡¯t finished just yet. He had been expressionless earlier, but a subtle change urred to his face as he spoke in a dry tone, ¡°Regardless of the result, rejoice in it.¡±

    It sounded as if he was weing of what was toe.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The terrifying man continued, looking straight at her, ¡°As, I think he¡¯s arrived.¡±

    ***

    <i>¡®He¡¯se¡­?¡¯</i>

    Ungnyeo knew who the man was referring to; he was the man that she had been waiting for. The man who would save them.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­ that brat is here¡­?¡± she said in an unbelieving murmur.

    In response to her bewilderment, people walked up to her, handing over food and greeting her.

    ¡°Try some of this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, always.¡±

    Ungnyeo epted them with a bitter smile. "Ah¡­ yes¡­"

    She had been here for about a month. In that time, she hadn¡¯t just been stuck in that room with that man.

    ¡°My son is a little sick¡­¡±

    "Oh, let''s go together.¡±

    She spent her time using her abilities to treat people. It was a situation where she was unable to do anything as herpanions had been imprisoned. Although she was full of hate for the ruler who kept her restrained here, these people were normal humans with no sin.

    Thus, somewhere along the line, Ungnyeo, who had been treating the residents as she looked for herpanions, had be a person respected by the residents.

    <i>¡®That brat has arrived,¡¯</i> Ungnyeo thought as she went forward to her next treatment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was finally here. After all, the ruler here wasn¡¯t someone who would lie.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    She knew that the ruler who held domain over this ce was waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong. Judging from his confident attitude, Ungnyeo assumed that the ruler must have prepared extensively while waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arrival.

    Nevertheless, it made her smile.

    <i>¡®That brat¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®He can do anything.¡¯</i>

    It was her belief, her conviction in him.

    ¡°Is there something good that has happened?¡± the residents asked when they saw her smile. It was out of character for her as she usually went about with her work with a heavy expression.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you smile."

    "It''s so beautiful I think I¡¯m going blind."

    Ungnyeo smiled even more as the people praised her.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    But that onlysted for a while as Ungnyeo¡¯s smile disappeared when she felt the rumble of the ground.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± she said, trying to continue forward alongside the residents calmly.

    ***

    "W¡­what is all this¡­?¡±

    The voice of Yeo Seong-Gu, who rarely lost hisposure, rang in the ears of the party.

    He was genuinely agitated. It was to the point that he was even smiling in despair as if it was impossible for him to believe the scene that unfolded before him.

    ¡°It''s the way for us to break through the veil,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t just been messing around when they had moved on to their respective roles while at Seongnam. More than anyone else, he wanted to save those who were still in Gyeonggi-Do.

    <i>¡®We have to hurry.¡¯</i>

    He had been hunting monsters along the border of the veil, moving to the point where he would even cross any thin veil that he came across, all in order to figure out a way to make a gap in the imprable barrier before them.

    And finally, he had found a way.

    ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Kim Su-Yeong were also very surprised.

    Before their very eyes, the voices of ghosts and ghouls washed over them.

    ¡°<i>Ughhhhh¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Grrr¡­.</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Chwiik¡­. Chwik¡­</i>¡±

    Thousands, no, tens of thousands¡­

    ¡°I think there are hundreds of thousands of them¡­¡±

    Close to hundreds of thousands of monsters were waiting for orders, moving and twisting their bodies. It was an entire corps of monsters. Although none of them were really the highest ranking of monsters, it was still shocking enough that there were that many monsters in one ce.

    Moreover, they were all undead.

    ¡°Is this the power of Hel?¡±

    The monsters, exuding both a disgusting rotting smell and the mana of the dead, were looking back at the party while standing in neat lines in a structured formation. Even though they didn¡¯t attack, the Hunters could still feel quite substantial pressure.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a lot of thingsbined with it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Is it even possible to manipte such arge number of monsters?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°I mean, with this many of them, don¡¯t you think you can do just about anything?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu alsomented.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was being bombarded with questions, which was an expected result considering what he had just done.

    He responded, ¡°Well, no. Normally, this is impossible.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    ¡°It took a long time and an even greater amount of mana. Also¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued with a bitter smile, ¡°You can just consider this as the help given to us by all of those who had died.¡±

    Hel¡¯s ability involved dealing with the soul. However, everything had a price. It took an incredible amount of mana to revive and manipte these monsters, especially as the monsters had been their enemies.

    Thus, moving thisrge of a number of undead would generally have been impossible for Lee Jun-Kyeong and his Familiar.

    <i>¡®However, the people helped us.¡¯</i>

    It was the souls of the dead. The souls of hundreds of thousands of people who had lost their families and their lives to these monsters were helping.

    ¨CThey have aided me, master.

    .

    Hel informed him that the souls of the dead had voluntarilye forward to help them with this endeavor. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t a massive undertaking.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    Even at that very moment, a huge amount of mana was escaping him like a low tide.

    "Let''s hurry."

    "Agreed¡­"

    "We should be moving quickly considering it all."

    "So..."

    Kim Su-Yeong, who had been quietly standing off to the side so far, finally carefully said, ¡°What¡¯s the method?¡±

    <i>Rumble!!</i>

    Alongside, a huge vibration could be felt from the ground. The monsters that had been standing still so far had begun to move, walking forward slowly with their backs to the party.

    ¡°This will impact many parts of the veil at the same time. Also¡­¡±

    Where they currently stood was the boundary of the veil, the connection point between Seoul and Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°This will also spread into the veil over Seoul.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Kim Su-Yeong asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just answered simply, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    "Can I ask you one more question?" Yeo Seong-Gu interjected.

    "Yes."

    Yeo Seong-Gu continued with a face filled with even more anxiety, an expression that none of them had ever seen. It was a question that none of them had brought up just yet.

    ¡°Everyone must still be alive¡­right¡­?¡±

    As he asked Lee Jun-Kyeong if the Ungnyeo, the White Tiger n, and Fenrir, which they had so desperately wanted to find, were still alive, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to answer confidently, ¡°For now.¡±

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    The tremors were getting stronger.

    ***

    "Take a little rest and you''ll be fine."

    "Thank you so much. Thank you."

    Ungnyeo wiped the sweat from her forehead. During the day, she treated hundreds of people. There were survivors who had been rescued, people who suffered from ack of medicine, and even the children who were suffering from mana sickness due to the cataclysm. Ungnyeo was using her power to heal them all.

    After today¡¯s work, she left the infirmary and headed somewhere, a wastnd some distance away from where the residents were.

    From a strange building built off to the wayside, a strange rumble erupted, and as she approached it, the tremor grew stronger. Ungnyeo withstood the vibration and casually entered the building. The interior and exterior werepletely different from each other.

    It was as if she had entered apletely different space. In the midst of the dark, the unpleasant sound of chains jostled in Ungnyeo¡¯s ears.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    When she turned the lights on in the dark room,

    ¨CGRAHHH!!!

    A strong roar rang out, the vibration from its power making the very space tremble. Ungnyeo lowered her voice in sorrow and called out a name, ¡°Fenrir..."

    It was a white-haired child. He looked miserable. His whole body was chained down, bound so tightly it was impossible to move. Every time he made an effort to free himself, the chain continued to tighten, digging into his skin.

    Ungnyeo wasn¡¯t able to release him from them as it wasn¡¯t something she could do with her level of strength. There was only one thing she could do for him.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    All she could do was relieve his pain and heal the damage done to Fenrir¡¯s body as he drove himself to exhaustion, trying to free himself.

    ¡°Ung¡­nyeo¡­¡± Fenrir said in a hoarse voice, looking over at Ungnyeo.

    "Jun-Kyeong...is here...¡±

 Chapter 178: A Changed World Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 178: A Changed World Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°How incredible.¡±

    The scene unfolding before them was so terrifying that even Yeo Seong-Gu was trembling before it.

    Hundreds of thousands of monsters were charging at the veil under Hel¡¯smand, exploding against it as if they were trying to die again. In an instant, thousands of monsters would disappear, leaving nothing but blood.

    ¡°Is this supposed to be proceeding properly?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    More than just being something that one couldn¡¯t see every day, this was a method that also had to be sessful. It had to work in order for them to get to Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just monsters running at a wall¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked in a low voice.

    ¡°How would I know?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu answered.

    The answer he wanted wasn¡¯t avable, as the only one who could actually answer that question wasn¡¯t in a situation where he could respond to them.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down at everything unfolding as he guided Hel¡¯s energy. There was so much sweat running down from his forehead that it drenched his chest as well.

    Jeong In-Chang closed his mouth when he saw Lee Jun-Kyeong trembling, feeling sorry for some reason.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve be the idiot for asking you a question in this state¡­¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong could only gape.

    ¡°<i>Gasp</i>.¡±

    He was just trying to control his breathing and somewhat understand the scene before them. He had thought that he had seen and experienced many things in the cataclysm, but the scene in front of him was somethingpletely out of the ordinary. Nothing he had seen before had ever shocked him like this.

    ¡°Is it almost over¡­?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu asked carefully.

    Hundreds of thousands of monsters had started, and those numbers had been noticeably reduced. Now, there were only about twenty thousand monsters throwing themselves into the veil.

    As for the veil itself, it had been stained with the blood of monsters, and the dark and murky veil had now be solidified.

    ¡°It¡¯s be a blood veil¡­ something about it is creepy.¡±

    The monsters¡¯ blood had hardened, and their flesh was pasted onto the walls. It was now a barrier formed from the bodies of corpses.

    Seeing that grotesque and disgusting sight, Kim Su-Yeong couldn¡¯t hold it in any further. ¡°<i>Bleughk!!</i>¡±

    ¡°Back¡­ up¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been silent so far, struggled to say.

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded back without dy.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    He even made a shield to protect their party using his power, assuming that all of the preparations had beenpleted.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward, and Hel, who had been waiting, stood by his side. Together, the two looked over at the veil stained with corpses.

    ¨CI will begin, master.

    All of this had just been preparation, and the beginning had only just started. Lee Jun-Kyeong then nodded.

    "Oh¡­ oh, my God!"

    <i>Drip, drip, drip.</i>

    The veil was beginning to melt.

    ¡°No¡­! No, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s not the veil, but the bodies that had been stered onto it that are melting!¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°That means this is just the beginning!¡±

    Hel waved its hands like a conductor.

    <i>RUMBLE!!!</i>

    There was a tremor that shook even the heavens, beginning from the veil and spreading out, causing the members of the party to shake uncontrobly.

    As the tremor stemming from the veil worsened, Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to say a final word.

    ¡°Ex¡­¡±

    The veil tremored.

    ¡°...plode.¡±

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    Then, it copsed.

    ***

    "Hurry up!"

    Yeo Seong-Gu ran forward quickly with Lee Jun-Kyeong on his back.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess¡¯ job was to carry Kim Su-Yeong as his ability wascking aspared to the rest of the party¡¯s. Thus, the party was running forward at full speed as an invisible explosion erupted from behind their backs.

    That explosion didn¡¯t spread out to Seongnam or Seoul, where people were staying. However, the mana contained within it temporarily had broken the veil. In fact, it seemed almost alive.

    ¡°Why the hell are you chasing after Jun-Kyeong?¡±

    ¡°<i>AGHHH!</i>¡±

    It was almost as if the explosion was running after Lee Jun-Kyeong to consume him, and it was a storm of mana that was invisible to the ordinary person.

    ¡°<i>Bleughk!!</i>¡±

    "You won¡¯t take responsibility for what happens if you throw up on the princess'' back!"

    ¡°<i>Gulp!</i>¡±

    However, they, as Hunters, were able to see that very substance was chasing after them. It was a monster, a mishappen, grotesque monster with no form. It exuded a pressure that made the party want to prostrate before it, inducing a fear that shook them to their very bones.

    ¡°<i>Cough, cough!</i>¡±

    They were barely able to survive within the storm of mana by running until it felt like their legs had fallen apart. Following that, the party quickly turned around after having run for what seemed like forever, sensing that the monster made of mana that they had been so afraid of was backing down.

    Looking at it, it seemed to almost¡­

    ¡°Is itughing at us¡­?¡±

    The congregation of mana seemed to almost beughing at them as if it was telling them that whatever happened next, it would have been better for them to have been consumed by itself. Although the party wasn¡¯t able to see anything about it properly, for some strange reason, they could understand that point more clearly than anything else.

    ¡°We¡¯ve entered it. This is Gyeonggi-Do,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    After entering, the receding storm of mana retreated far away, heading back for the ce they had broken through.

    ¡°The veil¡­it¡¯s returned.¡±

    The veil returned back to the way it had been before Lee Jun-Kyeong had broken it, dark and murky, and it was back to enveloping everything.

    Yeo Seong-Gu finally rxed and put down Lee Jun-Kyeong, whom they had thrown over his shoulder as they fled.

    "Jun-Kyeong!!¡±

    Although he shouted at the Hunter, there was no answer in response.

    ¡°<i>Cough!</i>¡±

    Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong was throwing up ck blood while having a seizure.

    ¡°Just what¡­what¡¯s making him like this?¡± asked Kim Su-Yeong, who was trying to reorient himself.

    ¡°His mana¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s reversing,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu and Jeong In-Chang said simultaneously.

    No one had expected the insane actions Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken to break through the veil. Moreover, none of them had even considered something like that to be a possibility, let alone for it to seed. However, somehow, Lee Jun-Kyeong had made it happen. Now, he was paying the price.

    No matter how strong he was or how robust his mana reserves were, there was still a limit. The power that he had used to break through the barrier that blocked the city was more than enough to destroy the user.

    ¡°He used a strength that was beyond his limit,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, putting his hands on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body, beginning an emergency treatment.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    However, the result was disastrous.

    "<i>Cough! Cough!!</i>"

    Barely able to breathe, Yeo Seong-Gu began to projectile vomit blood¨Ca necrotic, murky ck blood.

    It was as if his intestines had been damaged from that slight contact, forcing him to vomit a huge amount of blood to the point where he was only able to manage to control the bacsh.

    "How insane..." said Yeo Seong-Gu with drained eyes. He was barely able to wipe his mouth.

    "What kind of mana...¡±

    This was the first time that Yeo Seong-Gu had properly seen the extent of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s power. It was an incredible power, and it seemed to know no end.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana was different from anything Yeo Seong-Gu knew.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not mana, it''s¡­¡±

    <i>¡®It was like looking into an abyss.¡¯</i>

    It was a vast abyss that he shouldn¡¯t have dared toy his eyes upon. It was almost as if he had tasted it, a hint of the mana of the veil that had chased after them.

    Yeo Seong-Gu was terrified. Had he not cut off the connection quickly, he, too, would have copsed under the weight of the mana bacsh as well.

    ¡°What the hell are you¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu screamed at Jeong In-Chang in a blood-curling voice. It was because Jeong In-Chang was putting his hands on Lee Jun-Kyeong just as Yeo Seong-Gu had done.

    ¡°Stop it. There¡¯s nothing you can do,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, trying to get him to stop his movements.

    ¡°So what, do we just leave him like this to die?¡± Jeong In-Chang rebutted.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I have to save him,¡± Jeong In-Chang continued in a firm voice.

    ¡°But...!¡±

    ¡°There is no but.¡± The glint in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes was firm and with conviction. ¡°I will save Mr. Lee, no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­confident?¡±

    Although it could be said that Jeong In-Chang had be stronger, there was still a sharp difference in his strength aspared to Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s.

    Yeo Seong-Gu had even gone so far as to unseal his seal in order to treat Lee Jun-Kyeong. Despite that, he had almost been consumed by that terrifyingly enormous mana¡ªno, that unmovable, all-epassing power.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to die,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, warning Jeong In-Chang from continuing.

    Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t seem to care. Yeo Seong-Gu shouted again, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re going to die!¡±

    He was sure of it. If anyone tried to cure Lee Jun-Kyeong, they would die.

    Although that was why Yeo Seong-Gu had stopped treating Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang smiled and continued to put his hand downpletely onto Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s different for me.¡±

    They could feel the mana shifting in the air, and it was toote for Yeo Seong-Gu to stop him now.

    However, Jeong In-Chang really was confident to some extent.

    <i>¡®As I¡¯ve¡­¡¯</i>

    He was different from Yeo Seong-Gu. No matter how powerful Yeo Seong-Gu was, Jeong In-Chang had something fundamentally different from the Hunter.

    <i>¡®I''ve learned the mana stream.¡¯</i>

    .

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had taught him the secret of power: the ability to understand the flow of mana and manipte it. That was where his confidencey, confidence in the mana stream and its ability to do something that even Yeo Seong-Gu couldn¡¯t do.

    <i>Thrum.</i>

    As the mana shifted, a change urred almost immediately as Lee Jun-Kyeong began to tremble even more and seize even harder.

    ¡°Help¡­me please¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said to Yeo Seong-Gu and Kim Su-Yeong without taking his hands off of Lee Jun-Kyeong. The two quickly ran forward and held the Hunter down.

    ¡°Huhhh¡­. Whew¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang continued to circte his mana as he breathed deeply, a hint of pain in every breath. He could see the flow.

    <i>¡®What a great abyss¡­¡¯</i>

    He was also seeing what Yeo Seong-Gu had seen, but he wasn¡¯t scared. No, Jeong In-Chang was confident.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s to save Mr. Lee, I can even give up my life.¡¯</i>[1]

    With that mindset, he continued to create changes.

    "It''s working...?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked back and forth between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang alternately as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    It was working. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s seizures were abating and the bacsh of the reversing flow of mana was receding.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­was on his way to stability.

    "Hahaha¡­¡±

    There was the sound ofughter, and with a bloody smile on his lips, Jeong In-Chang shouted jubntly, ¡°I saved him¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongpletely regained stability. His seizures had ended, and the vomiting of blood had stopped.

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang fell over backward.

    Although the princess quickly supported him, the front of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s shirt was quickly turning red, doused in the vomiting blood.

    ¡°You crazy bastard¡­!¡±

    Stabilizing Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been possible without a cost.

    "Potion!" Yeo Seong-Gu shouted, trying to give aid to Jeong In-Chang while leaving Lee Jun-Kyeong behind, as the Hunter had already reached stability.

    But, then, they heard a stranger¡¯s voice.

    "Get out of the way."

    It was an unfamiliar voice.

    "I''ll do it."

    It was an unfamiliar face.

    None of them had felt anything, but a man had suddenly appeared standing next to them. However, after a second, Yeo Seong-Gu soon began to recognize the man¡¯s face. It was slightly confusing as the face was different from what he had remembered, but he was sure of it.

    ¡°Won-Hwa¡­!¡±

    It was the Hunter that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought back with him from China. Yeo Seong-Gu remembered the face as the man had incredible medical skills and had be apanion of Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, he lookedpletely different from before.

    ¡°Your arm¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now.¡±

    The left sleeve of Won-Hwa¡¯s coat was empty, but Won-Hwa didn¡¯t give any exnation regarding it.

    <i>Thwack, thwack, thwack!</i>

    He moved quickly, taking silver needles from an acupuncture box and swiftly embedding them into Jeong In-Chang. All they saw was a sh, an unbelievable amount of skill, even to the untrained eye. Won-Hwa quickly covered Jeong In-Chang¡¯s entire body with silver needles and spoke to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Please take Lee Jun-Kyeong and the princess,¡± Won-Hwa said with a glint in his eyes. ¡°We need to leave here right now.¡±

    <i>Rumble!!!</i>

    They could feel a tremor cross the ground they stood on. None of them had to speak about it as they could sense the impeding auras; they knew what it was without saying anything.

    Monsters were approaching them. Not one, not two, but hundreds of them. The vast mana of the iing monsters felt immense.

    "Hurry up!" Won-Hwa said, rushing the party.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Already, ck specks could be seen over the horizon. It was a vanguard of monsters. Although they had a familiar aura, for some reason, it seemed amplified well beyond what they were used to.

    ¡°Goongje!¡±

    The princess, who had been injured as they crossed the veil, expanded to her battle form and stepped forward, clearly indicating a desire to keep Jeong In-Chang safe.

    ¡°You¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he stretched his hand weakly toward the princess.

    Her condition wasn¡¯t good, and she couldn¡¯t be left to fight in this state.

    ¡°Princess! Don¡¯t be ridiculous and follow quickly!¡±

    ¡°Goongje¡­?¡±

    ¡°Someone else will take care of it!¡± Won-Hwa roared at the princess as he stomped forward.

    The party quickly followed after him, who was quickly disappearing away from the monsters.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Behind their backs came another voice, ¡°Take the master and flee from here.¡±

    1. #waifu ??

 Chapter 179: A Changed World Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 179: A Changed World Pt. 4</h4>

    The voice that hade from behind them had definitely said something.

    <i>¡®It called him the master.¡¯</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu thought to himself as he looked at the figure behind him. That figure had definitely called someone here the master, and there was only one among them who would qualify to hear that name.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    That figure had called him his master. However, Yeo Seong-Gu couldn¡¯t easily guess his identity.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve never seen him with a Familiar like that.¡¯</i>

    As the figure removed its hood, they saw an emaciated old man. Although the figure was definitely a man, he was sure that Lee Jun-Kyeong had never shown them such a Familiar¡­

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s no way¡­¡± he mumbled as if he had finally caught on to something.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Won-Hwa smiled and said as he continued forward with Jeong In-Chang on his back. ¡°That¡¯s Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    As soon as Won-Hwa finished speaking, the tremor that crossed thendscape came closer and closer. The swarm of monsters had fully emerged, and a wave was rushing madly toward them.

    ¡°The monsters¡­they¡¯ve gotten that strong¡­?¡±

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu had in many a monster during the cataclysm so far, the monsters in front of him were of apletely different ss than those he had dealt with. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust, exuding an even more ferocious energy than their pre-cataclysm counterparts.

    ¡°Red eyes¡­¡±

    ¡°Quickly!¡±

    At Won-Hwa¡¯s urging, Yeo Seong-Gu quickly stomped forward. They sped away from the swarm of monsters.

    <i>Crack, crack, pop.</i>

    An unpleasant sound began to spread out from the ground right when the group of monsters was about to sh with Hyeon-Mu.

    Hearing that, Yeo Seong-Gu, who had been quickly moving forward, turned his back momentarily and was greeted by apletely new sight. In front of him, there seemed to be thousands of them.

    ¡°A Skeleton Corps¡­¡±

    Contrasting with the blood-red eyes of the monsters, the Skeleton Corps stood with eyes eerily glowing blue.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Won-Hwa confidently said to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    Yeo Seong-Gu followed along and shifted his gaze to where the physician had indicated.

    ¡°...¡±

    His eyesnded on the indicatedndscape, and his expression hardened.

    ¡°Is this really¡­?¡±

    His voice sounded harsh, as before him was a small mountain near the Bukhan River.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that this ce where such an ominous aura is overflowing is our destination?¡± he asked, looking over at Won-Hwa with suspicion. He had a lot of misgivings about the ominous aura that emanated from the mountain.

    After thinking about it now that they had space to breathe,¡®he wasn¡¯t sure how he was supposed to trust this man. As soon as they hade to Gyeonggi-Do, they had faced a crisis. At that very moment, Won-Hwa and Hyeon-Mu had appeared as if they had been waiting for them.

    He wondered.

    <i>¡®Are these really the same people that I knew from before?¡¯</i>

    It was possible that there was another force that took on the form of Won-Hwa and deceived Hyeon-Mu or himself, and the only person who could really confirm it at this moment was asleep on his back.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>¡®For all we know, they could have betrayed us, too.¡¯</i>

    The cataclysm was a big shock. In the midst of all of these changes in this world that had turned upside down, Yeo Seong-Gu had seen many unbelievable things. There was no guarantee that these people, too, would have stayed steadfast and continued to be loyal to them in all of this mess as well.

    Even if Hyeon-Mu was guaranteed to be loyal as a Familiar, Won-Hwa was just another Hunter. What if he was deceiving Hyeon-Mu? What if all this was a trap?

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s mind quickly raced, realizing the situation they could currently be in.

    ¡°There is no need to be so vignt,¡± Won-Hwa said, however, as if reading Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s heart.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    A rattling breathing sound came from behind them as Hyeon-Mu appeared behind Won-Hwa¡¯s back. There were traces of battle all over his body. Still, Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t yet rx his guard.

    <i>Step. Step.</i>

    Then, indications of the existence of people began to descend from the mountain. It was obviously the auras of people and not monsters.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    In the end, Yeo Seong-Gu drew his sword, preparing for the worst.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    However, rather than try to appease him or convince him of thetter, Won-Hwa and Hyeon-Mu just watched from the side. Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s doubts and insecurities continued to grow.

    <i>Flutter.</i>

    Finally, a group of people began to emerge. There were quite a few of them, and all of them looked as though they were well over thirty. Moreover, all of them were Hunters that were imbued with the strength of mana.

    As Yeo Seong-Gu carefully adjusted his hold on Lee Jun-Kyeong and prepared for battle, the crowd of people opened up a path.

    ¡°Lord Sangun has asked us to bring you up the mountain,¡± they said.

    At the familiar name, Yeo Seong-Gu looked up at the mountain. When his gaze quickly returned to Won-Hwa, the other man nodded as if to reassure him to proceed.

    He knew he had to proceed.

    ¡°I guess I need an exnation.¡±

    ***

    The name of the mountain was Mt. Cheonma.[1] It was a mountain located near the Bukhan River in Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡±

    And the Hunters who emerged from its depths had a clear understanding of the geography of the mountain, moving at great speed without ever leaving a trail.

    Yeo Seong-Gu, with Lee Jun-Kyeong in his arms, chased after them like crazy.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Finally, he found himself in a small cave situated on a cliff that wasn¡¯t easy to find. Moreover, to make things moreplicated, there was a formation there too. The ominous aura on the mountain was exuding from this point, and a formation formed from its energy.

    The Hunters didn¡¯t reply to Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯sment. Instead, they opened the barrier and passed through inside. It was a barrier that seemed to allow Hunters to pass.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s useless to say anything else.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu entered into the barrier, temporarily cing his trust in the Hunters and Won-Hwa. As he entered, sting at him from all sides were the voices of people.

    ¡°They¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°Did <i>that</i> persone?¡±

    ¡°Is it him who said he would save us all¡­?¡±

    The appearance of the cave waspletely different from what he had thought.

    ¡°This is insane¡­¡±

    It was like a shelter. The interior of what he had thought to be a small cave was spacious, well-organized, and lined neatly with furniture. Furthermore, a great number of people stood there, staring back at him.

    Yeo Seong-Gu stared nkly at them for a while, then he heard Won-Hwa interject from the side, ¡°We have to hurry; they need urgent treatment.¡±

    It was only then that Yeo Seong-Gu, who hade to his senses, nodded and walked forth with him. The crowd of people split left and right as Yeo Seong-Gu walked forward.

    They looked over at the party and whispered among themselves.

    ¡°Can we finally get out now?¡±

    "Thank god¡­¡±

    "Oh, God. Thank you."

    They were filled with indescribable hope and unknowing gratitude, even going so far as to pray to a God. They all weed the party with different reactions.

    Eventually, the party reached a point, and Hyeon-Mu stretched out both his hands and headed over to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Leave Master to me.¡±

    He was asking the Hunter to hand over Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Yeo Seong-Gu hesitated for a moment but soon after ced Lee Jun-Kyeong into Hyeon-Mu¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, whoseplexion was poor, was breathing with great difficulty, and Jeong In-Chang, who was held aloft by Won-Hwa, was in a simr state.

    ¡°Then I will go to treat th¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu interjected at Won-Hwa¡¯s words.

    However, his desire didn¡¯te true as something emerged from the darkness of the cave.

    ¡°You must have a lot of questions. How about you stay to talk to me?¡±

    It was neither a beast nor a human as it had a grotesque appearance, but it introduced itself to Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°They call me Sangun. You must be curious about many things. While the others are receiving treatment, don¡¯t you think it would be nice to talk about your concerns?¡± it said with a solemn voice and a dignified gait.

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked at the figure up and down.

    ¡°Sangun¡­?¡± he asked in disbelief.

    ***

    ¡°A lot has happened in Gyeonggi-do,¡± said a figure with a grotesque appearance that was neither a monster nor a human.

    It almost seemed like¡­

    <i>¡®Half a man, half a beast.¡¯</i>

    It had the fur of a beast and the apanying fangs and ws. It basically resembled a beast down to the texture of the skin that was coveredpletely by its fur.

    However, its figure was clearly that of a human. It said that it was Sangun.

    <i>¡®But that dog¡­¡¯</i>

    To think it would have changed like this. In fact, its white hair waspletely gone, reced by ck and orange fur.

    ¡°Are you listening?¡± Sangun asked.

    Yeo Seong-Gu came to his senses. It wasn¡¯t surprising he had spaced out. As his tension had eased and his anxiety dropped, it became difficult for him to stay conscious.

    From when they had broken through the veil until now, there hadn¡¯t been a single point where he had been able to rest properly. The situations that had unfolded around him had individually been enough to drain him of all energy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please tell me again.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Sangun sighed and spoke again.

    ¡°We left Seoul to go to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s vi.¡±

    ¡°And Seoul¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You most likely know the current situation in Seoul, correct?¡± Sangun asked.

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded.

    ¡°Yes, at least generally speaking¡­¡±

    ¡°We also don¡¯t know much specifics about Seoul, just¡­just that it was good for us to have left when we did.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­.¡±

    ¡°Either way, we had headed to Gyeonggi-Do to go to our home,¡± Sangun continued, frowning.

    He seemed to be remembering something he didn¡¯t want to think about.

    ¡°However, none of our family members were there.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°The only thing left behind were the traces of their escape.¡±

    Somewhere along the line, Yeo Seong-Gu had be fully immersed in the story.

    ¡°With Fenrir¡¯s help, we were able to follow the trial. For a long time, we followed the trail, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted as if he had just noticed something just then.

    ¡°Where are the others? Fenrir or...Ungnyeo!¡±

    Although he was sure that they had to have been here with the others, he hadn¡¯t caught sight of them whatsoever. Instead, he had only met Won-Hwa, Hyeon-Mu, and Sangun. He had seen the residents of Heaven Lake who had joined the White Tiger n in the cave though.

    ¡°You¡¯re not saying¡­¡±

    Sangun looked over at Yeo Seong-Gu and his eyes became fierce.

    ¡°Listen to the end,¡± he said, bloodlust leaking from his voice.

    Something bitter and cold emanated from within Sangun.

    <i>¡®Something has changed. There''s something we don''t know.''</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu realized the seriousness of the situation once again and hid his uneasiness as he listened to the tale.

    ¡°We followed the trail and headed to the vicinity of Yangpyeong.¡±

    ¡°Yangpyeong¡­¡±

    ¡°When we got there, that bastard was already waiting for us as if he had known everything from the very beginning.¡±

    ¡°That bastard¡­?¡± he asked.

    Sangun clenched his fists tightly, his sharp ws digging so far into his palms that his hands were beginning to bleed. However, he didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain at all.

    ¡°He tried to capture us, and we had to make a choice once we understood the situation. to fight¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu finished, ¡°Or to run away¡­¡±

    The outline of the situation was beginning to roughly take shape.

    ¡°As you saw, the White Tiger n, Won-Hwa, Hyeon-Mu, and I were able to escape. However¡­¡±

    ¡°You must have had to leave someone behind.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t know who the man Sangun was referring to was.

    However, considering it was an opponent who had made them, with the obviously strong power of the White Tiger n behind them, run away, it wouldn¡¯t have been a situation in which they would have been able to retreat easily. They would have needed someone to hold whomever they were referring to as that bastard behind.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­and Ungnyeo stayed behind.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Thanks to them, we were able to escape ande here.¡±

    ¡°Then those two¡­¡±

    Sangun, who knew what Yeo Seong-Gu was asking, answered promptly, ¡°They¡¯re alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d¡­¡±

    ¡°However, they are most definitely having a difficult time¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked straight into Sangun''s eyes and asked another question, a question with an answer he had to hear. ¡°So, who is he?¡±

    The bastard that had forced them to all scatter and captured Fenrir and Ungnyeo, so he needed to find out the identity of that bastard.

    However, the following words that came out of Sangun¡¯s mouth were the kind that Yeo Seong-Gu found impossible to believe.

    ¡°Odin.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­what?¡±

    ¡°It was the leader of you brats.¡±

    1. Funnily enough, although the mountain is described as a small mountain earlier in the chapter, Mt. Cheonma derives its name from being a very tall mountain, so much so that if one¡¯s hand were to be a little longer, one would be able to reach the heavens. ??

 Chapter 180: A Changed World Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 180: A Changed World Pt. 5</h4>

    Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s face was distorted beyond belief.

    "Odin...¡±

    ].

    To think of all people, it would be Odin. He wondered why the disappeared Odin had appeared here. Yeo Seong-Gu began to think frantically, unable to even speak properly from the dozens of questions that suddenly came to mind.

    ¡°That bastard¡­¡±

    Sangun hadn¡¯t ended there.

    ¡°He was clearing the monsters in Gyeonggi-Do and was rebuilding a city,¡± he said.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t all, either, as he epted only those he had chosen into the city, leaving the rest¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu could feel a surge of bloodlust again from Sangun.

    ¡°He threw them away, calling them vermin that were causing the world to rot, leaving them to die outside of the city.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu stuttered, ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­he wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you seen the people here? Why do you think they would be with me in this ce? Why do you think they would be suffering in a cave like this while leaving behind the perfectly reconstructed city that Odin had established?¡± Sangun questioned.

    Yeo Seong-Gu had nothing else to say in response.

    ¡°That bastard used the residents of Heaven Lake as bait and waited for us, and he eventually was able to capture Fenrir and Ungnyeo.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    ¡°I tried several times to rescue them, but¡­¡±

    <i>Flutter.</i>

    There was the sound of pping wings, and before him, Sangun¡¯s appearance changed. He, who had been in a half-human, half-beast state, suddenly had all of his fur recede, leaving behind the naked body of a man.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­!</i>¡±

    However, the sight before Yeo Seong-Gu, who had gone through many trials and tribtions, was horrifying enough to take even his breath away. Sangun¡¯s entire body waspletely covered in scars.

    ¡°It was only just a little death scare. We still failed. Fenrir and Ungnyeo¡­they¡¯re still being held captive by Odin.¡±

    <i>Flutter.</i>

    The grating sound rang out again, and Sangun¡¯s appearance changed back to what it had been, the half-human, half-beast form with orange and ck tinted fur covering up all of his scars.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, only silence enveloped the room.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Feeling pain radiating from every inch of his body, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes.

    ¡°Have you awoken?¡± someone asked.

    In front of him was Won-Hwa.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised,¡± the physicianmented.

    He exined, ¡°I wasn¡¯tpletely unconscious. Although it was blurry from time to time, I was still conscious for the most part.¡±

    During the trek here, while he was thrown over Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s back, Lee Jun-Kyeong had been slipping in and out of consciousness.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Both Won-Hwa and Hyeon-Mu had changed and grown substantially, just as much as the situation here had changed and how quickly the urgency had grown.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong barely managed to force his stiff body to stand. Like a kaleidoscope, the situation in which the veil had been pierced through shed throughout his mind.

    Even thinking back to it again, he knew it was an insane thing to do. To even consider breaking through the veil, it was like confronting nature. Defying providence and resisting natural disasters was against the heavens.

    It was the same as if he had done all of that alone, by himself as an individual human being. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he was fortunate that the aftereffects had only been this bad. However, the situation had been urgent enough for him to take such a risk.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly grabbed Won-Hwa¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    With regards to his Familiars, Hyeon-Mu and Fenrir, they were Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s family, so he was able to confirm whether they had died or survived. However, humans like Won-Hwa and Ungnyeo were different. Even if his Familiars had survived, it wasn¡¯t enough for him.

    ¡°I was worried about what might have happened to you¡­¡±

    It was still possible that the Hunters could have died, which was why he hadmitted such an insane act.

    Won-Hwa grinned at Lee Jun-Kyeong, and, at that moment, the door opened.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked over Lee Jun-Kyeong with a slightly bluish and paleplexion. He had woken up just moments before Lee Jun-Kyeong had, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had awoken in the short time that he had gone out of the room.

    Now, finally, those who had been separated for so long hade together. Jeong In-Chang, Lee Jun-Kyeong, Won-Hwa, Hyeon-Mu were all back together.

    ¡°Say hello. Mm, should I say that this is your little sibling?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Hel appeared in a blurry form.

    ¨CHello, I am Hel.

    It gave an elegant greeting with its eerie hand.

    ¡°...¡±

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s face underwent someplex emotions, while Won-Hwa responded without any shock.

    ¡°How amazing,¡± the physician said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked him over for a while.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s different.¡¯</i>

    It was apletely different reaction aspared to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s or Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s, who had both responded with a trauma response after seeing the Familiar.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Hel for a while and then asked a question to the others, ¡°Where are Ungnyeo and Fenrir?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The atmosphere that had been jubnt as he had awoken sank once again.

    ***

    <i>Screeeeech. Screech.</i>

    The ufortable sound of chains scratching against each other echoed through the space. It was arge warehouse, and there, Fenrir had been restrained.

    ¨CGRAHH!

    Although he had the appearance of a human boy, his ferocity was iparable to that of before. He had been tied up like this for about a month.

    <i>Screeeeech! Screech!</i>

    The chains tightened around his body more and more. There was only constant pain, loneliness, and longing. Everything was eating away at his spirit. There was only one reason that Fenrir was still able to endure.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    It was the belief that his master woulde to rescue him.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    Fenrir growled, emitting a low, intense breath of bloodlust as an uninvited guest had entered this prison of his.

    ¡°Do you still have that much power left?¡±

    It was an elderly voice, but there was a certain dignity in its strength. The voice came closer and closer.

    ¡°How about giving up now? All of this suffering will end,¡± the voice whispered as if to tempt the wolf boy.

    ¨CGROWL!

    Fenrir drew from his strength again and howled intensely.

    The space resounded as if it would tear apart, and his mana mixed with his nearly tangible bloodlust as it aimed at the owner of the voice.

    ¡°How lively,¡± the voice chuckled in response, seemingly having suffered no damage. As the owner of the voice moved one step closer to Fenrir, something glinted in the dark void.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Tearing the wind, something suddenly appeared before the figure¨Ca sharp w. It was a w as tall as a person¡¯s height.

    ¨CGROWL!!

    However, it didn¡¯t reach the owner of the voice while Fenrir only continued to howl in pain.

    ¡°Dear, dear. You know better, so why do you keep doing that?¡± the voice said, ridiculing the wolf.

    In the moonlight that peered in through the window, a face was revealed.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was a man with an eyepatch covering one eye.

    ¡°O¡­din¡­¡±

    It was Odin. He caressed the ws that were still approaching him.

    ¡°Gleipnir,¡± he called out, calling out to something.

    <i>CLANK, CLASH.</i>

    At hismand, the chains began to move again as if they were alive.

    ¨CGROWL!!!

    As painful screams echoed through the space, Odin began to speak once again.

    ¡°I can end all this pain at any time,¡± he said, the temptation beginning once more.

    ¡°Do not serve such a false imitation, serve your real master.¡±

    A soft and sweet voice permeated Fenrir''s ears as he cried out in pain.

    ¡°With Him, all the glory will be yours¡­¡±

    Slowly, Odin approached Fenrir.

    ¡°Vanagandr.¡±

    ***

    ¡°It¡¯s quite unexpected,¡± Won-Hwa said as he proceeded to treat Lee Jun-Kyeong with acupuncture.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body had turned into a mess. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had be stronger through his growth and the dragon¡¯s blood, breaking through the veil was something that would have crossed anyone¡¯s limits.

    His body had been so damaged that he couldn''t even use his mana stream properly. However, with the help of Won-Hwa and his own natural recovery, Lee Jun-Kyeong was quickly returning to normal.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Because I already knew that you would go there immediately,¡± Won-Hwa said.

    There wasn¡¯t any hostility in his voice, just curiosity. He said again to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°But I didn¡¯t think that even after learning that Fenrir and Ungnyeo were being held captive, you would sit through treatment first.¡±

    ¡°Are you disappointed in me?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Won-Hwa and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at each other, but it was Lee Jun-Kyeong who spoke first.

    ¡°Didn''t you say that the enemy holding Fenrir and Ungnyeo was Odin?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, as of now, if I go like this, I¡¯ll just die a dog¡¯s death. We will be annihted before we can save them.¡±

    Odin''s power was monstrous. In fact, there weren¡¯t many people in this world who had been able to grasp the enormity that was the power in Odin¡¯s possession, and even all Lee Jun-Kyeong hadprehended was just a rough estimate of the Hunter¡¯s strength.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he had grown exponentially, he knew that even in a perfect state it may not be enough, let alone how he was now.

    ¡°I¡¯ve be a burden,¡± he said to Won-Hwa.

    All he had shown them aftering so far to rescue them was a near-death state. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t conflicted by having to sit through the treatment.

    <i>Thud. Thud.</i>

    He had wondered if it could be because of the long needles prating his body, but his heart had continuously been throbbing. However, he soon realized that the palpitations had nothing to do with the needles.

    <i>¡®Fenrir¡­¡¯</i>

    It was amunion with the wolf, an expression of the pain his Familiar was experiencing. As the master, he could feel it as well. Rage washed over him, but ironically, as his rage boiled, his head cooled down.

    ¡°I will leave as soon as my body is healed.¡±

    He had to make a surefire n in order to save his family.[1]

    "All right. I will tell everyone,¡± Won-Hwa said as he smiled brightly. ¡°Everyone will be pleased as we¡¯ve all been waiting for this moment.¡±

    They all resided in a cave created by and ruled by Sangun, and each person living here had a different story. However, there was one thing that all of them had inmon.

    <i>¡®They were all either almost killed by Odin or have lost their families by his hand.¡¯</i>

    Odin only allowed for the chosen ones to live in his city and ughtered all the rest, treating any who didn¡¯t fit his criteria as pathogens that contaminated the world. The hostility toward him seemed topletely fill the cave.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished,¡± Won-Hwa said.

    After the immediate treatment had ended, Lee Jun-Kyeong sat up. As if there had been someone waiting for this moment, Won-Hwa left the room as a figure entered.

    ¡°...¡±

    The man had been waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong to finish his treatment.

    ¡°Hyung.¡±

    It was Yeo Seong-Gu; he had entered with aplex expression.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    As he carefully opened his mouth to speak, before he was able to evenplete a thought, Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°I understand. Go to Seoul, Hyung.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had originally been supposed to head to Seoul when they arrived at Gyeonggi-Do. It was only because things had been dicey for Lee Jun-Kyeong that Yeo Seong-Gu hade all this way into Gyeonggi-Do with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    It could be said that it was strange that Yeo Seong-Gu still wanted to go to Seoul after finding out the situation in Gyeonggi-Do. Moreover, there was also the King of Asgard here as well. Odin, who had disappeared, had appeared all this way in Gyeonggi-Do and was holding a domain over a city.

    Despite that, Yeo Seong-Gu was still saying that he would go to Seoul. Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to understand him. There was a rumor that he had heard from Won-Hwa.

    <i>¡®The ruler of Seoul.¡¯</i>

    About the ruler of Seoul that they hadn¡¯t been able to uncover in Seongnam. There was a rumor about its identity. Moreover, it was an absurd enough rumor to be regarded as nonsense.

    <i>¡®The ruler is supposedly a human.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t referring to a humanoid being of a different race like Elfame, but that the ruler was actually a human. Apparently, it was a Hunter. Moreover, it was a Hunter that everyone knew.

    ¡°It¡¯s the rumor that Baldur is the ruler, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The rumor was that Baldur was the ruler of Seoul, ruling over everything andmanding the monsters. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand why Yeo Seong-Gu insisted on going to Seoul.

    Yeo Seong-Gu grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s right. Still, leaving you all to fight Odin only on some vague rumors¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. That rumor seems to be something that we have to verify, anyway. Moreover, it¡¯s something we should verify as soon as possible.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened. The cataclysm had been recorded in history and in the book of the Demon King. However, what was transpiring during this cataclysm was very different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought would happen or knew. To make things worse, he had never heard of such a rumor, either.

    <i>¡®To think they¡¯re saying Baldur is the ruler¡­¡¯</i>

    Many things were strange now, bing more and more bizarre by the minute. He needed someone who could figure out the truth faster than anyone else, and there was no one more suited for it than Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°But the veil most likely would have been restored again,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I need your help,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    At his request, Lee Jun-Kyeong hopped off of the hospital bed and stood up.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    1. First time he refers to any of hispanions as family, and notpanions/familiars. ??

 Chapter 181: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm

    <h4>Chapter 181: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm</h4>

    Whether it was dealing with the veil once more to send Yeo Seong-Gu to Seoul, or dealing with Odin to save theirpanions, they were all things that had to be done at the same time.

    Gyeonggi-Do was under the domain of Odin. This meant that his eyes were all over the province. After all, that was how Odin¡¯s ability worked. The Hunter had to have noticed that he hade to Gyeonggi-Do already.

    <i>¡®But the location of this ce hasn¡¯t been discovered yet.¡¯</i>

    That was why Won-Hwa and Hyeon-Mu had been able to find him and the others immediately after they had entered Gyeonggi-Do. They knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong woulde to Gyeonggi-Do one day. In addition, Odin¡¯s field of vision would catch him, so they waited every day in order to find him first. That way, they could bring him away first and<i> </i>make sure this ce wasn¡¯t found.

    Sangun ruled over Mt. Cheonma and protected the people. He managed everything here quite systematically, which waspletely different from what he had seen in Mt. Baekdu.

    Moreover, Sangun actually looked human. Taking it a step further, Sangun looked like an old man who had gone through hell and high water. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t even guess as to what the hell had happened to Sangun and the others in the time that they had been apart.

    ¡°Everyone will begin their preparations,¡± Won-Hwa said, standing next to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Mt. Cheonma was bustling with activity. Everyone had been preparing for the day that Lee Jun-Kyeong woulde for them. It would be the day of their revenge.

    ¡°Our revenge¡­¡±

    The Hunters of Mt. Cheonma were more intense than any other Hunters that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen. With intense expressions, each exhaled an almost palpable bloodlust. Although the level of their strength wasn¡¯t that high, their fighting spirit was one that had to be acknowledged.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    "I know. I will focus on recovering as much as possible.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the key to it all. Whether it was Sangun, Hyeon-Mu, or even Won-Hwa, none of them could beat Odin. The only person who could do so was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong seems to be quite fired up as well,¡± Won-Hwa said as he looked over to a corner of the cave.

    ¡°Anger paralyzes the body!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was educating the residents, shouting quite loudly. He, with his body recovering in a blink of an eye, had been in charge of training the residents.

    After a week, the rebellion would begin. They would take away the right to rule Gyeonggi-Do, and Jeong In-Chang wanted to help them reach that goal even if there was only a short period of time before they fought.

    In addition, there were others as well.

    ¡°Can you¡­ can you try calling me Hyung?¡±

    ¨CI am not sure of my gender.

    ¡°Then¡­Oppa¡­?¡±[1]

    Over in a different corner, two gloomy beings, Hyeon-Mu and Hel, were conversing.

    ¡°What the hell happened to Hyeon-Mu, by the way?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Won-Hwa, as he didn¡¯t care how he found out. It didn¡¯t matter if he asked directly, checked the status window, or investigated it himself.

    He wanted to know how Hyeon-Mu had changed into his current form, which was simr to that of a human. However, Hyeon-Mu was currently rxing and talking to Hel, so Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t wish to interrupt their time just to talk to Hyeon-Mu about what he had gone through and weigh what had happened.

    ¡°Even Hyeon-Mu doesn¡¯t know exactly. His appearance just changed after Fenrir was captured and taken away,¡± Won-Hwa said as he looked at Hyeon-Mu.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu seems to have felt a sense of shame and ack of strength for not having been able to protect Fenrir and Ungnyeo. He most likely was under great stress.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°And in the midst of all of that, Hyeon-Mu suddenly changed. It was to the point that even he himself had been surprised.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu hadn¡¯t just simply changed his appearance.

    In Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hazy memories, and even in the aura that he could feel emanating from his Familiar at this very moment, he could tell Hyeon-Mu had grown a lot. He could feel it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly looked around the cave.

    <i>These people¡­even in the midst of the cataclysm, they had learned how to survive.¡¯</i>

    Then, at that moment, a Hunter approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and lowered his head.

    ¡°Sangun has called for you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grinned as he remembered how the same thing had happened at Mt. Baekdu.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said, taking a step forward.

    After all, Sangun, that brat, had called out to him.

    ***

    Unlike Yeo Seong-Gu, who had met Sangun as soon as he had arrived, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t met with him yet. By the time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had woken up from his treatment, Sangun had gone somewhere.

    ¡°Woohoo!!!¡±

    .

    Now that the departed Sangun had returned, the people started cheering. The entirety of Mt. Cheonma was the territory of Sangun, and even Odin wasn¡¯t able to easily observe it, let alone invade it.

    ¡®<i>He probably doesn¡¯t even know a ce like this exists here.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been examining the unusual aura that spread out through Mt. Cheonma. It wasn¡¯t mana or anything simr. Instead, it was rather an energy unique to the formation surrounding Mt. Cheonma, and it was a barrier that exuded an ominous aura as well.

    ¡°Sangun¡­¡±

    It was so strange that Lee Jun-Kyeong had an intuition regarding the change in the Familiar. Mt. Cheonma was ringing as the people cheered as they waited for their savior guardian.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Finally, someone entered the cave.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Unlike the others who were cheering at the figure¡¯s arrival, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response was a frozen expression and wide eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    That was Sangun? The figure was a half-man, half-beast, and too ambiguous to describe as a human or a beast. Furthermore, the energy he exuded was clear.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    ¡°Sangun.¡±

    He felt like a monster. Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun faced each other, and the two, finally having met after a long time, held out their hands without saying a word.

    ¡°Woohoo!!!¡±

    One was a guardian who protected the people, while the other was a savior who would save them from being oppressed. The people''s cheers echoed through the cave.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    However, when they met, neither¡¯s expressions were very good. They looked at each other as if they were inspecting one another, trying to uncover something from each other¡¯s appearance.

    Rather than saying that he was apanion that Lee Jun-Kyeong had met after a long time, it seemed more like¡­more like meeting an enemy.

    Sangun finished the handshake and then started unpacking the things that he was carrying on his back. Without pause, things were tumbling out of the massive bag he had on his shoulders.

    It was food. Sangun went out every day to get food, which, living in a cave, the residents would inevitablyck.

    ¡°Please take your time and take what you need,¡± Sangun said in a low-pitched voice, leaving the food for the Hunters to handle as he came back to stand next to Lee Jun-Kyeong again.

    ¡°The things we have to talk about¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems there is quite a bit of it.¡±

    The two walked out together as Won-Hwa looked over at them very suspiciously. After the changes to Sangun, Won-Hwa had long been wary of the Familiar.

    ***

    Sangun''s residence.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun were there, speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite different from your dwelling over at Mt. Baekdu, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong as he looked over Sangun¡¯s residence.

    At Mt. Baekdu, Sangun¡¯s residence had been simr to that of a cave. It was a ce where nothing existed and one could just walk around. However, it waspletely different from where they currently stood.

    ¡°Almost as if¡­¡±

    "You''d think I was human."

    It wasn¡¯t fancy, but there were still some decorations and a bed. But it was apletely different look from what he had seen before. Also, Sangun also had apletely different appearance.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Sangun.

    Sangun quietly took out a teacup and handed it to the Hunter. It really was different.

    <i>''He looks like a real person,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought.

    He shuddered a moment when he saw the sight of Sangun being hospitable again. Sangun took a step back and sat down, seemingly aware of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Your question is rted to my transformation, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Sangun sipped his tea with an iprehensible smile, and when he put down the teacup, his smile was gone. Sangun looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Without answering, his gaze just scanned the surroundings.

    ¡°...¡±

    Finally, he responded to the silent Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°The change didn¡¯t just happen to me.¡±

    He then continued, ¡°The whole world has changed. You called it the cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The cataclysm did the same to me.¡±

    Sangun opened and closed his fists, examining the movement of his muscles.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t a change that had happened because I had wanted it.¡±

 Chapter 182: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 182: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°...¡±

    Sangun stayed silent. That was no different from outright saying that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s guess had been correct.

    ¡°Are you really bing a ruler?¡±

    Sangun had undergone a huge change. He had lost his pure mana, developed demonic mana, and had even had his appearance transformed.

    ¡°You¡¯re even bing more and more obsessed with desire and authority¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Sangun interjected as if he didn¡¯t want to listen to Lee Jun-Kyeong continue any longer. ¡°I am bing a ruler.¡±

    He was morphing into a ruler of an area, just like Elfame.

    "How¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered nkly as if shocked by something he had never heard or thought of.

    Sangun slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°I needed strength,¡± he then said with a bitter smile and sunken eyes. ¡°Surviving through the cataclysm¡­that means doing whatever it takes and paying whatever it costs in order to survive.¡±

    ***

    If one could be a ruler just by needing power, then everyone would mor for it. That was because a ruler was no different than being the greatest being under God at this moment.

    The power of the rulers had forced all of the apex Hunters to work together to defeat them, and it was also the power of the rulers that had left all the Hunters to die when they weren¡¯t strong enough.

    During the cataclysm of his past, it was rare for a ruler to disappear. In the midst of all the sacrifices of the Hunters, the only solution was time. As mentioned before, the rulers were not mortals.

    There was only one person who could get rid of a ruler: Lee Jun-Kyeong. Only he, alone, couldpletely y a ruler. Until he was able to do so, the ruler would be an existence that would be reborn even when in. The more they were taken down, the harder it would be for the next battle.

    <i>¡®They were existences that were the root of human suffering up until the end of the cataclysm.¡¯</i>

    Those bastards were no different from Gods. But their essence, their core, was just like the devil.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was alone in his room, lost in thought.

    Sangun was bing a ruler. Moreover, it was the result of his own Sponsor.

    What he had told him had been devastating. Ungnyeo, Fenrir, and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige had been captured by Odin, and Sangun had to save them.

    However, it was even impossible for him to stand against Odin. It just wasn¡¯t possible.

    After undergoing several near-death crises, Sangun also grew like the rest. However, he stillcked power. The divine beast continued day and night, longing for a power mighty enough to defeat Odin. As if his Sponsor had been waiting for this very moment, Sangun was given a role to y and the strength to match it: demonic mana.

    It was the power to create monsters and control them. It was also the power to maximize desires. So, Sangun had begun to change.

    <i>''I''m just suppressing that change as much as possible.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought back to the story of Sangun.

    <i>¡®However, there will be a point where I won¡¯t be able to suppress it anymore. One day, I will be a ruler¡­ I will harm the humans.¡¯</i>

    The rulers¡¯ hostility toward humans was not something that could be controlled. Almost as if they had been made to do so, they had to kill humans, and that was Sangun¡¯s fate.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed after realizing the suddenly impending despair.

    ¡°Hel.¡±

    No, he had to find a way.

    Hel appeared before his eyes, lowering its head and waiting for Lee Jun-Kyeong''s next order.

    ¡°How much of Elfame¡¯s soul have you absorbed?¡±

    Sangun was bing a ruler. So, he had to unlock all of the secrets of the beings known as rulers.

    <i>¡®Even the secrets regarding the Sponsors.¡¯</i>

    All of that information was in Elfame¡¯s soul. Hel moved its bony lips slowly, the figure¡¯s face covered by a hood and the only visible part of its lips.

    ¨CSoon¡­

    A sense of pride radiated from it.

    ¨CIt will finish.

    ***

    After Sangun¡¯s return, the people in the cave were bustling about even more vigorously. Just like when Lee Jun-Kyeong had be a Hunter for the first time and cleared gates day after day, they, too, were desperate.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    As if they were feeling great danger from the uing fight, they were moving non-stop as if they had begun burning thest of their fuel. They went out to acquire food, hunt monsters, and train. Whatever time they had left was spent with their family, while those who had no families left spent their time alone in contemtion.

    Everyone was preparing for their own death. They all knew no matter the oue of the fight, many of the Hunters would die.

    ¡°They really¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang seemed to have many feelings wash over him as he watched them. ¡°They really are amazing.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Everyone is doing their best.¡±

    As he crossed the city, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see it too. The cataclysm hade by surprise, so everyone here had survived it through their own way.

    <i>¡®In a world rocked by the cataclysm¡­¡¯</i>

    In addition, all of them would resist. They had wills stronger than any other and spewed with the desire to survive.

    Seeing them persevere through almost certain death gave the entire party, and Lee Jun-Kyeong, a special kind of inspiration.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them silently. They were all desperate and tense, just waiting.

    <i>¡®They are preparing to die.¡¯</i>

    The world had made them this way. He wondered if this was really the right thing to do?

    <i>¡®Will it continue to be like this till the end?¡¯</i>

    Those who moved this fiercely were all Hunters as they were the ones with the strength to fight in this world rocked by the cataclysm.

    But, the Hunters that he remembered in history were all disgusting. One could never find any Hunter like this. He wondered were there any uncorrupted Hunters in the world that he had lived in,

    Of course, he knew that there must have been Yeo Seong-Gu and others who lived in hiding. Even among those that weren¡¯t, there should have been some normal people. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had never seen such a Hunter. From his point of view, all of the Hunters other than Yeo Seong-Gu, were vermin.

    If he could survive this cataclysm, would he be one of them?

    <i>¡®What could have made them like that?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking at everyone with thoughtful eyes when someone suddenly interjected, ¡°You seem to have a lot on your mind.¡±

    When he turned back, there was a half-man, half-beast. Sangun slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Would you like to have a little spar?¡±

    Sangun made a request, and Lee Jun-Kyeong could see the hidden meaning in his eyes.

    <i>¡®This bastard¡­¡¯</i>

    His unspoken request was basically that if he became ruler one day, he wanted Lee Jun-Kyeong to take him down. Sangun silently pleaded to him with sorrow in his gaze.

    .

    ***

    <i>Shine!</i>

    It was no different from any other day. Sunlight came in from the entrance of the cave. The light bounced repeatedly as it reflected off some magic tools and illuminated the entire cave. It looked as if the dawn had been set aze.

    ¡°...¡±

    In this tranquil time, no one was asleep, and their eyes were open.

    ¡°Everyone, everything, is ready.¡±

    They were all prepared as everything had finally been finished today. It was the promised and long-awaited day.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Someone walked out among the lines of Hunters: Lee Jun-Kyeong. His eyes did not waver, and he did not tremble. His body had fully recovered.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Behind him were Sangun, Won-Hwa, and Hyeon-Mu, and behind them were Jeong In-Chang, Yeo Seong-Gu, and Hel. They followed Lee Jun-Kyeong to the front and watched the sunlighting into the cave. All of them had waited for a long time. It was time for them to face the reality, the pain of theirpanions and family members being captured but being unable to go rescue them.

    With a gentle expression, Won-Hwa said to the Hunters in a warm voice, ¡°Today, we will save everyone.¡±

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    The nervous Hunters could be seen rxing a little.

    ¡°However, it won¡¯t be easy.¡±

    The next to speak was Jeong In-Chang. He looked over at the Hunters as he spoke. Somewhere along the line, Jeong In-Chang had built up a fairly strong bond with the Hunters. He had helped them and empathized with them the entire way.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, Hyeon-Mu and Hel were silent.

    The Hunters liked them, but the Familiars didn¡¯t get along well with people, possibly because of their innate gloominess. Even so, the Hunters looked over at the two with eyes of faith.

    <i>¡®Odin is¡­¡¯</i>

    Odin wasn¡¯t alone. Just as their side had Hunters, Odin had soldiers. The Hunters that had gathered in Gyeonggi-Do were obviously strong, but they were not yetplete. On the other hand, as for Asgard, Odin¡¯s army¡­<button ss="MuiButtonBase-root MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-inherit MuiLink-root MuiLink-underlineAlways ww-nw4feq" tabindex="0" type="button"><span ss="MuiBadge-badge h-16 text-[0.6rem] text-gray-100 MuiBadge-standa

    </button>

 Chapter 183: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 183: A Method to Survive Through a Cataclysm Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Yeo Seong-Gu moved quickly through the mountain. Sangun¡¯s ability to create a path for them was outstanding.

    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    The whole mountain seemed to open a path for the two, almost moving like a living creature, clearing their way.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just moved even faster without having the time to admire it.

    <i>¡®We have to hurry.¡¯</i>

    He had to rush and pierce the veil, sending Yeo Seong-Gu to Seoul.

    Only then could he join Sangun in the fight against Odin. Odin¡¯s power and his soldiers were incredible. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that it would only be a matter of time before Sangun and his party were defeated in a head-on conflict. He had to step in before then. Moreover, he wanted to see them.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­ Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    He hade all this way to Gyeonggi-Do, but he still wasn¡¯t able to see them.

    <i>Jolt.</i>

    He wanted to hurry up and see the two of them so much so that sometimes even his heart ached.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved even faster as Yeo Seong-Gu followed directly behind without another word.

    ***

    Sangun and his party advanced on the other path. Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was racing forward, their steps were heavy and solid.

    However, each step contained a powerful strength and conviction, filled with a rage that came from their very core.[1]

    <i>Caw! Caw!</i>

    As soon as they left Mt. Cheonma, they started to hear crows cry.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Tension began to rise on the Hunters'' faces. They were now out of their safe zone.

    ¡°Remember, there is no retreat.¡±

    As Sangun said, they were no longer able to retreat any further.

    In the past, they had moved carefully whenever they left their domain, but now they were currently openly leaving Mt. Cheonma. It could be said that with their actions, their base, which hadn¡¯t been revealed until now, had been thrown wide open. There was nowhere for them to go back to now.

    ¡°We have to win.¡±

    The only choice they had was to win this battle.

    Sangun stated, ¡°This is our road to survival.¡±

    The Hunters began to run after that. In the Gyeonggi-Do of now, the crows were not just simply animals. They were all ominous signs.

    ¡°Odin¡¯s pawns have found us! It¡¯s time for us to draw attention over here!¡± one of the Hunters cried out.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Alongside his cry, the Hunters capable of ranged attacks fired arrows and spells into the sky. Surprisingly, none of their mana-filled attacks were able to hurt the crows floating around in the sky.

    <i>Zzt!</i>

    A green veil appeared, blocking their attacks. In fact, it reflected their efforts back to them.

    ¡°Avoid them!¡±

    A rain of mana poured down from the sky, and the green rain looked menacing as if it was filled with poison.

    ¡°F*ck off!¡±

    Then, the army of Sangun burst forward. Although he was walking around in the form of half-human, half-beast, his current form was that of aplete beast. The green rain that was pouring down on them disappeared without a trace.

    <i>Caw!!</i>

    With desperate cries, crows from the sky began to fall.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Everyone stopped and looked at Sangun in surprise.

    ¡°...¡±

    They had just felt it: the enormous power that Sangun radiated. It wasn¡¯t the first time that they had fought alongside him. In fact, it was a known fact that Sangun, who had even fought against Odin, had great power.

    However, the current Sangun was different, much more intense and far more dangerous.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡±

    Sangun growled low like a beast. He repeated himself once more, ¡°There¡­ is no retreat¡­¡±

    It was time to release everything that had been hidden or suppressed until now. He was bing a ruler and had a power he had been afraid to use.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu. Hel.¡±

    Sangun''s blood-red eyes turned to Hyeon-Mu and Hel.

    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± he said, speaking briskly.

    ***

    ¡°It started.¡±

    Just like Yeo Seong-Gu had said, there was a huge storm of mana buffeting them from behind. It was a sign of the beginning of the battle. Sangun had started fighting.

    <i>¡®It means that he has met an enemy.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯ began to speed up a little. Before long, they were soon able to reach their destination.

    ¡°It¡¯s the veil.¡±

    They had been able to arrive quickly due the speed of their travel and the direct path that had been created through the power of Sangun.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    The road behind them suddenly disappeared as the path created by the trees and mana vanished as if it had been waiting for the moment they arrived.

    <i>¡®Even the power that created the road is being recovered.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that Sangun had made his final decision and waspletely determined.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his gaze over to the veil. He knew the divine beast would do what he had to do, so he would have to do what he was here to do as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s beenpletely restored,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said.

    As he had said, the veil didn¡¯t look like anything had ever happened to it. It was back to its original solid appearance, standing tall between the border of Seoul and Gyeonggi-Do. Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the veil.

    <i>¡®It really is¡­¡¯</i>

    The veil was still in its original form. In order to pierce through it again, it seemed he would have to use that strength once again. This put Yeo Seong-Gu in a difficult state as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go back?¡± he asked.

    He was worried about Lee Jun-Kyeong. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for the Hunter to use his strength to destroy the veil right before the battle with Odin. Even though the situation in Seoul was urgent, it wasn¡¯t as if this ce was any¡­

    <i>Crack.</i>

    Right at that moment, cracks began to form in the veil before them, even before Yeo Seong-Gu had finished speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s different from before,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, breathing in sharply. ¡°It hasn¡¯t fully recovered itself.¡±

    They had found a hidden crack in the veil. Following Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gestures, it began to unveil itself.

    ¡°Moreover¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to look at Yeo Seong-Gu with one hand on the veil, a faint smile spread across his lips. ¡°We don¡¯t have to pierce through the veil like we did earlier, anymore.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed¡­¡±

    ¡°The veil¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the veil once more with mana billowing through him.

    <i>CRACK!</i>

    ¡°I figured out how to destroy it.¡±

    With an explosive st ofpressed air, the cracks that had been exposed widened and the veil began to crumble as Yeo Seong-Gu looked at it all in disbelief.

    <i>Crack! Crack!!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong concentrated all of his strength with both handsid on the veil. This destruction of the veil meant something incredible.

    <i>''I am¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he watched the copsing veil. The cataclysm had brought the new problems along. In the midst of it all, each person was looking for their own way to survive, and each was someone who had to survive this ordeal.

    Even he also needed a way, and what Lee Jun-Kyeong had chosen was simple.

    ¡°I will destroy it all.¡±

    Whatever stood in his way, whatever aimed for his back, whatever aimed for hispanions, he would destroy it all, even the cataclysm itself. That was his way.

    ¡°That is the way I will survive,¡± he announced.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    As the cracks deepened and the veil broke apart, swirling mana suddenly shot toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "No!"

    It was a powerful and fast aura. By the time he had noticed the arrow-like energy, it was already toote. Waiting for the right time, something had gathered its strength and attacked Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although Yeo Seong-Gu quickly raised his sword and tried to block it, it was already right before hispanion.

    ¡°No!!¡±

    The situation had reached a breaking point, and something shining green was trying to pierce through Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, at that very moment, an explosion urred, with the crackling sound of air rapidly restoring a vacuum all at once. Yeo Seong-Gu took advantage of the opening and quickly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    In the spreading smoke, he anxiously called out to the Hunter, ¡°Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, responding soon after Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s cries.

    It was a calm voice, as if he hadn¡¯t been surprised at what had just unfolded. As Yeo Seong-Gu tried to look for the owner of the voice with anxious eyes, he heard more voices emerge from the smoke.

    ¡°We¡­¡±

    ¨CWill protect him.

    ***

    ¡°He underestimates Odin too much,¡± Sangun said as they proceeded on the trek to Yangpyeong. ¡°Although he seems to know a lot about Odin, he''s never really had a proper fight against that bastard."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°That bastard is like a snake. Cunning and meticulous.¡±

    Sangun''s voice simmered with hostility.

    He had been the one to fight against Odin repeatedly, and he had been the one to nearly die every time, losing each battle.

    <i>¡®If it hadn¡¯t been for the cataclysm, then I most likely would have already died.¡¯</i>

    Of all the people who had endured the cataclysm, if one asked if there had been any who had only benefited from it, Sangun would be the only one who could have answered yes. The divine beast had been able to survive because of the cataclysm.

    He had been able to live through several battles with Odin, who was someone whom he would never have been able to deal with initially. However, that had been all he could do. He had never wounded Odin, not even once. It wasn¡¯t just a simple matter of power, either.

    ¡°He must already be targeting Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    That bastard¡¯s mind was always working. If Sangun and the others saw the trees, then Odin was the one who would see the forest. He had always been one step ahead, messing up everything. Odin must have already figured out Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ns.

    ¡°This must be the time,¡± Sangun said.

    Odin should have known that the moment when the veil had been pierced would have been when Lee Jun-Kyeong would have been the most vulnerable. Everything must already be going ording to his n.

    ¡°The news that Baldur has be the ruler of Seoul was also information that was from Odin.¡±

    He had made it so that Lee Jun-Kyeong, who would one daye to Gyeonggi-Do with Yeo Seong-Gu, would have to head to the veil toward Seoul. Through that, he would force Lee Jun-Kyeong to be vulnerable once again by piercing through the veil a second time. It was clear what he was aiming for. It was a meticulously nned battle of the minds.

    Thus, Jeong In-Chang responded with a question, ¡°Did you send him Hel and Hyeon-Mu, then?¡±

    Sangun had said that he had something to say to Hel and Hyeon-Mu, that they should not travel with them but instead go along with Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although he hadn¡¯t told them the details of the insidious ns, they, who were members of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars, agreed to return for the safety of their master. Although the situation here would be worse, if Lee Jun-Kyeong were to be in danger, they would be very helpful.

    Jeong In-Chang looked at Sangun. The Sangun, in his memory, had a terrifying appearance, but had still just been a small puppy in the end. But now, things were different.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s even having a battle of the minds with Odin.¡¯</i>

    It seems as though the divine beast hadpletely changed. Jeong In-Chang forcibly swallowed down his rising anxiety. No matter what anyone said, he couldn¡¯t doubt Sangun in the current situation.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Sangun smiled bitterly as if he could feel Jeong In-Chang¡¯s inner turmoil, and finally, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    They, too, had been able to reach their destination. The city could be seen in the distance. It was different from the splendor of Seoul, but the buildings were all there. Moreover, there was arge building being built in its domain as well.

    This was Yangpyeong, the ce where Odin had made his nest.

    ¡°There are the Hunters.¡±

    It was Odin¡¯s army. They could feel the uncountable waves of mana, pressuring them from far away. The battle would begin soon.

    ¡°Mother¡­!¡±

    ¡°My baby¡­¡±

    The Hunters each called out the names of who they had lost or a precious person that they had to save. Around them, the temperature began to soar.

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­¡± Sangun said.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡± Won-Hwa responded in kind.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    Right now, at this very moment, the battle with Odin was nigh.

    1. As mentioned earlier, East Asia has a philosophy that connects one¡¯s inner organs with different emotions and strengths. In this case, their ragees from their spleen, an organ that governs anger. ??

 Chapter 184: Odinâ€™s Familiars

    <h4>Chapter 184: Odin¡¯s Familiars</h4>

    ¡°How are you all¡­!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the two, who had suddenly appeared, with surprised expressions. Hel and Hyeon-Mu should have been with Sangun, but they were now standing next to them.

    ¡°But Sangun¡­¡±

    ¨CHe asked us to protect you, Master.

    ¡°But still¡­!¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to cry out, embarrassed, a strong gust of wind blew.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Itpletely dispersed all of the smoke. In the midst of the void of space caused by the tearing mana, an explosion expanded forth.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked straight ahead with clear eyes.

    ¨CWe will¡­

    ¡°Protect you, Master¡­¡±

    Before him, Hyeon-Mu and Hel were standing guard. Beyond them, something was floating in the sky: a gigantic creature whose shadow darkened the world.

    ¡°Odin¡¯s Familiar,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he looked up at the sky in an understanding manner as if he had figured out the beast¡¯s true identity.

    All of a sudden, a rainbow-colored sword appeared in his hand. In the midst of this situation, where all parties were prepared, Lee Jun-Kyeong was tearing through the veil. By this point, as he could be seen to have been connected to the veil, he wasn¡¯t able to easily release his hands or handle any external blows.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll protect you as well.¡±

    That was why Yeo Seong-Gu had also stepped forward to protect Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Swish! Swish!</i>

    In the sky, that vast creature was pping its wings. Lee Jun-Kyeong wracked his brain, trying to figure out the identity of that beast.

    He had seen Odin¡¯s Familiar once before. It was a massive raven, green in color. It had been the eye that had watched over him, the eye that had circled the world searching for information from the gates, offering it all to Odin.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that Odin had quite a few Familiars, two of which took the form of green ravens. Of the two, one of them was before them, pping its wings. The two ravens had vastly different types of abilities.

    ¡°So he sent, Muninn, is it¡­¡±[1]

    Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have already ascertained the Familiar¡¯s identity.

    ¡°If he¡¯s sent Muninn, he really must be trying to take you out,¡± Yeo Seong-Gumented.

    ¡°Muninn¡­¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was wracking his brain for Muninn¡¯s abilities, the cry of a beast began to sound out.

    ¡°Grr¡­¡±

    ¡°Growl!¡±

    The sharp growls of a beast rang through the air, seemingly the cries of a wolf. However, the ferocious beast that appeared was something that couldn¡¯t ever bepared to that of a measly wolf.

    ¡°... Fenrir?¡±

    A massive wolf-like beast, almost identical to Fenrir, had appeared in the forest.

    ¡°He¡¯s also sent Geri¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said. ¡°And even Freki.¡±[2]

    This time, Lee Jun-Kyeong seems to have figured out the wolves¡¯ identity as well. Yeo Seong-Gu looked back at him nervously and said, ¡°He really seems like he¡¯s determined to kill us?¡±

    The opponents before them were just Familiars, and Familiars were inevitably weaker than their master. However, Yeo Seong-Gu was still incredibly apprehensive when he saw the Familiars spread out before them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter was still in the middle of breaking through the veil.

    He was constantly bombarding the veil with his mana as the veil continued to crumble.

    ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Yeo Seong-Gu and said. ¡°Please hold on for fifteen minutes.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu nodded with an anxious gaze.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    <i>Howl!!!!</i>

    With Muninn¡¯s cry and Geri¡¯s and Freki¡¯s howls, a roar of mana burst out, echoing through the space. At the same time, the sound of Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s groan could be heard.

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>.¡±

    It seemed as though he had suddenly been weighed down by a set of invisible chains that fell upon his body. He could feel it, the influence of Asgard. The Restriction of Asgard was another reason why Yeo Seong-Gu hated Odin.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu forced his body to move as he looked over at Hyeon-Mu and Hel. His body had been burdened, and his movements were unnatural.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Even so, he still shouted and swung his rainbow-colored sword.

    ***

    At the same time as Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s trials, Hunters were running forward with war cries and shouting far away.

    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±

    An uncountable array of magic and skills were fired over the heads of the charging Hunters. Many Hunters were doing their best to block them. The battle had begun, starting on the broken road that led to Yangpyeong.

    ¡°Show no mercy!¡±

    Hunters were screaming and running to kill each other.

    Although the enemies should have been monsters since it was the cataclysm, currently, at this moment, the situation was different. Humans were colliding with humans.

    ¡°Show no mercy!¡±

    The Hunters shouted as they charged forward, crying out as if they were making a promise to themselves.

    Numerous thoughts dominated the minds of the Hunters: their enemies, the ones who had taken everything, but most of all fear. The fear of having to kill another human being and the fear of death loomed over them. As it began to bleed together, they heard someone shout.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    From within Sangun¡¯s formation, someone quickly rushed out through the gaps between the Hunters.

    Roaring like crazy, the figure held a massive greatsword in both hands, sorge that it was difficult to even consider it a sword.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!!</i>¡±

    He finally broke through the lines of the Hunters, and Jeong In-Chang soared high into the sky with a shout. The greatsword changed before them as a bright light burst forth as if to blind their eyes.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    He fell from his perch in the sky, mming his greatsword into the broken road. In front of the Hunters, a great explosion urred right as everyone was rushing in without knowing what would happen next.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    At the same time, the road started to split apart. The road cracked and split apart with the apanying sound of the screams of people.

    ¡°<i>AGHHH!</i>¡±

    The broken road consumed the Hunters, opening up like the jaws of a monster. Jeong In-Chang pulled his sword from the ruins, turning around even though the enemies were right before him.

    ¡°...¡±

    His eyes were bloodshot. Here, he had to face humans. In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to wield his sword properly, drowned out by the horror and agony of cutting down a person, but that, too, had changed for him.

    <i>¡®They are enemies.¡¯</i>

    Even if those before him were human beings like him, not everyone was on the same side. In fact, they were enemies who sought his own life and the lives of hisrades.

    ¡°I will no longer be merciful!!¡±

    His shout, which had a strange resonance, rang through the space. Rather than a roar, it was more akin to a throat-wrenching scream. As Odin¡¯s camp was shaken by Jeong In-Chang¡¯s blow, spine-chilling cries began to echo from the heavens.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Sangun shouted at Jeong In-Chang.

    However, it was already toote.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    The grotesque cries of a raven had alreadye close enough to Jeong In-Chang, and he held his greatsword aloft, realizing he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it. The raven quickly fell from the sky, plummeting down as if the sky itself was falling. Feeling a huge aura pressing down on him, Jeong In-Chang could feel the pressure from the falling raven weighing down his body.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    As he shouted loudly and prepared himself for the sh, another roar was heard.

    ¡°Goongje!!!¡±

    The princess, who should have been moving with the Hunters behind him, was suddenly flying through the air above Jeong In-Chang¡¯s head.

    <i>Boom!!</i>

    Before he was able to call out to the princess, an explosion burst before him.

    ***

    ¡°Let me go!¡± someone screamed from within a room. ¡°Let me go this instant!¡±

    A woman continued to scream and struggle.

    <i>Boom! Booom!!</i>

    They could hear the sounds of explosions and the screams of peopleing from outside the room.

    The battle had begun.

    ¡°Let go!¡±

    Ungnyeo tried to get out of the room by any means possible. Herpanions were fighting. They had put their lives on the line to save her and their people.

    ¡°I said, let me go¡­!¡±

    While herpanions were fighting, she found herself stuck in this room, unable to do a single thing. The aura bound to her body restrained her.

    She wanted to somehow break her bondage with her strength, but a voice said, ¡°It¡¯s of no use.¡±

    Her bondage was not something she could ovee.

    ¡°You monster¡­¡±

    The one who had ced the restriction on her was a man who was terrifying enough to be called a monster. He had a monstrous strength and was no different from a terrifying beast.

    ¡°You are a monster, down to your core,¡± she said.

    The man simplyughed. Following that, the man smiled faintly as he watched the explosions outside the window and heard the screams of people. He then turned his head and looked over at Ungnyeo, a strange shimmer glistening in his one remaining eye.

    ¡°Do you know the truth of this world?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    At his sudden question, Ungnyeo shut her mouth.

    ¡°Clueless idiots who know nothing¡­¡±

    Contempt flickered in his eyes. Even at that moment, Ungnyeo continued to struggle, trying to release her restraints.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Odin muttered while looking through the window by himself.

    ¡°Sometimes ignorance is a blessing¡­ I envy you. You, who know nothing.¡±

    Odin was someone who was inquisitive at every moment and desired to know everything. Ungnyeo couldn¡¯t believe that such a person was speaking like this before her.

    ¡°For them, death could be a blessing instead,¡± Odin said to Ungnyeo offhandedly.

    Ungnyeo''s restraints tightened a little more, and it felt like she would never be released.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Tears streamed down her face. She was helplessly chained down as herrades and her people. She wallowed in despair, feeling sorry for herself.

    ¡°What is it that you know?¡± Odin asked. ¡°Do you know the truth of this world? What lies await for us at the end of it all? Or, how all of this¡­¡±

    Odin¡¯s voice quieted down. ¡°How it all started?¡±

    Upon hearing Odin¡¯s question, Ungnyeo smiled for the first time. It was a chilly, cold smile.

    ¡°I only know one thing,¡± she said in a venomous voice that spread throughout the room. ¡°That you will die at Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands.¡±

    Odin looked out the window again, replying with a strange smile. ¡°How quaint.¡±

    ***

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The cracks in the veil were spreading even faster as Lee Jun-Kyeong was destroying it with all of his concentration. Depending on the perspective, it was taking him either too long or too short to break through the veil.

    <i>¡®Please!¡¯</i>

    However, to Lee Jun-Kyeong, each second felt like an eternity.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    Explosions were wracking the air behind him. Yeo Seong-Gu, Hel, and Hyeon-Mu were facing Muninn, the giant green raven, and two wolves that looked strangely like Fenrir. Hyeon-Mu¡¯s corps rose from the ground, firing spells and arrows at Muninn. Hel cast buffs to the artillery of magic and arrows while attracting spirits to the area.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    As for Yeo Seong-Gu, who was dealing with the two wolves, his condition was not good.

    <i>¡®The restraint of Asgard.¡¯</i>

    He was someone who belonged to Asgard and had been with Odin for a long time. As a member of Asgard, there were several restraints ced upon him to prevent betrayal¨Cto prevent a rebellion against Odin. Since his opponents were part of Odin¡¯s Familiars, they were able to use Odin¡¯s power to oppress him.

    Moreover, as Odin¡¯s Familiars, there was another special matter of their existence. Although they were still simply Familiars, their strength was iparable to that of any other Hunter. They exuded a pressure that was as if he was facing a group of Apex Hunters.

    Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing tranted novels from the original source at [ Innread ]

    ¡°How much longer?!¡± Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    In the midst of the cracking of the veil, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted at Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°Now¡­!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡±

    1. Muninn is the other of Odin¡¯s two raven familiars in Norse Mythos. Muninn means memory, juxtaposing Huginn¡¯s thought. ??

    2. Geri and Freki (Greed and Avarice) are Odin¡¯s other major Familiars. As a form of foreshadowing of Ragnarok, Geri and Freki are the embodiment of Odin¡¯s uncontroble urges. They, along with Thought and Memory, form the bnce of what makes a human a human, the ability to think beyond one¡¯s savage urges. ??

 Chapter 185: Odinâ€™s Familiars Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 185: Odin¡¯s Familiars Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    The veil was opening. No, to be more specific, it was being broken through and forming a path through its barrier.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu drew out an explosive st of energy and shot it toward Muninn. Brilliant rainbow colors embroidered the sky and poured over the Familiar in a torrent.

    <i>sh!</i>

    The massive green raven emitted a burst of light.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom, boom!</i>

    As a roaring sound resounded through the sky, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice cut through the air, ¡°Hyung!¡±

    The way that he had pierced through the curtain this time was different from before. He couldn¡¯t keep it open for that long.

    ¡°Please hurry!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had to cross through the veil at this very moment.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Yeo Seong-Gu could be seen vaguely in the light. Lee Jun-Kyeong could see it, he was definitely hesitating.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­!¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu found himself in a dilemma. As an enemy was knocking at the door, he had to leave the front on his own.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    In the end, Yeo Seong-Gu threw himself into the light, toward the veil where Lee Jun-Kyeong stood. However, Odin¡¯s Familiars refused to let go of Yeo Seong-Gu this easily.

    ¨CCaw!!!

    ¨CHowl!!!

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu had managed to bind Muninn by gathering his strength through the Restraint of Asgard, there were still two Familiars left.

    ¡°Hel! Hyeon-Mu!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted toward his Familiars to aid Yeo Seong-Gu in passing through the opening.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    Blue waves suddenly came crashing down from the sky as a gloomy aura enveloped them and strengthened the deluge. Yeo Seong-Gu continued to run toward Lee Jun-Kyeong as the two wolves continued to chase him from behind.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    As the waves hit the wolves, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that the wave of mana would have been enough to sweep the two wolves away.

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, Odin¡¯s Familiars were stronger than he had thought.

    Two wolves with massively oversized muscles pounced through the blue waves, their tendons almost bursting through their skin.

    <i>Crash! Crash!</i>

    Somewhere along the line, as the deluge continued to flow and crash over the wolves, their bodies almost doubled in size.

    -Master!

    "Master!"

    Hel and Hyeon-Mu urgently tried to reach Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side as Yeo Seong-Gu called out to him once again, ¡°Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong only firmly shouted, ¡°Just go!¡±

    Seeing that, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s hesitation onlysted for a brief moment more, as any continued hesitation would only serve to be an insult to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s actions.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, his voice barely reaching Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, so please take good care of Seoul,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    Something crossed through the veil. Yeo Seong-Gu had finally been able to pierce through the veil of Gyeonggi-Do and head toward his destination, Seoul.

    ¨CHowl!!!!

    However, there were still two wolves rushing toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Caw!!</i>

    In addition, Muninn soared through the sky and was diving toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. Its target had shifted in ce of Yeo Seong-Gu, who had gone beyond the veil.

    ¡°Soldiers, rise!¡±

    As Hyeon-Mu shouted, a skeleton army numbering in the hundreds tried to stop the charge of the wolves.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    However, the skeletons were still weak so they were unable to slow down the wolves¡¯ steps. Moreover, Hel was working to stop Muninn, ordering the spirits to bind the raven.

    ¨CTie them up!

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    Muninn simply rose higher into the sky as soon as the deathly aura rose toward it, before diving back down toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, scattering the gathered souls with a p of its massive wings.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to remove his hand from the veil, feeling a break in the connection between his body and the veil. However, he was left in a fragmented state. Due to the aftereffects of breaking the veil, a huge sense of exhaustion dominated his body for the moment.

    Unfortunately, the Familiars had reached him.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The two wolves, Geri and Freki, ran right in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong and swung down with their huge paws. However, before they were able to hit Lee Jun-Kyeong, something appeared to block them.

    <i>Shhhh!!!</i>

    Hyeon-Mu refused to let them attack Lee Jun-Kyeong, spewing forth a barrier of water with all of its might. Although it was only flowing water, the giant, fast-moving torrent eventually was able to seed.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    Simultaneously, Hel continued to summon spirits to attack Muninn as the raven dove down, plummeting from the sky. Dead Hunters, Humans, monsters, all sorts of souls joined forces.

    <i>Caw!!</i>

    However, everything was scattered with Muninn¡¯s heart-piercing cry.

    ¨CNo!

    Hel shouted loudly, screaming. The Familiar threw its body forward, trying to use its own body to block Muninn, but the raven was too fast for Hel to intercept.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­gasp¡­</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been forcibly holding himself together, picked up Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    He shed with the raven. Then, the moment that the green and red light burst out, the moment he had shed with Muninn, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked behind the raven with widened eyes, surprised.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Something had appeared.

    <i>¡®Something has crossed the veil.¡¯</i>

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    ¡°Master!¡±

    ¨CMaster!

    That moment of carelessness, where he had been taken by surprise, produced disastrous results.

    ***

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    The eerieugh sounded out again, and Ungnyeo, still trapped in the room, felt goosebumps.

    <i>¡®Something¡¯s happened.¡¯</i>

    At the same time, she could feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety wash over her. Odin, who seemed to be watching everything, was looking out of the window with an eerie grin. However, what was going on outside didn¡¯t elicit this response from her.

    <i>¡®Is there something else¡­?¡¯</i>

    Odin wasn¡¯t looking at the battle. No, it was further away than that. He was looking elsewhere.

    <i>''Why would he¡­?''</i>

    Ungnyeo quickly racked her brains to find out why. Outside, she could still feel the roar and vibrations of mana, even the screams of the Hunters and the cries of Sangun. Everyone should have been gathered there.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo made a sound without even realizing it.

    In response, Odin¡¯s voice drifted over, ¡°Looks like you noticed now.¡±

    The Hunter looked over at her with his mouth still curled up into a smirk.

    He continued, ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong is not here.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ungnyeo had thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been next to Sangun right outside the window, but she had finally noticed that things were different from what she had assumed. The aftershocks of the battle outside were so great¡­no, that wasn¡¯t it. She hadn¡¯t noticed because she had just taken it for granted that he would have been here. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was gone.

    "He''s gone somewhere else,¡± Odin said, his words full of allusions. ¡°He¡¯s finally achieved what he had wished for.¡±

    "What are you talking about?" she asked.

    ¡°He wanted something from me¡­ And what he had wanted just happened,¡± Odin continued, his wordspletely iprehensible.

    Ungnyeo felt even greater anxiety.

    <i>Boom!!</i>

    Then, there was a huge roar that hadn¡¯t been heard before, apanying the aura that was right outside the room. If Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t here, then that meant that the aura could only have belonged to one other.

    <i>¡®Sangun!¡¯</i>

    ¡°And¡­¡± Odin looked out the window again. ¡°It looks like what I want will alsoe true.¡±

    Odin smiled again.

    <i>''I have to help.''</i>

    Ungnyeo incessantly looked for a way out.

    ***

    While Yeo Seong-Gu was leaving through the veil, the battle was fully underway where Sangun and the Hunters were making their stand.

    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡±

    Odin¡¯s subordinate Hunters and the furious Hunters of the White Tiger n were engaged in ughter. The Hunters realized as they had arrived at this battle that there was no room forpromise.

    The Hunters who had be Odin¡¯s subordinates were already out of control, and the blood on their hands included not only the families of the other Hunters but also countless ordinary people. To the Hunters on the side of Sangun, they were sinners who deserved punishment. They were no longer human.

    ¡°Punish them!¡±

    ¡°Kill the monsters!¡±

    They were no better than monsters. Thus, the Hunters made justifications for themselves, killing each other with trembling hands. In the midst of their battle, Sangun roared to the sky

    Faced with a giant green raven, Sangun continued to gain the upper hand. If Jeong In-Chang or Won-Hwa had been able to help him, then the raven, Huginn, would have already be a corpse.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    However, Odin¡¯s men weren¡¯t without Heroes.

    ¡°Just where did he find¡­!¡±

    Rather, there were quite a few unexpectedly strong members hiding among the Hunters. They were Heroes with no names or faces, no reputation. These Heroes had numerical superiority and were pressuring Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, and the princess from helping Sangun.

    ¡°Princess¡­!¡±

    Unfortunately, the princess¡¯s condition was not good. Before Sangun and Huginn had collided, the raven had dove toward Jeong In-Chang, and the princess was heavily injured by the raven¡¯s attack, bleeding profusely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done the emergency treatment!¡± Won-Hwa shouted.

    Although he had performed the emergency treatment using his medical skills, the bleeding continued to increase as time went on.

    <i>Caw!!</i>

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    In the midst of this urgent situation, the two beasts were exerting their strength toward each other. A green raven collided with a figure of orange and ck light. The mana emitted by Sangun was like that of a tiger. Although Sangun fought in the form of a half-human half-beast, each of his attacks had the full ferocity of the king of the mountain.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Flesh met flesh¨Cno, ws collided with ws as explosions and roars dominated the battlefield. However, at some point, the green raven began to barrage Sangun even more fiercely.

    <i>Caw!!!</i>

    Green power burst forward as, in response, Sangun roared painfully.

    ¡°<i>Keugah!!</i>¡±

    Although the Hunters wanted to find an opportunity to help Sangun, it was difficult for them to even keep up with what was before them.

    <i>ng!</i>

    <i>¡®Maybe Gram¡­¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang continuously wanted to use Gram all throughout the battle, but he knew he couldn¡¯t. Gram was still an imperfect force. Moreover, that bastard still hadn¡¯t appeared yet.

    ¡°Odin..!¡±

    He would be stronger than all of these Hunters put together. Jeong In-Chang knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to aid Lee Jun-Kyeong at all if he used up Gram right now, let alone be able to match Odin. Time continued to pass in this odd stalemate. Even in the midst of all the blood and sweat, the hands of someone¡¯s watch continued to tick, never stopping.

    <i>Tick. Tock.</i>

    At some point, Jeong In-Chang looked up at the sky.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Although it was disgraceful to turn an eye away from a battle when it was in full swing, he still looked up at the sky as if something was overwhelmingly attracting him.

    <i>Drop. Drop.</i>

    There was a sudden drop of rain, and dark clouds appeared in the blue sky.

    <i>Caw!!</i>

    The green raven, Huginn, plunged its beak into the nape of Sangun¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 186: Odinâ€™s Familiars Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 186: Odin¡¯s Familiars Pt. 3</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel that something had crossed through the veil, taking advantage of his carelessness.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    ¨CMaster!

    The situation continued to worsen.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s gaze looked straight ahead, facing eyes as big as a man¡¯s height.

    <i>Caw!</i>

    Muninn was plunging its beak toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, shing its green feathers. In that instant, in that second drawn into hours, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly stabbed forward with Muspel¡¯s Spear. He could see Muspel¡¯s Spear piercing through the air, its mana almost palpable.

    At the same time, he could also see Muninn¡¯s beaking toward him. At that moment, as everything seemed to pass slowly, a terrifying cracking sound urred, and time seemed to speed back up,ing together at the sound of something breaking.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked ahead. Muspel''s spear pierced Muninn''s chest deeply.

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, he didn¡¯te out of the trade unscathed. Muninn¡¯s huge beak had touched Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest, but the beak hadn¡¯t yet pierced his body. However, everything started to feel hazy.

    ¡°Mas¡­ter¡­¡±

    Muninn¡¯s beak was still moving closer to Lee Jun-Kyeong. The raven continued to thrust its beak forward as if it had to carry out itsst orders.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    Muninn¡¯s beak was passing through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    As the beak of the green raven entered his chest, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that Muninn¡¯s huge, bizarre eyes were almost smiling at him.

    <i>Sssssh.</i>

    At the same time, the world seemed to copse around him. Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked for a moment as the world melted around him like flowing water. As he opened his eyes again, space itself seemed to have changed.

    ¡°...¡±

    He was in a world full of darkness, a space where it was impossible for him to distinguish even an inch ahead. There, a green raven appeared. It wasn¡¯t as gigantic as it had been before. This time, it was the regr size of a small animal that anyone would have been able to recognize, slowly moving toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Swoop.</i>

    The beast stopped and looked down at Lee Jun-Kyeong as the Hunter found himself unable to move in the dark.

    <i>Drip. Drip. Drip.</i>

    All he could do was watch the green raven melt away, pooling on the floor like a puddle before beginning to change its appearance. The pool bubbled and bubbled before erupting like an explosion.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Then, he found himself looking at himself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong mumbled, not believing what he saw in front of him.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    Although the figure before him was dyed green, its visage was clear.

    ¡°You¡¯re me¡­!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t his new appearance that he had transformed into after signing a contract with The Sky of the Apocalypse and returning to the Age of Heroes in the Past.

    No.

    This person had sagging shoulders, a pitiful face, and even the sound of breathing mixed with despair, as if he had given up on everything.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s¡­my original¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the Lee Jun-Kyeong from before returning to the past.

    ***

    The world of darkness seemed to copse as soon as he saw himself, and Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself in the middle of an endless fall.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    Now, in a world distorted with all kinds of colors, Lee Jun-Kyeong was falling.

    <i>¡®How¡­¡¯</i>

    He was sure that the appearance of the raven had changed to his former self, the image of himself when he had been suffering from the Hunters as he had no power. Maybe because it had been a long time since he hadst seen his old self, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to think properly due to the shock.

    <i>¡®I¡­ I used to look like that¡­?¡¯</i>

    Indeed, the old image he hadn''t seen in a long time was very unfamiliar to Lee Jun-Kyeong. That self had been with him for a longer time than his newly acquired self, but now, that self seemed to be causing his entire body to distort. Not even Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand what was going on.

    <i>¡®It seems like everything is copsing.¡¯</i>

    It was bizarre. No, it was incongruent.

    Like that, Lee Jun-Kyeong fell for a while, trapped in his own dissonance. Just as his sanity slowly began to drift beneath the waves, he started to hear someone¡¯s voice.

    ¨CJun¡­ Kyeong¡­

    A voice was calling his name repeatedly.

    ¨CJun¡­ Kyeong¡­

    <i>''Fenrir.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that the voice belonged to Fenrir, and only then did his mind begin to clear. He had something he had to do.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes and looked around. It was a world dyed in many colors, like the brush strokes of a mad painter.

    <i>¡®Odin¡¯s Familiars¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around and recalled his memories. He wasn¡¯t dead, and Muninn¡¯s attack had done no damage to his body. It hadn¡¯t gone for his body.

    <i>¡®It came for my mind.¡¯</i>

    Muninn had risked death in order to infiltrate his mind. But why? No, more like how?

    Thinking through it all, Lee Jun-Kyeong searched through his memories. The story of Odin often appeared in the Book of the Demon King, including his abilities and any special Familiars under his thrall.

    Among Odin¡¯s Familiars, there were three that were the most famous: Muninn and Huginn, and one other. Lee Jun-Kyeong had to remember the two green ravens.

    <i>¡®Muninn¡¯s ability.¡¯</i>

    He had to remember the ability of Muninn, the raven that had attacked him. Odin¡¯s Familiars were special. They were stronger than Hunters and possessed a strange Authority that Hunters didn¡¯t have.

    Time continued to pass as Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to search through his memories. However, he couldn¡¯t easily figure it out.

    <i>¡®Muninn¡­ Muninn¡­¡¯</i>

    But, at that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized what was wrong.

    <i>¡®Since when did it start¡­¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t recall anything about the memories he had. Neither the Book of the Demon King nor the information about history was clear.

    It wasn¡¯t because of Muninn. In fact, from some point, his memories had be mixed.

    <i>¡®My memories¡­ they¡¯re blurring together¡­¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t tell what was real or what was fake. Was he in the past? The present? The future? He couldn''t tell.

    In the midst of all his confusion, Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to sort through his memories. He closed his eyes and imagined. There were numerous threads, tangled threads. One of them was the information that he wanted, so he had to find what he wanted in the midst of the intertwined threads.

    <i>Woosh¡­</i>

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who continued to fall, finally remembered Muninn¡¯s ability.

    ¡°Memory!¡±

    The raven read a Hunter¡¯s memories and trapped its target within them. Then, with that sudden thought, the world flickered and exploded.

    <i>Boom!!!</i>

    ***

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    At the same time, somewhere else, something simr to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had experienced was happening. Another green raven, Huginn, was piercing Sangun''s neck with its beak.

    ¡°Sangun¡ª!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa were quickly running toward Sangun, with Hunters blocking their way.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    Hindsight was twenty-twenty. Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa, who had been unconsciously holding back as they were facing people, were now cutting them down to open the path. As Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword moved, countless Hunters were cleaved through all at once.

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang arrived first, plunging his greatsword into Huginn¡¯s torso to try to save Sangun.

    <i>Shick!</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword only passed through Huginn¡¯s blurred body.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong! Sangun!¡±

    Won-Hwa, who appeared next, hadn¡¯t seen what had just urred.

    <i>Swish, swish, swish, swish!</i>

    Hundreds of needles shot forth from his hands toward Huginn.

    <i>Shick!</i>

    However, they, too, were ineffective, unable to touch Huginn and just scattering through the Familiar. The needles fell to the ground helplessly alongside the greatsword.

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang looked at each other.

    ¡°Just what is this¡­?!¡±

    They tried to take action quickly, whether it be by fist or mana, to try to stop Huginn, but it was to no avail. Everything they tried just passed through the Familiar like water without causing any damage, even if their methods were infused with mana.

    ¡°<i>Keughk¡­</i>¡±

    Through their efforts, Sangun¡¯s cries could be heard, the beast¡¯s cries sounding like he was having a nightmare. They had a problem.

    ¡°Sangun¡¯s body can be touched.¡±

    In the middle of enemy lines, while their foe was incorporeal and couldn¡¯t be touched, Sangun was still tangible. That could only mean one thing.

    <i>Clench!</i>

    They would have to fight while protecting Sangun on this hellish battlefield. They couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell was going on between Huginn and Sangun. However, they didn¡¯t have to.

    ¡°We will believe in Sangun¡­¡±

    ¡°And keep him safe.¡±

    A man holding needles and a man wielding a greatsword stood guard over the half-man, half-beast, and a green raven. Numerous Hunters looked over at them even as they sttered blood on the battlefield, their gazes sparkling. The enemies were approaching, aiming for Sangun.

    ¡°Protect them!¡±

    As for their allies, they all moved forward to protect them. The aspect of the battle was changing to a single existence.

    ¡°When Sangun wakes up¡­¡±

    Whatever happened, things would change again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s protect him.¡±

    Whether it would be a good change or a bad one, now, they had no choice but to protect him.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Odin smiled faintly as Ungnyeo continued to face ever-rising anxiety.

    <i>''I¡¯m almost done.''</i>

    She was focused on seizing her chance of escape. Odin¡¯s restriction really was hellish. Just his restraints alone, which were the fragments of his power that she could sense, made Odin look like a true monster.

    However, she knew that she could escape them. In the cataclysm that had changed everything, Ungnyeo had also changed. The growth of the monsters was apanied by the growth of the Hunters, and Ungnyeo was both a Hunter and a Hero. Her strength had grown so powerful that it was iparable to before.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    While it was true that even with such power, she wasn¡¯t able to do anything about Odin, if she continued to only focus on breaking through her restraints after such a long time, she could do it. She had grown to a point where she was capable of doing it.

    ¡°It started.¡± Odin''s voice was heard. ¡°Memories that have be the truth¡­¡±

    Odin''s voice sounded like a death sentence. ¡°And true instinct.¡±

    The smile Odin had been wearing all along disappeared as he looked straight at Ungnyeo.

    <i>Click.</i>

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Then, the restraints that Ungnyeo had been trying so hard to be free of were released. Odin had let her go.

    ¡°I have already achieved everything I wanted. So, now¡­¡±

    Odin picked up his coat from the chair and put it on. It was a long ck coat, and it was a bit too thick to wear for the current season.

    ¡°It''s my turn.¡±

    He started walking towards the door after freeing Ungnyeo and leaving her alone.

    Ungnyeo put her hand into her sleeve without hesitation, grasping a bronze sword. The bronze sword, filled with a blue aura, was thrust toward the back of Odin¡¯s head.

    ¡°If you stab me like that.¡±

    However, she stopped moving at the power behind his voice.

    ¡°Everything you hold dear will die.¡±

    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, not a threat.¡±

    Odin looked at Ungnyeo with his one intact eye.

    ¡°Mercy.¡±

 Chapter 187: Memory

    <h4>Chapter 187: Memory</h4>

    <i>Scritch. Scritch.</i>

    A small child was drawing on the ground. Although he was a child, he was quite skilled. It wasn''t a shy and beautiful picture, but it was easy to see what he was depicting: monsters and¡­a Hero.

    It was a picture of a single Hero fighting an uncountable horde of monsters.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although the child continued to draw, not a single person approached the child. The sandy yground was quiet, and the rusted swing set made a squeaking sound. All of the yground equipment around it was rusted and left unattended for years. The child was alone in the old yground.

    <i>Scritch, scritch.</i>

    Time passed, and the sun was setting, but even so, the child continued to draw without stopping. It wasn¡¯t until the sun hadpletely set that the child got up from his seat.

    ¡°...¡±

    So much time had passed that there was no longer any light in his surroundings, let alone the bright sunlight from earlier. The child had been leftpletely unattended for quite some time and had finally left the yground on his own.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    At the yground where the child had just left, the abandoned painting blew away in the wind. He had beenpletely unaware that there had been someone watching this entire time.

    ¡°...¡±

    A being had been floating around through the air like a ghost, watching over the child the entire time he had been at the yground.

    <i>¡®My childhood¡­¡¯</i>

    That figure, Lee Jun-Kyeong, had found himself looking down at his own past.

    ***

    It could be said that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s childhood had been unfortunate. There was only one ce that an orphan with no parents would have gone.

    He had been sent to an orphanage they called The Facility, but there was no one who paid proper attention to the child. Instead, the people there, including even the director of the orphanage, devoted all of their hearts and souls to finding a Hunter¡¯s child.

    <i>¡®A Hunter. You can never be sure, there might be a Hunter¡¯s child among them.¡¯</i>

    Finding a Hunter¡¯s illegitimate child was like winning the lottery for an orphanage. asionally, a Hunter¡¯s illegitimate child would be abandoned or disappear, and if they were to be found in an orphanage, if they were arge enough orphanage, they would brainwash and raise them.

    Or they were sold to Hunters without children or to ordinary people who were lucky enough to have great wealth. After all, a Hunter¡¯s illegitimate child would, in turn, be a Hunter, and such young Hunters were valuable resources.

    <i>¡®So it¡¯s not surprising that they didn¡¯t care whatsoever about a child like me.¡¯</i>

    The other children starved and died, yet still, no one cared. The orphanage only had one role: to provide a ce for them to sleep.

    The food provided to the children was no different from the end scraps, and the only day the children ate anything decent was the day Hunters would visit to find a child to adopt. In that manner, Lee Jun-Kyeong lived a hellish life during his time there. Stuck in a ce without dreams or hopes, Lee Jun-Kyeong grew up watching countless children die.

    "I¡­¡±

    The young Lee Jun-Kyeong was talking to someone.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the figure his younger self was interacting with, but couldn¡¯t figure out the identity of the person he was talking to. It was a child the same age as his younger self, also an orphan without parents.

    ¡°...¡±

    His younger self looked sullen as he spoke to the child.

    <i>¡®I¡­¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t had a single friend in those days. In that horrifying and grueling orphanage, the children had found a way to survive together. However, he hadn¡¯t been included in that group.

    ¡°You¡¯re so gloomy.¡±

    ¡°It pisses me off.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just a single hell that he lived in. Within a hell alwaysid the chance for the appearance of another Hell.[1]

    The children had all regarded him as unlucky, and not a single one of them would speak to him. The young boy sat, crouched on the ground.

    <i>¡®I just spent all my time curled up in my room every day.¡¯</i>

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    There was nothing else he could do. Finding something to do was difficult for a child of that age to evenprehend. His daily routine was just limited to eating the trash they gave for food and washing up before someone visited. There was only one thing he had as his friend.

    <i>Flutter. Flutter.</i>

    <i>¡®The Book of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    It was a memento left to him by his dead parents, and it was a book that he tried his hardest not to get taken from him. Unlike how the adults at the orphanage just thought that it was just a storybook or some notebook, to him, it had been his greatest inheritance. At that age, he would spend his entire day tucked in a corner of his room reading that book.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right, there was the yground, too.¡¯</i>

    There were also the times he would go spend time in the old yground where no one would look for him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡¯</i>

    Looking down at his childhood self, Lee Jun-Kyeong furrowed his brow. He could see his younger self, but he himself waspletely unable to do anything, Watching it all, he could feel his heart tear apart once more from the terrible despair and loneliness that he had felt before.

    ***

    Time was passing faster than expected, almost as if it was being cut and pasted.

    <i>¡®So it¡¯s showing me the times I suffered the most¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the times he was at his most desperate, picking out his most painful times and showing them. Although it was fortunate that he wasn¡¯t being forced to watch his entire twenty-plus years of life, it still wasn¡¯t a fun experience.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was bing ustomed to being forced to see his memories. He had tried to break through the experience using force, but it was impossible.

    <i>¡®Muninn¡¯s ability deals with memories¡­¡¯</i>

    It was said that if one got trapped in the Familiar¡¯s ability, trapped in one¡¯s memories, there was a way to escape. However, that method was definitely not through strength. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked for hints as he examined his past memories.

    Before he knew it, his younger self had grown up quite a bit. Still, nheless, life hadn¡¯t changed much. He would eat garbage and be bullied by his peers.

    <i>Smack! Smack!</i>

    There were even days when if the director weren¡¯t in a good mood, he would be called out and beaten. Still, he would at least be given something slightly more edible than normal after being beaten to the point of fainting.

    <i>¡®Not a single person cared about me.¡¯</i>

    The young Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that this was all the world amounted to: a painful, exhausting life. That was all the world was. Thus, with that thought, he endured.

    He took it for granted because he thought everyone was going through the same life, the same Hell. So, he continued to endure, thinking that his Hell, a little better than others, was manageable.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    However, as his memories split apart and reconnected, before Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it again, the child before him, looking to be about eight years old, was wearing clothes. His body was clean, and his features were distinct.

    There were no marks from being beaten, and he had grown a little as if he had eaten welltely. Although this was from when he was young, Lee Jun-Kyeong still remembered it all clearly.

    ¡°Live as mannerly as possible,¡± the director of the orphanage said to his younger self with a benevolent smile.

    ¡°Because, if you evere back¡­you¡¯ll never be able to go outside again.¡±

    Although it was a sentence that should never have been spoken to a child, the director stood, saying it to his younger self.

    <i>Slide.</i>

    As the director left, his younger self hid the Book of the Demon King under his shirt. It was his treasure, a treasure no one cared about or coveted.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯</i>

    The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped forward.

    <i>¡®NO!¡¯</i> the ghostly Lee Jun-Kyeong screamed out as he tried to reach his younger self somehow.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just a memory¡­¡¯</i>

    However, what was in front of him was just a memory of his past self, something in his head that could never be changed. His younger self eventually left the room as the scene around him changed.

    ¡°Good. So they chose you.¡±

    A couple smiled down at his younger self.

    ¡°From now on, you will never go hungry.¡±

    It was the Hunter couple who adopted him, and what they said was true. He was no longer hungry from that point on.

    <i>¡®No¡­¡¯</i>

    What awaited him, however, was a more hellish experience, so hellish in fact that his time at the orphanage had been better. This was it. His loathing of Hunters, his hatred of Hunters, this Hell of Hunters, had been the beginning of it all.

    ***

    <i>Smack!</i>

    ¡°Who told you to use chopsticks?¡±

    The child who had been pped on the cheek put down the chopsticks with trembling hands.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the adult who pped him said. ¡°If you¡¯re a dog, you should eat like a dog on the floor.¡±

    The man tossed the bowl full of food on the floor. Although the food was definitely of good quality and delicious, now that it had fallen to the floor, it was no different from when he had been given scraps at the orphanage.

    ¡°But it¡¯s the same¡­¡± he whispered.

    ¡°What did you say just now?¡±

    However, the adult who had heard the child mutter to himself stood up.

    <i>Smack! Smack! Smack!</i>

    Then, again, he pped the child''s cheek, his twisted lips clearly smiling. After having beaten him for a long time, he let the boy go.

    ¡°Eat.¡±

    And, even despite the continuous violence, the child ate to survive. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s younger self had been adopted by a wealthy Hunter couple. However, his adoption had been special. The couple had already had children who would grow into great Hunters and thus didn¡¯t need another child.

    No, they had needed something different with him.

    ¡°Dad! He eats so well!¡±

    It was fashionable among wealthy Hunters to have special pets that no one else had.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Go wash it and take good care of it.¡±

    His younger self was a pet that ate well, barked well, and obeyed well.

    <i>Shuffle.</i>

    His younger self picked up the flood from the floor and stood up to eat. However, he wasn¡¯t crying, as he wasn¡¯t starving anymore, and the food was delicious. Moreover, this level of punishment wasn¡¯t much different from before.

    <i>¡®Here¡­¡¯</i>

    His younger self thought for a moment.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a slightly better hell than before.¡¯</i>

    His cohabitation with the Hunters had begun.

    <i>¡®Damn it.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong chewed his lips as he watched it all. This was his past that hadpletely disappeared from his memory. It was his forgotten pain.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t remember it.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t remember how he had been able to leave this Hell.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    White hair fluttered in the wind. A woman with white, flowing hair looked down with sunken eyes. Whaty before her eyes was a broken London.

    ¡°Is it our fault?¡±

    It was so broken that no one could even imagine it ever being able to return to its original glory.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we can take it all back,¡± a man with a low voice said from next to her.

    The man had great stature, and radiant blond hair, and there was even a beautiful sword at his waist. Overlooking London, the two oddly fit together well with the image of the destroyed city.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, there really is no taking it back¡­¡± the white-haired woman said in a choked voice.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything to be relieved about, it¡¯s that we were able to save many people.¡±

    The woman, Merlin, had acted before the battle had begun. London may not have been able to be saved, but its people could. The people they were able to protect, hidden away in Merlin¡¯s space with bated breaths, were waiting for the day they would be able to return.

    ¡°Yes. And that¡¯s enough,¡± the blonde man, Arthur, said, no longer a child.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no buts,¡± Arthur said sternly to Merlin, who seemed sad and longing.

    ¡°We will never be able to go back to the past.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°All we can do is look to the future and move on.¡±

    ¡°To the past¡­¡±

    They would never be able to take it back. She wanted to go back to before all of this tragedy had started, even if it was only right up to before the battle started. However, even Merlin wasn¡¯t able to do something like that.

    No.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s impossible for anyone in this world to go back in time.¡¯</i>

    Merlin''s eyes turned to the sky. She wondered if it was possible for the Sponsors, the ones who possessed all of this power and destruction.

    ¡°No," she said to herself firmly. ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Merlin sighed and rose. The surviving Knights of the Round Table were waiting at the top of Big Ben.

    <i>''London is sinking.''</i>

    All of Ennd was sinking in the wake of the battle that had begun in London. Those who had survived were rescued as best the Knights were able to, and they were all forced to leave their country, their homnd, Ennd.

    "Let''s go."

    They would leave to save people and to get revenge.

    "To Korea."

    Moving after Olympus, who should have already left first, the remaining British Hunters began heading to Korea.

    1. Old Korean proverb. Things can always be worse. ??

 Chapter 188: Memory Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 188: Memory Pt. 2</h4>

    They were giving him an education, or at least, that¡¯s what they called it.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    When he, a human being, had acted like a human being, they would severely beat him, saying that it was an action that didn¡¯t fit him. Other than having to stand on two feet and being able to speak in a human tongue, his identity was clear.

    ¡°You are not human.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t allowed to take any action that even hinted at him being human. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been forced to sleep in a little house in the yard and had to eat on the floor while his owners were at the table.

    ¡°Hehe. How cute.¡±

    Above all, he had to be the toy of children who were even younger than he had been.

    ¡°How far does your arm move?¡±

    ¡°Is he as strong as we are?¡±

    ¡°No way! Not this thing!¡±

    They would thoroughly y with the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong. He wasn¡¯t allowed to protest at all. Even when he had tried to run to his death, resistance was impossible. They would simply break his arms and make him crawl on all fours.

    <i>¡®They broke my will.¡¯</i>

    Fortunately, the wife of the Hunter couple that had bought him was a healer. Though, even at this age, he wasn¡¯t sure if that had been a good thing.

    Either way, Lee Jun-Kyeong survived and endured each day, where the only time he would have for himself was reading his book at dawn while everyone else was asleep.

    ¡®<i>I was obsessed with books.¡¯</i>

    He had considered his books like his parents, his only friend. And that wasn¡¯t a lie, either. To be honest, the only thing he really had that could be considered any such type of being was the Book of the Demon King.

    It was the only thing he had.

    Thus, time passed by for him, day by day, until it reached a point where it felt like it was natural to be beaten and live like an animal.

    <i>Ding-dong.</i>

    Then, one day, someone came to the house. From the point that Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived at this house, he had never seen the Hunters more flustered as they moved quickly and handled Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although they had tried to move him, treating him as a burden, eventually, they gave up.

    ¡°I guess we won¡¯t be able to.¡±

    ¡°Just leave him. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As if they were being chased by something, they haphazardly threw Lee Jun-Kyeong away and abandoned their home. To be honest, it had all been absurd to him. How could his new hell have disappeared so easily? The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong had waited for the guest in the house, left all alone.

    <i>¡®...¡¯</i>

    At this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was looking down on his past unfolding before him, swallowed dryly. He didn¡¯t remember this. It would be impossible for someone to remember everything from childhood, but he thought that something like this would surely have been a turning point in life, something to remember. However, there wasn¡¯t anything like that in his memory.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Then, he heard footsteps, and he watched his younger self waiting for the guest like a dog. Someone came in, approaching like a storm.

    ¡°Where did they go?¡± that person asked.

    He made a face as he asked the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong a question.

    ¡°...How awful.¡±

    The man clicked his tongue at the sight of Lee Jun-Kyeong. Among Hunters, it was fashionable to keep ordinary people as pets, often making something simr to a leash and forcing their pets to wear them.

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    The Hunter couple who had bought him were sensitive to fashion and had his younger self wear various things. By the time the guest had seen him, Lee Jun-Kyeong had devolved into something that couldn¡¯t ever be called a human.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    The man slowly approached and hugged his younger self.

    ¡°Do you hate them?¡±

    It was the first time the words spoken to him had any warmth. The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded his head involuntarily.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Then, the tears that hadn¡¯t been shed since he had left the orphanage fell once more as the guest spoke again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Then, the man took his younger self and left the mansion. At this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered it.

    <i>¡®Ah¡­¡¯</i>

    He sighed, wondering why he had forgotten that. When they left the mansion, it was an incredibly clear and sunny day.

    <i>¡®Hyung¡­¡¯</i>

    The sunlight that fell down reflected on the bald head of Yeo Seong-Gu, glimmering with a brilliant light. Lee Jun-Kyeongughed involuntarily, and in this terrifying memory, Yeo Seong-Gu had be his hope.

    ***

    When he was younger, had there been any point at which Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of revenge? Did he ever imagine stabbing a knife into the extraordinary scum that had forced upon him such a hellish life?

    No, he hadn¡¯t.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have felt something from him immediately after having met him for the first time.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked Yeo Seong-Gu a question, who had been about to leave.

    ¡°You¡­ what a coincidence¡­¡±

    His book had been taken out of his living space, resembled a doghouse, and it was a book that hadn¡¯t been recognized by anyone or cared for. Yet, Yeo Seong-Gu had recognized the Book of the Demon King.

    To his younger self, it was something that was incredibly astonishing. It was as if he had finally met someone who could recognize an imaginary friend that no one else had ever seen before. At that time, the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong was flustered but delighted.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu had stared at his younger self for a long time.

    ¡°Do you want revenge?¡± he asked, offering a chance at revenge.

    However, his younger self had responded confidently, ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu opened his eyes a little and asked why.

    <i>¡®I hadn¡¯t been able to exin for some reason.¡¯</i>

    It was frustrating for Lee Jun-Kyeong, to have to see it all now.

    His current self wanted to tear the adoptive parents who had forced upon him memories that were difficult for him to ovee from his childhood, and he also wanted to rip the director and teachers of the orphanage into pieces.

    However, his younger self had just responded that he didn¡¯t want to take revenge.

    <i>¡®...¡¯</i>

    ¡°Good.¡± Yeo Seong-Gu smiled brilliantly, and thus, their departure began.

    His younger self, not knowing when he was headed, continued to travel in the arms of Yeo Seong-Gu. Thendscape passed by quickly. He saw many people, many things.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    It was a different world. Having been confined to the orphanage, the old yground, or the mansion, his younger self had no idea that the world was this wide. The two of them continued to travel in that manner, eventually arriving somewhere else.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    They had arrived at a ce where his adoptive parents and their children, who had treated him like a dog, were hiding. It was another mansion. Yeo Seong-Gu had arrived at their hiding spot.

    ¡°You¡­! You son of a bitch!¡±

    They pointed at him with eyes zing as if they thought that he had revealed their location.

    <i>¡®Even though I didn¡¯t say a single word.¡¯</i>

    It was ridiculous. The look of his frightened adoptive parents was a fresh shock to his younger self.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to his younger self in a small whisper. ¡°They are the ones I must kill.¡±

    Having said that, a brilliant sword that his younger self had never seen before appeared in Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s hands. He slowly approached them.

    His adoptive parents were trembling as if they had seen their grim reaper. Of course, not all of the memories he was watching weren¡¯t his own.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    They were slowly cut. Like the pieces of ham that they had fed him, the two adults died in front of his younger self.

    It all seemed futile¡ªto the extent that it was hard for him to think of what had just unfolded before him as the deaths of the demons who had created his hell. The second mansion they had arrived at had be a sea of blood.

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t want to get revenge¡­¡±

    There, Yeo Seong-Gu had made a decision.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to erase the difficult memories.¡±

    He had erased some of the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s memories.

    <i>¡®Ah¡­¡¯</i>

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized why he only had vague memories of those days. Yeo Seong-Gu had acted in consideration for him, making sure his younger self wouldn¡¯t fall onto an evil path so that he would be able to live in the world ahead of him for the first time.

    ¡°But remember the pain that you had.¡±

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu hadn¡¯t erased his hellish experience, just the sweet revenge that had taken ce.

    ¡°That is the price you must pay for holding the book.¡±

    ***

    "Master!" Hyeon-Mu screamed as he shook Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    Muninn had disappeared. Before Lee Jun-Kyeong had been attacked by Muninn, Muspel¡¯s Spear had stabbed the raven precisely in the heart, and the raven had been destroyed where it stood. Even so, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t waking up.

    ¨CMaster¡­!

    There was a soft green light enveloping Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Muninn may have died, but it was clear that the power that it had exhibited at thest moment was continuing to encroach on Lee Jun-Kyeong. His face changed at every moment, losing his sanity as he shifted between tears, anger, and other various emotions.

    ¡°We have to move!¡±

    Hyeon-Mu put Lee Jun-Kyeong on his back, taking care of his master directly rather than entrusting the Hunter to his subordinates.

    ¨C...

    Hel looked behind the two of them, watching the broken veil restore itself.

    ¨CIt¡¯s different.

    "What are you talking about?" asked Hyeon-Mu

    -Something¡­ is different¡­

    Unlike Hyeon-Mu, Hel had pierced through the veil and entered into Gyeonggi-Do alongside Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Whether it was the process of breaking the veil or how the veil recovered itself, there was something different about it all.

    ¨CThe way the veil is recovering is different from before¡­

    The veil had healed the first time by condensing into a storm that raged to the point where itpletely consumed everything around it. However, now, as if something had caught hold of the opening, the veil was struggling to bring itself back together.

    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>

    Through the torn veil, they could see Seoul, which had an appearance that exuded an ominous feeling.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡±

    However, for Hyeon-Mu, the most important thing was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s safety.

    ¡°Break through.¡±

    Muninn may have died, but the two wolves were still alive. They were slowly approaching them, wiping out the skeleton soldiers, eyes zing. Hyeon-Mu gestured with both hands while carrying Lee Jun-Kyeong on his back.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    A massive amount of mana started to tremble.

    ¡°I really wanted to show this to the Master, but¡­¡±

    It was a power that he hadn¡¯t been able to show Lee Jun-Kyeong as it hadn¡¯t beenpleted yet. That said, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to wait for Lee Jun-Kyeong to wake up by this point.

    Each time Hyeon-Mu gestured and released mana, the skeleton soldiers moved.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    They wereing together, fusing and changing their appearance.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Hyeon-Mu let out a stifled moan. He was using a move that hadn¡¯t beenpleted yet, so using it despite its iplete state meant an apanying massive burden. The Familiar felt a tearing pain run through its body.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    However, Hyeon-Mu justughed. He was always ready to give up his life to protect the master. At that moment, Hel came forward.

    ¨CI will help.

    It seemed as though it had figured out what Hyeon-Mu was trying to do.

    ¡°My sibling¡­¡±

    The two were siblings, able to read each other¡¯s thoughts and help each other. The skeleton soldiers and Hel¡¯s soul united together, fusing into apletely grotesque figure. The wolves did everything they could to break the fusing soldiers apart, but soon realizing that it was impossible, they quickly turned around and changed tactics.

    ¨CGrrr!

    ¨CGrowl!!

    The best way to destroy a spell was to destroy the caster wielding it. The wolves started to rush in, facing a horde of skeleton soldiers that hadn¡¯t yet fused into the grotesque figure. But, in that gap before the wolves had reached Hyeon-Mu, the Familiar¡¯s voice whispered into the air, ¡°It¡¯s finished.¡±

    The spell had beenpleted, and with Hel¡¯s aid, there had been no need for him to risk his life toplete it.

    ¡°You really are my true sibling¡­ thank you.¡±

    Hel had the one piece of the puzzle Hyeon-Mu hadcked for the spell to bepleted: an incredible soul power. It had brought the power to move the summons that he had created.

    ¡°Leviathan!¡±[1]

    A huge shadow fell over the wolves as the bright sunlight disappeared.

    <i>Drip. Drip. Dripdripdripdripdrip.</i>

    It started to rain, and something began to tear through space and descend over the heads of the wolves.

    <i>Oooanggg!!</i>

    1. Funnily enough, this is the first Christian mythos reference since the Garden of Eden at the beginning of the book and is a break from the Norse Mythos that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the other Korean Hunters seem to have focused on. ??

 Chapter 189: Memory Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 189: Memory Pt. 3</h4>

    .

    <i>Rumble!!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly felt the space around him shake. The dreamscape was trembling.

    ¡°Where am I going?¡±

    However, the world that he was observing, created from his memories, was fine.

    <i>¡®Maybe¡­¡¯</i>

    He wondered if there was a problem outside. He looked up at the sky, wanting to escape the world of memories created by Muninn¡¯s Authority.

    <i>¡®No, I can¡¯t yet.¡¯</i>

    However, he couldn¡¯t do it. It wasn¡¯t because hecked strength. At some point, his power had returned, and it seemed that if he wanted to, he would be able to break free from this world of memories and escape to the real world.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. All of the scenes from this point on were memories he didn¡¯t remember, whether it was meeting Yeo Seong-Gu, or seeing the Hunter avenge him.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just that he didn¡¯t remember any of it. In fact, his memory waspletely different from what he was seeing.

    <i>¡®From what I recall, I had met with Seong-Gu Hyung muchter¨Cwhen I had grown a little more and started living alone.¡¯</i>

    But now, in the world of memories, his younger self was moving alongside Yeo Seong-Gu. He had no idea what had happened, which was why Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t leave this space. This was his chance to find out what he had missed and what he had lost.

    <i>¡®Hyeon-Mu. Hel. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¯</i>

    He would trust his Familiars to protect him outside while he held fast here to understand his truth.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished what I had to do,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said to his younger self.

    ¡°What did you have to do?¡±

    ¡°There was an organization called Asgard. Although it¡¯s now absorbed into Eden, I had to punish the previous members who had fallen into depravity and betrayed me and the world.¡±

    Perhaps because Lee Jun-Kyeong had been a child in the past, but Yeo Seong-Gu was telling the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong secrets that had no need for him to ever mention.

    ¡°Are you a Hunter?¡± the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    They continued to move while talking in detail, leaving the area dominated by Hunters to a ce a little further away.

    <i>''To the area where ordinary people live.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong now realized that the lost memories of his childhood were greater than he had thought. He wondered if Yeo Seong-Gu could have erased his memories once again after the first time.

    But if that was the case, why? There didn¡¯t seem to be any more reasons for Yeo Seong-Gu to erase his memories again. Considering Yeo Seong-Gu had left behind all of his painful memories, he wondered if the Hunter erased his memories again after that.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    They had arrived at amon house that the ordinary people of his past lived in. Yeo Seong-Gu put down the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong, and Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as if his breath had caught in his throat.

    "A Hunter''s blood flows in you."

    It was an impossible sentence. However, there was a usible reason that followed.

    ¡°That book is proof. Just from being able to see that book itself¡­ It means that you are already an incredibly strong Hunter that can¡¯t bepared to others.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu put his hand on the book held by the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    At that moment, like a static shock, the book pushed away Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°See? Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s fine with it? No ordinary person will be able to see that book¡¯s true value.¡±

    The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong stared nkly at the book as the current Lee Jun-Kyeong also did the same.

    ¡°...¡±

    A Hunter¡¯s blood flowed through him. However, he had never once awakened the power of a Hunter himself. That was why he had arrived at this ce after having lived such a never-ending hellscape of a life.

    ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll be learning many things from me.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°Because, as the owner of this book, there are things you have to do. Understood?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong responded since Yeo Seong-Gu had been the Hero that had saved him from Hell.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe the memories that were unfolding before him.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    While shouting, his younger self wielded a sword.

    <i>Whirl! Woosh!</i>

    This was a memory that definitely didn¡¯t exist in his mind and was something that he could never have even imagined. The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong dropped his sword.

    ¡°As expected,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said, approaching Lee Jun-Kyeong as he watched the boy il about.

    ¡°The sword doesn¡¯t fit you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°For you¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu took another item from his inventory and handed it to his younger self.

    ¡°The spear fits better.¡±

    The Hunter had pulled out a spear that looked slightlyrger than his younger self. Having handed it over, he taught the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong how to use it.

    <i>¡®Just¡­¡¯</i>

    Watching it all, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to ept it all. Yeo Seong-Gu had trained him.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    Although it was ever so slight, he saw the figure of himself as a child using the power of a Hunter. It was all confusing. Had his entire life been a lie?

    He couldn''t figure out what the hell was going on. Yeo Seong-Gu had trained his younger self like this. But, what could have been his reason?

    ¡°Why do I have to do this?¡± he asked.

    "Well¡­¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded to his younger self with a smile. ¡°Because there are many things that you have to change.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as your destiny,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu finished, stroking the boy¡¯s hair.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    With a bright light, the scene changed.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Somewhere along the line, his younger self had grown a little more and had be an adolescent.[1] This was also another memory that he didn¡¯t have.

    The adolescent Lee Jun-Kyeong was rapidly thrusting forward with his spear and pushing Yeo Seong-Gu back.

    <i>Swish! Woosh! Swish!</i>

    However, Yeo Seong-Gu looked the same as before. He hadn¡¯t aged at all. The Hunter was talking as he quickly dodged Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear.

    ¡°Aim for the opponent¡¯s vitals.¡±

    He spoke like a teacher, like a parent with warm eyes.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t kill the other person, you¡¯ll die.¡±

    However, his teaching was harsh. Yeo Seong-Gu struck the adolescent Lee Jun-Kyeong with a wooden sword. Lee Jun-Kyeong trembled.

    <i>Pow!</i>

    One after another, Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s kicksnded directly on his body, and the young teen was knocked down by the relentless barrage.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back up.¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu reached out his hand toward Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly and helped him stand up.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot. How good."

    At the Hunter¡¯spliment, the adolescent Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled.

    <i>¡®Why don¡¯t I have any of these memories?¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, the Lee Jun-Kyeong of the current time continued to feel confused. He remembered clearly when he had met Yeo Seong-Gu, the time he had spent with Yeo Seong-Gu, and the conversations he had with him. However, he didn¡¯t remember any of this.

    ¡°Good, good. Now, my turn is over, so it must be yours, right?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said after having sat in the yard. The adolescent Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°The Demon King met Odin¡­¡±

    He began to recite the contents of a book.

    "Good."

    Yeo Seong-Gu was listening to the contents of a book from Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was a book he couldn¡¯t read and only Lee Jun-Kyeong could view it.

    ¡°There was a cataclysm¡­¡±

    So, he heard it through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°The Round Table¡­ Odin¡­ Baldur¡­ and Seoul¡­¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to be thinking deeply about something while listening to the adolescent Lee Jun-Kyeong speak.

    ¡°...¡±

    But all of this was like a shock in and of itself to Lee Jun-Kyeong watching it all. In his memories, Yeo Seong-Gu had never once asked about the contents of the book. Even though he tried to tell him, but the other man had refused. But now, he saw that the Hunter had rather asked for the contents of the book to his younger self.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    In the midst of his confusion and shock, it seemed that Yeo Seong-Gu and the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s role for the day had ended. His younger self and Yeo Seong-Gu seemed like a family.

    A father and son.

    A hyung and his dongsaeng.[2]

    <i>¡®A master and disciple.¡¯</i>

    ***

    The scene changed again, and he saw himself again.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s what I used to look like, in my memories¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the visage of how he remembered himself.

    However, this Lee Jun-Kyeong had continued to be with Yeo Seong-Gu.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    His skills, which he was practicing without fail even in this memory, were astonishing, even to the current Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was a seamlessbination of strikes and sharpness.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s simr to my spearmanship today¡­¡¯</i>

    The spear was something he had never learned before, but it was something that had seemed familiar from the very beginning. The spearmanship before him right now seemed almost identical to that spearmanship he had fostered until now.

    ¡°Excellent. It''s stillcking, but it''s not a matter of your skills.¡±

    It was Yeo Seong-Gu. Still untouched by time, he approached Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoke.

    ¡°Can you admit it now?¡±

    Unlike before, the rtionship between the two seemed more intimate.

    "Hmm¡­¡±

    "What''s wrong?" asked the teenage Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    There was something different about Yeo Seong-Gu this time. He had an expression as if he was thinking about something.

    ¡°I have nothing more to teach you,¡± he eventually said.

    ¡°What third-rate movie master are you trying to be? Now that I¡¯ve learned everything, I¡¯m going to have to descend from the mountain?¡±[3]

    The young Lee Jun-Kyeong, whose hair had grown out more, spoke to Yeo Seong-Gu in a yful way. However, it seemed that from his tone, he was also reading Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Today is thest of it, right?¡± Yeo Seong-Gu suddenly asked.

    The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly and naturally opened the book.

    <i>¡®¡­!¡¯</i>

    The current Lee Jun-Kyeong was shocked as he saw the scene unfold.

    <i>¡®The denouement.¡¯</i>[4]

    The page of the book that the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong had just opened to was thest part of the Book of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong wracked his brain to figure out what was there. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t remember.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s the only part I can¡¯t remember about the book.¡¯</i>

    It was the part that he wasn¡¯t able to remember even in reality. Now, the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to read it to Yeo Seong-Gu. The pages slowly turned as Lee Jun-Kyeong''s mouth opened, ¡°Everything is over.¡±

    Then, he started to speak.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> issues you a warning.]

    Then, the current Lee Jun-Kyeong then heard a voice.

    <i>¡®What?¡¯</i>

    His Sponsor hadn¡¯t taken any action so far, but The Sky of the Apocalypse was about to intervene at this very moment. The world of his memories cracked and shook.

    ¡°I met with them,¡± the younger Lee Jun-Kyeong read.

    In the gaps between the tremors, from the book written from the Demon King¡¯s point of view, the Demon King met with <i>them</i> in the denouement.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> issues you a warning.]

    The world around him began to fall apart more and more.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hide my surprised expression when I saw them. I hade all this way with the determination to die, but everything I had done seemed to go to waste.¡±

    The younger Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was reading a book, could feel Yeo Seong-Gu looking at him.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> issues you a warning.]

    Then, his gaze began to grow murky, and the world of his memories no longer showed him any scenes. Instead, something else happened.

    ¡°The person I thought was my friend. The person I had thought of as apanion who would have stayed by my side until the very end. That person was there, too.¡±

    As his voice finally rang for thest time, Lee Jun-Kyeong screamed.

    <i>AGHHHHHH!</i>

    ***

    He was in a broken world, in the dark, where nothing could be seen.

    [Can you hear me?]

    In that dark space, he heard a voice, and his consciousness seemed to wake up little by little. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his mouth. It was a familiar voice, a voice that he had definitely heard before.

    ¡°<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...¡±

    It was the voice of the <The Sky of the Apocalypse> that he had heard when the Sponsor had asked if he would fulfill a contract with it.

    1. The term ?? generally refers to a boy, generally from the ages of 8 to 18. ??

    2. Older and younger brothers. ??

    3. In murim, when disciples have learned all they could/reached a certain point in their training, they are ordered to descend from the mountain and experience the world in order to grow and find enlightenment. One has to leave the mountain and experience the mortal coil in order to find immortality. ??

    4. Lit. The final section of a three-part poem or the conclusion of an epic. ??

 Chapter 190: Memory Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 190: Memory Pt. 4</h4>

    The Hunters, who by this point can be said to number quite a few, all had their own individual Sponsors.

    While a few may have the same Sponsor¡ªno, while dozens or even hundreds of them could be under one Sponsor, it was still undeniable that the number of Sponsors was much higher than anyone could have expected originally.

    There were many Hunters and many Sponsors.

    [Can you hear me?]

    Among them all, how many people could have ever heard the true voice of their Sponsor? However, right now, at this very moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong was surprised by the sound of that bastard, The Sky of the Apocalypse.

    He had heard this voice only once before, when he had died before he hade to the Age of Heroes.

    <i>¡®The contract is executed.¡¯</i>

    At that time, things around him had been too pressing for him to pay much attention to, and he had been clueless, so he had thought that it was just some person¡¯s voice. However, it was different now.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    He was afraid.

    His entire body trembled like a willow in the wind after hearing that voice that descended upon him like the Rhema of a divine being.[1]

    It was because of the power contained in that voice and the multiple indescribable meanings behind it.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just terrifying.¡¯</i>

    To think that such a being could speak to him, the fact such a being could recognize him, was just too terrifying in itself. Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell the true face of Sponsor just by hearing the voice.

    <i>¡®This¡­ It¡¯s almost like God¡­¡¯</i>

    Wasn¡¯t it like the voice of God who answered prayers? As he trembled at such a terrifying voice, the slightly mischievous voice of that bastard continued to speak.

    [How about answering if you can hear me?]

    Then the tension eased a little.

    [It''s difficult to convey my Rhema to you, an insignificant creature.]

    The Sky of the Apocalypse seemed to be saying in a roundabout way that there was no time for them to talk.

    [The reason why <i>I</i> deigned to deliver this Rhema directly to such an insignificant creature like you is¡­]

    The tension that had only just been released hardened again immediately, manifesting into cold goosebumps that cascaded down Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    [Because <i>I</i> deemed it necessary to exin the contents of the contract to you.]

    ¡°What?"

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth before he realized something.

    <i>¡®I¡­¡¯</i>

    He had never wondered or thought about the executed contract. All he had done was ept hazily that the contract to send him to the past had been carried out, but he had never questioned it. That was unbelievable in itself.

    <i>''How could I not be curious about that at all?¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t until now that the Sky of the Apocalypse brought it up that he had thought about the contract.

    [Oh, of course, I¡¯m not going to go into all of the details. It would be a waste of a Rhema.]

    Then, as Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to let out another sigh and frown, the Sky of the Apocalypse¡¯s next words made him pause.

    [There¡¯s been an addendum to the first contract. Someone intervened and became a guarantor.]

    <i>¡®A guarantor?¡¯</i>

    A name crossed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind.

    [Although it was a guarantor that the contracting party didn¡¯t want, well, <i>I</i> still epted it because it was beneficial to <i>me</i>. But, as someone that <i>I </i>sponsor, <i>I¡¯m</i> just telling you because <i>I</i> thought you should know.]

    Its speech and tone were mischievous. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s fear still didn¡¯t go away.

    [As if you die, it¡¯ll be troublesome for <i>me.</i>]

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to speak again, the space around him began to distort.

    [Well, let¡¯s end it here.]

    It was toote for him to ask anything about the contract. Moreover, there was something about the guarantor that caught his eye. The Sky of the Apocalypse was clearly giving him a hint, even if that hint wasn¡¯t conveyedpletely.

    As he thought to himself, Lee Jun-Kyeong paused again as there was one thing he had wanted to ask.

    ¡°What about me?! When am I going to get a title?!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, almost screaming at his Sponsor.

    [Soon.]

    But, there was only a vague answer that lingered in his ears.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Hyeon-Mu moved quickly with Lee Jun-Kyeong on his back. Fortunately, unlike his human-like outer appearance, his body was still the same as his original form, so he didn¡¯t get tired whatsoever, no matter how far he had run with Lee Jun-Kyeong on his back.

    ¡°Move it out of the way.¡±

    Moreover, Hyeon-Mu was advancing forward extremely quickly, almost as if he were swimming through the asphalt roads and piles of broken earth. With their strengthened powers, the two moved forward while transmuting the roads like water, traveling through the flow.

    ¡°Master. Just a little¡­¡±

    The two moved quickly as they were concerned about their master¡¯s safety. Fortunately, they had no pursuers.

    <i>Whimper.</i>

    Odin¡¯s Familiars, the two wolves, were tramped by the giant water monster created by Hyeon-Mu and sunk into the Bukhan River. Hyeon-Mu was very satisfied with the monster that he had created in coboration with Hel.

    ¨CWe¡¯ll be arriving soon.

    The two could feel a huge wave of mana in front of them. Before them, they could hear droves of screams and cries, even some screams. They were all signs that they were approaching their destination. The two of them knew once they joined the party, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s safety would be guaranteed.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    ¡°Master?"

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was riding on Hyeon-Mu¡¯s back, sometimes made sounds that sounded like moaning, he still wasn¡¯t able toe to his senses. After continuing forward for a while, the two were finally able to reach their destination.

    <i>ng!!</i>

    <i>Boom!!</i>

    Apanied by the constant ringing of metal, explosions created by the rampage of mana were shaking the ground.

    ¡°Protect him! Sangun waking upes first!¡±

    They could hear familiar voices in the distance.

    <i>¡®Something¡¯s gone wrong.¡¯</i>

    However, Hyeon-Mu was worried. He felt that something was wrong. Just like their master, it seemed that Sangun also had an issue. Hence, they moved faster.

    <i>Woosh!!</i>

    A torrent of water appeared in the sky. As Hyeon-Mu raised his hand and circted his mana, waves began to form in the air and began to cascade forward. The waves swept over everything like a tsunami.

    ¡°What is that?!¡±

    ¡°<i>Agh!!</i>¡±

    Hunters screamed as they were knocked over. However, the army still wasn¡¯t flustered by the oing waves, as they knew it was the work of Hyeon-Mu, whom they had already shed with several times before.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The waves soon split into several streams and went straight to the enemy. At the same time, skeleton soldiers were climbing out from within the waves.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    A new army of skeleton soldiers had joined the battle.

    ¡°<i>Aghhh!</i>¡±

    All of the enemy soldiers that were blocking the path of Hyeon-Mu and the others were either swept away or pushed far back.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu!¡±

    From a distance, figures weed the appearance of Hyeon-Mu: Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa.

    ¡°Sangun¡­!¡±

    At the same time, Hyeon-Mu saw that Sangun was in a simr situation to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Sangun was intertwined with a green raven, and the Hunters hand surrounded them, protecting Sangun.

    Hyeon-Mu quickly advanced forward to join hispanions. For now, most of their enemies were still Hunters. There must have been Hero-Level Hunters in the enemy army as the state of the battlefield was still tense.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Hyeon-Mu had finally joined hispanions as Jeong In-Chang, and Won-Hwa shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was still draped over Hyeon-Mu¡¯s back.

    ¡°How did he¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as what happened to Sangun.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu quickly exined the situation as he reinforced the formation. Their most important forces, the two strongest, had lost consciousness.

    ¡°If Odin shows up when we¡¯re like this, it¡¯s over.¡±

    No one could rx because they knew that their most terrifying enemy was still alive.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Although I can¡¯t tell why Odin hasn¡¯t shown up yet¡­¡±

    As they spoke, they looked over toward the buildings in Yangpyeong. They could definitely feel it, an enormous aura. They were all looking toward the ce where Odin, yet to show himself, was.

    ***

    It was a dark space, simr to the one where Lee Jun-Kyeong was in.

    ¡°<i>Grr</i>.¡±

    Sangun was trapped within it. Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, who knew of Muninn¡¯s Authority and its rtion to memories, Sangun, unaware of anything, just rampaged relentlessly as he tried to destroy the space.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    The more he rampaged without rest, the more anxious he became.

    ¡°<i>Gasp. Gasp¡­</i>¡±

    There was a battle going on outside. They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on without him. Because he wasn¡¯t there, people would die.

    ¡°<i>ROAR!</i>¡±

    They were people he wanted to protect. However, he was just confined to this space. So, he ran nonstop, throwing all of his might into his efforts.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    However, the space only gave off a grotesque echo in response. With every pace, every step that he made as he rampaged and exerted all of his strength, Sangun longed for more power.

    <i>¡®A little more¡­! A little more!¡¯</i>

    He thought that the reason he wasn¡¯t able to break through the space was because his own strength wascking. The more he moved, the more his appearance changed.

    <i>Tremble. Tremble.</i>

    Although Sangun didn¡¯t realize it, his appearance, which had been half man, half beast, had begun to transform more toward the original beast he had been somewhere along the line.

    He was back to being a huge tiger. In the darkness, a white tiger swung forward with both paws.

    <i>Ssssh.</i>

    Although his swinging paws cut through the darkness, leaving traces of light, darkness soon overtook the void once again.

    <i>¡®Power¡­¡¯</i>

    Had there ever been a time when he had ever needed more strength? Sangun had lived for centuries as the king of Mt. Baekdu. For him, the feeling of ack of strength was apletely unknown feeling. But now, new emotions were awakening in Sangun.

    ¨CDesire.

    His heart thundered in his chest as he heard a voice speak to him.

    ¨CDesire.

    He craved the power to break through this space and achieve what he wanted.

    ¡°I want power!¡±

    <i>CRACK!</i>

    A disquieting sound began to echo through the darkness. Although Sangun may not have been able to see himself, the darkness could. He was growing bigger and more monstrous and transforming back to his original appearance.

    ¨CBe.

    ¨CA Ruler.

    He was back to the form of a Ruler.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    The addition of Hyeon-Mu and Hel was a great help in the tense confrontation. Little by little, the Hunters of Mt. Cheonma were gaining the upper hand. They fought to protect Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although things were developing differently than they had expected, they still thought they were on the right track.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    As he continued shouting to wake the two up, Won-Hwa continued to move his hands.

    <i>Thwack! Thwack!</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    However, then, a huge explosion distorted before them¨Ca green explosion that engulfed the Hunters and created a storm.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang cursed under his breath as he looked over at the owner of the power that he was sensing.

    Although they had expected it to happen, it was still horrible timing.

    ¡°You finally showed up¡­¡±

    Odin.

    A man was floating in the green hurricane as if he had be the eye of the storm. There was no way that they wouldn¡¯t have recognized him. The eyepatch on one eye was synonymous with his symbol.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    Odin was looking down upon them from his green storm, looking down at everything as if he were a god. He revealed his strength as he stared down at them.

    <i>BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!</i>

    Then, green light emitted from his body and began to explode forth in all directions. They were seeing Odin¡¯s power for the first time.

    ¡°A Hunter who is said to be the strongest in the world¡­¡±

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    They were witnessing his power and unknowingly clenched their trembling hands. Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, Hyeon-Mu, and Hel nodded at each other and moved forward. They couldn¡¯t allow Odin to reach this area.

    ¡°We have to somehow buy time until Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun wake up.¡±

    Even if they would have to pay for that time with their lives. However, someone had to protect the two unconscious figures.

    ¡°I¡­will protect them,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said.

    He, who had followed the party this far without having been able to properly y any active parts, set out to protect hispanions. He, and many Hunters, stood forward to protect where the twoy.

    .

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    With a simple greeting, Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa started to run forward, working to protect the Hunters from the indiscriminate green explosions.

    ¡°Princess!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang called out the princess, who had been gathering strength while biding her time.

    <i>Boom! Boom!</i>

    Loud footsteps began to shake the earth.

    1. The word Rhema refers to the word of God. Specifically, the word of God spoken to one in a revtion. For more reference, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhema. ??

 Chapter 191: Emotion

    <h4>Chapter 191: Emotion</h4>

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    An ogre appeared on the battlefield with footsteps that shook the ground. Although it was hard to say that she was still a hideous monster now that her appearance had changed so much, the ogre seemed aptly matched with her nickname, the berserker, on the battlefield.

    ¡°Ooorah!!!¡±

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> watches the battlefield.]

    <i>Dudun! Dudun!!</i>

    Although it had taken them a while to realize it, maybe because the princess was special or because of her identity as a Familiar, the princess had gained another ability after her growth. When <The Prince on a White Horse> watched over the battlefield, her fighting power would double.

    ¡°Oooorah!!!¡±

    [<The Prince on a White Horse> reveals his true name.]

    [<Ogre Prince Siegfried> watches over the princess.]

    Especially as <The Prince on a White Horse> had an attentiveness that matched his title.

    <i>Dudun! Dudun!!</i>

    Although she had grown and evolved through the journey, gradually bing more like a human and learning the humannguage, the princess was exhibiting apletely different side at the moment.

    ¡°Ooorah!!!!¡±

    She had be aplete monster. No, in fact, by inheriting the power of Siegfried, who was said to have torn dragons to shreds in legend, she had be an ogre.

    ¡°Huff!!¡±

    She was massive, with red eyes and muscles that seemed ready to explode at any moment. The princess exploded forth with unimaginable power, rushing at Odin and colliding with him.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    She collided with Odin¡¯s green storm. Red and green light blended together as their manas entangled.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The collision caused an explosion as the Hunters, who were watching it all unfold, muttered to themselves quietly, ¡°How insane¡­¡±

    Who could have imagined that they would be born into this world and face a battle of this intensity? They were Hunters too. While there was a difference in weight ss between them, the difference here was to a ridiculous extent.

    The princess was just someone¡¯s Familiar. Even so, the storm created by her was shaking the entire battlefield.

    <i>Woosh!!</i>

    ¡°Princess!!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang also joined the princess btedly. The massive greatsword that appeared in his hand began to fuse with his arm as if it had be one with him. The two symbolized their Sponsor¡¯s power: the body of the ogre hero who killed the dragon and the weapon of the ogre hero who killed the dragon.

    ¡°Gr-am!¡± shouted Jeong In-Chang. A bright light began to emanate from his greatsword. He lifted Gram without any hesitation and threw himself into the blending mix of red and green light.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Soon after, another explosion urred, which always happened during pure shes of strength.

    <i>Shhhh!</i>

    A gap appeared within the gushing heat and dust, and their faces were revealed once again.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­ gasp¡­</i>¡±

    The princess and Jeong In-Chang took a step back.

    "That fu¡­¡±

    Odin was looking at them from the same spot with the same gaze. Although they had met him with great force, nothing had changed.

    ¡°All we did was just damage his cor a little¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered in disbelief.

    ¡°<i>Hoho¡­</i>¡±

    However, Odin seemed rather surprised by Jeong In-Chang. His single eye turned to the torn hem of his coat. It was slight, but it had clearly been torn.

    ¡°That¡¯s better than I had expected,¡± he said,pletely serious in tone.

    Odin was sincerely admiring the efforts of Jeong In-Chang and the princess, who had seeded in tearing his coat ever so slightly. He was using the power that he had hidden away all this time now as it was a power that no one in the world could have even guessed the extent to which it reached.

    With two Sponsors, Odin¡¯s power was easily one of the strongest in the world.

    ¡°If it¡¯s this much¡­ It should be okay for me to stretch a little,¡± he said to Jeong In-Chang and the princess as if he was showing a little mercy.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    He took one step forward as the storm of green light moved along with his steps. Although he was stepping on air, his footsteps continued to shake the ground.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°Ooorah!!¡±

    At the same time, a huge pressure began to smother Jeong In-Chang and the princess. The two began to find it impossible to move their bodies, but then the sound of a series of things shooting through the air was heard.

    <i>Swish! Swish! Swish!</i>

    It wasing from behind Odin¡¯s back.

    <i>Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!</i>

    Acupuncture needles so thin that they were almost invisible to the naked eye danced through the air, flying toward Odin. Tens of thousands of acupuncture needles shuttled through the air, like raindrops defying gravity.

    Odin¡¯s opponents weren¡¯t only limited to Jeong In-Chang and the princess.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡± Won-Hwa shouted.

    The needles acted as if they were being manipted by invisible threads. Solid lines of tangible mana, controlling the tens of thousands of needles, cut through everything in its path as they rained down on Odin like overwhelming weapons of death.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    However, in response, Odin just held out his hand.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    The needles that seemed to ignore gravity suddenly ran into something.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud¡­</i>

    The needles fell to the ground. At the same time, Won-Hwa fell to his knees as well.

    ¡°<i>Ahem!</i>¡±

    They were violently overwhelmed. This was a strength that didn¡¯t belong to a human. It was a different feeling from what they had seen in Lee Jun-Kyeong. The man in front of them was aplete monster, and it was impossible to see him as a human in any way.

    ¡°He really is a god¡­¡± a Hunter muttered in terror.

    Their front line was broken, as there was no distinction between friend or foe in this battle any longer. Everyone had been caught in the storm, and everyone was pulling back as the tense battlefield soon reached a ceasefire.

    This all happened because of only one man.

    ¡°I am Odin.¡±

    ***

    <i>Tap, tap! Tap, tap!</i>

    The sound of hasty footsteps echoed through the halls. Then, a huge explosion urred.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Please¡­!¡±

    Ungnyeo was running down the halls at full speed. She had been trying to free herself from Odin¡¯s restraints all this time, but her struggles had been in vain as the Hunter had simply just freed her.

    She knew that the man had some ulterior motive for doing so.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t just stay still.¡¯</i>

    There would be nothing more foolish than staying here, holding her breath in fear of Odin¡¯s ulterior motives. Herpanions were fighting, for her, for those that they held sacred.

    When she had been freed by Odin, she had the chance to jump out the window and fight with herpanions. However, Ungnyeo had made a different choice.

    ¨CHOWL!!!

    She went to where a mighty roar could be heard. It was a ce where the sound of a beast echoed through the sky.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­!¡±

    .

    She was running toward Fenrir as he was still chained in this chaotic situation. If the wolf was unaware of the situation outside, then it was just somewhat painful and frustrating for him to be trapped.

    <i>¡®But there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have realized it!¡¯</i>

    Even Fenrir in that state would be able to feel the situation outside. There was a massive collision of mana and a hurricane of mana unfolding outside. He could hear the screams of people. Fenrir must also be feeling that things had gone underway, which was why he was howling with all his might.

    ¨CHOWL!!

    He likely wanted to fight alongside them as there was no way he would want to be so helpless.

    <i>Tap, tap! Tap, tap!</i>

    Ungnyeo ran through the hallway, reaching a long path where Fenrir had been imprisoned. Finally, she had arrived.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    She could see the wolf, whom she had asionally visited and checked in on for a while now.

    ¡°U¡­ Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    Shedding tears of blood, Fenrir was gritting his teeth and calling out to the woman standing in the doorway. His eyes were overflowing with anger, and his entire body was soaked in blood.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    The damage to his body seemed to have been caused by several attempts to break Odin¡¯s chains, Gleipnir, by force.

    <i>Drip. Drip.</i>

    Ungnyeo didn''t even think to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks as she slowly approached Fenrir. Although his eyes were half-closed out of exhaustion, she could feel something from him.

    ¡°U¡­ Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    Volcanic anger welled up in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡­ have to get out¡­¡±

    She said, ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°Have to go¡­save friends¡­¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong is¡­¡±

    ¡°I said, I know!¡±

    Ungnyeo approached and hugged Fenrir. As she hugged him, she could feel it more clearly.

    ¡°Your body¡­¡±

    Fenrir''s body was a mess. There weren¡¯t just the wounds he had endured trying to break free of Gleipnir. No, there was something much different from that.

    ¡°Have you been tortured?¡± she asked.

    There were signs of torture. She hadn¡¯t been able to see them whenever she had visited, but she could feel it now that she was holding the boy like this. His entire body was almost tattooed with the scars of relentless torture.

    ¡°Get me free¡­¡±

    Fenrir''s eyes began to close a little more. The bleeding was too much. Ungnyeo quickly spread her hands out and released her aura.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    The aura of nature and her healing powers fused together and began to cover Fenrir. As it began to take effect, Ungnyeo was relieved to see that he was getting his color back slightly.

    <i>Rattle! Rattle!</i>

    She put him down, still hazy from the pain and blood loss, and moved over to find a way to break the damned chain. Fenrir couldn¡¯t break it, so it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t somemon piece of metal.

    <i>¡®I still have to find it.¡¯</i>

    But she couldn''t give up. She had to free Fenrir from this dog-like leash. Ungnyeo pulled out her bronze sword from her bosom as a bronze mirror and a bronze bell appeared out of thin air.

    ¡°Just be¡­a little more patient¡­¡± Ungnyeo said to Fenrir, swallowing the rising anger and tears.

    ¡°I¡­ Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    Fenrir, still hazy and weak, spoke carefully.

    ¡°I believe.¡±

    ***

    The situation on the battlefield hadn¡¯t changed much. Well, there was something that had changed. Following Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, and the princess, Hyeon-Mu and Hel also started supporting the Hunters from a distance as they protected Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun.

    ¡°<i>Aaaaaah!</i>¡±

    Moreover, the Hunters had gotten over their fright by the enormous power and had realized that the target of their rage had appeared, so they began to join forces as well. Of course, their aid didn¡¯t help much.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Thus, the situation on the battlefield had stayed the same. Odin, wrapped in green light, was leisurely dealing with everyone. He would just nonchntly wave a hand or put his foot down.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Then, an explosion would ur. People were swept away and screaming while Odin was arrogantly ignoring everything around him. The more they fought, the more they could feel it. This wasn¡¯t the strength of a human.

    <i>¡®This is inhuman.¡¯</i>

    This wasn¡¯t something a human being could control. A human couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t, do something like this. Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s strength also had reached this level, his actions still contained a hint of humanity whenever he went to battle.

    However, Odin was different. He seemed to genuinely consider himself a god with every action marked with arrogance and without mercy.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!!</i>¡±

    Everyone on the battlefield was just throwing their bodies away, interfering in an impossible battle. It wasn¡¯t as if they hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility before. They all knew everything had changed in the cataclysm. The monsters had gotten stronger, and the Hunters had grown in return.

    <i>¡®So this is what they call Odin¡­¡¯</i>

    However, this was the same fundamental truth. Even before the cataclysm, Odin had upied the throne of the world with his monstrous power. Moreover, Odin was also a Hunter.

    <i>¡®He also became stronger because of the cataclysm.¡¯</i>

    It was a given that he would have grown stronger from the effects of the cataclysm. Although they all tried to find some way to deal with it, using skills here and there and changing their movements, that ridiculous green light protected Odin like an imprable fortress.

    ¡°Damn it!!!¡± Jeong In-Chang screamed as he plunged Gram into the ground. The power that he had shown before was a dangerous power that was still unfinished. However, it was a power that he had no choice but to use.

    ¡°Step back!¡±

    Alongside his shouts, the ground began to split open.

    <i>Crack!!!</i>

    The crack in the ground spread over toward Odin, the broken earth splitting open as if to swallow the Hunter.

    <i>Crack, crack, crack, crack!</i>

    However, all it received in response was a simple gesture.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    Making a pushing gesture with both hands, Odin deflected the earth that was supposed to bury him alive.

    <i>Cough!</i>

    His attack was blocked, and Jeong In-Chang faced a bacsh, vomiting a handful of blood and flesh. As they all struggled to find an answer to Odin, they heard someone scream.

    ¡°Mr. Kim!!¡±

    It was Kim Su-Yeong, who was protecting Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

 Chapter 192: Emotion Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 192: Emotion Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Mr. Kim!¡±

    They heard Kim Su-Yeong screaming from where Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong should have been, where it should have been the safest. Those who were facing Odin all turned their heads, even while in front of such a powerful enemy.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Their eyes widened. Even with their backs to Odin, none of them could easily turn their heads back to their battle. They couldn''t believe what was going on in front of them.

    ¡°<i>AGHHHH!</i>¡± Kim Su-Yeong screamed again.

    Then, Won-Hwa made his move.

    ¡°Mr. Kim!¡±

    It might have been the instinct of a person who treated people, but moving faster than anyone else, Won-Hwa seemed to have forgotten what the situation around him was.

    ¡°ROARRR!¡±

    There was a huge roar, and Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s screams became even more desperate.

    ¡°<i>AGHHHH!</i>¡±

    ¡°Sangun!¡±

    Sangun¡¯s arm had pierced through Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s chest. At the same time, Won-Hwa had arrived near them both. Thinking that Sangun had just moved on instinct, identally, Won-Hwa approached the two without hesitation.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Won-Hwa suddenly bounced off something invisible. However, even in that split second, he had been able to grab ahold of the injured Kim Su-Yeong.

    ¡°Mr. Kim¡­¡±

    ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­gasp¡­¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong moaned as he spat out bloody phlegm. He pointed behind Won-Hwa¡¯s back and spoke with a flustered voice, ¡°Mr. Won-Hwa!¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Another explosion followed. Won-Hwa still had Kim Su-Yeong in his arms. He hunched over on the ground as he realized that theing attack wasn¡¯t something he could dodge.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang hurriedly ran forward and blocked the attacking for Won-Hwa. It was the arm of the one they had risked their lives to protect.

    ¡°<i>Grr¡­</i>¡±

    Sangun¡¯s arm was attacking them.

    ¡°Sangun! You crazy bastard!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted as he blocked Sangun¡¯s blow with Gram. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    Anger, bewilderment, futility¨Ca cry mixed with emotion erupted out from Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mouth.

    <i>¡®If there¡¯s something we have to be relieved about¡­¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be suspicious about some ulterior motives or not.

    <i>¡®Odin is just watching.¡¯</i>

    There was no better timing than now for Odin to attack them. They were all about to turn their backs on their mightiest enemy and fight with their allies. It was the worst of the worst.

    "Hehe¡­¡±

    A small chuckle echoed through the air.

    ¡°Ahahahaha!!¡±

    The chuckle soon developed into a cheerfulugh. Even while he heard the sound ofughter from behind him, Jeong In-Chang was more preupied with having to use all of his strength to block Sangun¡¯s arm.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!!</i>¡±

    He could feel an enormous force from Sangun¡¯s blow. It was as if an entire mountain was pressing down upon him. Sangun roared like a beast. It was impossible tomunicate with him, and his eyes were just like when he had gone crazy on Mt. Baekdu.

    They were blood-red eyes. Sangun seemed possessed by Madness.

    ¡°Get it together!¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem as though he could hear anything even when Jeong In-Chang shouted. But, in the midst of this situation where no one could easily open their mouths, a voice rang out.

    ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± Odin said in his hateful voice. ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve obtained.¡±

    At the words of Odin, who gave amand like a master.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    Sangun¡¯s arm began to twist, beginning to exert an even greater pressure.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s feet began to plunge into the ground.

    ¡°Mr. Won-Hwa¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang called out in a strained voice.

    In response, Won-Hwa, who had the critically injured Kim Su-Yeong in his arms, nodded.

    ¡°Leave,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, his voice firm as if he had made his decision.

    <i>Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun.</i>

    Something began to pulse and vibrate from the point in the ground that Jeong In-Chang had been pushed down into. From the moment that he had to fight against Odin, from the moment that he had to raise his sword against apanion, Jeong In-Chang had felt an unbearable stuffiness.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    There was a lot of stress and pressure on him. Odin was hinting that he knew something that they ddin¡¯t, Sangun had changed, Kim Su-Yeong was heavily injured, Won-Hwa was tied up, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was still unconscious. All of this was on his shoulders. But then, in that moment, Jeong In-Chang heard a voice.

    [<Ogre Prince Siegfried> is watching you.]

    [You are¡­]

    It was a sweet and cold voice.

    [You are qualified.]

    Jeong In-Chang felt a great surge of strength envelop him.

    [<Ogre Prince Siegfried> has granted you some of his powers.]

    The power he had obtained could only be described as Evolution.

    ***

    ¡°Fenrir¡­! Hold on a little longer!¡±

    The sobbing Ungnyeo continued to emit her aura through both hands as Odin¡¯s chain, Gleipnir, was being eaten away by it.

    ¡°<i>Ugh¡­</i>¡±

    Fenrir groaned in pain as the chain continued to suffocate his body. However, he endured it staunchly.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    Gleipnir was melting. Bit by bit, it emitted a bright light as if it was being corroded away.

    ¡°Just a little bit more¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo continued to speak as she emitted her aura, trying to reassure Fenrir. However, there was a problem.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not working.¡¯</i>

    Although it may have seemed like Gleipnir was slowly corroding away, the reality was different.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The pitted chains quickly restored themselves to their original state again, constricting Fenrir¡¯s body even further. The explosions that wracked the ground outside, her worries about herpanions, and even the pain that Fenrir was undergoing were all pressuring her greatly.

    ¡°Ung¡­ nyeo¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    "Calm¡­¡±

    Funnily enough, however, Fenrir was the one to calm Ungnyeo down, who seemed to be increasingly desperate.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine¡­¡±

    With chains pierced through his flesh, and blood flowing along the links, it was easy to see that Fenrir was being inflicted with indescribable pain.

    ¡°Ung¡­ Nyeo¡­¡±

    Fenrir looked over at Ungnyeo again and spoke. His face was mired in pain but his eyes were getting clearer.

    ¡°You¡­can do it¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo wondered when he had started talking so well. When had he learned tofort her like this? Seeing how much the young Fenrir had changed, had grown, Ungnyeoughed lightly.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    She could do this.

    <i>¡®No, I have to do it.¡¯</i>

    Having made up her mind, Ungnyeo closed her eyes tightly. When she opened her eyes again, a bright blue light was emanating from her gaze.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    It was an orderly and calming power.

    ¡°Fenrir,¡± she called out in a firm tone. ¡°Even if it hurts, endure it.¡±

    Her words were like a warning. The bronze sword in her hand started emitting a bright blue light like her eyes.

    <i>Nod.</i>

    Fenrir nodded as Ungnyeo held the bronze sword aloft.

    <i>ng!</i>

    She swung down with all of her might.

    ***

    ¡°ROAR!!!!¡±

    A beast''s roar echoed through space. However, it wasn¡¯t just simply noise.

    ¡°Just how¡­!¡±

    The roar was mixed with all sorts of indescribable emotions: pain, desire, sadness, anger. However, the roar wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Snort!!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the sound of a beast, but it was a cry simr to that of a beast. The two beings that created such amotion crashed into each other. Two huge paws and two huge hands interlocked and shed, both exuding immense strength.

    Now, Sangun¡¯s paws had even changed into the shape of the tiger that had ruled Mt. Baekdu. On the other side was Jeong In-Chang¡¯s massive hands. He had grown and transformed into something that was no longer human.

    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±

    Rather than a human, he had be an ogre. His appearance was that of a courageous ogre that could even tear a dragon to shreds.[1]

    Explosions and storms of mana erupted whenever the two collided. However, the problem was that even in the midst of it all, no one could touch Odin, who was the main culprit behind the entire situation.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The bastard was still engulfed in a green light, arrogantly looking down at the fight. No one could approach him, as those who may have been able to handle him were too busy fighting each other.

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Mr. Kim!¡±

    In another ce, Won-Hwa was treating Kim Su-Yeong. The Hunter had a massive hole in his chest that was made by Sangun¡¯s arm. Although Won-Hwa tried to stop the bleeding and mitigate the damage with his powers and the aid of potions, it was an impossible to treat injury.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Part of his heart had been torn out. Needless to say, it was a wound that would have killed any normal person instantly, but Kim Su-Yeong was a Hunter, and Won-Hwa was one of the leading Physician Hunters of this era.

    <i>¡®We need a divine treatment¡­¡¯</i>[2]

    Although Won-Hwa was somehow barely holding onto Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s life, it was impossible to maintain this forever.

    <i>¡®Unless we get an elixir¡­¡¯</i>

    Kim Su-Yeong would die if things continued in this manner. Although the silver acupuncture needles tightly packed on his body were holding his life together, Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s vitality was still leaking through the hole in his chest.

    "I was¡­¡± Kim Su-Yeong said in a small voice. ¡°Wrong¡­¡±

    "No. Hold on!¡± Won-Hwa said to Kim Su-Yeong as if he was screaming. ¡°No¡­¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s face was that of someone who could already feel his impending death. He had determined eyes and a quiet voice. His calm heartbeat was seemingly ready to stop at any moment.

    ¡°Mr. Lee will take care of everything¡­¡±

    He had blind faith in Lee Jun-Kyeong, almost like a church member¡¯s faith in God. Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s faith was no different from Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s promise to himself.

    ¡°Please convey¡­ this to Mr. Lee¡­¡± Kim Su-Yeong said with a forced smile on his trembling lips. ¡°Although it had only been for a moment¡­ to be able to be together¡­¡±

    There was no more pressure in the hand that Won-Hwa was holding. Slowly, Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s body was growing cold.

    ¡°Tell him it was an honor¡­that I could have been some sort of help in any¡­¡±

    The faint breathing of Kim Su-Yeong stopped. He could have lived even a second more if he hadn¡¯t said a word, but he hadn¡¯t cared. He had forced out what he had wanted to say, consuming what little vitality he had left in return.

    In the midst of a noisy battlefield, a situation where his allies were fighting each other and his enemy was looking down upon them andughing, he had died. No one had paid any attention to Kim Su-Yeong due to the massive battle and fear of death.

    ¡°...¡±

    Won-Hwa bit his lips.

    ¡°You were of great help. Mr. Kim Su-Yeong. Thank you for everything.¡±

    The voice he had wanted to hear quietly came from behind him.

    1. A y on words. While the Hanja is different, both courageous and dragon have the word ? in it. ??

    2. ??, or the skill of God, is the hand of a doctor who is greater than a mortal. When someone is this good, there isn¡¯t anything they can¡¯t heal. Hua Tuo is one of the few doctors to be given this title in Korean history. ??

 Chapter 193: Emotion Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 193: Emotion Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°From the depths of my heart, thank you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s clear voice rang through the air.

    .

    ¡°...¡±

    It was a small, in voice, but everyone held their breaths. The one they had most awaited, the one they had needed the most had finally awoken.

    Everyone¡¯s gazes were fixed on him. Feeling the eyes that were focused on him, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth.

    ¡°Thus¡­¡± he said in a warm tone. ¡°I will continue to rely on you in the future.¡±

    An unbelievable request hade out from his lips. Someone scoffed from the side, theughtering from bitterness, not ridicule. However, soon, that bitterughter turned to astonishment.

    ¡°What¡­!!¡±

    <i>Thud! Thud! Thud!</i>

    A heartbeat rang in the still silence.

    "I¡­¡±

    The unbelievable voice that rang through the air wasn¡¯t Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive?¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong, whose heart had just stopped, had opened his mouth once again. Even Won-Hwa was looking at Kim Su-Yeong and Lee Jun-Kyeong, alternating back and forth with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°This¡­this divine treatment seems to be you, Mr. Lee, and not me,¡± Won-Hwa said despondently. However, the voice betrayed a deep sense of relief. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly shook his head.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    When his eyes moved, everyone''s eyes moved.

    ¡°Hel did this.¡±

    They all looked over at the blurry form of Hel as the Familiar lowered its head in embarrassment.

    ¡°It''s not perfect. All Hel did was keep him from dying. You get what I mean, right?¡±

    Won-Hwa nodded at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s warm voice. Lee Jun-Kyeong had woken up, and as a result, his Familiars had been strengthened. Hel¡¯s ability involved handling the soul, and it had captured Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s soul before the soul had left his body. But the man¡¯s body was still dying. There was only one person who could still save him.

    ¡°It¡¯s only you, Mr. Won-Hwa.¡±

    Feeling the firm trust in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, Won-Hwa nodded once again. He had gotten a chance at a missed opportunity, able to save someone he hadn¡¯t been able to save.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Kim Su-Yeong¡¯s head fell. However, he was still definitely breathing as his heart was still beating as well.

    ¡°Why did it take you so long to wake up? Doesn¡¯t this happen every time?¡± said a grumbling voice. Jeong In-Chang returned to his human form as he spoke with a tiredplexion.

    ¡°Also, did you do this, Mr. Lee?¡± he said as he pointed his finger to the side, toward Sangun, who had been shing relentlessly with him.

    Sangun was standing still, like a robot with a dead battery.

    ¡°Yes, though it¡¯s only for a moment.¡±

    ¡°<i>Ugh</i>¡­ then, I will¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang copsed to the ground as if he had done everything he had wanted to do.

    ¡°Ee¡­ In-Chang!¡±

    The princess quickly ran forward and caught the falling Jeong In-Chang. Although he had gotten stronger, it was still a force he wasn¡¯t able to fully control. It was clear that he had been barely holding on to his consciousness with his mental strength.

    Just as Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, Sangun had been temporarily stopped. He had used the mana that had gathered into this area and the souls Hel controlled to bind Sangun. However, this binding only worked for a very short time. Sangun would be released soon, and he would attack his allies once again, exposing his ws again.

    <i>¡®Crazy bastard.¡¯</i>

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at someone.

    <i>Glint.</i>

    He looked over a man wrapped in a green storm of light that was looking right back at him.

    ¡°Odin.¡±

    He was the culprit of this situation. Although he was an enemy that had to be taken down as fast as possible, Odin stopped him from making a move momentarily.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have any time to worry about me though, Underdog.¡±

    Just like the bastard had said, now wasn¡¯t the right time to care about him.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    Sangun had freed himself of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s restraints. It was time for him to focus on the beast. No matter how strong Lee Jun-Kyeong was, he didn¡¯t have the strength to deal with two rulers. If he chose to confront Odin now, then Sangun would go on a rampage.

    <i>¡®And we¡¯ll bepletely consumed.¡¯</i>

    His allies would be drawn into a battle with other allies.

    ¡°<i>Gasp¡­gasp¡­</i>¡±

    If he chose to take down Sangun first, then he was sure that he would have to eat a blow from Odin when he least expected it. The Hunter took a step back, clearly waiting for the battle between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had to make a choice, and that choice was easy.

    ¡°You have a different opponent, Odin.¡±

    He chose to go against Sangun. At Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, Odin shed his teeth.

    ¡°Tut, tut. Now, you don¡¯t even use any honorifics? Even when I¡¯m your boss?¡± Odin said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who hadpletely turned around to stare at Sangun.

    In response, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a single question. ¡°Was the scene you showed me through your shit-eating Familiar intentional?¡¯

    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±

    However, before he could hear an answer, Sangun attacked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ***

    Asgard¡¯s meeting hall was a ce where no one could enter without permission.

    <i>¡®Do you know what a Sponsor is?¡¯</i> someone said, having entered the hall forcefully.

    <i>¡®Do you know why this world has be like this? Or even what a Hunter is?¡¯</i>

    All the man did was ask questions.

    However, Odin only stood as still as a nail driven into a nk in response to the questions,pletely stunned by the following words of the man.

    <i>¡®Because I know.¡¯</i>

    Inquisitiveness and curiosity had consumed all of Odin¡¯s desires. As for the desire to act for the people or for his nation, it had been a long time since that had disappeared. He had stood on top of everything and built a castle that would never fall.[1]

    After that, Odin changed. He had made every move with intention, working toward his desire to stand on the peak and build a castle on top of the world. Although it had been a near-impossible task to fulfill those desires of his, in the end, he had seeded.

    After everything was over, all he could feel was nothingness. His fulfilled desires had only turned into crumbs, broken apart with nothing left for him to strive for.

    His identity was constructed on his desires, and Odin, Jang Hyo-Jin, had endured everything for the sake of fulfilling them. However, after having gotten all that he had wished for, living without another peak to strive for was nearly unbearable.

    Thus, he tried harder. He wanted to build a stronger, taller castle, reaching higher and higher into the sky.

    In that manner, his new goal was to kill the Sponsors. In Odin''s opinion, the ones behind it all were the Sponsors. Without them, there would be a much better world and his castle would be impregnable.

    Even before the Hunters had appeared, Jang Hyo-Jin had been the head of a massive conglomerate that had ruled Korea. To be frank, things had instead gotten worse for him because of the Sponsors, having to endure such hellish days in order to obtain power once again.

    As a result, the Sponsors had be the new desires and goals for him. However, that was only a small piece of his desires. Odin¡¯s true desires and his true nature still stayed the same.

    <i>¡®Curiosity and inquisitiveness.¡¯</i>

    He wanted knowledge.

    Someone who could understand was someone who could make use of, and thus, someone who understood was someone who could rule. Moreover, those who couldn¡¯t understand were those who were ruled by others.

    Unlike his desires, this ideology was more innate. This was instinctual¨Can innate need for domination.

    Odin¡¯s curious and inquisitive mind had to move to something new to distract him, and so he had be interested in the Underdog.

    <i>¡®Aren¡¯t you curious about it all?¡¯</i>

    But, suddenly, someone who was able to give him the true answer he had been searching for had appeared. Just looking at him made Odin¡¯s heart throb. The person before him was sincere.

    <i>¡®Could he really know?¡¯</i>

    Odin began to converse with him, almost as if he had be possessed by something. However, as with anything, getting what he wanted woulde at a cost.

    <i>¡®Can I really throw it all away?¡¯</i>

    The castle he had built and the sturdy organization he had founded all had to be discarded. However, for Odin, the spirit of inquiry was more important.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll throw away everything.¡¯</i>

    The more he understood and the more knowledge he umted, the more he would be able to build a castleter.

    <i>¡®Then, how quaint,¡¯</i> the man had said, taking off his hood as he spoke.

    At that moment, even in his incredibly long life, Odin had never been so surprised. He still could remember that day.

    <i>¡®I am a remnant of time,¡¯</i> the man said as he was introducing himself.

    <i>''I am¡­¡¯</i>

    Heughed ever so slightly.

    <i>¡®I am the true Demon King.¡¯</i>

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Odin¡¯s thoughts had been broken by the sound of an explosion before him. The explosion of mana was sweeping through the area and moving like a typhoon before his eyes. That would be what the man had referred to him earlier.

    <i>¡®A battle on the level of Rulers.¡¯</i>

    That man had spoken about the existence of the rulers and about what would happen in the future.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a method as to how to use that.¡¯</i>

    He had told Odin how to create a Ruler.

    <i>¡®How to be a Ruler.¡¯</i>

    However, Odin didn¡¯t make that choice, to make the next step to be a Ruler and use unparalleled power.

    ¡°That would just be a loss.¡±

    Because in doing so, that was tantamount to admitting defeat for him. There was nothing more stupid than sacrificing the future for short-term growth.

    Odin looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and Sangun.

    <i>¡®The Underdog.¡¯</i>

    Between them, his eyes were only focused on the Underdog. He couldn¡¯t believe it no matter which way he looked at him. He had the same face as that man, the true identity of Lee Jun-Kyeong, that he had told Odin.

    It still all seemed like an unbelievable fairy tale fantasy.

    <i>''Should I kill him now?''</i>

    At this point, it was still easy to say that Lee Jun-Kyeong was still weaker than he was.

    Moreover, in this situation where an opponent called Sangun had been created, it was the optimal situation for him to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Although that man¡¯s orders were not to do so, still¡­¡¯</i>

    The orders that Odin had received were to use Muninn to awaken Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s memories and then bring him back to life. As for everything rted to Sangun or Fenrir, those were all Odin¡¯s own decisions. However, Odin wasn¡¯t that man¡¯s subordinate.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll kill him.¡¯</i>

    Originally, Odin should have left this ce once Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived, but now, the Hunter had changed his ns. He was filled with curiosity once more.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s go against fate.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to know if he could end the fate assigned to Lee Jun-Kyeong right at this moment. A stream of green light flowed into Odin¡¯s fingertips.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back was exceedingly sturdy and without openings, Odin was sure that if he made a move himself, he would be able to pierce through it. Slowly, a green vortex began to take shape.

    ¡°Gungnir.¡±

    This was Odin¡¯s absolute Authority: an absolute force and an absolute powerlessness.

    It was beingpleted.[2]

    Moving at a speed invisible to the eye, no one could notice it and no one could avoid it. Gungnir would never stop until it pierced through the opponent¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Pierce his heart,¡± Odinmanded.

    But then, just as he was about to cast Gungnir, the rain that had begun to fall earlier began to torrent even harder.

    <i>Drip. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.</i>

    Just when I was about to shoot Gungnir. Odin shrugged off the rain and flicked the water drops thatnded on Gungnir off, and it was then that he was able to notice.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Gungnir was something created from his mana.

    Not only did it make no sense that drops of rain would be able to touch it, but this was also a city enclosed in a formation.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    Moreover, Odin had sealed this city off himself using his abilities. This was a ce where it should have been impossible for it to rain.

    Something was wrong.

    ¡°Something is not going to n!¡±

    Odin raised his head as he continued to condense Gungnir.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    He could see why there was a sudden downpour of rain and why Gungnir had gotten wet. This was the worst oue he could have imagined.

    ¡°Odin.¡±

    <i>CRACK!!!!</i>

    Lightning was striking down on Odin from the sky.

    1. Castle refers to his organization, his reputation, and everything he had ever done. ??

    2. The word ? can mean both martial and also without. So it¡¯s an ambiguous usage that means both something that is the strongest force and also something that brings about absolute powerlessness, impossible to avoid. This fits with Gungnir, which is the spear that never misses. ??

 Chapter 194: Emotion Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 194: Emotion Pt. 4</h4>

    There was endless nothing.[1]

    It was a darkness from which one could never escape, no matter how hard one tried.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    Sangun continued to cry out. No matter how much he screamed, no matter how much he ran, nothing changed. He was just struggling within an endless nothing.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    Fleeting cries took over the space for but for a moment, emotions surged. There was anger, sadness, and longing. So many emotions, some of which he couldn¡¯t even fathom where they came from, cycled through his mind.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    All they seeded in doing was to make him cry out even more. They all blended into one thing: pain.

    The deluge of so many emotionsing up at the same time was more painful than having his flesh split and his bones broken. The pain continued to pierce all the way into his heart, as if his very core was being crushed.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    He wanted to escape from it all.

    <i>''Please.''</i>

    Sangun was left with no other recourse but to run amok in order to flee from his pain that was wracking his body.

    <i>¡®It saps away at the pain in my heart little by little.¡¯</i>

    Eventually, he thought of escaping more. There was not even any inkling of wanting to save the others.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    All that remained was a cry of pain.

    ***

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The front paw of Sangun, which had gotten so massive by this point that it was hard to even considerparing it to how he had looked while on Mt. Baekdu, mmed down onto the road.

    Fragments of the concrete and asphalt scattered and rained down on the Hunters.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Although his huge size made it seem like a literal mountain was moving, the beast was still extremely fast.[2] He mmed his paw down again.

    ¡°ROAR!¡±

    His entire body bristled, and his fur, as white as an ice cap nketing a mountain, shot out into the surroundings.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud!</i>

    ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    More terrifyingly, the size of the fur was no different from that of the Hunter¡¯s weapons.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    They began to fall to the ground, piercing through thepacted dirt and concrete.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Alongside the falling rain, in the midst of the lightning, Sangun was runningpletely amok.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    However, even while burning in the rain, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes showed their power. All of Sangun¡¯s fur flying toward the Hunters was burned to ashes and swept away by the rain. The other Hunters could do nothing in this fight. Whether it was here, or even in the fight that took ce over there.

    ¡°Zeus!!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a single ce for an ordinary Hunter to interfere.

    <i>¡®Why is Zeus¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was equally as flustered as Odin with how the situation was unfolding. The reason he was unable to focus on fighting against Sangun was because the number of enemies behind him had increased.

    Someone to hold Odin back had, in fact, appeared. However, that person was different from who he had thought it would have been.

    <i>¡®The person I was speaking about¡­¡¯</i>

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong had warned Odin that there would be someone else to deal with him, he hadn¡¯t been referring to Zeus. No, Zeus was unexpected.

    <i>¡®Zeus¡­¡¯</i>

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, Zeus should have been in Europe. However, he soon shook his head. There was no way he would have already forgotten how things ended.

    No, his memory was¡­ He couldn¡¯t trust it whatsoever. Muninn, Odin¡¯s Familiar, its Authority over memories hadn¡¯t been a facade. The raven had the power to control memories, but Lee Jun-Kyeong was certain about one thing.

    <i>¡®He can¡¯t manipte them.¡¯</i>

    But, what if the original memory itself that Muninn¡¯s Authority dredged up was wrong? Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t contain his confusion.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    His confusion was so great that it had even be an opening for Sangun to attack him. He doubted everything. Moreover, there were other variables, too: Zeus, Odin, Sangun.

    ¡°I have to get it together.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong disappeared on the spot with the raindrops soon mercilessly cascading over the empty space where he had been.

    <i>Pow!</i>

    The disappeared Lee Jun-Kyeong reappeared instantly, his fist driving into Sangun¡¯s gigantic face.

    Once.

    <i>Pow!</i>

    Twice.

    <i>POW!</i>

    A third time.

    As if there were stairs built into the sky, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved about freely as he pummeled Sangun¡¯s face. Although his fist could be considered nothing more than a pebblepared to Sangun¡¯s, which was asrge as a mountain, the power contained within it was more than enough to take down that massive mountain of a beast.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    He had grown again. Lee Jun-Kyeong had gained something from his memory. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was yet, but it was undeniable that it was helpful.[3]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was looking down at the fallen Sangun from the air and reached out his hand.

    "I can''t keep fighting you without a weapon forever, Sangun.¡±

    A storm raged within his small fist.

    ¡°So¡­¡± he continued. The storm shot directly toward the fallen Sangun.

    ¡°Wake up.¡±

    ***

    <i>Whistle.</i>

    A piercing whistle rang out through the rain.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t a joke either.¡±

    It had been a long time since he had stepped onto Koreannd¨Cno, the sky above Korea.

    <i>Crackle!</i>

    He was the Master of the falling rain and lightning.

    ¡°Zeus¡­¡±

    Odin¡¯s face and voice was illuminated by a sh of lighting, and his face, as he gazed over at Zeus, was enveloped in a green light.

    ¡°Damn. Though, it would have been nice if you had just died in that attack,¡± Zeus said nonchntly.

    Odin¡¯s hands and the nape of his neck had turned ck. That had been a result of Zeus¡¯ Authority that had fallen earlier: Thunderbolt. Its marks had swept all over Odin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Why are you¡­¡± Odin said to Zeus with a face contorted with embarrassment and anger. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    "As expected," Zeus said, answering as soon as Odin finished speaking. ¡°You seem to be rted to that bastard too.¡±

    ¡°By that guy¡­¡±

    ¡°Him, right over there.¡±

    Gray hair fluttered in the wind as if it didn¡¯t get wet, even in the rain, as the owner of the gray hair yfully pointed over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was fighting Sangun.

    ¡°That bastard that looks just like that brat over there.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how I survived, because I really almost died there.¡±

    Zeus'' face hardened. Instead of his usual mischievous expression, his face was full of gravity and dignity.

    "But I''m d I¡¯m notte."

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you here.¡±

    Zeus shot down toward Odin with lightning-like speed.

    <i>Crackle!</i>

    The sky also emitted lightning once again. However, Odin wasn¡¯t standing still either. A green light shot toward the sky like a countercurrent breaking through a jet stream.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was an explosion, one that tore through space.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A fight unfolded between Odin and Zeus, Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong. A meaningless dogfight was taking ce between allies and enemies. However, Zeus¡¯ angry voice cut through the air.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Odin, whom the Hunter had expected to fight directly against himself, had shot past him, disappearing behind Zeus¡¯ back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put off our little showdown tillter, dear Greenhorn,¡± Odin said as he sped away, green light traveling quickly.

    ¡°I have no intention of letting you go,¡± Zeus said, grinning.

    "Athena."

    He called out to the Hunter. He hadn¡¯te to Korea alone.

    <i>Crackle!!!!</i>

    Lightning fell once more. However, this time, it was different. His divine might, the Thunderbolt, was quickly approaching Odin.

    ¨CI¡¯ve received your order.

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip. Blood flowed from his mouth, so much so that it was unclear whether he had bit his lip too hard or if his head had been wounded from being hit by Sangun. Sangun was no longer the being they once knew.

    ¨CROAR!!

    He had be a true monster in an age where real beasts roamed the earth. He had the size of a mountain and the power to resonate with the earth.

    <i>¡®A ruler.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was reminded of the words that Odin had said to him earlier. Odin had done something to Sangun, who had been about to be a ruler.

    <i>¡®He had awoken him.¡¯</i>

    Sangun had barely been holding on and had been awoken into a monster that even his allies couldn¡¯t recognize.

    <i>Crackle!</i>

    In the midst of the crashing lightning, two monsters faced each other.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sangun was a monster.

    <i>''I am also a monster.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he himself had be one as well. Covered in blood, they attacked each other as if they were going to kill each other. However, there were no fatal wounds on Sangun.

    There were wounds all over his body, but even though there had been many openings before him, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t capitalized on any of them. He had several opportunities to end Sangun, but Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to give the beast chances.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it for thest time,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he clenched his fists even tighter. ¡°Wake up. I can¡¯t let this go on any longer.¡±

    His eyes scanned his surroundings. Hunters and hispanionsy, groaning, as thendy in ruins. In the distance, he could even feel the worry and anxiety of the ordinary humans.

    Sangun was devastating everything around them and had truly be a Ruler.

    <i>¡®Hel.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to Hel, but the answer he heard was useless.

    ¨CNot yet, Master.

    He hadn¡¯t been able to find the answer he had wanted, and the situation wasn¡¯t improving. Although the fight between Odin and Zeus may have moved somewhere else, he couldn¡¯t continue to let things progress like this.

    ¡°This really is thest chance,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong warned.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    <i>ROAR!!!</i>

    /p>

    As he spoke, with the falling lightning, Sangun¡¯s front paws came barrelling down. Sangun¡¯s paws were as powerful as thunderbolts, and they came down upon Lee Jun-Kyeong as if they had already torn his body to shreds. In the ensuing explosion, there was a spark.

    ¡°I told you.¡±

    Intense mes pierced rain and lightning.

    ¡°This is thest time.¡±

    It pierced Sangun''s forepaw and soared into the sky, stems of me connected in a straight line swirling. At the end of its arc, high in the sky, Lee Jun-Kyeong apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    It was time for him to let it go. Just as how the beast had begged him.

    ¡°I have to kill you.¡±

    It was time to kill Sangun, who had be the Ruler and given up everything.

    Ungnyeo and the residents of Heaven Lake Vige briefly passed through Lee Jun-KYeong¡¯s head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    Then, the swirling mes expanded and exploded outward.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The spreading mes, expanding mes, stopped expanding outward and suddenly poured into Sangun.

    ¨CROAR!!

    The beast that had be a monster let out a scream, the mes prating into the wounds Lee Jun-Kyeong had made, cooking its flesh and blocking its movements. In a split second, he had be enveloped in mes.

    ¨CROAR!!

    The beast cried and twisted its body back and forth, but it was no use. Even the rain falling from the sky couldn''t extinguish Lee Jun-Kyeong''s mes.

    <i>Swoop.</i>

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong stretched out his hand, as always, Muspel''s Spear appeared. Many things had changed, but the spear in his hand had stayed the same. It had be an extension of his limbs and subdued his enemies.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    It was all bittersweet. There was the sorrow of an ally that had be his enemy. Moreover, this ally had be an enemy unwillingly. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he was just seeing things as he seemed to see tears forming in Sangun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, consoling the beast as he crashed down.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Someone murmured while they watched Lee Jun-Kyeong dive down as one with Muspel¡¯s Spear, ¡°A Bolt of me¡­¡±

    However, others who saw the same thing called it something different.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°The Punishment of God.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This was no longer a battle of kings.

    Someone spoke once more, ¡°The War of the Gods.¡±

    Then, a desperate cry followed.

    ¡°NO!¡± a warm and longing voice cried out. ¡°SANGUN!¡±

    It was Ungnyeo.

    1. Korea has quite a few different words for the concept of darkness (both Sino-Korean and native Korean have their own words for it). The word ?? can mean both the literal darkness/dark matter/unknowable darkness that defines space or the more figurative darkness at the end of hopeless despair. ??

    2. Remember, the San in Sangun means mountain. ??

    3. There are a lot ofments about how it¡¯s strange how good of a fighter Lee Jun-Kyeong is right off the bat, but throughout the book, the Author has been alluding to something going on about his situation, which I hope I¡¯ve conveyed properly. Although he may not have remembered being trained, his body does, and now that his mind has remembered it again, he¡¯s beginning to bridge the gap between muscle memory and intentional movement, making him stronger. ??

 Chapter 195: Emotion Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 195: Emotion Pt. 5</h4>

    "No!" Ungnyeo¡¯s cry reached Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip.

    He knew it would be like this. That was why he had hurried so much when he had realized that Sangun wasn¡¯t going toe back to his senses.

    ¨CMaster¡­ There is no way for Sangun, who has alreadypleted the transformation into a Ruler, toe back¡­

    When Hel had told him that there would be no way for Sangun to return to how he was after searching Elfame¡¯s soul.

    <i>I tried to take care of it, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, there was no way things would have been that easy. Having a glimmer of hope and sympathy for Sangun had made things even worse and caused the worst of scenarios. But he had to try.

    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t want to make you go through this again.¡¯</i>

    He had made Ungnyeo see Sangun die twice. mes continued to fall as Lee Jun-Kyeong himself had be a spear of me, plummeting down the sky.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    There was no way for him to stop any longer.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    Sangun looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was unable to stop his descent while tears cascaded down his cheeks. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down as he fell.

    <i>¡®...¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, a thought flickered across his mind. A smile appeared on Sangun¡¯s face. It was a smile filled with hope that it would all finally end and gratitude. Atst, the falling spear and Sangun met.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    With a horrifying sound, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had be a spear of me, pierced through the body of the tiger that was as huge as a mountain.

    <i>Crack! HISS!!</i>

    The sound of something rupturing and flesh incinerating burst out, apanied by the horrifying sound of bones breaking. As Lee Jun-Kyeong fell through the center of the beast, he could even hear the sound of Sangun¡¯s massive heart beating.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    It felt like an eternity had passed as he fell through the beast, but in reality, not long after he had pierced through Sangun, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to hear anything else.

    ¡°...¡±

    Not even the sound of Sangun¡¯s heartbeat continued.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadpletely prated the huge Ruler of the Mountain. The raindrops poured down from the heavens as theynded on Lee Jun-Kyeong before evaporating.

    <i>Hiss¡­</i>

    Having exited Sangun¡¯s body, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around and looked over at the woman who was running toward them, his entire body soaked in blood.

    ¡°...¡±

    With a despondent expression, he could see her looking toward him and Sangun.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Her steps were unsteady as she slowed down while walking forward. At that moment, Sangun had finally stopped moving. The sound of his breathing had shaken the ground like an earthquake and his roars wereing to an end.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself wistfully. <i>¡®You should have said thank you like you didst time, at least.¡¯</i>

    He thought back to the past with a bitter smile. Would it really have been better if Sangun had said thank you to him for putting an end to his suffering? At least, maybe a little bit.

    <i>¡®It may have at least made me feel less guilty.¡¯</i>

    Whatever the reason had been, he had still killed his ownpanion with his own hands. Moreover, this had been apanion that they had gathered around. Even though Sangun had killed their otherpanions, Lee Jun-Kyeong had still arrogantly said that he would find a way to save the tiger.

    Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t been able to do anything.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip again.

    <i>Drip. Drip.</i>

    Something flowed down his lips, and it was impossible to determine if it was Sangun¡¯s blood that drenched his entire body or the blood from his bitten lip. At that time, she had finally reached them.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Her hand began to move and Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes, epting what was toe. As the one who had been the one to survive at the end of the battle¨Cno, as the one who had killed Sangun, this was something that he had to endure.

    ¡°Th¡­thank you¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo, whom he had expected to p him across the cheek, instead hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong tightly as she expressed her gratitude.

    ¡°I know¡­and Sangun must have wanted this, too¡­¡±

    Although she had been locked up with Odin, she was no fool. Even with the chaotically unfolding situation, there was much that could have easily been predicted.

    <i>Drip.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel something running down his face again. But this time, it wasn¡¯t blood. No, it was something simr to rain.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ungnyeo slowly let go of Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although her expression was one of struggling to hold back her tears, her face was already covered in the pouring rain.

    <i>Step.</i>

    She soundlessly walked past Lee Jun-Kyeong, approaching the resting ce of the divine beast. Completely unable to even think about turning around, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his eyes.

    <i>Rustle.</i>

    There was a slight rustling and a limping sound, and before his eyes was a child.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled bitterly without realizing it. Although Sangun had died, he couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw the boy. That was because as much as Sangun was precious to Ungnyeo, the boy before him was a precious existence to him.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡±

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip again at the thoughts that came to his mind. He had killed Sangun with his own hands.

    <i>¡®Yet Ungnyeo had protected Fenrir.¡¯</i>

    The irrefutable feeling of guilt from that contrastpletely overwhelmed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s existence. He wanted to run toward Odin immediately, running away from what was before him, but he couldn¡¯t.

    <i>Rustle.</i>

    Fenrir slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong, his body absolutely covered in blood. Even at a nce, it was easy to notice some unusual chains that were wrapped around Fenrir¡¯s body. Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the boy, who seemed to have difficulty even walking.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For being sote.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cradled Fenrir in his arms, who immediately copsed in his embrace. He looked down at Fenrir with warm eyes.

    ¡°No, you came in time¡­ Jun-Kyeong¡­¡± Fenrir said, giving him a small smile as if to reassure him.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Then, the boy suddenly got back on his own two feet.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could immediately tell just by holding him for a moment that Fenrir¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t normal. There wasn¡¯t a single part of his body left uninjured, and the traces of torture were evident. It was a wonder that the boy could even breathe, let alone walk.

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­she saved¡­me¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong momentarily thought aboutughing because Fenrir''s pronunciation was getting increasingly clearer. Fenrir walked forward with an even more trustworthy expression,

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll save her this time¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Sob¡­sob¡­</i>¡±

    A wailing voice of despair came from the side of the massive corpse of Sangun with every sob driving through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s heart like cold steel.

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­¡± Fenrir said, approaching her and hugging her.

    Ungnyeo didn''t even pay attention to Fenrir, only sobbing.

    ¡°Do you trust me¡­?¡± he said.

    Only at Fenrir''s sudden words did Ungnyeo look over at him.

    ¡°Do you trust me¡­?¡± he repeated once again.

    It was only then that Ungyneo came to her senses and answered him, ¡°I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­step¡­back¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°This¡­might be a little strange¡­but do you still trust me¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out what the chains wrapped around Fenrir¡¯s body were, or how they had gotten him out of there in the first ce. Still, he realized that it was more important to be focused on the situation right now rather than trying to figure out what they were.

    Ungnyeo took a step back while wiping her tears. ¡°Yes. Okay, I¡¯ll step back.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel a bond between her and Fenrir. Then, Fenrir spoke to him as well.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    He made an unspoken request.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong resolved that he would do whatever Fenrir asked. His Familiar must have suffered so much for all this time, and he was also the one who might be able to save him from this mire of guilt.

    Furthermore, Fenrir had always been faithful to him. If it was his request, Lee Jun-Kyeong would do anything.

    After hearing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s positive answer, Fenrir slowly turned his head and looked over at the massive Sangun, lying on the ground like a mountain. Then, he opened his mouth with a grotesque sound.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    In his ce was a boy that wasn¡¯t quite a boy anymore with white fur¡­

    No, a blood-stained wolf opened its mouth.

    ¨CAvert your eyes, Ungnyeo.

    At the same time as he sent a voice into her head, Fenrir stuck out with his massive teeth.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    ***

    ¡°You brought a lot of vermin,¡± Odin said, his cold voice cutting through the rain.

    Although Odin was the one covered in blood and spitting out words venomously as if he was cursing, the situation on the side of Zeus and Olympus wasn¡¯t much better.

    ¡°...¡±

    Zeus hadn¡¯t only brought Athena to Korea. He had brought the other Heroes as well, the Pirs of Olympus.

    ¡°How are all of you holding up?¡± Zeus asked.

    Even Heroes such as Poseidon and Hades had been incapacitated by Odin¡¯s attack. To be frank, it was only because they were at the level of being Pirs of Olympus that they had only been injured and were able to escape death. All of them had been forced to fall back and drop out of the battle.

    However, Zeus stillughed. ¡°Why do you talk so much for a dying old man?¡±

    Although his allies had been wounded, none of them had died. On the other hand, at this very moment, he was about to catch Odin, who was an enemy who had a long and storied history with him that was stained with hatred.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    The bolt in Zeus¡¯ hand started to flicker, the turbulent mana and current bouncing through the raindrops surrounding them, connecting them into a web of electricity. Suddenly, a light so bright it was nearly impossible to open one¡¯s eyes upied the sky.

    ¡°Stay away, Athena.¡±

    Although he was always yful, in the rare moments Zeus was serious, his orders were one that had to be followed unconditionally.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    This was because only by following them would one be able to survive.

    Zeus became even more serious as he and the bloodied Odin faced each other.

    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t receive any strength from that bastard you call <i>that being</i>?¡± Zeus asked Odin as he scowled.

    ¡°A fool who knows nothing,¡± Odin spat in return.

    ¡°Your ignorance will ruin everything.¡±

    ¡°Ignorance you say¡­¡±

    Zeus¡¯ current of lightning was still circting around them. Odin tried to prepare for Zeus¡¯ next move, but he knew if he even lifted a finger, he would be incinerated whole by the web of lightning.

    <i>Zzt!!</i>

    ¡°I will see it through to the end, you fools.¡±

    Odin smiled even while in the midst of danger, light streaming out from under his eyepatch.

    ¡°You vermin who don¡¯t have a single care in the world about truth or the reality of the world. Even if you survive and live in this world, only destruction awaits you at the end.¡±

    Odin continued to spew out words like curses and clenched one hand.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    Odin was never someone who could be even thought of to be inferior to Zeus. No matter how much Zeus pushed the Hunter, Odin was someone whom Zeus would always have to be on edge around.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Gungnr appeared in Odin¡¯s hand. However, Zeus¡¯ preparation had been more thorough. Having shed with <i>that being, </i>he had learned that Odin belonged to <i>that being¡¯s</i> faction. Thus, he had known he would have to do more than he had originally expected.

    ¡°So, I tried my best.¡±

    <i>CRACKLE!</i>

    The current of electricity bounced more and more from droplet to droplet, beginning to burn hotly, as if it would swallow everything. In the sky, thunder and lightning shed and roared, gathering in the hands of Zeus.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    It was a massive amount of force. It was so vast and powerful that it seemed able to pierce through any mountain and evaporate even the oceans, causing the very world to tremble.

    Gungnir and Thunderbolt.

    The two masters of Authorities red at each other, no emotion lost between the two. There was only an intent to kill. Finally, the two Authorities began to fly toward each other.

    <i>CRACK! BOOM!</i>

    A green spear and blue lighting shot forward.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    And, a spear of red me appeared. It had intervened between the colliding Thunderbolt and Gungnir. However, it was already toote for either Zeus or Odin to take their blows back.

    <i>BOOOOM!</i>

    Something that seemed like the big bang, a primordial explosion that had brought about the existence of the universe, engulfed the province of Gyeonggi-Do, and a huge white light overtook thend.

    After a while, two voices rang out simultaneously in disbelief.

    "How¡­¡±

    "How¡­!¡±

    At the center of the explosion stood Lee Jun-Kyeong,pletely unharmed.

    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 196: Emotion Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 196: Emotion Pt. 6</h4>

    Thunderbolt and Gungnir shed in a shocking explosion, and a spear of me prated between them. Following the sudden collision, a huge explosion followed. In the midst of it all, Lee Jun-Kyeong stood,pletely unharmed.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    The web of lightning still flowed with a terrifying current while the green light continued to travel in streams around Lee Jun-Kyeong, but he stood proudly as if unaffected by anything.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fist, mes around him red into existence and soon disappeared, taking the web of lighting and green aura away with it.

    ¡°...¡±

    Zeus and Odin looked at him at the same time. They had shed after both had met with the person that Odin called <i>that being.</i> Now meeting Lee Jun-Kyeong, the emotions they were feeling were quite odd.

    ¡°How infuriating.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    To think, on top of his appearance, his power would have grown to this extent.

    ¡°Underdog.¡±

    ¡°Underdog¡­¡±

    Odin and Zeus spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong simultaneously, almost as if they had forgotten that they had been fighting each other.

    ¡°What is your purpose?¡± they asked at the same time, both having the same thoughts at this moment.

    Because Lee Jun-Kyeong had intervened, Zeus had missed the opportunity to kill Odin, while Odin had been able to live thanks to his actions.

    .

    <i>¡®That bastard saved me.¡¯</i>

    Zeus'' Thunderbolt was powerful, and it wasn¡¯t at a level that Odin could have survived against with his hastily cast Gungnir. Odin had almost tasted death at that moment, but he had been saved by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®Does he still think that I¡¯m a part of Asgard¡­¡¯</i>

    He tried to figure out the reason in his own way, but he soon justughed instead. Odin instead thought about the one who knew Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity even more so than he, who knew the Hunter better than anyone else here.

    <i>¡®The one who knows the future.¡¯</i>

    No, he had to correct his thought.

    <i>¡®The one from the future.¡¯</i>

    That being knew everything about what he would do, or what he would even think from this point on. He was someone that Odin had to be the most vignt about and fear the most.

    <i>¡®That being¡­¡¯</i>

    A person whose appearance was synonymous with fear came to Odin¡¯s mind. Lee Jun-Kyeong caught both of their eyes and looked at them both, alternating between the two.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>¡®So that¡¯s Zeus¡­¡¯</i>

    It was the first time that he had seen Zeus in person. He was a little different from what he had imagined¨Cno, a little different from what he knew. The Zeus that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew looked much older.

    Zeus was the chief of the giant Hunter organization that would rule the future world, Eden.

    "Zeus."

    ¡°Do you know me?¡±

    ¡°What, are you pretending to be humble?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong sarcastically replied, as if there was anyone who didn¡¯t know who Zeus was. Even if he forgot about the future, there wouldn¡¯t be a single person who didn¡¯t know Zeus in the present age.

    ¡°Your tone is a little rude, but I¡¯ll let it go, I guess. So, why did you stop me? If your reason isn¡¯t enough to convince me¡­¡±

    A blue current of electricity crackled in Zeus¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay the price.¡±

    The Hunter was clearly smiling, but the chill in his eyes was enough to give Lee Jun-Kyeong goosebumps. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Zeus for a moment and then nodded.

    ¡°As for Muninn¡­it had an Authority over memory, right?¡± he asked Odin.

    ¡°So, did you decide not to use honorifics anymore?¡± Odin responded.

    ¡°Answer the question.¡±

    Although Odin had no need to answer Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question, he needed to buy time.

    <i>¡®I have to drag this out.¡¯</i>

    He needed time to gather enough strength to get out of this crisis, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was giving him the time that he needed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And it can¡¯t manipte someone¡¯s memories.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to ask why I showed you that specific memory?¡± Odin asked, a deep smile spreading across his lips.

    ¡°It was because <i>that being </i>wanted me to.¡± Before Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to ask what that meant, Odin interrupted him, ¡°Don¡¯t think about asking anything about <i>that being.</i> Don¡¯t you already know that there is something strange about all of this? Also¡­¡±

    Odin avoided Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Zeus¡¯ gazes and clenched his fists.

    ¡°He has no intention of hiding himself any longer, anyway.¡±

    The void began to ripple, time and space distorting behind him.

    ¡°Soon, you will be able to meet him soon. And I will be with him¡­¡±

    Odin¡¯s smile deepened. At the same time, time and space shook like a typhoon.

    <i>WOOSH!</i>

    ¡°To see the end of the world.¡±

    At this very moment, Asgard had appeared behind Odin¡¯s back. It was Odin¡¯s territory, the symbol of the secret organization that ruled Korea.

    ¡°The Golden City¡­ Asgard¡­¡± one of the Heroes of Olympus said as they watched the radiance that appeared.

    Odin¡¯s intuition had been correct. There wouldn¡¯t have been an opening he could have broken through even if he had gathered all of his strength. That was why he had just poured everything he had into creating an opening instead. He had summoned his territory, and within that territory, he would be virtually invincible.

    ¡°Thank you. For buying me time.¡±

    Moreover, they wouldn¡¯t be able to track where he would flee to if he used his territory to run.

    As Odin expressed his gratitude to Lee Jun-Kyeong, space began to distort once again.

    ¡°You must think I¡¯m an idiot.¡±

    The torrenting rain had stopped all of a sudden before anyone had realized, and now, light and darkness were coexisting together.

    Asgard¡¯s brilliance and a gigantic Citadel from the Heavens descended before them, blurrilying into existence.

    ¡°Olympus¡­!¡±

    Zeus had known that Odin had been waiting for something to happen, but he had ignored it all in order to bring about an end to Odin more clearly.

    Because Odin had been summoning Asgard, there was nothing Odin could do to stop him from summoning Olympus.

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    A spear appeared in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand, clearly aimed at Olympus.

    Zeus was flustered, but because he was still summoning Olympus, he wasn¡¯t able to use his hands to stop him. Though, that didn¡¯t mean that the Heroes of Olympus were also preupied.

    ¡°Stop the Underdog!¡±

    They all gathered and ran toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    However, a wall of me burned before them like the mes of hell,pletely stopping the other Heroes from approaching. They could see it. It was burning the very mana in the air.

    <i>¡®It would burn a Hunter¡¯s vitality.¡¯</i>

    They knew that if they tried to cross the barrier before them, the only thing waiting for them on the other side would be death.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    However, there was still someone who pierced through the mes and ran toward Lee Jun-Kyeong despite the danger.

    ¡°Athena¡­!¡±

    Her head and face were scorched by the mes, but her beauty never changed. Even though the mes of Muspel clung to her and burned her, she stared forward at Lee Jun-Kyeong resolutely.

    ¡°...¡±

    Asgard and Olympus were appearing simultaneously. When Asgard fully materialized, Odin would be able to flee. However, when Olympus materialized, Odin would die.

    "Weren''t you against Odin?" Athena venomously said to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Her thorny words were spat at the Hunter.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he slowly ced one foot back and the other forward, settling into a stance.

    ¡°You see, someone made me a request.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    As if she didn¡¯t want to hear anything else, Athena thrust forward with her spear.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The spear pierced forward violently, but Lee Jun-Kyeong just cut through it without any effort.

    <i>Zzzt!</i>

    Then, he held Muspel¡¯s Spear aloft and hurled it forward. A spear of me pierced through the sky and collided with Olympus, causing a ripple to take ce over the Citadel¡¯s surface.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    ***

    ¡°You better be prepared to take responsibility for your actions¡­¡± a chilly voice spat from behind him. ¡°Underdog.¡±

    His name had even been called. Zeus was speaking to him. Lee Jun-Kyeong was surrounded by the Heroes of Olympus.

    <i>¡®It looks like Zeus really prepared everything in order to catch Odin.¡¯</i>

    If he hadn''t stepped forward, then Odin would surely have died here today. However, Odin had lived. Moreover, not by anyone else, but by his own hands.

    <i>¡®How ironic.¡¯</i>

    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you before anything else happens,¡± Zeus said, speaking like a reaper.

    Although he had seen Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mighty power, he still seemed to feel as though he was an executioner who could easily still sentence Lee Jun-Kyeong to death.

    "You''re probably asking why I saved Odin."

    The gray-haired Zeus was someone that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew was dangerous as he was someone who had the world in his palm. However, the Zeus of right now was different. Although he was still full of charisma and dignity, this Zeus was clearly still standing only on level with him.

    They stood equally. Furthermore, theirpanions were equal too.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?!¡±

    The Heroes of Olympus quickly also surrounded Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa, who hade running at themotion. The Heroes of Olympus radiated with killing intent.

    ¡°...! What is going¡­!¡±

    However, unlike Won-Hwa, who was flustered by their momentum, Jeong In-Chang lifted up Gram and plunged it into the ground, almost as if it was natural.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Behind him, the Princess, Hyeon-Mu and Hel soon followed.

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    Even Ungnyeo was standing together with them. Lee Jun-Kyeong nced over, but Fenrir¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen. In the strange confrontation, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke in a tone equal to that of Zeus.

    ¡°Because I had to do a favor for someone I care about.¡±

    ¡°Because of a request from someone you care about...you¡¯re saying that you¡¯d let someone who is a danger to the entire world go just for something like that?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    The immediate answer, with no hesitation, made Zeus sh a smile.

    ¡°Because he has to die at the hands of someone I care about.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was silence. It was a heavy silence that made it difficult for anyone to open their mouth easily.

    ¡°You really put the entire world in danger for just that reason,¡± Zeus said, breaking the silence. ¡°Fine. I heard your reason. So¡­¡±

    A sword appeared in his hand. But the moment Lee Jun-Kyeong saw it, he felt his heart race. At the same time, his pupils dted as bloodlust exploded from his body.

    "You¡­you dog bastard¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong swore at Zeus. ¡°How did you get that sword¡­!¡±

    The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong was so angry was that the sword in Zeus¡¯ hand was very familiar to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°What did you do to the Round Table¡­?!¡±

    No, to be more urate, it was because the sword was the fake Excalibur that Lee Jun-Kyeong had made and given to Arthur. But Zeus had appeared in Korea with that very same Excalibur in hand.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear began to spew fire.

    ¡°Listen to the end,¡± Zeus calmly said in response to Muspel¡¯s mes. ¡°I just picked this up.¡±

    "What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I mean that I just picked up something that had been left on the floor.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit are you¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to say anything from how infuriated he was.

    ¡°After I gave him something, he seemed to just throw this away. So, I picked it up.¡±

    It was only then that Lee Jun-Kyeong had caught on.

    Why had Zeus taken out the sword? It wasn¡¯t to rm him or attack him.

    <i>¡®This bastard is trying to mess with me.¡¯</i>

    No, it was only to mess with him.

    To think Zeus would say that he had just picked up the fake Excalibur that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given to Arthur. If Lee Jun-Kyeong had only known about that part, he may have worried about them even more.

    ¡°Then did you give them the real one that you had?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you really do know everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    But Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that Zeus had the real one. If that was the case, then that sword over there, it was proof.

    ¡°The Round Table asked me to deliver it to you. To let you know they will meet you soon.¡±

    The Round Table had joined hands with Zeus and Olympus and was their ally.

    <i>¡®So their purposes are the same, then¡­¡¯</i>

    It served as evidence from the Round Table. Only after realizing that did Lee Jun-Kyeong put out the mes. The situation had changed quite a bit.

    Although Zeus was demanding some sort of reparations for having been forced to lose Odin, there was still an unknown smile on his face.

    ¡°To think, after havinge all this way to give you a present, you went and saved Odin. Should I take back the gifts or what?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could never have thought that Zeus¡¯ personality would have been so irritating. Looking over at the figure that made his blood boil, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if, when he had aimed for the Territory, Olympus, if he should have just aimed for Zeus instead. However, he knew that the Hunter didn¡¯t lie.

    "Long time no see."

    ¡°Looks like we have met again.¡±

    He could hear familiar voices.

    "Heracles¡­! Odysseus!"

    They were the sound of friends they had built rtionships with in Europe. Moreover, he could hear a stiff female voice too.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, too.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Park¡­¡±

    Park Yu-Jin, the younger sibling of Park Jae-Hyun, a godly cksmith, was also a godly cksmith in her own right.

    She, who had gone to Olympus, stood to the left of Heracles.

    ¡°Well, since I¡¯ve shown you my presents, I guess I should introduce you to Santa.¡±

    Zeus took a step forward and held out his hand. Offering an empty hand, it was clear that he wanted to shake hands in greeting.

    ¡°My name is Kim Ki-Gyu,¡± he said clearly.

    "Let¡¯s talk about the costter."

 Chapter 197: Emotion Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 197: Emotion Pt. 7</h4>

    With Odin¡¯s escape, the battle had ended, and all of the Hunters who had followed Odin surrendered.

    ¡°How insane is that¡­ Just what¡­¡±

    They had made the smart choice once they saw Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had shown a god-like power, return with Zeus. Without Odin, if they continued to fight at this point, it would have been a massacre rather than a battle.

    The remaining allies began to clean up the battlefield amid the patchwork of various emotions, the people were busily moving. Those who won were proud of their victory.

    ¡°We won!!! We won!!!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, the defeated fell silent and held their breath, like pigs waiting anxiously for a ughter they could never predict.

    However, both the winners and losers had one emotion shared inmon.

    ¡°Yoo-Hyeon¡­¡±

    ¡°No! What am I supposed to do if you leave me like this¡­¡±

    There was a sense of loss. Everyone had lost apanion, friends, or family.

    ¡°These bastards!¡±

    ¡°Kill them! Kill them all!!¡±

    Although the area was still being cleared, another fight was about to unfold. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a fight started by the defeated. No, those who had won, those who had been stifled, entrapped while on the side of Sangun, they had grabbed those that had been defeated by the cor and raised their swords.

    ¡°You cannot do this!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa, of course, stopped them.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong stood silent.

    ¡°You have more qualities as a leader than I thought.¡±

    A gray-haired man approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. This was someone who stood shoulder to shoulder with Odin and was both the head of the world and one who would lead the world.

    ¡°They deserve this. They have the right to express their resentment, the joy of victory, and the right to grieve their sense of loss,¡± Zeus said as he watched the unfolding chaos.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that it''s the virtue of a victor to show generosity and understanding, but¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a matter of free will. You can¡¯t force them to do so.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong almost nodded without realizing it as he himself agreed with that as well.

    <i>¡®They reap what they sow.¡¯</i>

    Those who were now in the hands of his allied Hunters and being threatened with their lives at the tip of a sword were all those who deserved all that they suffered. Their choices brought about their fate, and those who had been harmed by their choices had the right to vent their anger.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    The atmosphere was heating up more and more. Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa weren¡¯t able to stop them either, and it seemed like a great ughter would happen.

    "Stop!"

    Then, someone shouted on behalf of Lee Jun-Kyeong, who didn¡¯t step forward. It was a voice as chilly as a cier but also a beautiful, harrowing voice.

    ¡°Stop it!¡±

    Ungnyeo went to the center of the chaos and stopped them. However, instead, her intervention only had the opposite effect.

    ¡°Mypanions died to save you!¡±

    ¡°What the hell were you doing at that time?¡±

    ¡°Even after Odin appeared, you didn¡¯t show up for a long time!¡±

    The area was filled with uproar, crying, and anger.

    ¡°Are you going to just keep watching?¡±

    At Zeus¡¯ sarcasm, who seemed to be giving insanely mixed signals on how to proceed, Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly opened his mouth.

    ¡°For now,¡± he said, his quiet voice echoing through the air.

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike when Ungnyeo, Jeong In-Chang, and Won-Hwa were speaking, everyone held their breath at his words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this after we finish. For now¡­let¡¯s prepare to honor those who died in the battle.¡±

    While both the enemies and allies shared the feeling of loss, there was one more thing that they all had felt inmon.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    It was the fear of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ***

    ¡°Well, at least the clean up¡­seems like it ended quite well.¡±

    To be quite honest, with regard to the cleanup of the battlefield, there wasn¡¯t much to be done. They mostly collected the bodies of the dead. There was no way for them to even begin fixing the rest.

    ¡°Well, I mean, it¡¯s only natural to assume everything had been destroyed, right?¡± someone joked.

    His sarcasm aside, he was right. There was nothing left. The road had copsed while the ground was littered with holes as if it had been bombed. The fortunate part was that there was no major damage to where the residents had lived.

    Now, the current head of Gyeonggi-Do was Lee Jun-Kyeong. Soon, life went back to normal with nothing strange happening as the people both feared and followed him.

    ¡°This must be the first time you¡¯ve ever had a conversation in such afortable position,¡± the man teased.

    ¡°Would it really be that ufortable for you to stop being so sarcastic for a moment or something, please?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Oh? Now you¡¯re being polite, too? Well, I mean I won¡¯t be all that ufortable, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Then please stop.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally raised his hands in surrender. His head was about to burst amid the series of endless problems, but on top of that, he had to continue listening to this man¡¯s ridicule.

    ¡°I really would like to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Oh ho. Well look who¡¯s being¡­¡±

    ¡°Oops. I must have thought that out loud.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you lost it a little.¡±

    The gray-haired man talking to Lee Jun-Kyeong was Zeus, the leader of Olympus.

    ¡°Don''t worry. The other Hunters from Olympus have separate missions,¡± Zeus said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was looking at their surroundings. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious as to what their missions are? It¡¯s something quite closely re¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, stop.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ll regret not knowing~ You¡¯ll be very disappointed if you only find out after the mission¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t say anything else, but Zeus still suddenly shut his mouth. He was looking over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with even more interest. The Hunter had stopped talking, noticing that the very space around them was beginning to shake.

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    <i>¡®Although these idiots may not realize it¡­¡¯</i>

    Zeus could see it.

    <i>¡®Atst, finally. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s worth his salt.¡¯</i>

    Mana was harmonizing with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feelings. It was not only the mana inside of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body, but also the mana around his body as well. The mana that made up the space around them was harmonizing to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s very existence. Other Hunters wouldn¡¯t know what this meant.

    <i>¡®His emotions are able to interfere with everything.¡¯</i>

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ll be able to kill someone with just a little bloodlust¡­¡±

    "I beg your pardon?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been preupied thinking about something else for a while, so he asked the other man again, but Zeus only smiled in response.

    ¡°Well, okay. Looks like you have much to think about. I guess this isn¡¯t a good time to collect on my payment?¡±

    Zeus was referring to the cost of letting Odin go. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression hardened even more.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve added one more thing to your te. By the way, who knows? Maybe if you tell me all of your worries, we¡¯ll be able to solve everything to¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally stood up from his seat.

    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t seem like a good time for us to talk. However, I will definitely pay your price. Moreover, we¡¯ll have to go over what happened as well. Whether it¡¯s about why you came to Korea, what you saw¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed at Zeus'' waist, toward a sword that hung ostentatiously, almost as if begging to be seen.

    ¡°Also about the Round Table and what happened there.¡±

    "Hmm."

    Zeus also rose from his seat.

    ¡°Well, I was supposed to be here to bring you some good news, but since that¡¯s what you want, then¡­¡±

    Zeus walked past Lee Jun-Kyeong without hesitation with a clear smile appearing on his lips. Lee Jun-Kyeong was curious about his smile, but he didn¡¯t have the space to deal with it right now.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kneaded his brow in the room, finally left alone. Zeus was right¨Cthere were too many things worrying him right now. Out of all of his worries, there was one that took the most precedence.

    ¡°Why is Zeus¡­¡±

    Why was the Hunter being so kind to him? Lee Jun-Kyeong had even thought that when he had returned to the past, his final battle would have been one against Zeus, who was the man who had turned the world of the future into a living hell.

    Zeus was a dictator who ruled the world in a Kingdom they called Eden, so the root of all problems in his future had been Zeus. However, right now, if he even included the issues with Yeo Seong-Gu, he had no idea what was going on.

    There were so many things for him to worry about that his head was pounding. There was also the issue regarding the treatment of the Hunters who had followed Odin. Lee Jun-Kyeong sat on the sofa, contemting the problems that couldn¡¯t easily be solved.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    The sound of the door opening disturbed the silence in the room.

    ¡°I told you, let¡¯s talk about itter¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, thinking it was Zeus,ing back to tease him some more.

    However, looking at the door, it wasn¡¯t Zeus that stood in the doorway.

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    Instead, an exhausted Ungnyeo stood in the doorway.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    The two looked at each other for a while before hugging each other without saying a word.[1]

    ***

    ¡°Because of the restriction called Gleipnir created by Odin¡­¡±

    Everything Ungnyeo was saying was filled with a sense of dismay.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t leave because of it. I was free, but I couldn¡¯t leave Fenrir behind.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I tried so many times to remove Gleipnir and free Fenrir from the chains, but I couldn¡¯t do it.¡±

    Ungnyeo seemed to be feeling guilty.

    ¡°When Odin had disappeared for the battle, I tried my best to get Fenrir out.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But with the strength I had¡­ I tried to use everything I could muster to get rid of the chains, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It must not have worked.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in Ungnyeo¡¯s eyes, but Lee Jun-Kyeong pretended not to notice.mInstead, he spoke up.

    ¡°But you were still able to free Fenrir from his chains, right? That''s how you appeared in front of me.¡±

    Ungnyeo and Fenrir had appeared in front of Sangun''s corpse. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to take a closer look at Fenrir at that moment because he had been distracted, the little brat had appeared directly in front of him.

    So, with that alone, Ungnyeo must have fulfilled her role.

    ¡°Well, that is¡­¡±

    However, Ungnyeo''s answer was unexpected.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    "What?"

    ¡°Fenrir did it.¡±

    "What¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo stopped walking and turned to look at Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything there. He cast them off on his own. Well, I don¡¯t know if ¡®cast them off¡¯ is the right way to say it, but¡­at least for me, I was just a burden to everyone.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Sangun died because of me,¡± Ungnyeo said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried tofort her.

    ¡°No. If I was just a little bit stronger, I would have been able to get free with Fenrir, and no one would have had to struggle so much and Sangun wouldn¡¯t have died.¡±

    Eventually, tears cascaded down her cheeks.

    ¡°Sangun died because of me. It was my fault, and I hate myself even more for hating you, even if it was only for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong snapped.

    Ungnyeo trembled at his harsh tone.

    ¡°If Sangun could hear what you¡¯re saying right now, he would have hated you. He was already dying.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sangun¡­he¡¯s been fighting longer than you know. So don¡¯t resent yourself so much. His death wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    "Because that''s an insult to him."

    For a moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong trembled, unseen by Ungnyeo.

    He could still clearly feel the moment he had pierced through Sangun¡¯s body. He could still hear Sangun¡¯s sobs and screams, the pain seemingly running through the tiger¡¯s body like an electric current.

    <i>¡®I¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong may have been talking to Ungnyeo, but he was also talking just as much to himself. The gravity of his guilt, which an emotion that couldn¡¯t be erased, raised its head.

    ¡°You look ridiculous.¡±[2]

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ungnyeo and Lee Jun-Kyeong turned their heads at the sudden voice. In front of them was the one they had beening to find.

    ¡°Fenrir.¡±

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    The two had been on their way to find Fenrir, but hadn¡¯t even realized that they had arrived, too engrossed in their conversation. Fenrir seemed to have been watching them for a long time.

    ¡°Sangun isn¡¯t dead.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ungnyeo trembled as if a memory had juste to mind.

    <i>¡®Did they say he ate him?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had also heard the story after he had returned from chasing after Odin. A massive wolf covered in chains had devoured the vast mountain-like tiger. There were rumors like that all over, and there was no way he hadn¡¯t realized who the wolf and the tiger referred to.

    Fenrir had eaten Sangun. Moreover, he had said that Sangun was still alive.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying he didn¡¯t die?¡±

    Although this was the first time that he had seen Fenrir since then, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to ask the wolf about Sangun rather than how he was doing by this point.

    ¡°Sangun¡­¡±

    For a moment, it seemed like a shadow was growing behind Fenrir.

    The growing shadow¡¯s form was obvious.

    ¡°Sangun¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s inside me,¡± Fenrir said, saying somethingpletely indecipherable.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to hear an exnation,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, rubbing his brow.

    1. Waifu, waifu, waifu¡­ ??

    2. Korean ng for how you look/act doesn¡¯t match your appearance. ??

 Chapter 198: The Gathering Heroes

    <h4>Chapter 198: The Gathering Heroes</h4>

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he tried to organize the information he had heard from Fenrir, ¡°Although Sangun died, he¡¯s still alive inside of you, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So then that means¡­¡±

    Unlike before, Fenrir had conveyed his thoughts with clear pronunciation.

    <i>¡®But I still can¡¯t seem to figure out what he¡¯s talking about.¡¯</i>

    However, apart from the pronunciation, it was difficult for him to understand what the little brat was saying.

    Sangun was dead but also alive.

    <i>¡®Is it simr to drinking, but not being drunk when you drive?¡¯</i>

    As if he had noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s confusion, Fenrir exined again. ¡°So¡­ Sangun, the ruler, is dead. But Sangun is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    It was only then that Lee Jun-Kyeong understood Fenrir.

    <i>¡®Those who have the power of the Ruler cannot return to how they once were.¡¯</i> That was the information that Hel had extracted from Elfame¡¯s soul.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to kill Sangun, and the Ruler Sangun had died.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that the original Sangun is now living inside you?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Or is he not?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was filled with confusion again.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Fenrir seemed to have a hard time getting Lee Jun-Kyeong and Ungnyeo to understand. Eventually, something else interjected, ¡°So, Fenrir has given me time to reconstruct my body. I¡¯m going to give up everything while in here and be born anew. It''s going to take me some time.¡±

    ¡°W¡­wait a second.¡±

    ¡°Sangun?¡±

    The voice was definitely Fenrir¡¯s, but the way that he had spoken was that of Sangun. Fenrir closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them up again.

    ¡°Sangun needs to rest. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not dead.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    ¡°Something is just¡­¡±

    Although they were left with more questions than answers, there was one thing that was certain.

    ¡°So this means that Sangun really is alive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sangun is alive¡­¡±

    As soon as Ungnyeo bowed her head as if she was about to burst into tears again, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Dear dear¡­ So, Gleipnir? What happened with Odin¡¯s chains? You¡­are you still tied up by it right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right,¡± Fenrir answered casually again. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would be able to break through it. So I just took it with me.¡±

    ¡°... then why didn¡¯t you do that sooner?¡±

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t then. It''s only because of Ungnyeo. She made Gleipnir weaker. Also, I became stronger too.¡±

    It was a simple answer, but his next words were some that were enough to shock them both, ¡°It¡¯s alive.¡±

    "What?"

    ¡°Gleipnir isn¡¯t just a chain. It¡¯s alive.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Fenrir shook the rattling chain slightly. Surprisingly, the chain moved almost as if it was dancing, wrapping itself all over Fenrir¡¯s body. It was only after being fed some mana did it rx and droop toward the floor again.

    ¡°This keeps trying to consume me. I have to find some way to throw it off, but it¡¯s still a little difficult for now.¡±

    ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t take it off?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use my powers properly, and¡­hmm¡­¡± Fenrir continued with a bright smile, ¡°And I guess I¡¯ll die?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s brow furrowed as he looked toward Fenrir, who was casually saying that he would probably die.

    However, Fenrir just responded calmly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand any of it. What the hell happened? He tried to guess at Fenrir¡¯s condition as he poured out his mana. Odin may have put something on the boy, or he could have cast some sort of spell.

    But no matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find anything. All he could feel was a burning rage and madness from the boy.

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    ¡°Thank you for letting Odin go,¡± Fenrir said, the chain around him rattling again.

    ***

    ¡°People are making a fuss about executing the Hunters.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Or at the very least, they are saying we should kick them out near the veil¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing as just telling them to die? There are monsters continuously appearing near the veil right now. The cataclysm is still underway.¡±

    Against his will, Lee Jun-Kyeong had be the current head of Gyeonggi-Do. Around him, his party and the Hunters that had been with Sangun at Mt. Cheonma were leading a meeting.

    <i>¡®Their rage is deeper than I had thought.¡¯</i>

    The hatred of the Hunters who had been with Sangun at Mt. Cheonma was greater than he could have ever imagined. Those who had lost their families to the Hunters who had followed Odin, those who had been kicked out, left to survive in the wilderness, and even those who had lost their children because of Odin¡¯s actions¨CLee Jun-Kyeong understood them all, understood their anger.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s no way we can just kill all of them or let them die.¡±

    The issue was that there were too many among the defeated, more so than they had expected. If there was only a small amount of them, it would be possible for them to kick them out and be done with the issues.

    Unfortunately, since the battle had been decided by a sh between Apex Hunters, the impact of the other Hunters had been inevitably small, and many Hunters on both sides had survived as a result. It would be impossible to kill all of them or banish them all.

    ¡°But¡­ If we just leave it like this, something is going to happen. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can punish those who fought alongside us for taking any action, either.¡±

    It was a dilemma. Lee Jun-Kyeong normally wasn¡¯t interested in dealing with politics or people, so he was in a very disconcerting situation. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had anyone by his side that could solve this issue either.

    Whenever something had happened, Yeo Seong-Gu would always step in and take care of things like this. However, he wasn¡¯t here, and whenever Lee Jun-Kyeong thought of him, it would only bring about an indecipherable sigh.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    <i>¡®But¡­¡¯</i>

    There was also another option too. Another expert to solve this tricky situation.

    "In my opinion¡­¡±

    Zeus had begun to speak. His presence had been too great to exclude him from this meeting. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of letting him have a say.

    ¡°Please, let me.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever you like,¡± Zeus shrugged.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly spoke his mind. ¡°Please select those who havemitted the most heinous of crimes, those who have directly killed any non-Hunters, and those who can clearly be identified as criminals.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I will execute them as an example.¡±

    ¡°But¡­that doesn¡¯t seem right, either. Korea isn¡¯t some kingdom, and you aren¡¯t a King.¡±

    ¡°No matter how heavy their sin, we can¡¯t just kill them so easily.¡±

    Not everyone who was present at this meeting were those full of rage. There were those who had simply been kicked out or those who had just needed someone to fight with. There were even those who had just wanted freedom.

    ¡°We could create a prison and imprison them¡­and once everything settles down in the future, we can leave them to the government too¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you really just sit there and watch that happen?¡±

    ¡°Imagine if they had killed your children, and see if you¡¯d still say the same!!¡±

    The atmosphere grew heated.

    ¡°Please be quiet,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, opening his mouth once again.

    Suddenly, the atmosphere chilled, leaving one emotion in the meeting room: fear.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sitting still, calm andposed, but everyone here knew that he was a terrifyingly strong Hunter who could incinerate the entirety of Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°There is nothing that the government can do for us in the current situation. Moreover¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong ran through his memory and continued, ¡°We cannot depend on the government to be able to do anything even after the cataclysm ends.¡±

    ¡°Oh ho.¡±

    ¡°The fight hasn¡¯t ended yet. Odin has fled and our enemies are scattered.¡±

    ¡°And who was it that let Odin run away¡­¡± Zeus interjected, trying to tease Lee Jun-Kyeong once again. However, the timing wasn¡¯t good, and seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s steely gaze, Zeus closed his mouth once again with an inexplicable smile.

    ¡°If we had lost, those who had survived might have killed all of our families. This is a war. Moreover, this isn¡¯t some war between nations, no¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued, ¡°This is a war for our survival. I cannot just ignore everyone¡¯s rage. We won¡¯t be able to fight to the very end if we do that.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Just like that person said, imagine that your family, your wife, your children were murdered. Would you still really put them in some prison and leave them till the end, sharing our already insufficient food with them?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°And finally,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand and said, refusing to ept any further objections. ¡°This is a prison that can confine a Hunter. Can any of you build something like that? Moreover, a prison that can confine a Hunter that has been strengthened by the cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    There was only silence in the room. Lee Jun-Kyeong was right, and none of them had any intention of trying to present any counter arguments.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    While if they really wanted to find something to pick at in his logic, they could, none of them had the courage to speak while looking into Lee Jun-Kyeong''s burning gaze. At that time, someone¡¯s sudden apuse broke the tension in the room. Even if anyone hadn¡¯t said who it was, Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew who would do such a thing.

    <i>¡®Zeus.¡¯</i>

    ***

    ¡°You did well,¡± Jeong In-Chang said, approving of his decision.

    On the other hand, Won-Hwa questioned his judgment, ¡°Is this really the right move?¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Amidst the two conflicting reactions, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a deep sigh.

    He hadn¡¯t wanted to get involved in this. No, he had just wanted toplete the mission.

    ¡°It was an inevitable issue and a tough decision.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to vote, though?¡±

    Unlike Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa seemed to be slightly dissatisfied with Lee Jun-Kyeong''s choice.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered, since the Hunter had lived in amunist country for such a long time, could this be an instinctive reaction to such a dictatorial choice?

    ¡°If we had just voted, maybe¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally opened his mouth, ¡°Things wouldn¡¯t have progressed quickly. They would just fight each other back and forth, taking up a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this right now.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice was firm. ¡°That cataclysm is well underway, Odin has fled¡­and a new enemy may appear.¡±

    ¡°You mean the one that Odin follows?¡±

    No, or at least that was what he wanted to say.

    But, at the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t answer no, or that the new enemy that Lee Jun-Kyeong was thinking about may actually be someone they had been close to for a long time.

    ¡°We need to stick together.¡±

    So, he just pivoted back to the previous topic.

    ¡°We have to prepare for a battle andbine our forces. If that feud were to continue, they would be unprepared for theing battle and be annihted. For now, survival. That¡¯s all we should be focusing on.¡±

    Eventually, Won-Hwa understood and didn¡¯t ask any more questions.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t as if Won-Hwa was wrong.

    <i>¡®Is this really the right thing to do?¡¯</i>

    Won-Hwa¡¯s dilemma had also been on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind all along.

    Could he really just make a decision like this by himself? Decide on someone¡¯s life or death just because¡­

    <i>¡®Just because I¡¯m strong?¡¯</i>

    There was nothing different from what he had just done and the actions of Hunters in the future. Just having power had given him the qualifications to choose. He had done the same as the Hunters he had hated so much. Seeing himself walking down the illusion of the same path as they did, he questioned the world of the future.

    <i>¡®Did they also have their own reasons?¡¯</i>

    He thought back to the world where everything was inplete chaos, a world that he had thought had to be changed. However, for the first time, he considered that there may have been something he didn¡¯t know about. Just because something had been done to protect everyone, did that really make it right?

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong soon put an end to his worries.

    ¡°I won¡¯t worry about it anymore.¡±

    He was already an unstoppable, rampaging train. In order to stop, the only answer would be to fall over and die. After everything had ended, only then would he go back and think about this dilemma.

    And, if he would have to pay for his decisions then, he would pay whatever he had to. That was why he wouldn¡¯t stop now.

    He would end the cataclysm, kill Odin, and find <i>that person.</i> Moreover, he would also find out the truth about the one who wasplicating everything in his mind the most too.

    <i>¡®Seong-Gu Hyung¡­¡¯</i>

    He had finally organized all of his thoughts, and there was no reason for him to worry too long. Then, at that time, a wee voice was heard, ¡°Ho, there.¡±

    It was Heracles.

    ¡°I¡¯m back from my mission. As Lord Zeus had said, it would have been better for me to be the one to go.¡±

    A man resembling a gigantic bear, no different from how he had appeared before, was approaching him. Next to him, as always, stood Odysseus.

    ¡°I¡¯m here too.¡±

    Today, Park Yu-Jin was also alongside them as well.

    ¡°...!¡±

    But Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in shock when he saw the next person standing by their side.

    ¡°Jae¡­ Mr. Park?¡±

    ¡°This was our mission,¡± Heracles said, smiling at the Hunter.

    From Today I¡¯m a yer Volume 8 Chapter 24

 Chapter 199: The Gathering Heroes Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 199: The Gathering Heroes Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Mr. Park!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, unable to hide his surprise.

    Park Jae-Hyun was standing next to Park Yu-Jin.

    ¡°So this was your mission?¡±

    Heracles nodded when asked, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was astounded as to how this hade to be.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    The first one to speak from the group was Park Jae-Hyun. Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected him to be hiding within Seoul. He knew that Park Jae-Hyun had survived the cataclysm and that the cksmith was more than capable enough to defend himself. Even so, he had been worried.

    <i>¡®I had kept asking for his whereabouts too¡­¡±</i>

    He had continuously reached out through Yeo Seong-Gu and inquired about Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s location, even going so far as to receive a promise to ensure his safety from Yeo Seong-Gu before the Hunter had gone to Seoul.

    <i>¡®Should I be calling this a relief, or ¡®should I be feeling apologetic?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had continuously regretted not being able to protect him. Looking at the smith, he could see Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s child-like cheeks were now drawn in. Seeing his emaciated face made Lee Jun-Kyeong feel waves of guilt wash over him.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong soon came to his senses.

    ¡°You crazy little bastard,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said. ¡°What, are you supposed to be my dad or something? What are you making that sort of expression for?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    He had forgotten.

    <i>¡®I forgot he was someone I always wanted to pummel.¡¯</i>

    A smile soon spread across Lee Jun-Kyeong''s lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the face that suits you. Focus on your own business, tsk.¡±

    ¡°Oppa! Didn¡¯t we have to go save you?¡±

    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯te, I would have lived just fine for well over a hundred, no, a thousand years.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The two began to bicker. Looking at the two of them, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt all the tension melt away like snow.

    ¡°Also, aren¡¯t you the one who made the rescue request, Oppa?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°What, so after begging to be rescued and finally being saved, you¡¯re going toe out like this? Do you want to remember what it feels like to be beaten or something?¡±[1]

    ¡°What??!¡±

    ].

    It was only after hearing them bicker that Lee Jun-Kyeong realized what Park Jae-Hyun had gone through.

    <i>¡®He hade to Gyeonggi-Do to find me.¡¯</i>

    By the time that the cataclysm had begun, the veil over Seoul hadn¡¯t yet beenpleted. That was when he had decided to leave Seoul. The ce where he had thought would be the safest and the ce that he would have to be was simple.

    <i>¡®Wherever I was.¡¯</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun had known that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s vi had been in Gyeonggi-Do. Knowing that he would have returned back home after having gone to Egypt, Park Jae-Hyun had nned ordingly and went to Gyeonggi-Do on his own. However, in the midst of looking for Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house, he ran into Odin dragging away people, so he quickly hid.

    <i>¡®To think he had even gone underground.¡¯</i>

    He made up his mind to reappearter, knowing that there would be a day when Lee Jun-Kyeong woulde to find him, so he had hidden underground. However, even as time passed, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t appear, and things were developing to the point where it had even be difficult for him to go outside.

    Luckily, however, Park Jae-Hyun had also grown in the cataclysm.

    <i>¡®Oddly enough, he now even has the ability tomune with Park Yu-Jin?¡¯</i>

    He wondered if it was some sibling connection or something.

    Either way, Park Jae-Hyun had continued to signal Park Yu-Jin with his newly acquired ability, and she had, by chance, been able toe to Korea alongside Zeus and the others, who had been nning toe to Korea anyway.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered Zeus¡¯ words.

    ¡°...is a gift.¡±

    Zeus had been very clear about it.

    <i>¡®Heracles went on a mission, and that mission really should be beneficial to you if you cared enough to listen. Are you really not going to listen?¡¯</i>

    Now, before him was the very thing that Zeus had been speaking of, an unexpected gift he couldn¡¯t have even dreamed of.

    ¡°It really is a relief,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a sincere tone as he hugged Park Jae-Hyun.

    ¡°Hey! Are you making fun of me for being short?¡± Park Jae-Hyun grumbled at his vertically challenged stature.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel an intense strength in the hands that were hugging him right back. He knew Park Jae-Hun would have been through difficult times as well. Moreover, he had to endure it all alone. The cksmith had waited all this time for him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s apanion.¡¯</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun had be one of his own, apanion like Jeong In-Chang or Won-Hwa. Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel his emotions, which had been running haywire, clearing up.

    ¡°How unsightly.¡±

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    Although Park Yu-Jin may have been grumbling, her eyes were clearly smiling. She was delighted to be with her brother, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. There were many things for the two of them to talk about and share.

    Before that, Lee Jun-Kyeong first asked for a favor, ¡°I would like to ask you something first. A chain made of an unknown metal is wrapped around Fenrir''s body. It is called Gleipnir, and it¡¯s said that Odin made it himself.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    "Fenrir says it''s alive."

    "What?"

    ¡°Moreover, he said that he would die if he couldn¡¯t peel it off of him.¡±

    The two people most suited to deal with it were right before him.

    ¡°Good,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said, smiling brightly at Lee Jun-Kyeong''s request. ¡°This is why I like you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had always thrown something new at the cksmith. Not only was it always something that was more than enough to satisfy his curiosity, but they were always things that would also allow him to see an even higher level.

    ¡°As I expected¡­it really would have been okay to havee to Korea too,¡± said Park Yu-Jin, who was standing next to Park Jae-Hyun.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had proposed to her before toe to Korea if she wanted rare minerals and development as a cksmith. Because he was there, he would be able to give her what she had wanted.

    ¡°It¡¯s a job that has a lot of special work, Oppa.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I was going to go there anyway without your nagging.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun''s face, which had been drawn and emaciated, was now full of life. He really fit his title.

    <i>¡®He really is a heavenly cksmith.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled as he watched the two leave, bustling as if they didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. Those two really were heavenly cksmiths. It was something that he realized every time he saw them, but something felt especially different when he saw them today.

    ¡°How is it? Do you like it?¡± Heracles asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just responded to the question with another question, ¡°Did Zeus ask you to ask me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­well, you know how it is,¡± Heracles said, shrugging before he continued, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t like having toe to see you or whatever¡­ um¡­¡±

    <i>Rustle, rustle.</i>

    The massive man was looking for something in his inventory with a rustling sound, and soon, he took out an ornately decorated gauntlet. As if to scream that it wasn¡¯t amon metal, the gauntlet gave off a muddy light and looked incredibly sturdy even to the naked eye. The patterns that decorated the metal even looked like they would etch themselves onto an opponent''s body.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s all rather threatening.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Shall we start?¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Heracles, cutting through the wind, ran toward Lee Jun-KYeong. Without any hesitation, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved his foot and pushed aside Heracles¡¯ gauntlet.

    <i>ng!</i>

    ¡°Oh ho!¡± Heracles eximed, his feet remaining steady on the ground as he was pushed aside.

    <i>ng! ng!</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong and Heracles collided again and again, Jeong In-Chang asked Odysseus, ¡°Are we just going to watch?¡±

    Odysseusughed at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s question and drew his sword. "No way."

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Won-Hwa left alone, just let out an indiscernible sigh.

    ***

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    In the midst of the zing mes, Heracles¡¯ eyes spewed out an equally intense crimson re.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    ¡°ROAR! ROAR!!¡± Heracles shouted like a beast, kicking off the ground and soaring high into the sky. Although the surrounding mes rose toward Heracles like a snake, the Hunter extinguished the burning mes with repeated blows of his left hand.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    Then, the Hunter fell from the sky with his right hand barrelling downward, balled into a fist.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    His red eyes left an afterimage in the air, almost as if it had burned its way into the sky, as a storm of mana and aura seemed to tear through the void. Finally, Heracles had reached where he had been aiming.

    ¡°ROAR!!¡±

    The massive Hunter fell on top of Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was standing with a spear.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    There was a silent sh. Immediately after, an explosion rocked the surroundings.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    It was a direct sh of strength. Although it was crude, it was the only way Heracles fought. When the blinding light disappeared, the two men were still standing, breathing heavily. Slowly, the mes around them died down as the mes in Heracles'' eyes, consumed by Madness, also withered away.

    <i>Shhh.</i>

    ¡°Are you able to fully handle Madness now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he slowly put away Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± Heracles responded, shing his gauntlets together with a heartyugh.

    <i>Stumble.</i>

    But then, the Hunter soon stumbled and had to sit down. Heracles looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and said, ¡°Whoa¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to die,¡±

    Although there were no visible wounds, it was as if all of his mana had been exhausted.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really be a monster. Even after I fully harness Madness, I still can¡¯t put a scratch on you.¡±

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong waspletely fine. He approached Heracles and held out his hand at the Hunter¡¯s self-deprecating tone.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    There was the sound of an explosioning from the side.

    ¡°Gasp! Gasp! I lost!!! I give up!¡±

    Another fight was over.

    Grasping Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand, Heracles lifted himself up and looked at the Hunter. Although a trace of bitterness remained, what was on his face was a clear smile.

    ¡°Thank you, even if it¡¯s a littlete,¡± he said while his smile deepened. ¡°What you did for me was no different than saving my life. Thanks to you, I¡¯m even able to control Madness. I still can¡¯t figure out how you know so much about me or how you even knew the solution¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Because you¡¯re a good person.¡±

    ¡°Good person, you say¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if he could say it was just simple. Thinking about how to answer the Hunter, he just ended upughing in response.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit! You two came back as monsters! What have we been doing all this time?¡± Odysseus grumbled, approaching them after his spar had ended.

    <i>Sniffle.</i>

    Next to him, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw Jeong In-Chang wiping his nose. Their fight had beenpletely different from that of Lee Jun-Kyeong and Heracles¡¯. They were both roughed up and injured. However, it seemed that they were getting closer with every bruise.

    ¡°Well¡­thank you. I was going to ask you to do me a favor if I win, but I guess it¡¯s whatever now.¡±

    ¡°A favor? Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Yeah. AH! It¡¯s hot!¡± Heracles said, throwing off his gauntlet.

    ¡°I want you to meet with Zeus,¡± he continued nonchntly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    ¡°Not only did you get stronger, but it seems you¡¯ve also gotten smarter as well.¡±

    ***

    It waste at night. Gyeonggi-do was quiet. It had only been a few days since the battle had ended, but people were already adapting.

    This morning, the sinners had been executed. He had executed those who had sided with Odin and killed ordinary people or ughtered Hunters on the front lines.

    Fortunately, none of them had any families, though it was unclear whether Lee Jun-Kyeong had chosen those who had no family or whether they had done such things because they had no family. However, most of the others were satisfied, and the group had regained its stability. The battle may have ended, but the cataclysm was still underway.

    ¡°Whew,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    ¡°Should I call you Mr. Kim?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to speak inly, speak inly, and if you¡¯re going to be polite, at least be consistent,¡± the man before him said in a sarcastic tone.

    Even though the world had still gone into such chaos, a carefree voice had still ended up reaching Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    Almost as if all the worries in the world were gone.

    <i>¡®Meet with Zeus.¡¯</i>

    It had been Heracles¡¯ request and his own choice as well. He had no choice but to talk to him.

    "So Zeus. What¡¯s your goal?

    1. In Korean, we call what Lee Jun-Kyeong is feeling as ? ???, or the feeling of ice-cold water going down your throat on a hot summer day. Finally, someone is winning against Jae-Hyun. ??

 Chapter 200: The Gathering Heroes Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 200: The Gathering Heroes Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Well, just to be stronger. Be the strongest and stand on top of the world,¡± Zeus responded.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked him what his purpose had been, and, for once, the man had replied with a serious expression with no hint of sarcasm or mischief.

    <i>¡®This is the real Zeus.¡¯</i>

    This was the man who, for so many years, had made people tremble with fear and look up in awe. He was the ruler of Eden who controlled the future.

    ¡°Or that was my goal, at least.¡±

    ¡°It <i>was</i> your purpose?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was. Now, things have changed a bit.¡±

    Zeus had that same mischievous expression once again. However, something was different about it than before.

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong shook a little at the slightly changed appearance of the Hunter, Zeus, no, Kim Ki-Gyu, opened his mouth again.

    ¡°Because there were several things that had changed my mind, you see.¡±

    They were standing in the midst of Gyeonggi-Do at night and looking around at the scenery. The Lord of Olympus then slowly brought up a story.

    ¡°I met someone.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Mmm, should I say he was the one who had destroyed Europe?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked directly at Zeus¡¯ face, who looked back in turn.

    The Hunter''s mouth opened slowly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He looks exactly like the man I¡¯m looking at right now.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt his breath catch.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡°As expected. It seems you know who he is.¡±

    Zeus took in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s reaction and continued, ¡°He was someone who looked just like you. Of course, there were a few differences¡­even the very aura and temperament that he had was different from you.¡±

    Zeusughed.

    ¡°But still, even a kid could figure out there¡¯s some sort of connection between the two of you.¡±

    The Hunter was looking at him, but Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t open his mouth at all. This was it, the moment when his spection and doubts had be certain.

    <i>¡®The remnants of time.¡¯</i>

    That was what Ungnyeo had said to him. The identity of the being Odin followed was the remnant of time in this era, the true Demon King.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The voice of Zeus continued to ring in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear as he exhaled, almost as if letting out a sigh.

    ¡°His power was overwhelming. Looking at him, it seemed that the position of the strongest that I was chasing would never be mine. You know, people look at us and call us gods, right?¡±

    The people of Gyeonggi-Do had been calling Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus, who had fought against Odin, gods. After all, they were people who were d in thunderbolts and mes who ruled the skies.

    With their overwhelming power that couldn¡¯t be easilyprehended even for Hunters, they were considered to be the gods themselves, or even the Incarnations of the Sponsors, or something.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Well, anyway, that changed my mind. If it would be difficult to rise to the position of the strongest using force¡­¡±

    Zeus¡¯ white teeth were exposed.

    ¡°I thought it might be possible to stand at the top in a different way.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu for a moment. This man was the same. He wanted to rise to the top with even the same appearance that he had seen in the future.

    ¡°Eden¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered involuntarily.

    It was the name of the culprit who had destroyed the future world. Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    He could feel the current of electricity running down his neck. The blue Thunderbolt in Zeus¡¯ hand was pointed toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s throat. When Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Zeus, he was genuinely surprised.

    ¡°...!¡±

    He had seen the Hunter yful before, or even serious or charismatic, but he had never seen him like this. His face was extremely stiff, and on his face, there was¡­

    ¡°Fear¡­?¡± he muttered.

    He didn¡¯t understand. What on earth made this person, who was aiming for the world''s strongest position, tremble so much?

    ¡°You¡­how do you¡­that name¡­ just how¡­¡±

    Zeus'' trembling Thunderbolt was aiming dangerously for Lee Jun-Kyeong''s neck.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    However, the Hunter immediately put away the Thunderbolt and let out a long sigh while kneading his temples with both hands.

    ¡°Well, you are a special one. It¡¯s not surprising that you would know that name,¡± Zeus mumbled as if trying to reassure himself.

    He looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong again. From that expression, Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that the other Hunter seemed to be hiding a lot of emotions.

    Zeus opened his mouth again. ¡°What I had told you was just my purpose. There is another actual reason why I had changed my goals.¡±

    It seemed he was now going to tell him the truth.

    ¡°I had a dream.¡±

    However, what Zeus had to say next waspletely absurd.

    ¡°A dream where¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the heat emanating from Zeus¡¯ slowly opening mouth.

    ¡°My Sponsor, Jupiter, appeared.¡±

    ***

    Although many lights filled the night sky, the expressions of the people weren¡¯t good. They were quickly fleeing the area as if they were being chased by something. Cars on the road swerved around as they ran in a panic. They all looked exhausted, trying to escape with drawn and withered faces. In an alley, beatings were taking ce in the corner like always.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Those who were getting beat justy there, epting the punches and kicks with expressions ofplete hopelessness.

    ¡°Spit!¡±

    After quite a while, those being beaten would eventually pass out, and the assaulters would spit on their bodies and leave, leaving the bodies lying alone in the alleyway. In another ce, high-pitchedughter filled a mansion.

    ¡°Oh ho ho!¡±

    There were bright lights all over, on the pool and in the mansion.

    ¡°How great!¡±

    The people in the mansion were enjoying a party, eating greasy food and getting drunk. Next to them, it was almost unbelievable.

    ¡°How dare some bastard who can¡¯t even make food properly stand on two feet?!¡±

    Almost as if it was impossible to believe that these people were the very same humans as those partying, barbaric acts were taking ce just to the side. Beneath the party of revelry lurked violence and contempt. The footsteps that were approaching the chef led to an even more terrifying threat.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    ¡°Please¡­forgive me! Please¡­! I have a fam¡­!¡±

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    The begging chef suddenly stopped moving after a short cutting sound. Now a corpse, he copsed on the spot, bleeding everywhere.

    ¡°Take it away!¡± said the one who had cut through the chef, giving orders to the others around the corpse as if he was disgusted to have to speak to filth.

    A bluish aura that was definitely mana emanated from his sword.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha!¡±

    Although people had died in the mansion, the party just continued. Even though both aggressors and victims were human, it almost seemed that they were ofpletely different species.

    In a tall tower with a panoramic view of Seoul stood someone watching over everything.

    ¡°...¡±

    He was leisurely drinking wine and looking around the city. The lights never went out where he was, but sometimes there were flickers of sparks that weren¡¯t yet mes off in the distance.

    He could hear screams from a distance somewhere. The man¡¯s hearing was more sensitive than anyone else¡¯s, able to prate anywhere in the world if he had wanted to. He was the best of the Hunters¡ªno, the one who had risen to the top of all humanity.

    <i>Knock, knock.</i>

    ¡°May Ie in?¡± someone said, entering the room. The face of the person entering the room wasn¡¯t visible, and only a voice could be heard from the side.

    ¡°How was your day today¡­¡±

    The voice that spoke called out to the man.

    ¡°Lord Zeus.¡±

    ***

    ¡°That man called out to me. As if it was almost routine, he handed me a ss of wine as he spoke,¡± Zeus said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was listening to Zeus¡¯ story about his dream.

    <i>¡®The world that I had lived in¡­¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, Zeus had seen the world that Lee Jun-Kyeong had lived in through his dreams. But Lee Jun-Kyeong had never heard of Zeus having precognitive powers.

    ¡°He called me the Ruler of Eden.¡±[1]

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Moreover, when that dream ended, another followed.¡±

    His story didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°I was in a dark space, and there was someone calling my real name as they hid in the darkness.¡±

    ¡°And that person was¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong trailed off.

    Zeus interjected, ¡°That¡¯s right. My Sponsor, Jupiter.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    To think he had spoken directly to his Sponsor. Zeus certainly was an unusual person.

    ¡°My Sponsor asked if I liked what I had seen. Something about if I was satisfied with a god-like life, rising to the top of everything as I looked down on the entire world.¡±

    ¡°So what did you say?¡±

    Zeus shrugged, and Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to hear an answer to his question.

    ¡°But Jupiter soon brought up another story.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°He asked me if I was sure I really was the one who stood at the top and changed the world to that image.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    It was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to understand the Hunter properly. Zeus smiled a little as if he understood where Lee Jun-Kyeong wasing from. His gray hair was blowing in the wind.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to answer him, so Jupiter then asked me another question.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I was asked if I was sure that the Zeus that I had seen really was me.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly felt goosebumps.

    ¡°Oh? Did you notice it already? It took me quite a while to figure out what that had meant.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zeus said with a relieved face as if he had revealed a big secret. ¡°I wanted to be on the top of the world, but that doesn¡¯t mean I had wanted to create a world like that. If I was really the one on top, the world I saw wouldn¡¯t have made any sense.¡±

    ¡°Then, you¡­it really wasn¡¯t you, but¡­¡± stuttered Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    They hade to the end of their difficult conversation.

    ¡°I was no longer myself. You can think of it as if someone had stolen my body.¡±

    His body had been taken from him.

    Just like Sangun had been. Unable to do something of his own will, he had be a different being. That was the same experience with Elfame, the Ruler that Lee Jun-Kyeong had killed. Moreover, that was exactly what they were called.

    <i>¡®The Rulers.¡¯</i>

    If Zeus had be a Ruler¡­

    ¡°I think of it this way. That, maybe, the system they call Sponsorship eventually consumed me or something.¡±

    ¡°....But your Sponsor was the one to warn you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, addressing the inconsistency. Zeus simply shrugged again. ¡°Well, actually, I don¡¯t actually know if that being was my Sponsor. Although they revealed the true name of my Sponsor¡­¡±

    Heughed like the situation was funny. ¡°It could have even been a different Jupiter. Or someone who didn¡¯t want their name ruined, or even¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed as he waited for Zeus¡¯ next words. ¡°It could have been someone who had just wanted to help the human, Kim Ki-Gyu¡­or just another god.¡±

    Zeus looked up at the sky.

    ¡°But couldn¡¯t it just have been a dream? Are you saying that a single dream suddenly changed your entire purpose in life?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    <i>Swish.</i>

    Zeus¡¯ gaze suddenly fixed on Lee Jun-Kyeong as his clear eyes emitted a blue spark like lightning. Under the moonlight, the man asked simply, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    His voice, as it slowly asked a question, pierced through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s just some sort of dream?¡±

    The two watched each other for a long time before Lee Jun-Kyeong responded, ¡°No.¡±

    He had decided to trust the Hunter Zeus.

    ¡°The dream you saw is the world I came from.¡±

    ***

    Although those who hade were wee, no one smiled at their arrival. It was because the group¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t good. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered how they had even arrived. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time to ask any of that.

    In fact, there was only one thing to do right now.

    <i>Clench.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward and hugged someone.

    "Wee¡­¡±

    Slowly rxing his grip and stepping back, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the one he hugged and spoke.

    ¡°Arthur and the Round Table.¡±

    Arthur, Merlin, and the surviving Knights of the Round Table were all looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    1. Note that you¡¯ll see the phrase ruler be both capitalized and not capitalized when referring to people. That¡¯s because there is a difference between the entity ¡°Ruler¡± and the term ¡°ruler.¡± Until now, every time Zeus has been called a ruler, it was more of a title, as in king or royal. However, now, this Ruler refers to the being, Ruler, just like Elfame or Sangun. ??

 Chapter 201: Preparing for War

    <h4>Chapter 201: Preparing for War</h4>

    Although he had heard about it from Zeus, hearing the truth from those who had defended Ennd, the Round Table, had made it all the more shocking.

    ¡°Ennd has fallen.¡±

    The meeting hall was silent.

    ¡°Europe has been reduced to rubble and is no longer¡­it¡¯s no longer a ce people can survive.¡±

    Gawain was the one informing them about the state of Europe.

    <i>¡®Lancelot is also dead.¡¯</i>

    He also delivered the news of the deaths within the Knights of the Round Table.

    Out of everyone there, the person who was shocked the most was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    Throughout the entire meeting, no one spoke other than Gawain, with only the sound of sobs breaking the silence.

    <i>¡®Ennd¡­¡¯</i>

    Ennd had been sunk under the ocean. Lancelot was dead.

    <i>¡®So the past I knew already doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡¯</i>

    Although Lancelot¡¯s death wasn¡¯t something he knew anything about in the future, at least for the fall of Ennd, he knew that it waspletely different from the history he hade from. In the future he knew, Ennd had remained, and even the Round Table still existed fully after the cataclysm ended.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    But now, everything has been jumbled to pieces.

    <i>¡®It''s that, or my memory itself is wrong.¡¯</i>

    Still, it was not as if he didn¡¯t have doubts about what he knew either. In fact, he could no longer trust either the book of the Demon King or even his own memories.

    Even if what he had known was still the truth, everything was still distorted, and it was possible that his memories had been distorted from the very beginning, aiming for some result of some kind.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke up. ¡°So it seems we must move now ording to the situation.¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    Every day would be different. In this world in which the cataclysm was still underway and no one knew what else would change, they had no choice but to move blindly, adjusting at every moment to the changing circumstances.

    <i>¡®This might be better in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    ¡°The most important thing is him.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong calmed his beating heart, Merlin began to speak.

    ¡°The power of the man who sank Ennd¡­it wasn¡¯t human. Even Lord Zeus of Olympus has seen his strength.¡±

    ¡°Merlin is right. He¡¯s a monster. Ah well, there are monsters everywhere on the now¡­¡± Zeus said with his characteristic mischievousugh.

    ¡°Mmm, then, just like the others call us, should we say, a god?¡±

    However, Merlin shook her head in response. "No. He¡¯s not a god.¡±

    There was a hint of hatred in her determined voice. Composing herself, she soon spoke again, looking at everyone with a cold gaze. ¡°He¡¯s a Demon King.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a Demon King who has descended onto the human world.¡±

    He had sunken Ennd and ughtered the Knights of the Round Table. Moreover, although Zeus hadn¡¯t said it, Olympus had likely joined that battle as well. Thus, many Heroes had been lost.

    The Demon King was only one person, but his very presence had destroyed nations and crushed Heroes. Although there wasn¡¯t any other better way to refer to him, Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to speak up, unable to say anything easily.

    ¡°...¡±

    This had been his Hero, a Hero who had always supported him from his childhood even until now. But Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped and thought for a moment.

    <i>¡®Maybe he really is a Demon King.¡¯</i>

    Still, even as doubt dominated Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind, the meeting had to proceed.

    ¡°We have to decide what to do right now.¡±

    ***

    The Round Table hade to Korea from the fallen Ennd and entered Gyeonggi-Do. Although it would have been impossible for them to even considering by ne, they still had another hidden way to enter Korea. Furthermore, it was a method that had allowed them toe to the province even through the cities that were covered by veils.

    <i>¡®They actually traveled here through a gate.¡¯</i>

    They had said that their hidden method had been to use the greatest threat to humanity since the advent of the Hunters, the gates. Even amidst the cataclysm, gates were constantly appearing.

    Because it was inevitable for them to all copse anyway, pouring out monsters, and because no one could dispatch any Hunters to begin closing the numerous gates like before, none of them had given a second thought about them so far.

    Gates were even being actively created and broken even at this very moment. But Merlin had said that she was able to travel through a gate. It truly was amazing.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe she has the ability to forcibly connect and open gates.¡¯</i>

    Merlin¡¯s ability, which was shrouded in secrecy, was much better than Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought. The Hunter could directly manipte a gate and use them as a passageway by forcibly connecting the dimensions. Lee Jun-Kyeong had never even thought that such a thing would be possible.

    <i>¡®Yet she made it happen.¡¯</i>

    At the very least, it meant that it was an unmistakable fact that Merlin was at the apex of mage-type Hunters. However, the cost to her wasn¡¯t small, and she was forced to rest now in order to recuperate from mana exhaustion, depleted further by the aftermath of the battle.

    They needed her to be stable in order to carry out any decisions and have her input through the meetings. Thus, many, including Won-Hwa, had been mobilized in order to help her recuperate.

    This gave Lee Jun-Kyeong time.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked as he set aside his thoughts.

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing,¡± a blunt voice responded.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing what you asked me to do.¡±

    ¡°You know, this really is the real deal?!¡±

    A boy and girl who looked to be middle school students were examining Fenrir as their eyes were shining.

    ¡°Growl¡­¡±

    Fenrir growled low as if he were ufortable, but he didn¡¯t try to harm them. Instead, with an ufortable expression, he just nced over to Lee Jun-Kyeong, asking for help.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally burst out intoughter, his tensionpletely relieved. Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin both quipped back.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny that you¡¯re chuckling by yourself over there?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s making that idiotugh?¡±

    The best cksmiths in the world, Brokkr and Hephaestus, the brother and sister who had left each other, had finally met once again and were working together.[1]

    ¡°Be quiet for now!¡± Park Jae-Hyun shouted nervously as he took out his hammer.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    He started tapping Gleipnir, which was wrapped around Fenrir''s body.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was observing the changes in Gleipnir for the first time and was surprised by what he saw. After being hit by Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s hammer, it continued to change its shape and shift, moving like a snake. Its appearance of being almost alive was bizarre and repulsive.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    Gleipnir continued to move on its own and avoid the hammer strikes.

    ¡°Stop moving. Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t actually kill you.¡±

    However, for some reason, the chain stopped moving at Park Yu-Jin¡¯s sharp threat.

    <i>ng! ng!</i>

    Gleipnir now meekly epted Park Jae-Hyun''s hammering, and the chain twisted back and forth as if it was alive and could feel pain. It was an unusual sight, even in a world where monsters existed.

    ¡°As expected,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said, stowing away the hammer as if he had noticed something.

    ¡°You¡¯ve endured well, mutt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a mutt¡­¡± Fenrir muttered.

    ¡°You worked hard, Spot.¡±[2]

    ¡°...¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin, who called Fenrir as they wished, turned their backs on him and approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. It had been a week since they had begun to investigate Gleipnir.

    ¡°We have some results.¡±

    The legendary cksmiths hadn¡¯t betrayed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s trust.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    Park Jae-Hyun picked up a sword lying on the floor instead of the hammer he had stowed away and threw it at Fenrir. The wolf boy watched the de with a bored expression.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The sword thrown at Fenrir ricocheted back and crashed into the wall. Fenrir hadn¡¯t blocked the sword that Park Jae-Hyun had thrown.

    <i>Rattle. Rattle.</i>

    Rather, it had been Gleipnir, which raised its head like a snake and swayed side to side.

    ¡°You saw it, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but what¡­¡±

    ¡°And you still can¡¯t figure it out?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Park Jae-Hyun again, and it was only after the cksmith¡¯s exnation that he was able to understand what the smith was trying to say.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Hemented on the chain, now finally figuring out what the smiths had uncovered.

    ¡°It looks like Fenrir can never be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°<i>Growl?</i>¡± Fenrir responded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Park Jae-Hyun said, nodding his head as if it was something trivial.

    ¡°Originally, that Gleipnir or whatever was supposed to trap the mutt¡­¡±

    ¡°Spot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but his name is Fenrir¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong meekly said.

    ¡°Whatever. Anyway, he wasn¡¯t wrong, it was supposed to either imprison or kill him.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Gleipnir was supposed to strangle Fenrir to death.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much a mana tool that¡¯s supposed to grow by stealing its host¡¯s power. Well, although I have a lot of things to say about that thing called Gleipnir or whatever¡­¡± Park Jae-Hyun began to exin.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    ¡°Yeah. Well, you can call it a parasite that¡¯s supposed to kill its host.¡±

    <i>Rattle, rattle.</i>

    Gleipnir moved its body as if it was upset by what they were saying.

    ¡°But, it¡¯s changed a little.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand exactly why. It might have been because the mutt was much stronger than expected, or maybe because of some other reason, but the important thing is that the chain had changed its purpose arbitrarily.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, ¡°You¡¯re talking about it protecting Fenrir?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe it realized that when its host dies, its usefulness would run out?¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s eyes shook a little as he looked at the dancing chain.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun continued with sadness in his eyes.

    ¡°It might also want revenge against its maker who created it?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Although we¡¯ll have to study it further, that thing was created in a way that¡¯s more horrible and more cruel than anything we can imagine¡ªno, than anything a human being could ever think of. As you¡¯ve noticed yourself, it¡¯s not wrong to say that it¡¯s actually alive.¡±

    Seeing Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s serious expression after so long gave Lee Jun-Kyeong a new feeling. However, his curiosity about Gleipnir was even greater.

    ¡°How was it made?¡±

    ¡°To put it simply¡­¡± Park Jae-Hyun trailed off.

    ¡°They used humans.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Park Yu-Jin continued, exining on behalf of her brother to the puzzled Lee Jun-Kyeong. She spoke harshly, as if she wanted to make sure her point was made.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that they used people¡¯sbor or something. Human beings were literally used to make it.¡±

    She then emphasized, ¡°This is a mana tool made from human bodies.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was shocked.

    ¡°Moreover, they were all Hunters. This was created by melting Hero-Grade Hunters into molten metal,¡± she continued grimly. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s alive and has a level of mana iparable to any ordinary items¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an item that can grow.¡±

    To think Odin had even made a growth item. After all, Lee Jun-Kyeong also had a growth item.

    <i>¡®Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡¯</i>

    However, Gleipnir was apletely different type of item. It was made using the lives of Heroes. Moreover, such a barbaric item had been against Fenrir, and Odin had even fled without retrieving it. Park Jae-Hyun was likely right. The item had likely betrayed its maker out of a desire for vengeance.

    ¡°I mean, as expected.¡±

    A little rage could be seen on Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s face as he answered while looking at Gleipnir. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if that was the spirit of an artisan.

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± he asked.

    Still, Gleipnir was clearly a dangerous object. While it would be right to remove it if it were still to harm Fenrir, the two cksmiths instead presented unexpectedly hopeful possibilities.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it and see.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much to really be worried about.¡±

    ¡°Then for now¡­should I be saying we were lucky or something?¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke with a bitter smile, the important thing was that there wouldn¡¯t be any projected harm to Fenrir.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    At that moment, Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin both spoke as they looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong at the same time.

    ¡°Do you have anything else? Because Gleipnir only needs to be watched for the time being, so¡­¡±

    ¡°It would be nice for us to be able to spend that time researching something sort of different.¡±

    The two really fit well together. Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that it really was a type of friendship that he waspletely lost as to how they could have borne to be apart for such a long time. He quickly forgot about his worries on Gleipnir when he saw the two¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    He lived up to their expectations and withdrew an unsightly tree branch from within his inventory.

    "It''s called Mistilteinn."

    1. The author says Dvergr and Hephaestus, but Dvergr seems to be a typo as it¡¯s a human-hybrid race and not a title. ??

    2. Literally ¡°Spotty¡± in Korean. A nickname for dogs. ??

 Chapter 202: Preparing for War Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 202: Preparing for War Pt. 2</h4>

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve definitely gotten stronger.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was meditating alone on Mt. Cheonma. The residential area of Yangpyeong, where people were gathered, was extremely noisy as they all got together and were busy preparing for the future. It wasn¡¯t a good ce to meditate.

    <i>¡®But here, it¡¯s overflowing with mana. Is it because of Sangun¡¯s influence?¡¯</i>

    It may have been because Mt. Cheonma had been where Sangun had lived, but the mountain had a dense concentration of mana and was a perfect location for Lee Jun-Kyeong to meditate. He could feel himself sinking deep within himself. If he closed his eyes and ceased his thoughts, he could feel it.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    His dragon heart was an organ that contained an enormous amount of mana, and it was beating slowly. The dragon heart was where the power that he had acquired had umted.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve be stronger.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t just sitting there praising himself either. He may not have reached level ny-nine yet, but he had still gotten even stronger. The reason for this sudden increase in strength was clear.

    <i>¡®It happened after I remembered the forgotten memories while in Muninn¡¯s authority.¡¯</i>

    After waking up from that experience, which was almost like waking up from a dream, he was definitely stronger than he had been before. Until now, there had always been a reason for his growth.

    He had hunted monsters, leveled up, acquired new weapons, and even learned new skills like the mana stream or Galdr. There had always been a causalw he followed with his growth. But, this time, things were different.

    <i>¡®Just why?¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t figure out what had made him so much stronger.

    <i>¡®When I stopped Odin and Zeus¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, he couldn¡¯t even figure out what part of him had be stronger. The massive amount of mana that the dragon heart pumped through him was the same as before. However, the quality had changed.

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    Being strong was a good thing, but not knowing the reason as to why was something he had to be wary of. His worry was simple. The power he held might not even be his.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his eyes. He was sitting in the forest of Mt. Cheonma on a deste night. His surroundings were exceptionally dry. The trees rustled in the dark forest, but there was no wind blowing through the leaves.

    He sighed. ¡°My mana.¡±

    It was as if his mana was spontaneouslying out of his body and affecting his surroundings. This was dangerous.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    In a blink of an eye, Lee Jun-Kyeong rose from his seat and swung Muspel¡¯s Spear. With an eerie cutting sound, the trees around him began to fall.

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud!</i>

    ¡°Zeus¡­?¡±

    Then, between the neatly cut cross-sections of trees, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw a face he wasn¡¯t quite used to seeing just yet. The Hunter had raised a hand and parried the sh Lee Jun-Kyeong had just unleashed.

    ¡°I apologize, I didn¡¯t know you were there,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong, thinking that he had almost hurt the Hunter by mistake.

    ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s my fault for just appearing out of nowhere.¡±

    Zeus rxed the atmosphere with his signature shrug. He looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You seem to have a lot of worries, though.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯vee all this way?¡±

    Everyone knew that he would be on Mt. Cheonma, so it wasn¡¯t just by chance that Zeus hade all this way.

    ¡°By chance¡­¡±

    Considering he hade all this way to find him, Lee Jun-Kyeong was a bit suspicious that the Hunter hade to harm him. However, that was soon dissipated by Zeus¡¯ next sarcastic remark, ¡°What, do you have some sort of paranoia about me or something?¡±

    Zeus¡¯ gray hair swayed from the pressure of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana as the moonlight illuminated his whole body.

    ¡°I think I might be able to help,¡± said the Hunter.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to trust him. This was because of the secrets that the Hunter had told him and because he had even confided in him.

    <i>¡®If it''s about my strength¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong worried it may be dangerous to share. But soon, Zeus¡¯ voice resonated in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind.

    ¨CWhat, do you have some sort of paranoia about me or something?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swung Muspel¡¯s Spear again.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    <i>ng!</i>

    There was a resounding rustling sound.

    ¡°Then, well, let¡¯s see how much your help is worth,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Zeus, getting fullyfortable forbat.

    ***

    <i>BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!</i>

    The mountain roared.

    However, neither mes nor lightning appeared, and it was just the mountain that rang out as if it was being buffeted by a typhoon. At its peak, Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at each other.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>you¡¯re quite impressive?¡±

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    As if some disaster hade through the area, their surroundings werepletely torn apart, and the mountain seemed almost cleaved apart in some way to form a grotesquendscape of cliffs.

    Neither of them had used any mana or skills.

    ¡°To think we can do something like this just by wielding a sword and spear. I can understand why people look at us and call us gods,¡± Zeus said as he put down his sword and looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    Unlike himself, who was breathing quite heavily, Zeus didn¡¯t seem very tired.

    ¡°But, something seemspletely different from before? From when you had stopped Odin and me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re aplete mess. How did you even get that sort of strength back then?¡± Zeus said with an expression of sincere wonder.

    ¡°Right now, your spearmanship, strength control, even your ability to express your power are all messed up. Have you ever even had any proper training? Well, I mean, shes of your blows obviously showed that you¡¯ve been trained, but¡­¡±

    Zeus seemed to think and make his decisions on his own.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong started.

    ¡°Ah, wait a moment,¡± he interrupted.

    Even when Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to talk to him, the Hunter raised his hand to stop him.

    ¡°You unlucky little brat.¡±

    ¡°You know, I can hear everything you say.¡±

    Zeus slowly approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t fully trust me yet, but can you trust me this once?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Zeus approached slowly, raising his hand while reaching toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest where the heart was. An Apex hunter like Zeus would be able to make his heart stop with a simple touch. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still allowed him to touch his chest.

    ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡±

    Zeus clearly had made an urate judgment about his condition. He may even already have a way to fix it too. Zeus¡¯ hand reached Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s chest before he knew it.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a scream that sounded like he may stop breathing at any moment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a little baby.¡±

    But unlike Zeus¡¯ staunch voice, the pain Lee Jun-Kyeong was feeling was beyond imagination.

    ¡°<i>AGHHHH!</i>¡±

    He recognized the pain he was feeling.

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    ring at Zeus, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his mouth.

    ¡°How did you learn mana stream¡­!¡±

    Zeus had used mana stream, and the pain he was feeling was clearly the pain one would feel when someone else¡¯ mana was flowing into one¡¯s body against their natural flow. In fact, Zeus¡¯ mana was forcibly being injected into his heart.

    ¡°Mana stream?¡±

    But more than the pain he was creating, Zeus¡¯ response was even more shocking.

    ¡°So you call this a mana stream, huh,¡± he said while smiling. ¡°Thank you. I didn''t even know what it was called.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°It seemed like that ignorant bastard of a human that I had metst time was using this power, so I just tried to see if I could learn it.¡±

    He had just learned the mana stream from watching someone use it? Lee Jun-Kyeong''s already widened eyes trembled in disbelief.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a genius¡­¡¯</i>

    It was demoralizing.

    <i>¡®A real genius that no one could dare to follow¡­!¡¯</i>

    Slowly, his flow of mana settled down slowly, and Zeus¡¯ mana mixed into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s, almost as if it had been there from the very beginning.

    ¡°Oh ho. So you have this power, too? So this is how it¡¯s supposed to be used. Hmm. I was supposed to help you, but¡­¡± Zeus said with a bright smile, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m the one who was helped.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong really wanted to punch him in the face.

    ***

    ¡°It really is strange. Your body clearly shows no signs of any training. What you call the mana stream is obviously a great skill for mana utilization, but the rest of it sucks.¡±

    Zeus was right. Lee Jun-Kyeong had never been taught anything. All he had to do to be a Hunter was participate in a tutorial, and he had never received any training beyond that.

    ¡°But, the spearmanship and the mana expression that you had shown earlier while sparring definitely had traces of training, but there¡¯s absolutely no signs of that in your body¡­ By chance, have you reached a mental wall or something?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized something.

    <i>¡®The forgotten memories.¡¯</i>

    He also had been curious about it all. When he had picked up and used a spear and shield and had grown stronger as a Hunter, he had been able to use and make use of things so naturally it was almost eerie.

    Unlike Jeong In-Chang, who had to grow through hard work, Lee Jun-Kyeong had naturally been able to make use of any and everything. Now, he realized why.

    <i>¡®Among the memories I had forgotten, there were memories of Seong-Gu-Hyung training me.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t that he was a natural. He had known how to use a spear and manipte mana from the very beginning. Although he hade to the past and thought he had finally be a Hunter, that couldn¡¯t have been further from the case.

    ¡°I was already a Hunter in the first ce¡­¡± he murmured.

    The problem that had been pushed to the side had raised its head once again. However, at that moment, Zeus began to speak.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of memories you¡¯re reminiscing about, but I don¡¯t intend to wait on you for something like that, so listen carefully,¡± he said. ¡°Your problem is your rapid growth. Something that had been blocked had suddenly been opened.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Think about it. What do you think would happen if a person who could run a 100 meter dash in ten seconds suddenly had the power to do it in four?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Something about that example seemed odd to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°What are you thinking so hard for, you idiot. Of course they¡¯d fall.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± he asked, startled.

    ¡°I said, all of a sudden. If as you run, you suddenly get a whole lot faster, you won¡¯t be able to control that speed because you¡¯re not used to it.¡±

    Zeus smiled and continued, ¡°Your condition is simr to that person in question. You have the potential for much greater power, but you unlocked all of that power all of a sudden. So, you¡¯ve actually regressed in power because you don¡¯t actually know how much power you can really express.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Have you received a title yet?¡± Zeus asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly shook his head.

    ¡°<i>Tsk</i>. Well, although it may not be something caused by a title, there¡¯s something inside of you right now, and even I don¡¯t know if it was supposed to be there from the beginning.¡±

    There was supposedly something inside of him.

    ¡°Meditate again, and take a closer look inside of yourself with that mana stream or whatever. There must have been a change of some kind.¡±

    Finishing what he had to say, Zeus turned around as if he had finished what he had set out to do. At this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally asked the question he had been putting off until now, ¡°Why are you helping me?¡±

    He knew the Hunter¡¯s purpose had changed, but that change had nothing to do with him. If Zeus wanted to save people, all he had to do was save them. But Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t figure out why the Hunter was helping him.

    ¡°I had another dreamst night.¡±

    Zeus turned around and spoke to him from there.

    ¡°Again¡­he appeared.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, ¡°Jupiter¡­you¡¯re talking about your Sponsor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He came out and told me¡­¡± Zeus took a step forward. ¡°He came to praise me for doing well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed out. ¡°But that¡¯s not an answer to my question. I asked you why you had helped me.¡±

    Zeusughed. ¡°Hahaha!! Do you really want to know?¡±

    Hisughter reverberated through the mountains like thunder.

    He continued, ¡°Jupiter said something to me. That if I wanted to change the future that I saw, I needed to find someone and help them.¡±

    ¡°And who would¡­¡±

    ¡°He told me,¡± Zeus said, looking straight at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°He told me to help the strangest and most unusual guy in the world. At first, I thought he was saying to help me in some way.¡±

    He shrugged once again.

    ¡°But the strangest and most unusual person I¡¯ve ever seen is you, so...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gritted his teeth once again as he looked at Zeus¡¯ departing figure.

    ***

    The mana stream.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been neglecting the training of mana stream for some time now. But there was a reason for that as well.

    <i>¡®Ugh.¡¯</i>

    The speed at which his mana had increased had been too fast. Although he had created a flow that was enough to move a river, his mana had already be a sea. Trying to force it to move meant that he would feel the same pain that Zeus had caused before.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    That was why he had just been waiting for it to naturally change the flow. However, he had to follow the advice of Zeus.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    He had to follow the flow of the mana stream and give everything up to its current. He allowed even his consciousness to be swept away by the current, following down the current that he himself had created. His consciousness floated down a dark space, and Lee Jun-Kyeong could see it now. There was a change within himself that he had never seen before.

    <i>¡®A book¡­¡¯</i>

    In the dark space, a book that emitted light was floating in the air. Open in the wind, the book revealed its pages. As the pages tore, they fluttered down like powder and were being absorbed into his giant waterway.

    <i>Ripple.</i>

    The flow of water that was being illuminated by the light began to surge faster than before.

 Chapter 203: Preparing for War Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 203: Preparing for War Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°No, please, you don¡¯t have to get up.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, waving his hand and trying to dissuade Merlin from getting out of bed. She nodded andid back down, herplexion pale and mmy.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d ever see you look this week,¡± hemented as he looked at her condition.

    She, who ruled the Round Table, had always been a powerful and mysterious figure to Lee Jun-Kyeong,rger than life. But, at this very moment, seeing her just lying weakly on the bed made her feel human.

    ¡°You finally look like a person.¡±

    ¡°Pfft¡­ I was always a person¡­¡±

    Merlin looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a small smile etched across her paleplexion.

    He responded with a smile in turn, ¡°I always thought you were some sort of mysterious fairy or a yeongsu.¡±[1]

    It wasn''t a lie. Lee Jun-Kyeong had sincerely felt that she was special, as both she and Arthur had an aura that was too special to be considered human.

    ¡°Ho ho.¡±

    Merlin only smiled iprehensibly at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯sments. She immediately adjusted her expression as she responded to him, ¡°Your face is full of worry.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Did youe to ask me something?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cautiously nodded. Merlin was the greatest mage of the century and was as strong a Hunter as Odin.

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re a master of mysteries.¡±

    She dealt with all things mysterious. There were hundreds, no, thousands of mysterious things. Lee Jun-Kyeong moistened his dry lips as he proceeded cautiously, ¡°There is something I would like to ask you about the book.¡±

    It was his secret, and a story that could never be easily told. That was why he had struggled and struggled some more, repeating his disconnect dozens of times.

    <i>¡®But I need help now.¡¯</i>

    He had to admit it. He wasn¡¯t a genius. Although he could be said to be exceptional in one area, even he had to admit that he wasn¡¯t a genius in all areas. As if amused that even he was one of the many that needed her help, Merlin smiled brightly.

    ¡°Ho ho¡­¡± Sheughed before asking Lee Jun-Kyeong a question, ¡°Is this rted to your secret?¡±

    He had to admit it. "That''s right."

    Merlin smiled even brighter. ¡°Thank you. For trusting me so much.¡±

    There were no ominous feelings as she had a warm aura that emanated around her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t just trust you, Lady Merlin. I also put my trust in Arthur.¡±

    ¡°<i>Hmpf</i>. So you already knew it?¡± remarked a voice that came from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    Although it seemed that only he and Merlin were in the room, before he knew it, Arthur was standing next to him.

    ¡°Of course," Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    Although Arthur had hidden his appearance and aura, Lee Jun-Kyeong understood Arthur well.

    ¡°Because there¡¯s no way you would leave Merlin¡¯s side.¡±

    Arthur had received the real Excalibur from Zeus. He no longer needed to be bound by Merlin, but he was someone who protected her. Furthermore, he was a knight, and the greatest knight among knights. He was also someone who knew honor and loyalty.

    "<i>Hmph</i>."

    Arthur snorted at him and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He was confiding his secrets to both of them.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a book¡­¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s your secret, huh¡­¡±

    Merlin and Arthur murmured at the same time.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ll need an exnation?¡±

    ¡°Exin yourself.¡±

    <i>Smirk.</i>

    As the two of them continued to speak at the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled a little and started to talk. He began to speak of the story of the future and the past, The story of the Demon King, and even the story of <i>that thing </i>that he had seen this time.

    ¡°There is something inside of me.¡±

    ***

    ¡°You said you came from the future? And so our future is your past¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that definitely makes a lot of things make sense.¡±

    Arthur and Merlin''s reactions were unexpected even to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°How interesting.¡±

    ¡°I assumed that you¡¯d have a secret of that level.¡±

    They were calm about it.

    No.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re so calm about it all I¡¯m embarrassed.¡¯</i>

    Although they seemed to be a bit surprised or curious, they seemed to take it all in stride.

    ¡°Why are you making that kind of expression?¡±

    ¡°This is the world we live in. A world where nothing is impossible.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hearing them respond so nonchntly had Lee Jun-Kyeong taken rather aback. But then he shook his head, thinking that it was rather fortunate that they had epted it so calmly.

    ¡°So all of the secrets are from that book and¡­¡±

    ¡°And that Demon King or whatever.¡±

    ¡°And the person you call the Demon King¡­¡±

    Merlin and Arthur locked eyes.

    ¡°Is most likely that man.¡±

    ¡°Should be him¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong cautiously nodded. The situation had already progressed to this point, and it would be foolish for them not to know the identity of their enemy. He wondered how long it had been since he had thought about it.

    <i>¡®That the Demon King would also be alive in this era.¡¯</i>

    The course and aftermath of history had gone in apletely different direction from what he had thought, but he was still certain of that person¡¯s identity to some extent. There was something else too.

    ¡°He seems stronger than what I had thought he would be.¡±

    ¡°I mean since the timeline is out of order¡­¡±

    ¡°There must have been a lot of changes.¡±

    The two agreed with one another, and then Merlin got to the main point at hand.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you seem to have the book inside of you?¡±

    "That''s right,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking at the power within me for a long time, but this was the first time I recognized it. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m not good enough, but¡­ I have no idea as to how any of it came about.¡±

    It could have been a power he had found by remembering the memories he had lost through Muninn¡¯s Authority, Memory. It was an incredible power. The book itself was serving as a source of strength from inside him. As the pages tore, they melted into him and formed into mana.

    No, that was not exactly right.

    ¡°You said it felt a little different from mana, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Merlin opened her mouth slowly.

    ¡°Although a Hunter¡¯s strengthes from mana, everyone still forgets one important thing.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the Sponsors?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    She nodded. ¡°Yes. Although the power a Hunter manifests is mana, the essence of a Hunter¡¯s strengthes from a Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and then asked another question, ¡°The essence of a Hunter is the strength of a Sponsor, and although they all have an incredible power called mana, you¡¯re saying that the level at which every Hunter can control it is different, right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Also, about your Sponsor¡­¡±

    Merlin and Arthur¡¯s eyes met again.

    ¡°It seemspletely different from any Sponsor we¡¯ve heard of so far.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You said that when you killed the Hero candidate, Gunther, Gunther¡¯s Sponsor had also disappeared, right?¡±

    "Yes."

    Merlin began to speak with a serious expression. ¡°A Sponsor that kills other Sponsors¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Also, whenever you gained the interest of other Sponsors, it threatened them, keeping you from receiving Multiple Sponsorships.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    None of this was normal, and Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew that. The two seemed to be musing over the situation as they spoke to one another, but they couldn¡¯t easily answer Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s query. It seemed to be a problem that had never happened before and something that was difficult to answer even with their knowledge.

    ¡°Your body¡­¡±

    ¡°Can we take a look?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded at their request. Merlin and Arthur both approached and ced their hands on his chest. Although he didn¡¯t feel any pain like when Zeus had done it, their touch and mana gave him a strange feeling.

    ¡°There really is¡­¡±

    ¡°Something vast seems to be sleeping inside you. It¡¯s somethingpletely different from your power, Mr. Underdog.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Their inspection had ended, and Lee Jun-Kyeong waited for an answer to his questions. His questions were simple.

    <i>''Is this power safe?''</i>

    <i>¡®Also why did it suddenly appear?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Finally, how much potential does it have?¡¯</i>

    However, the smiles of the two looking back at him were peculiar.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to give a definite answer as of right now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to test some things out.¡±

    Amid the chilly weather, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel goosebumps rising up his arms.

    ¡°What do you think about magic¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you think about swordsmanship¡­¡± they said at the same time.

    ¡°How would you feel about learning it?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to learn?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Their eyes met, and the two of them, who were so agreeable that they seemed like siblings like Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin, were for the first time, showing a conflict of opinion in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Magic suits him better, Arthur.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t for the life of me understand what you¡¯re talking about, Merlin.¡±

    Stuck between the burning gazes, Lee Jun-Kyeong regretted asking them the questions for a moment.

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡± Then, thinking momentarily, he thought of a solution. ¡°Let¡¯s try learning both.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Are you thinking of magic as some sort of easy¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Do you really think it''s possible tobine swordsmanship with magic?!¡±

    However, it only served to escte the fight.

    ***

    ¡°<i>Whew¡­</i>¡±

    In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to go out into the streets without having gained anything, as the overheated atmosphere had given him no chance to intervene.

    <i>¡®I never knew Merlin had that side to her.¡¯</i>

    Unlike Arthur, he had never seen Merlin, who was also so calm, be so excited.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Exiting out to the street, there was the sound of an explosioning from behind Lee Jun-Kyeong, but the Hunter ignored it and shook his head.

    ¡°What just happened!¡±

    ¡°I think there was an explosion somewhere!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that smoke over there?¡±

    People were bewildered and chattered.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Underdog!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lee Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    But, after discovering Lee Jun-Kyeong, their attention turned over to the Hunter.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Since it wasn¡¯tmon for Lee Jun-Kyeong to go outside, and as he spent most of his time alone, the people started to shout and cheer when they saw him as if they had met a celebrity that they adored. They began to rush toward him. All of them were ordinary humans with not a single Hunter among them.

    However, the speed at which they flocked to see Lee Jun-Kyeong was definitely no slower than that of the Hunters.

    ¡°I¡¯m a big fan!¡±

    ¡°I love you!¡±

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Standing in the middle of a throng of people who were shouting over each other, trying to talk to him, Lee Jun-Kyeong just scratched his head with bewildered eyes. Even before the cataclysm, the name ¡°The Underdog¡± had been popr with people. He had worked to make his name known as a Hunter and be acimed by the people.

    However, it hadn¡¯t been to this degree back then.

    ¡°AHHH!¡±

    This was a fever close to Madness.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    ¡°Me too! I wanna see him too!¡±

    ¡°As long as I touch the Underdog¡¯s hand, my leg will heal!¡±

    There were even those with some deranged form of admiration and obsession. Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was just scratching his head in confusion, was beginning to feel the seriousness of his situation. As he opened his mouth to say something, a high-pitched voice echoed through the hall.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    Even through the mor of the boisterous crowd, the voice was urately transmitted to the people.

    <i>Shuffle¡­</i>

    Then, surprisingly, the people backed away in all directions without saying a word. In front of him, Lee Jun-Kyeong caught sight of the person who had screamed.

    <i>¡®Ungnyeo.¡¯</i>

    Also, the reason that they had all moved at her words was from fear and irritation. Either way, it wasn¡¯t for any good feelings. He wondered what had happened in the days that he had been away.

    ¡°Stand back, everyone! This crowding only adds to the chaos!¡±

    Ungnyeo¡¯s shouts eventually made people turn around and go their own way, but suddenly, someone threw an egg at Ungnyeo.

    ¡°You witch!¡±

    Catching the egg that wasing for her face, Lee Jun-Kyeong approached Ungnyeo and asked her a question, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡±

    Ungnyeo was an incredible Hunter.

    There was no reason for her to get hit by the eggs that were thrown by ordinary people, but she wasn¡¯t doing anything to stop them. That was why he had blocked it and why he red over at the one who threw the egg.

    ¡°<i>Hiik!</i>¡±

    The footsteps of the dispersers quickened as Ungnyeo looked over at him, her eyes a little tired.

    ¡°Would you like to talk?¡± Ungnyeo asked.

    1. See reference in chapter 71. ??

 Chapter 204: Preparing for War Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 204: Preparing for War Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°So¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at Ungnyeo as he asked, ¡°Are you nning on ying the viin?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ungnyeo calmly answered. She thought that it would be necessary to have a viin, whether it be now or in the future as well.

    Although they still had external enemies like Odin, she thought that it was still necessary to have someone to serve as an object for people¡¯s rage through harsh decisions on the inside as well, bringing people together against amon foe.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already been receiving hate.¡± She took a moment to swallow before she continued, ¡°Many people have been saying that their families had died because of me. So¡­¡±

    ¡°You n on ying the viin?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And you have to continue being everyone¡¯s Hero as well.¡± There was conviction in her gaze. ¡°I believe that when all of this is over, they¡¯ll need someone to guide them. And¡­¡±

    ¡°You think that¡¯s me?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ungnyeo lowered her head as if ready to ept any reprimands as she responded, ¡°I can afford to be the viin in order to make you a Hero.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I want you to be the one to lead everyone,¡± she said.

    Although she had finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°...¡±

    Instead, his brow just furrowed in anger. Finally, he opened his mouth. ¡°Are you saying that my opinion doesn¡¯t matter?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­?¡±

    ¡°I have no desire to lead people. Politicians or whatever will probably handle that.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡± Ungnyeo interrupted Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You already have an ideal world that you want. A world where, in the future, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be persecuted by Hunters and where everyone could live equally. But do you really think that people with the same ideals as you will be able to hold onto power?¡± she argued.

    Ungnyeo was right.

    ¡°Politicians will lose their power, and even if there were people with the same ideals as you¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the mana to subdue everyone, then it won¡¯t be possible,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished.

    ¡°And even knowing that, you¡­! That¡¯s why you have to be a real Hero in order to create the world that you want!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Ungnyeo. Everything she had said was right.

    <i>''A person with the same ideals as me.''</i>

    There couldn''t have been many such people. Moreover, even if there was a strong enough Hunter with such ideals, there was still the possibility of corruption. Someone in that position still had the ability to dominate everyone.

    In this world where Hunters hade into existence, strength was no different from absolute authority. This was a world where money and political influence all came from the tip of a sword.

    ¡°This is a world where falling to corruption is easy, and¡­¡± Ungnyeo continued to argue, and as she had said, unless he did everything himself, the world he had wanted may note true.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got something wrong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to her. His face was no longer full of anger. ¡°I can be corrupted too. I could also end up wanting to rule the world too.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ungnyeo¡¯s expression also stiffened as if she had the same concerns as well.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was a person not much different from anyone else. Moreover, he was a person that could quite possibly live a nearly immortal life just with the power he currently had.

    Although he had returned to the past with an aversion toward the world of the future and rage against the Hunters, no one could really be certain that he wouldn¡¯t end up rotting in the future after enough time had passed, bing the very thing he hated after holding everything in his hands.

    At the same time, it would be useless to cede this authority to someone else.

    <i>¡®Because I¡¯ll still have this power in my hands.¡¯</i>

    Mana wouldn¡¯t just disappear. At least up to that much was an obvious fact. Moreover, he was also just an ordinary person who could also fall as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s also another thing, something that you misunderstood¡­¡±

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    Ungnyeo swallowed nervously once more and looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I have no intention of bing a Hero that¡¯s admired by everyone.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°What I want for myself is¡­¡±

    He had read through the book dozens of times. Although his current enemy was the Hero of that book, that was why Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand him a little. Also, the reason that he had loved that Hero so much was because their ideals were simr.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his mouth, ¡°To be a Devil.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to be a Hero.

    He would just use the fear that everyone had for him to carve the meaning of true fear on them all.

    <i>¡®Everything would be equal before me¡­¡¯</i>

    In that way, if anyone made the wrong choice, he would one day appear and carry out a sentence of death. However, even that would be of no use if he himself were to be corrupted. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong already had something in mind.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Ungnyeo began to speak as if she had noticed something, but Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly left her room as if he didn¡¯t want to hear what she had to say. She looked at his back as he walked away, unable to say anything.

    His back, weighed down by the weight of the world, looked so lonely. It was almost as if it was hinting at his end.

    ***

    ¡°I knew if it was you, you would do something like that.¡± A voice came to Lee Jun-Kyeong while he was walking down the street.

    ¡°Did you eavesdrop?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered a little coldly.

    Zeus had appeared, looking over at him with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Do you really have nothing else to do?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t even think of scoffing at Zeus¡¯ extremely blunt response.

    ¡°What do you think there is for me to do here? Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa have taken all those kids who wanted to be Sponsored out hunting, and Heracles and the other kids are, well¡­¡±

    ¡°What about Athena?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked a slightly ufortable question, but Zeus smirked and navigated past it well.

    ¡°What, are you really going to pretend you don¡¯t know?¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong surrendered and finally shook his head.

    ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t want to be a Hero, but to think you would want to be a Devil. Have you read too many novels or something?¡±

    Despite Zeus'' ridicule, Lee Jun-Kyeong''s face was calm. Rather, it ended up being Zeus who was shocked. ¡°Wait, are you being serious?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong soundlessly nodded as Zeusughed in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve gone insane, haven¡¯t you? You actually meant a devil?¡±

    On the contrary, however, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded seriously to theughing Zeus, ¡°Have you forgotten who our enemy is?¡±

    "The Demon King¡­¡±

    ¡°To catch the Demon King, I have to be a Devil.¡±[1]

    There was conviction in Lee Jun-Kyeong''s resolute voice.

    ¡°However, obtaining the power of a Devil in order to catch a Demon King and earning the name Devil through your actions is a little different.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You really have absolutely no intention of bing a Hero. Even though it would be possible if it¡¯s you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head away and started walking again.

    ¡°I mean, I did recognize it when you dealt with the Hunters who followed Odin. You have a conviction within you. Moreover, you even have the strength and will to keep to them as well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong snapped, ¡°It¡¯s not something that I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Indeed.¡±

    Zeus continued to mutter to himself as if he was thinking out loud, and Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored it and continued to walk away.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± However, he had no choice but to stop at Zeus¡¯ next words. ¡°Are you nning on dying once everything is sorted out?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about going to hide in a remote ce somewhere after engraving the meaning of fear on people andmitting suicide. People won¡¯t know if you¡¯re dead, and because they wouldn¡¯t know when you woulde back, that would make the closest thing to an ideal world or whatever. That¡¯s your n, right?¡±

    Zeus was right.

    <i>¡®I can fall too.¡¯</i>

    That was why those who had too much power to be allowed to fall had to disappear. This was his n to change the future.

    ¡°That¡¯s just thest resort.¡± But, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had just said, that was hisst resort.

    ¡°So you want that too then.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°What Odin had wanted.¡± Zeus shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. ¡°To kill the Sponsors, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I want topletely remove a Hunter¡¯s strength. To return things to the original world.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finished Zeus'' words.

    Zeus whispered like a demon in turn, ¡°Is that really the right choice? Just because it''s a world where Hunters don¡¯t rule¡­¡±

    His whispering voice firmly embedded itself into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s brain. ¡°Are things really any different?¡±

    ***

    The next day, the empty lot that had been used as a za was noisy.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    "I don''t know!"

    People started to gather in the za for the unusual situation, speaking amongst themselves about what was going on.

    ¡°Are we finally founding a country?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean founding a nation? No matter how amazing the Underdog is, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little crazy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, <i>Underdog.</i> Call him <i>Lord Underdog</i> you idiot.¡±

    "I hope it''s about expelling that witch from here."

    People gathered in the square, chatting with each other.

    ¡°But, why are things so quiet?¡±

    .

    The closer the people got to the za, the more they felt things were strange. It would be natural for things to be noisy because there were already people gathered in the square.

    ¡°Really¡­just what¡¯s going¡­?!¡±

    However, those who saw the sight of the square couldn¡¯t help but be silent.

    ¡°What is that¡­¡±

    They were all aghast.

    "<i>Kya!!!</i>"

    Finally, the screams. In the za, a tree had appeared all of a sudden out of nowhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s a corpse!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the ones who had been exiled?¡±

    Hanging from the tree were the bodies of Odin¡¯s exiled followers. That wasn¡¯t all.

    "Please¡­¡±

    "Help me¡­¡±

    Hunters were kneeling in front of the tree.

    Although they had sinned by following Odin, they were those who had escaped the fate of being banished. These hunters were trembling on their knees with their hands and feet tied.

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    The people couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut at this shocking sight: corpses hanging from the tree and the Hunters kneeling before them.

    ¡°How savage¡­¡±

    ¡°Just¡­what is this¡­¡±

    It was such a brutal scene.

    ¡°Is this the Joseon Dynasty or something?¡±[2]

    ¡°This is horrifying¡­it¡¯s definitely the work of that witch.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    People seemed shocked to see the corpses of those they had agreed to banish. They knew that people had died because they had wanted them to. It was something everyone understood. But seeing it in person had apletely different feeling.

    ¡°We¡¯re murderers¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? They all deserved to die!¡±

    ¡°But what about those people who are tied up?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s¡­¡±

    As the people made a fuss again, someone began to approach the square.

    <i>Step.</i>

    Noticing him, the people parted like the Red Sea to give way.

    <i>Step.</i>

    The quiet sound of the footsteps overwhelmed everyone. Finally, the owner of the footsteps reached the za.

    ¡°Lord Underdog!¡±

    ¡°Underdog!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!!¡±

    They, who had been shocked until just now, cheered, forgetting everything. It was their god. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood in the square.

    One of the old men standing in the front row called out to him, ¡°Look at this! Someone has to have done such a cruel thing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s clearly the work of the witch!¡±

    ¡°The culprit must be found and punished immediately.¡±

    These people, who had insisted on banishing the criminals even though it was certain that they would have died, were loudly demanding for Lee Jun-Kyeong to punish the witch, Ungnyeo. However, the words that came out of his mouth were the exact opposite of their expectations.

    ¡°I did this.¡±

    "Pardon¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wh¡­what did you say?!¡±

    ¡°I found the corpses that have been strung up, and I was the one to chain those bastards up.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Silence fell over the square again.

    ¡°Their sentence was a deferred banishment, right? Well, I changed my mind a bit.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words drove fear into the onlookers¡¯ minds.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    A harsh cutting sound rang through the square.

    <i>St!</i>

    The rushing fountain of blood quickly spread throughout the crowd, and the square quickly exploded into screams.

    ¡°<i>Kya!!!!</i>¡±

    Amidst the screams and chaos, someone rushed forward and smacked Lee Jun-Kyeong across the cheek.

    <i>Smack!</i>

    ¡°Ungnyeo¡­¡±

    "You¡­what is this...!¡±

    As Ungnyeo began to shout at him, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly walked past her and away from the square. With flushed cheeks, the people remembered once more the fear they had of Lee Jun-Kyeong, which had been a fear that had turned to awe. They all bowed their heads and trembled, not even daring to hint at any eye contact.

    <i>Drip. Drip.</i>

    The blood flowing from the tip of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s spear soaked the ground.

    ***

    ¡°How was it? Don¡¯t you think there are so many things you can do once you learn magic?¡± Merlin said to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a slightly excited expression.

    ¡°It really did¡­it really did seem real,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied as he fastened Merlin¡¯s Ne around her neck.

    What had happened in the square had all been an illusion.

    <i>¡®Although Ungnyeo hasn¡¯t seemed to have noticed it yet¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped himself. Most people hadn¡¯t seemed to have noticed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why I did that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Merlin, wondering if she was curious.

    Merlin simply smiled faintly.

    ¡°You must have had your reasons. It¡¯s not like you really killed anyone, anyway, and you must have had some reason or another for doing something like that,¡± she said offhandedly.

    ¡°So, magic¡­¡±

    Arthur, who had been quiet by her side, intervened, ¡°No! I told you, you have to learn swordsmanship!¡±

    Since the atmosphere was about to be overheated again, Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, having no intention of putting up with their argument any longer, ¡°As I said before¡­ I will learn both. Let''s start right now. We don''t have much time.¡±

    Things would have to start now.

    ¡°I will try my best to learn as much as I can before the war begins.¡±

    1. The literal Korean terms are Demon King and Demon God. It¡¯s an expression of hierarchy. ??

    2. After the Strife of Princes in Korea¡¯s Joseon Dynasty, King Taejong, a very staunch monarchist, in an effort to scare the populous into epting the kingdom¡¯s absolute monarchy status rather than any shared power with ministers, frequently disyed shows of power by hanging people, mostly his rivals and anyone he deemed a threat. ??

 Chapter 205: Preparing for War Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 205: Preparing for War Pt. 5</h4>

    [Shuffle.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the sound of a page turning in his head. However, before he could even register that sound, as he lifted up his hand, a me gracefully bloomed within his palm.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    As he raised his other hand, the me in his hands began to swirl and increase in size.

    <i>Wooosh!</i>

    Both hands moved as if they were dancing as a whirlwind of mes lit up the night.

    ¡°Ahhh!!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly started to shout as if he was flustered by something.

    Merlin interjected, ¡°Dispel!¡±

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    After she called out, only a small me was left burning once again.<i> </i>Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Merlin and scratched his head. He had lost control of his powers. The spell he had used to create the wind had been sessful, but the scale of it couldn¡¯t be controlled. However, Merlin instead praised Lee Jun-Kyeong as if she had been rather surprised by his disy.

    ¡°You¡­you really are impressive.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Merlin with a puzzled face. Any spell that was impossible to control was a failure, even if it had been sessfully cast.

    However, Merlin responded to him, understanding his confusion, ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that the system of mana that I taught you is ipatible with your mana in the first ce. Instead, it seems that you¡¯ve actually just exceeded the limits of the system I taught you.¡±

    He didn¡¯t quite understand it. ¡°That''s supposed to be apliment, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It was only after Merlin answered firmly that Lee Jun-Kyeong finally rxed his brow.

    ¡°I exined that there were two types of magic that Hunters use, right?¡±

    It was a well-established truth.

    ¡°Yes, magic using skills and magic through systems of mana.¡±

    [Shuffle.]

    The former was a method of guaranteeing a fixed amount of power and sess in casting by receiving a skill from a Sponsor. Most mage-type Hunters expressed their magic through skills, and any magic expressed through a skill was generally able to stably annihte one¡¯s enemies.

    Thetter was a method devised by a few genius Hunters.

    ¡°By learning the driving principle of a skill and replicating it ording to the devised method is how the system of mana works.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    By studying a skill itself, one would understand the principle behind its power. At first nce, it could have seemed like a waste of time, but the merits of using a system of mana was clear.

    Firstly, the power of any magic wasn¡¯t fixed any longer. Depending on the system of mana created by the caster, the casted spell could have even greater power than the original skill.

    Of course, while there were still limitations in any created system of mana, the system of mana could be much more efficient because an enemy would be attacking with a powerpletely different to what would be expected¡­

    Secondly, a system of mana wasn¡¯t a skill given by a Sponsor.

    That was why any Hunter with magic should, in theory, be able to learn it. However, the reality was different from the thoughts of the Hunters who created the foundation behind a system of mana. Because the method was so difficult to learn and required an excessive amount of talent, ordinary Hunters wouldn¡¯t be able toprehend the basis of the system of mana itself.

    Still, because it was still possible to share spells among mage-type Hunters who could understand systems of mana, it wasn¡¯t an entirely meaningless advantage.

    Finally, it allowed for the usage of magic even in the presence of a skill that would suppress the activation of any other skills.

    ¡°The mana stream that you have, Lord Underdog, in my opinion, is no different than the basic principle that serves as a foundation for all mana.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It can also be said to be more advanced or perfect than any other method that Hunters have created so far.¡±

    Because of the mana stream created by the Demon King, it seemed as though Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t have to understand a system of mana, as he had already acquired a higher level of knowledge contained within his body.

    ¡°The problem seems to lie in the fact that the system of mana I created itself is on a lower level than the mana stream.¡±

    [Shuffle.]

    Merlin''s exnation may have beenplicated, but the conclusion was simple.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying the problem is that I¡¯m too good?¡±

    ¡°¡­To be precise, it¡¯s that the mana stream is too high a level, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you."

    Seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong''s smirk, Merlin shook her head for a moment but then continued, ¡°Most likely, within a few days, you¡¯ll be able to learn the magic that you want. While the mana stream is impressive, you are also, in truth, impressive as well, Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like¡­¡± Merlin smiled broadly before she continued, ¡°It¡¯s like filling in letters in an empty notebook. If you¡¯re a nk sheet of paper, Mr. Underdog, my system of mana would be letters. It almost feels like you shouldn¡¯t have to understand it at all. Just write it down in order to use it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Go to Arthur now,¡± Merlin said while pushing Lee Jun-Kyeong on the back. ¡°It really seems like, just as you said, you¡¯d be able to reach an eptable level in both of what we have to teach you, Lord Underdog.¡±

    At Merlin''s urging, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to move his feet. As he was leaving, watching his back turn, Merlin wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

    /p>

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    This time, she wasn¡¯t talking in her usual mysterious way..

    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯m going to be wiped out¡­¡± she said in a manner of speech that was no different from that of an ordinary person. Merlin was that flustered. It was the first day that she had started teaching Lee Jun-Kyeong magic, and she could only feel one thing from him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s an iparable genius¡­¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was a monster beyond imagination.

    ***

    [Shuffle.]

    The constant sound of the pages of a book turning fluttered around his head, but even though he was clearly aware of it, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t care. Or, to be more correct, it seemed as though something was keeping him from being able to be bothered by it.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The sword Lee Jun-Kyeong had just stabbed forward drifted by Arthur¡¯s de.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The two froze, staring back at each other.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    Arthur''s curse broke Lee Jun-Kyeong''s concentration, and only then did he withdraw his sword. The tip of his sword was somehow resting on Arthur¡¯s nape.

    ¡°Please withdraw this as well.¡±

    On the other side, Arthur¡¯s sword was simrly at his own throat.

    ¡°...¡±

    Arthur looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong, his face nk as if he was a little shocked.

    ¡°Even though I said that I would only stab, this¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had still evaded his de and had aimed at a vital point. This was a mistake that couldn¡¯t be excused.

    It was the first morning that Lee Jun-Kyeong was being taught the swordsmanship used by the Knights of the Round Table, but now, in less than twelve hours, the Hunter was demonstrating mature swordsmanship.

    ¡°Something like this is possible?¡±

    No matter how ceaselessly one swung a sword, no matter how much of a genius one was, this wasn¡¯t something that should have been possible.

    Even if Lee Jun-Kyeong knew how to handle a spear and had an understanding of martial arts, learning formal swordsmanship was still somethingpletely different.

    ¡°This really is strange,¡± Arthur said as if confirming it. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    [Shuffle.]

    His astonishment was palpable, and it was the same with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>''Just now¡­¡¯</i>

    That feeling he had just had while sparring with Arthur was definitely something that made him feel odd. He didn''t feel like he was practicing swordsmanship. Rather, he felt like he was outputting information that had been entered into his mind.

    That was how he had been able to aim for Arthur¡¯s opening. By anticipating the trajectory of the thrust, he had almost copied and pasted the swordsmanship that Arthur had taught him in the right direction.

    "This¡­¡±

    ¡°Merlin said something to me earlier. That it was simr to writing in a nk notebook,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong.¡± Arthur looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a stony expression. ¡°But that isn¡¯t something that can ever be seen to be normal. That¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something a human could do. That was what Arthur was definitely going to say. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew it too.

    <i>¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t have any guesses as to why that would be.

    After all, there was the book that was hidden inside of himself. In fact, he didn¡¯t know if it had been there all along and he just hadn¡¯t realized it, or if it had just recently appeared. Regardless, it was likely the culprit.

    It was almost as if he had gone through an awakening of some sorts after it had appeared.

    [Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle.]

    There was the constant sound of turning pages from the book.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong finally recognized the sound in his head and tried to tell Arthur, the Hunter began to say something, ¡°Could you have awakened?¡±

    ¡°Awakened¡­¡±

    ¡°You said you came from the future,¡± Arthur said, recalling Lee Jun-Kyeong''s secret.

    Hearing Arthur bring up that subject, Lee Jun-Kyeong shut his mouth once again. Suddenly, the sound of turning paper was far from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Who knows, you might already have learned this swordsmanship before.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just rediscovering what you¡¯ve already learned. If that¡¯s the case, then it all makes sense. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re writing in a nk notebook.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized what he was saying and wet his dry lips andpleted Arthur¡¯s thought, ¡°We¡¯re just uncovering the writing that was already there.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Arthur and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at each other again silently.

    ¡°Well, whatever works.¡± But soon, Arthur shook his head, and his expression went back to normal. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that our trump card is bing stronger.¡±

    As if he had no jealousy, the knight slowly raised his sword as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Take a good look. If you know this too¡­then I¡¯ll have nothing to say.¡±

    Arthur''s sword began to emit light. Right now at this moment, his sword wasn¡¯t a blunt training sword, but looked as if it was a sword from legends, like his Excalibur.

    ¡°The basics of swordsmanship and spearmanship are the same. If you can use this perfectly¡­¡± Arthur''s sword began to move little by little, moving in slow motion as if time itself had slowed down. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to adapt it to your spearmanship as well.¡±

    <i>Swish!</i>

    A gust of wind passed by.

    ¡°This is the swordsmanship of the royal family of Pendragon.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s gaze looked up at the sky.

    ¡°The moon, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    The moon had begun to slide into two halves like it was splitting apart.

    [Scritch, scritch.]

    The sound had changed, it was different from before. It wasn¡¯t the sound of pages turning anymore, but instead it was almost as if something was being written on paper.

    ***

    A month had passed.

    ¡°<i>Waa!!!!</i>¡±

    The residents cheered as they looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    In order to be feared by them, Lee Jun-Kyeong had nted seeds of fear using illusions. However, their reactions were wildly different from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expectations. Instead, they cheered even louder and with more enthusiasm. There was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t thought of.

    <i>¡®People develop awe in the midst of fear.¡¯</i>

    Just because he gave them something to fear didn¡¯t mean that they would just tremble in it. On the contrary, it had made them respect and look up to him even more. The good thing, however, was that they had stopped calling Ungnyeo a witch.

    Before she had been captured by Odin, Ungnyeo had invested a lot in healing people, and that incident had awakened that memory.

    ¡°Priestess! Priestess! Priestess!¡±

    Funnily enough, the witch had be a priestess in that short time. The people had gathered, and alongside them, the apex Hunters that were in Gyeonggi-Do all also gathered in one ce.

    ¡°...¡±

    One month was the time Merlin had needed to regain her strength, and now, the time hade. Although it may have been too early to start a war, it had been more than enough time for them all to thoroughly prepare for war.

    ¡°Today,¡± Ungnyeo said, speaking as the representative of everyone. ¡°We will be leaving.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The people¡¯s cheers soon settled down.

    ¡°We will no longer be able to protect you.¡±

    Although her words sounded hopeless, the people epted them calmly.

    ¡°You must survive on your own.¡±

    It was like a deration.

    ¡°We can do it!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve worked hard for this too!¡±

    ¡°Priestess! Priestess!¡±

    At their positive reaction, Ungnyeo gave a small smile. She had been preparing for this day for a month, just so that the residents wouldn¡¯t feel abandoned when it came time for them to leave. She realized that her efforts had been fruitful as the residents had worked hard so that they could live independently in the future.

    ¡°However, I¡¯ll make you a promise.¡±

    She sneakily looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°We will make everything return to the way it was.¡±

    As she finished, the square was still silent.

    ¡°<i>Waaaaa!!!!</i>¡±

    Then, quickly enough, loud shouts filled the square. They were confident and full of hope today.

    ***

    ¡°All the surrounding monsters have been cleaned up. Most likely, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues for the next month or two,¡± Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa reported to Lee Jun-Kyeong with happy and positive expressions.

    ¡°Just how much sponsorship have the two of you received?¡± Moreover, the power that Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel from them was distinctly different from before.

    ¡°I mean, I hunted monsters till I felt like I was going to die, so I guess I¡¯ve received quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°Um, I feel like I can even bring the dead back to life?¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the two of them with a sigh. Then looking at the sky, he thought to himself.

    <i>¡®Is this what it means to be favored?¡¯</i>

    Sponsors generally gave generous support to the Hunters they favored.

    But, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>, a Sponsor whose only Incarnation was Lee Jun-Kyeong, still wouldn¡¯t give him any proper sponsorship.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong frowned at this unfair treatment, <The Sky of the Apocalypse> sent down a message, its voice sounding a little serious.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> encourages you.][1]

    It was only then that Lee Jun-Kyeong rolled up the corners of his mouth and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Their preparations for war were only just beginning. The first thing that they had to do to prepare for the war to defeat the Demon King was simple.

    ¡°To Japan.¡±

    They were bound for Japan.

    1. The encourage here has the connotation of ¡°encourage you to handle it yourself¡± in Korean. ??

 Chapter 206: Two Serpents

    <h4>Chapter 206: Two Serpents</h4>

    The oue of their meeting in Gyeonggi-Do had been decided.

    <i>''War with the Demon King.''</i>

    The events that were happening all over the world¡ªno, even just what had happened in Ennd was enough to bring the Demon King into the public eye. He had sunk the ind of Ennd into the ocean.

    While arge number of people were still alive in a state of suspended animation in Merlin¡¯s subspace, it was still an unarguable fact that more people had died in that disaster than anywhere else.

    The Demon King was driving the world to ruin in the cataclysm. They would go to war with him. However, they required an equivalent amount of preparation to his strength.

    ¡°Merlin and Arthur will bring Horus and the Hunters from Egypt.¡±

    Fortunately, Egypt had contacted them. Horus and the Egyptian Hunters had ovee the cataclysm despite the odds and wanted to help Lee Jun-Kyeong. They had decided to help in the war against the Demon King and wanted toe to Korea. Since they only had a limited opportunity to connect the world through gates using Merlin¡¯s powers, they had to handle several things all at once.

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa will be going to China.¡±

    With the seeds they had sown, the Frost Giants and the surviving Chinese Hunters, they would gather all of their strength.

    ¡°Try to get in touch with Liu Bei and his brothers, the Hunters, and Thjazi and Thrymr. Although they¡¯ve settled down in China, as long as the Demon King exists, none of them will be safe.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll definitely convince them.¡±

    With the mighty enemy called the Demon King before them, they¡¯ll gather the strongest with Lee Jun-Kyeong as the center. This was their preparation for war.

    ¡°Zeus and Athena¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Zeus and Athena.

    Their destinations hadn¡¯t been decided yet. All Zeus had said was that they would deal with a destination on their own.

    ¡°Ah ah. Well, speaking of which, we¡¯ve decided.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Athena is thinking of going to America. Considering how muchnd they have, there have to be survivors there. Because there were quite a few skilled Hunters, there¡¯s no way they would have been annihted.¡±

    However, what Zeus had to say made sense.

    <i>¡®Athena would be sent to America.¡¯</i>

    But if that was the case, where was Zeus going?

    ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Zeus smiled and curled up his lip. Although his face had a mischievous expression, there was a hint of seriousness in it. ¡°I¡¯m going to Seoul.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we were at war with the Demon King? Then the location of the Demon King has to be identified.¡± Zeus continued, ¡°Seoul is where Odin, Baldur, and Asgard are supposed to be. If you want to get information out of that ce, which is pretty much a hellscape, we¡¯re going to have to send someone that¡¯s at least on my level.¡±

    It was something that they had to get done anyway, and fully understanding Zeus¡¯ reasoning, Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¨CIf you could look for any information on Heimdall, I¡¯ll leave it to you.

    Zeus nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Ungnyeo.¡±

    He next called out to Ungnyeo, who was praised as a priestess in Gyeonggi-Do.

    ¡°Please¡­¡±

    ¡°I already know. All I have to do is go around the rest of Korea and gather people, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and¡­¡±

    ¡°If they aren¡¯t at a level where they can take part in the battle, I can just send them to the south of the province.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The Rulers should have already appeared inrge numbers. They weren''t sure how many people could have survived in ces where there weren¡¯t any concentrations of Hunters. However, hope was not lost.

    ¡°If there are any Rulers in the way, I¡¯ll kill all of them.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as he heard Ungnyeo, her voice full of venom. But, she wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the Rulers. Or, to be more urate, no one in the world could kill a Ruler. There was only one person who could: Lee Jun-Kyeong. That was why they had to spend as much time as possible gathering people before the Ruler would resurrect.

    ¡°Take Fenrir with you. He¡¯ll be useful.¡±

    Fenrir had be the owner of Gleipnir and absorbed Sangun, who had be a Ruler.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> watches over you.]

    He might be able to kill a Ruler. Moreover, at the same time, not only was Fenrir a member of his Familiars, but he was also the child of that bastard, <The Sky of the Apocalypse>. It was worth waiting to see what would happen.

    ¡°<i>Snort</i>.¡± Fenrir snorted as if he was offended at being left behind again, but eventually agreed and stood next to Ungnyeo.

    Now, he had to order the members who were left. ¡°Hel, Hyeon-Mu, Heracles, Odysseus.¡±

    They looked over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Japan.¡±

    They were thepanions who would go to Japan with him. Everything had been set. Now, it was time to depart.

    ¡°Everyone back up,¡± Merlin''s elegant voice echoed through the space. They all backed up as if they had been waiting for this moment. In front of them, a huge tremor diffused into the surroundings.

    <i>Riip!</i>

    The mana flowing from Merlin¡¯s fingertips began to draw runes into the air. All of a sudden, shapes and forms that were too difficult to even begin toprehend began to shift and flow. They started to ovep and begin to emit light, with the number of runes only ever increasing.

    Finally, what appeared before their eyes were thousands of magic circles, connected to each other like gears in a machine, beginning to revolve as one.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Even Zeus watched it all with admiration. ¡°If this was an offensive spell, wouldn¡¯t it be able to blow up a city?¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­ and she really understands it and can use it?!¡±

    ¡°As expected¡­¡±

    Everyone admired the sight of Merlin¡¯s spell, but Merlin just concentrated on the task at hand, unable to even wipe off the cold sweat running down her brow.

    <i>Crack!!</i>

    The magic circles finally began to emit an even more intense light.

    [Warning.]

    [The gazes of the Sponsors are focused on the disy of mana.]

    [The Sponsors fully focus on the disy before them.]

    [The Sponsors are concerned about the excessive use of mana.]

    [Some Sponsors show goodwill and interest.]

    [Some Sponsors express fierce hostility.]

    For the first time in a while, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a rapid amount of notifications in his head, enough to make him dizzy. It was like proof that what Merlin was doing was of great significance. Sponsors continued to express either their warnings or their favor, but there were no significant changes to what she was doing.

    ¡°To think there would be Multiple Sponsorship¡­¡±

    ¡°There must be dozens of people bing Hunters right now.¡±

    Judging by the light emanating from the bodies of the ordinary people and some of the Hunters who stood far away, it seemed that the Sponsors who had expressed interest were choosing more candidates. As a little more time passed, the sound returned in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head.

    [Scritch, scritch.]

    <i>BANG!</i>

    Then, just like that, as if the dimensional void had been torn apart, a huge blue gate appeared.

    ***

    The ground was burning and in the distance were destroyednds and forests.

    ¡°Wow!!! I feel so great!¡±

    Centered in the wastnd were Hunters. Jeong In-Chang raised a massive greatsword in one hand and shouted once more, ¡°AHHHH!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being loud,¡± Won-Hwa yfully teased, but Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t seem to hide his excitement.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was because it was the first time they had entered a gate after a long while. This was a ce that they hadn¡¯t been able to enter once the cataclysm had begun.

    ¡°This is the feeling!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted as he ran across the opennd.

    ¡°I think his greatsword has changed a little¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked at Jeong In-Chang¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Mr. and Ms. Park looked at it a bit,¡± Won-Hwa exined as soon as Lee Jun-Kyeong mentioned it.

    ¡°They said something about discovering a possibility while studying Gleipnir¡­ I¡¯m not quite sure about it myself, but at least Mr. Jeong seems to be much more satisfied.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin had remained in Gyeonggi-Do.

    They hadn¡¯t gone anywhere and were intending to produce weapons in preparation for when everyone would reuniteter.

    ¡°How great,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, staring nkly at his spear.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear had been created by Park Jae-Hyun. Due to the fact that it was a growth type, it possessed great power even to this day, and it continued to grow alongside him, possessing abilitiesparable to divine power.

    <i>¡®I wish they had looked at you, too.¡¯</i>

    He regretted that he hadn¡¯t asked Park Jae-Hyun to take a look at the spear. It had been because there was so much to do that he had forgotten.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They asked me to let you know that they would prepare something amazing for you the next time youe back.¡±

    ¡°Something amazing?¡±

    ¡°It seems they are looking for a way to strengthen Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong showed a happy expression, Won-Hwa smiled and shook his head. It wasn''t just Jeong In-Chang who was excited.

    ¡°<i>Waaaaaa!</i>¡±

    A bear-like man also roamed around, banging the huge steel gauntlets he wore on both hands together.

    ¡°You crazy bastard! I told you, you¡¯re destroying everything!¡± Odysseus was shouting at Hercules.

    Everyone was still together at the moment as the gate that Merlin had opened was shocking. Dozens, no, hundreds of gates had been connected simultaneously. That was why there were dozens and hundreds of monsters residing in the gate dimension. Moreover, there were even dozens or hundreds of boss monsters as well.

    The party was hunting all of them as they waited for more sponsorship. People like Zeus, Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table silently cleaned up their surroundings.

    "Ah."

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Won-Hwa asked as Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s a chance for me too.¡±

    "Pardon?"

    <i>Tap tap!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pushed off the ground before Won-Hwa realized it and soared high into the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity for me to level up.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­are you talking about that ability?¡± Won-Hwa asked.

    However, Won-Hwa¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter was floating high in the sky. He put away Muspel¡¯s Spear as he spread his hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s also an opportunity to put what I¡¯ve learned to use.¡±

    No one could hear what he said, but Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself as he began to radiate azure mana from his hands.

    <i>Shine!</i>

    The visible mana began to spread around the inside of the gate like rain.

    ¨CAHHH!

    ¨CUGH!

    ¨CCHWIIIIK!

    Then, dozens of screams were heard.

    ¡°What sort of method is this?¡±

    ¡°Did you just pick out only the boss monsters and kill them?¡±

    They were all the terrified screams of monsters that were at a boss level. Pirs of me rose from everywhere.

    <i>Whistle.</i>

    For the first time, Lee Jun-Kyeong whistled, admiring the spell he had just cast with all of his might. However, it wasn¡¯t over yet.

    <i>Whistle~</i>

    <i>WOOSH!</i>

    The inside of the gate began to fill with a whirlpool of mes.

    ***

    ¡°My level didn¡¯t rise¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was a bit sullen at the fact that his level still hadn¡¯t risen even though it seemed like he had ughtered tens of thousands of monsters, spat out to himself.

    Zeus came to him and said, ¡°Is magic really that easy to learn?¡±

    ¡°I seemed to have been able to learn it after I tried.¡±

    As soon as he responded in a tone that sounded as if it had been nothing special, Zeus clicked his tongue. ¡°How irritating.¡±

    ¡°At the very least, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something I should be hearing from you of all people.¡±

    ¡°Even I can¡¯t do something like this. I mean, look over there.¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong looked where Zeus was pointing, he saw Merlin smiling happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely augh full of joy.¡±

    ¡°Is it possible for you to live a normal life?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it was because they were all departing soon. Did he think that they may not ever see each other again? For some reason, at this moment, Zeus felt a little more intimate.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party all gathered in one location after sweeping away all of the monsters inside the gate.

    ¡°This will reduce the appearance of monsters for a while.¡±

    The presence of the monsters that threatened everything in the cataclysm originated from the gates. The gates would break as soon as they appeared, pouring out monsters everywhere.

    Merlin had created the space by connecting the gates immediately prior to forming, and by wiping out all of the monsters in this interconnected gate, they had been able to reduce the number of monsters that would appear in the future.

    The work that had to be done inside the gate was over, and now it was time for them to part ways in order toplete their individual tasks. Merlin reached out with a hand and grasped her magic circle.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    However, several of the slowly rotating circles suddenly began to disappear with the sound of steam draining from a hole.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Merlin was flustered.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Why is it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Merlin doesn¡¯t seem to have fully recovered her mana yet. Because she has to use a lot of mana to maintain the lives of the people suspended in her subspace¡­¡± Gawain exined in her ce.

    ¡°Then is the schedule going to be dyed again¡­¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t have that happening,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, walking out among the panicking people.

    [Shuffle.]

    The disappearing magic circles began to regain their structure.

    ¡°Wh¡­what?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡±

    A blue thread-like mana that came out of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands was assisting Merlin.

    ¡°You learned that in that short span of time?¡±

    <i>Bang!</i>

    In the midst of everyone¡¯s dismay, several gates were created. If the gates that they had entered were the entrance to the gate dimension, these were the exits.

    ¡°Oh my god."

    Merlin¡¯s voice filled with admiration rang out after she stopped focusing on the spell formation.

    ¡°Everyone¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, just smiling in return. ¡°Let¡¯s all survive and meet again.¡±

    The Heroes stood in front of the gates they each had to go to. They looked at each other for a moment. Then, they all just nodded at one another and walked into the gates.

 Chapter 207: Two Serpents Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 207: Two Serpents Pt. 2</h4>

    ¡°Haa!¡± Heracles let out a breath as he exited the gate.

    Slowly, the rest of the party, Odysseus, Hyeon-Mu, Hel, and Lee Jun-Kyeong, followed behind.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    As they exited the gate, it suddenly disappeared once all of them hade through as if it had finished its task.

    ¡°How did you do that earlier?¡± Heracles asked Lee Jun-Kyeong before he even took a look around him. He was referring to how Lee Jun-Kyeong had helped Merlin make the exit of the gate dimension.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been learning magic these days.¡±

    ¡°Is it really that easy? Then do you think I should learn it too¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down. Do you really think that <i>thing </i>is normal? An idiot with the brain of a bear like you won¡¯t be able to learn it even if you die ande back to life,¡± Odysseus scolded, reprimanding Heracles.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at them and turned his head.

    ¡°...¡±

    Right as he turned, his expression suddenly hardened.

    ¡°What''s the matter?"

    ¡°...?¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus questioned Lee Jun-Kyeong''s sudden reaction.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu. Hel.¡±

    Rather than giving them an answer, Lee Jun-Kyeong recalled Hyeon-Mu and Hel into his bracelet. It was only at that point that Heracles and Odysseus started to look around.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Both of them sighed as they looked around them with bewildered gazes, just as Lee Jun-Kyeong had. They had exited the gate onto a tall mountain.

    ¡°It looks like Mt. Fuji,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked around and identified where they were. However, that wasn¡¯t the problem.

    ¡°The city¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay?¡±

    They had appeared at the top of the tall Mt. Fuji, and what they saw were cities in perfect condition. There was no sign of the cataclysm anywhere.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯</i>

    Japan didn¡¯t escape the cataclysm either. The blue veil that hung over the area clearly represented that they, too, were undergoing the cataclysm. However, whether it was the appearance of the undestroyed city, the brightly embroidered lights, or, to make things worse, the dozens of approaching manas, it all made the party extremely tense.

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    There would be few enemies that they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat, but in these special circumstances, none of them knew how things would progress.

    <i>Tadak! Tadak!</i>

    The party slowly raised their aura and prepared for battle while they heard the sound of quick footsteps. Even before they were able to breathe a little, the footsteps hastened, and suddenly a group appeared, each drawing a weapon and aiming them at the party.

    ¡°Wooo. How impressive.¡±

    Wearing heavy armor and drawing weapons, they were definitely Hunters. The party realized that they must have been the Japanese Hunters.

    ¡°Odysseus, do you speak Japanese?¡±

    ¡°They probably speak English?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike the two Olympians, who calmly epted the situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed a little taken aback.

    ¡°Do you want to write in English?¡±

    ¡°They are pointing their weapons at us even though they know we¡¯re Hunters.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re right.¡±

    Only then did the two of them seem to understand the situation. The one who seemed to be their leader slowly stepped out of his way.

    ¡°Kneel,¡± he said in Japanese with a haughty and arrogant tone.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised both hands and stepped forward.

    ¡°We are not enemies¡­¡±

    ¡°Kneel,¡± the Hunter said, repeating the same words before Lee Jun-Kyeong even had a chance to finish.

    Heracles began to exude bloodlust as he raised his fighting spirit.

    ¡°Should we just kill them all?¡±

    ¡°Wait for a moment,¡± Odysseus cautioned as Heracles continued to exude bloodlust despite Odysseus¡¯ disapproval.

    <i>Ring, ring!</i>

    However, the sudden urgent ringing of a phone had them all flustered once more.

    ¡°Wait, do even phones continue to work here?¡± the surprised Heracles said.

    The Hunter who answered the phone handed the phone over to their leader, after which the leader nodded as he responded to the phone call. After hanging up the phone, he no longer aimed his weapon at the party and instead put it away.

    ¡°It seems we have to follow them,¡± Odysseus said.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, his de-esction was only after the party¡¯s expressions had hardened.

    ***

    ¡°Tsk. We should have just killed them all,¡± Heracles grumbled, continuouslyining throughout the entire journey. The attitude of the oppressive Japanese Hunters was annoying him.

    ¡°Be patient. We¡¯re here to ask for help, we didn¡¯te here to fight,¡± Odysseus cautioned.

    ¡°When have we ever been patient?¡±

    ¡°Well, we have to be patient now.¡±

    Fortunately, Odysseus was able to calm Heracles even without Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s intervention.

    At this moment, the party was traveling on arge military truck, Hunters surrounding them on all sides.

    ¡°The roads seem fine.¡±

    ¡°Has Japan really been unscathed in the cataclysm?¡± Odysseus asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure that out now.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt something ominous and looked around. They had tried to talk to the Japanese Hunters, but they refused to talk to them, maintaining their attitude of superiority, and only gave orders.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    It was clear that they had recognized him and Heracles. But, to show such an attitude despite their stark differences in power¡­

    ¡°I guess they have something they believe in.¡±

    ¡°Even though we don¡¯t know what it is, whatever they¡¯re relying on must be something dependable. Because Heracles isn¡¯t someone that can be held back forever.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at Odysseus'' words.

    <i>¡®Hel.¡¯</i>

    Then, he slowly imbued his bracelet with some of his aura.

    At that moment, one of his Familiars that had shifted back to bracelet form, Hel, appeared in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong, invisible to the naked eye. The Japanese Hunters didn¡¯t seem to notice Hel.

    <i>¡®Collect some information for us.¡¯</i>

    At Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request, Hel quietly disappeared.

    ¨CI¡¯ve received your order, Master.

    As they continued to move forward, the party looked around at their surroundings. No matter how they looked at it, Japan really didn¡¯t seem to have suffered any damage from the advent of the cataclysm.

    ¡°...¡±

    Eventually, they found themselves passing residences, and around them, people were just staring indifferently at the military trucks passing by.

    ¡°There are quite a few people,¡± Odysseus remarked.

    Unlike other regions that were either decimated by monsters or destroyed by Rulers, Japan had remained intact. It was clear now.

    ¡°Japan has suffered no damage in the cataclysm.¡±

    They had entered the city, their destination, Tokyo. They were surrounded by tall buildings and lots of people.

    ¡°It feels so strange.¡±

    ¡°To see a perfectly intact area after only seeing destroyed city after city¡­¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus¡¯ hostility seemed to sap away as they were busy admiring the appearance of Tokyo. They had only seen destroyed civilizations, screams, and despair for such a long time. But, at this moment, seeing the appearance of apletely intact civilization right before their eyes was emotional for them.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong sat quietly, sitting alone in his thoughts, the truck finally stopped.

    ***

    They could sense the auras of tens, no, hundreds of Hunters. They had arrived at their destination.

    ¡°The Tokyo Headquarters of the Japanese Association.¡±

    It was the Headquarters of the Japanese Association. It was also in good shape, like the rest of the buildings. Lee Jun-Kyeong focused on the other Hunters.

    <i>¡®The level of the Japanese Hunters is higher than expected.¡¯</i>

    Although they knew the Hunters who had brought them were all on that level, the fact that those at the Association Headquarters were also that strong was astounding. All of them were Hero-Grade Hunters.

    ¡°There are over two hundred Heroes.¡±

    Although it was said that Hunters would achieve rapid growth in the cataclysm, to have over two hundred Heroes wasn¡¯t normal. Odysseus and Heracles were also amazed.

    ¡°I guess there is a reason these bastards were so arrogant.¡±

    ¡°Considering there are over two hundred Heroes here, it makes sense.¡±

    They both admired the strength of the Japanese Hunters and were also astonished by what they were seeing. Alongside their confusion, the party was full of caution.

    ¡°I guess we have to be careful then.¡±

    In a world that has changed so much, something not being normal meant that there was a possibility that danger was lurking in the shadows. What they saw was a wee sight considering their position of having to ask Japan for help, Japan¡¯s level of power was more than enough to be wary of considering the magnitude of the situation.

    The party stood in front of a door.

    ¡°Disarm yourselves,¡± the Japanese Hunters said coldly to the party.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do what they say for now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ncing at Heracles and Odysseus.

    Although they looked displeased, the two followed Lee Jun-Kyeong and handed over their weapons. As soon as they handed over their weapons, the door before them started to open.

    <i>Creak.</i>

    With a roar, the door before them, twice asrge as Heracles, opened.

    ¡°Long live His Majesty the Emperor of Heaven!¡±

    ¡°Long live His Majesty the Emperor of Heaven!¡±[1]

    The Japanese Hunters knelt down and started shouting.

    ¡°Heaven¡­?¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was flustered to hear that title be called out considering where they were standing, a voice came from inside the door.

    ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    The owner of the voice was a familiar person.

    ¡°Yashin¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s the Emperor of Heaven?¡±

    Yashin was one of the promising Japanese Hunters, but now he was being called the Emperor of Heaven.

    ¡°Everyone leave us.¡±

    With his absolute order, the Japanese Hunters all started to leave the room. They all left even though they knew that the party was still strong enough to battle their Emperor even while disarmed. But the party soon realized why they were so willing to leave.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s enough to be an Emperor.¡±

    Just as Heracles said in a harsh tone, it wasn¡¯t a situation that was difficult to grasp.

    Yashin had been a Hero-Grade Hunter. However, at this moment, the aura they could feel from him was that of a catastrophe of the cataclysm.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Ruler¡­¡±

    It was the aura of a Ruler.

    ***

    Yashin held court within a conference hall at the Headquarters of the Japanese Association, a building that seemed more like an old pce than a modern structure. It was a testament to Japanese architecture.

    Beyond the intricately woven bamboo sudare, Yashin¡¯s figure could be seen dimly reflected.[2]

    <i>¡®His mana is everywhere.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just what they could see that was different. Most likely, as if Yashin had changed the void to his liking after gaining strength, something seemed to be hiding in the distorted space.

    ¡°There are many guardians here,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he grasped the auras.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s natural, considering I¡¯m the person responsible for all of Japan?¡± Yashin said nonchntly.

    It was apletely different tone than how he had spoken before. Unlike the voice of the Hunter which had been full of desperation and zeal, it seemed bored and arrogant.

    <i>¡®The voice of a Ruler.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly looked past the sudare.

    ¡°To think you¡¯de to visit Japan like this, how gratifying.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought back to the past at Yashin¡¯s slightly thorny words.

    <i>''If youe to Japan, I''ll give you anything you want.''</i>

    At the meeting of Apex Hunters in Egypt, Yashin had asked him to switch sides, asking him to help Japan alongside him. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had refused, and Yashin had returned without earning anything.

    ¡°You have to havee here for a reason, and it¡¯s not like you came here to save Japan, either.¡±

    Heracles frowned as Yashin¡¯s words became harsher, but Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped him before the Hunter spoke out, stepping forward himself.

    "You''re right. I am here to ask for help.¡±

    ¡°Do you really have no shame?¡±

    ¡°However, I¡¯m not asking for help just for me. You could say that it involves the fate of the world.¡±

    A roar ofughter came from beyond the sudare.

    .

    ¡°AHAHAHA¡±

    It was a terrifyingugh, as if he was no longer human. It was grotesque enough to give everyone in the party goosebumps.

    ¡°What gall to talk about the world while not even being able to protect your own country. How about you reinvestigate what¡¯s important, Underdog?¡± he said in a chilly voice. ¡°We have no help to give you. If you want to rest, we¡¯ll arrange a ce for you. Rest for a while and return to your fallen country.¡±

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    His words fell like a decree from the heavens as, at the same time, a needle-like bloodlust was fired toward the party.

    <i>''Let¡¯s go back for now.''</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn''t think the conversation would go anywhere at the moment, so he nced at the party. The others also nodded, understanding the situation. If they had to fight, they would be able to, but it wouldn¡¯t have been a good choice right now. As if it had been waiting for them, the huge door started to open again.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Yashin''s sneeringugh drifted over to the party as they left the hall that seemed like it came out of an old pce.

    1. The emperor of Japan¡¯s official title is Tenno, the Emperor of Heaven. ??

    2. Sudare are Japanese screens/blinds that are woven out of anything from yarn to split and refined bamboo. They are used everywhere, and a sign of quality is generally how translucent you can get them to be while making the visible holes in the fabric/material as small as possible. If you think of an anime where someone important is speaking to a character from behind a screen so you only see the shadow of their figure, that¡¯s a sudare. ??

 Chapter 208: Two Serpents Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 208: Two Serpents Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Has he really gone insane?¡± Heracles said, letting out a flustered breath as if he was dumbfounded.

    ¡°That crazy bastard¡­!¡±

    It seemed that he was still upset by their meeting with Yashin earlier.

    ¡°I mean, if he doesn¡¯t want to help, that¡¯s one thing¡­but to treat us like Underdog¡¯sckeys?¡±[1]

    ¡°Was that really the problem?¡±

    Odysseus rubbed at his temples as he looked over at Heracles. The party was residing at a lodging provided by Yashin, a shabby hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo.

    ¡°The Japanese Hunter who had guided us here, just what did he say? You can¡¯te out without permission? That bastard, I¡¯m going to tear open his face.¡±

    Odysseus pointed out, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like he said anything wrong. Japan doesn¡¯t need our help, nor does it intend to help us. We¡¯re uninvited guests here.¡±

    ¡°Odysseus, whose side are you on?¡±

    What do you mean, sides? I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±

    Odysseus wasn¡¯t wrong. However, there was still the other issue.

    ¡°Yashin had the power of a Ruler,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°Right? So then he¡¯s an enemy,¡± Heracles said in response.

    ¡°But calling him an enemy just because he has the power of a ruler is¡­¡±

    Odysseus stumbled over his words as he looked cautiously over at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Yashin had the power of a Ruler. Heracles and Odysseus had also met Rulers, as before Europe had copsed and Ennd sunk, they had met with and hunted the Rulers that were within their own country.

    They had battled with the Rulers repeatedly, having to face their terrifying strength over and over again due to them being so tenacious it was almost ridiculous.

    ¡°Despite having the power of a Ruler, he seems to have maintained his reason,¡± Odysseusmented.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shot him down.

    ¡°That would be impossible.¡±

    Whether it was Elfame or Sangun, everyone would have their sanity destroyed by the power of the Rulers. Could Yashin have endured because he had stronger mental fortitude than those two? No, that was impossible.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s probably the help of someone else.¡¯</i>

    Yashin would have gotten help from someone else, someone who understood well what it meant to be a ruler. It was easy to guess who that person could be.

    ¡°The Demon King¡­¡± he muttered.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the two of them and said in a determined tone, ¡°It seems that Yashin and the Demon King have been in contact.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Long live His Majesty the Emperor of Heaven!¡±

    Yashin raised his hand to calm the Hunter, who was about to cry out in honor of the emperor to no end. Soon, the Hunter fell on his knees and prostrated himself as if he was kneeling before God.

    ¡°Report,¡± Yashin barked.

    ¡°As youmanded, we are monitoring them, making sure to have imprable security.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°There have been no other special urrences. If I may dare to speak disrespectfully before his majesty¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Yashin said, raising his hand again as if the uselessments were getting too long.

    Immediately, the Hunter went silent like a mute. Yashin''s orders were absolute.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Yashin contemted alone.

    ¡°At a time like this¡­¡±

    He wasn¡¯t happy with Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party¡¯s visit. To be frank, he couldn¡¯t have even imagined that they would have shown up at this moment.

    <i>¡®I was told that Korea was in ruins. Moreover, the people with him were obviously Heroes of Olympus.¡¯</i>

    Yashin had put a great deal of effort into grasping the situations unfolding abroad. Unlike Japan, which had beenpletely dominated, it was difficult to get information from anywhere overseas due to the impregnable veils, but he had still heard at least this much through reliable sources.

    <i>¡®And they wanted help to save the world, he said¡­¡¯</i>

    In the past, he might have helped. However, now, things were different.

    ¡°Why would I have to do something like that¡­ <i>kekeke¡­</i>.¡± Yashin muttered with a lowugh. ¡°When I have the power to hold the world in my hands.¡±

    He was no longer the Yashin he had used to be. He had beenpletely reborn, taking off the mask of a weak human and being reborn as a perfect being. He had the power to topple mountains and destroy cities with a single finger, a power that could be said to be absolute.

    <i>''You bastards are wrong.''</i>

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure what they would be asking for help for, it didn¡¯t matter. He muttered, ¡°If you wish to protect the world¡­¡±

    His voice dropped lower, distorting into a voice that didn¡¯t sound human. ¡°Then I will be the enemy you will protect it from.¡±

    It was almost like the voice of a snake. Light shimmered between the bamboo sudares.

    <i>Slither.</i>

    Behind his back, a snake-like shadow rustled like the flickering of antern.

    ¡°Everyone will prepare for the ceremony. There will be no setback in preparing for it.¡±

    At his oddly abstract order, a single answer came back as one from multiple voices, ¡°We have received your order!¡±

    Yashin didn¡¯t end there, either.

    ¡°Call <i>that person </i>over.¡±

    Again, the same unquestioning answer came in turn.

    ¡°We have received your order!¡±

    ***

    "I''m going to die of boredom here."

    With three fully grown men locked in a tiny hotel room, it was understandable that there would beints. Heracles was restless, as if he was feeling caged and antsy, while Lee Jun-Kyeong was lost in thought.

    ¡°Is there any news yet?¡± Odysseus asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    They were waiting for the Familiar who had gone to collect information.

    Their hotel amodations were extreme. Even all of the windows had been blocked so that the sunlight couldn¡¯te in, and they couldn¡¯t see out.

    ¡°How can he tell us to rest as much as we want when he shoves us into a dump like this?¡±

    Heracles was expressing his displeasure once again. He seemed to really dislike their current situation.

    ¡°If they¡¯ve been having contact with the Demon King, let¡¯s just break it all down and catch that bastard, Yashin.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think it would be that easy? Haven¡¯t you seen the more than two hundred Heroes?¡±

    ¡°Are you really afraid of them? Do you really think we¡¯d lose that battle?¡±

    Heracles wasn¡¯t wrong. Although the number of Heroes was high and all of them were strong, considering the strength of their current party, the three of them were more than enough to deal with the Japanese Hunters.

    No, the actual problem was Yashin¡¯s existence.

    ¡°Do you think Yashin will stay still until we¡¯ve killed all of them?¡± Odysseus asked.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even begin to measure how strong he was. Can you?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If, by chance, he¡¯s at a level where even the Underdog can¡¯t handle it¡­¡±

    Odysseus and Heracles looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong. There was no contest, Lee Jun-Kyeong was the strongest in the group. He finished whatever he was contemting and looked over at the two of them.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to definitively probe him.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Although it was only a short sentence, the two Hunters¡¯ eyes widened as if they had received a great shock.

    ¡°Even you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. It¡¯s because it seems that his power has been hidden by something.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he could face Yashin. He even had the confidence to take him down.

    ¡°Because the Demon King is behind him¡­ it would be a problem for us if the Demon King is here. So, don¡¯t be too relieved right now.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re still saying you can take him down, right?¡±

    It was only after Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded that they felt relieved. There was silence for a while.

    "By the way¡­¡± Odysseus said, breaking the silence. ¡°Truthfully, I don¡¯t know about this.¡±

    Although he had been quarreling with Heracles, Odysseus had seemed uneasy ever since they had arrived in Japan.

    ¡°Yashin has still retained his human reason even after bing as strong as a Ruler, right?¡±

    ¡°For now, yes.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, he¡¯s saved Japan from the cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized what the Hunter was about to say.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t you think it would be better just to leave him alone? Even if he¡¯s not going to give us any help, do we really have to be enemies with him?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Considering all of the countless people that are going to die, don¡¯t you think it would be okay to just leave this ce alone, considering how safe it is?¡±

    Certainly, Odysseus was someone who advocated for humanity. He wasn''t wrong. The appearance of the Japan that they saw wasn¡¯t just normal but ideal. The Hunters were strong and were able to hunt the monsters, and the ordinary people were able to build their lives under their protection.

    The people they had seen, even if it had only been for a short while, were going about their lives as if they had peace of mind and seemed as though they were livingfortably. If their party were to fight against Yashin, their peace would end.

    Odysseus continued in a skeptical voice, ¡°Moreover if we even kill Yashin¡­don¡¯t you think this ce would change to be just like the other countries within the cataclysm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying we should at least run, then! What are we doing here?¡± Heracles shouted as if he had been offended by Odysseus¡¯ words.

    But Lee Jun-Kyeong was different.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said in a firm yet low voice while looking at Odysseus. ¡°If we kill Yashin, this ce will be¡­well, they¡¯ll have to experience the same horrors as Korea or the other countries. Experience a life where people would die, screaming in despair.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°However,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, not finished yet. ¡°What if Yashin is being manipted by someone? What if his instinct as a Ruler isn¡¯t being suppressed? What if Yashin is no longer human¡­?¡±

    ¡°Does that matter? Whether or not he¡¯s a human, in Japan, the people are able to live peacefully¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said firmly. ¡°The people will never be able to live peacefully. No, I¡¯d say¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up from his seat as he continued, ¡°When all this is over, this will be the ultimate hell.¡±

    ¡°Even if you are the Underdog, how¡­¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve lived that hell before.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hade out with the most resolute attitude and appearance. Heracles and Odysseus seemed to be taken aback by Lee Jun-Kyeong as they saw a side to the Hunter that they had never seen.

    ¡°KYAA!!!!!!¡±

    Then, at that moment, a piercing scream came from outside.

    ¡°Damn it! These damned windows!¡±

    However, the windows were blocked by wooden boards and didn¡¯t allow them to see what was going on outside.

    ¡°KYAA!!!!!¡±

    The screams didn¡¯t stop. Unable to stay still, Odysseus hurriedly opened the door. Outside, the Japanese Hunters stood waiting as if they were watching them.

    ¡°I hear screams from outside! Something seems to be going on!¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong tranted his words, the Japanese Hunters nodded and seemed to be radioing someone.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear any more screams¡­¡± Odysseus said as the screams that seemed to tear through the screamer''s throat suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Are you done then?¡± the Hunter at the door said as he indifferently closed the door.

    The group looked at each other.

    ¡°That son of a bitch¡­¡±

    ¡°Do they think we¡¯re fools¡­¡±

    The screams outside had definitely been cut off.

    ¡°That woman who was screaming just now, she¡¯s definitely dead.¡±

    However, that scream had been cut off by killing the woman who was screaming.

    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Heracles asked

    They had to decide what to do now. Yashin¡¯s attitude toward Lee Jun-Kyeong had been strange, and the situation in Japan was abnormal. Moreover, even though they had heard a woman scream just now, the attitude of the Hunters had been indifferent. The corners of Heracles¡¯ mouth had risen as he asked his question.

    ¡°You cheeky little bastard,¡± Odysseus scolded Heracles as he shook his head.

    ¡°I guess we can¡¯t help it,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he also looked at Heracles andughed.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Heracles boisterouslyughed so hard that the old hotel seemed about to copse.

    ¡°Good! This is what it¡¯s supposed to be like!¡±

    Before anyone realized it, Heracles had his gauntlets made of heavy steel equipped on both hands.

    ¡°You could have been a little slower about it, you know,¡± Odysseus yfully scolded. However, the Hunter also already had his sword in hand.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to say.

    ¡°Screw off! I¡¯m going first!¡± Heracles interrupted, mming his fists together.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    A clear sound, like the ringing of a bell, spread through the air. However, unlike the dainty sound, the results of Heracles¡¯ actions were disastrous.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A thick cloud of dust erupted into the air with a thunderous noise. The old hotel eventually couldn¡¯t stand the eruption any longer and copsed.

    <i>Shuffle.</i>

    From the smoke rising from the copsed hotel, a bear with zing red eyes lifted its body up.

    1. The wordckey means something much harsher in Korean. Thinkckey with the same venom as a slur. ??

 Chapter 209: Two Serpents Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 209: Two Serpents Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°Agh!!!¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    ¡°Please¡­! Please!¡±

    People were crying in the distance, their screams never ending. As the party advanced from the outskirts into the main streets, the screams began to intensify.

    ¡°These bastards were trying to keep us from hearing the screams!¡± Heracles shouted.

    As they entered the main streets, they noticed that the people¡¯s screams wereing from the center square. It seemed as though their amodations being ced on the outskirts of the city had been done intentionally to avoid the chance of them hearing the screamsing from the center of the city.

    ¡°Keugah!¡± Heracles let out a wild roar as he ran forward. His two zing red eyes left long streaks in the air as his gauntlets were filled with an intense blue mana.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    ¨CROAR!

    As he ran forward, Heracles thrust forward with one hand and the sonic boom that followed sounded like the roar of a lion. Then, the blue mana that enveloped the gauntlet morphed into the shape of a lion, sting forward and sweeping away everything in its path.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Be careful! You can¡¯t let any of the ordinary humans get caught up in it!¡± Odysseus shouted at Hercules, who seemed exhrated.

    ¡°I know how to control myself at least that much!¡± Heracles shouted in response as he rampaged even more.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    ¡°His control over Madness really has matured.¡±

    Heracles hadn¡¯t been lying when he said he was in control as the Hunter really was only dealing with those whom they had defined as enemies. His skill, which seemed to be growing even more violent as he barreled forward, hadn¡¯t caused any damage to the ordinary people.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    The party started their raid by forcing those who had caused the residents to scream to face the same fate as their victims. As they moved, the city toppled behind them.

    ¡°And now, here we are,pletely destroying a city that survived just fine through the cataclysm,¡± Odysseus said as if he was conflicted.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    However, it wasn¡¯t as if he was just resting, either. If Heracles¡¯ method of battle was to move relentlessly forward while wiping out every enemy in his path, Odysseus moved precisely, killing each and every enemy with a single blow.

    ¡°It looks like the Hunters are hunting ordinary humans.¡±

    Their enemies were the Hunters, as the first thing the party saw as they escaped the hotel was the sight of Hunters hunting the humans, with people being grabbed by the hair and dragged away by force.

    ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±

    The rescued humans bowed their heads repeatedly in thanks as they found somewhere to hide.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    However, some of them, instead of thanking them, justughed as if they had lost their minds.

    ¡°Even if you save me, I¡¯ll just die anyway! Damn it!¡±

    Mired in despair, they rather med the party who had saved them. Although they wanted to hear more about the situation from the survivors, the more pressing thing was to deal with the Hunters, who wereing out endlessly.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s insane. There¡¯s no end to them.¡±

    The party wanted to wipe them all out at once, but they were unable to do so because of the risk that the ordinary humans would be swept away by any major skills. That was why Heracles was incredible.

    ¡°<i>Kehahaha!</i>¡±

    Heracles roared out as he advanced. Finally, the party eventually stopped. The screams around them had decreased and the Hunters they had to take out had all copsed.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Odysseus asked.

    Although they had jumped ahead at the sight of the ordinary people being hunted, they still needed to understand the situation at hand. Then, almost as if it had been nned, a voice called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CMaster.

    Hel had returned.

    ¨CAs you¡¯vemanded, I¡¯ve gathered the information.

    ¡°Why are you sote?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong pressed the Familiar. Hel¡¯s ability was one that dealt with souls, and it would have been a simple task for the Familiar to extract information from the dead souls here, but the Familiar had arrived toote.

    ¨CI apologize. I waste as there were no souls in the area.

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, Hel¡¯s reason was one that didn¡¯t make any sense. To say that there weren¡¯t any souls.

    ¡°Are you saying that no one has died here?¡±

    ¨CThat¡¯s not it.

    Hel¡¯s voice was firm.

    ¨CThere are no souls here.

    ***

    "Kyaa!!!"

    ¡°Stop struggling! What, do you want to sacrifice your family in your stead?¡±

    ¡°S¡­sob! Please¡­¡±

    Sobs could be heard endlessly. People crying out to be saved, or people begging to sacrifice themselves in someone else¡¯s stead. In this horrifying abyss, any ordinary humans who weren¡¯t involved themselves, just closed their windows and locked their front doors.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Hunters weren''t just hunting random people. Under themand of Yashin, they were going out to select those who were to be offered as sacrifices.

    ¡°The party of the Underdog has escaped and is fighting the Hunters collecting the sacrifices!¡± a Hunter said, delivering information from the outskirts of Tokyo.

    A Hunter who seemed to be the leader responded as he nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, everyone! The ceremony must proceed quickly!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    ¡°Come this way!¡±

    He gave an order to the Hunters, and the Hunters, having received the orders, seemed to have no intentions of letting anything slide any further.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    ¡°Aghhhh!!¡±

    They began to drag away the stragglers even if they had to cut off their limbs to do so. There weren¡¯t any mes that soared in the city, only screams, more screams, and even more screams. The city of Tokyo was only filled with cries.

    ¡°Hurry up! Today''s ceremony must proceed without any issues!¡±

    Even the person who seemed to be the leader of the Hunters came forward to join the hunt. The number of sacrifices that had to be gathered for the day¡¯s ceremony was eight thousand.

    ¡°How many have we gathered now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered about 5,000 people.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that amount fewer than expected?¡±

    ¡°There are some who escaped. We¡¯re currently dragging over the families of those who had escaped in order to make up the numbers. We should be finished soon.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The leader lifted his foot and soared high into the sky, looking down at everything from the top of the tallest building.

    ¡°Kya!!!¡±

    A ghastly-sounding scream sounded in the distance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad,¡± he muttered to himself, as if he didn¡¯t know who he should be talking to. ¡°All of this is for the sake of the Empire of Japan and its subjects¡­¡±

    His voice started small and weak, but soon turned into a voice full of madness and joy as it echoed through Tokyo, ¡°Everyone, give your lives with joy!¡±

    ***

    ¡°In about thirty minutes, all of the offerings will be gathered,¡± a Hunter reported to Yashin while bowing his head deeply.

    ¡°Good,¡± Yashin responded without even looking over at the Hunter.

    The Hunter continued to give his report to Yashin, who was nonchntly looking around at the surroundings. ¡°However, there is a little issue¡­¡±

    ¡°An issue?¡±

    Finally, Yashin looked over at the Hunter.

    ¡°<i>Gasp!</i>¡±

    The Hunter, faced with Yashin¡¯s gaze, stepped back in fright.

    It was an overwhelming fear. Just by making eye contact, he felt a fear that seemed to suck out his soul.

    <i>¡®They aren¡¯t the eyes of a human¡­¡¯</i>

    The Hunter was stunned, forgetting to even continue his report. Yashin¡¯s eyes, ahead of the ceremony, had mutated, his pupils turning into slits, exactly like a snake¡¯s, or even, the eyes of a demon¡­

    The Hunter trembled and fell back to his knees.

    ¡°Ah, oops. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yashin said as he shook his head before opening his eyes once again, his snake pupils returning to their original form. Although the Hunter had dared to fall before him without evenpleting the report, Yashin didn¡¯t punish the copsed Hunter.

    ¡°As this was a result of you looking directly into the eyes of a God, I will forgive you.¡±

    He let the Hunter go as it had felt quite good to see proof of the enormous power he had gained.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    ¡°Trash that can¡¯t even give a report properly deserves to die.¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The severed head of the Hunter stopped at Yashin¡¯s foot. He picked up the head and looked around as he held the head of the Hunter in his palm.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    The countless Hunters around him were shaking as they all looked at him. Yashin was ovee by a sense of superiority. Unlike those disgusting inferiors, he was something better.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m a god.¡±</i>

    His pleasant mood,bined with his strong sense of superiority, gave him a pleasure almost akin to having taken drugs. Yashin flicked his tongue toward the head of the Hunter he was holding in his palm.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    Something shot out and sucked something into Yashin¡¯s mouth.

    <i>Slurp.</i>

    Yashin licked his lips as if he had eaten something delicious. With a pleasant smile, he opened his mouth once again.

    "Report."

    ¡°The Underdog and the others are approaching Tokyo!¡±

    ¡°Many Hunters have been sacrificed! As the outer sacrifices had been secured in advance, there will be no disruptions to the ceremony!¡±

    ¡°We have sent the samurai to stop the party!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    The Hunter''s neck, which Yasin had been holding, had turned withered and dry as if all vitality and moisture had been sucked out.

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    The neck of the Hunter disappeared into dust when Yashin unclenched his hand. He cracked his neck as he circled his head around his neck once.

    ¡°With today¡¯s ritual¡­¡±

    He spoke to the gathered Hunters.

    ¡°I will be a true god.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I will be a god and go beyond the Empire of Japan¡­!¡± Yashin''s voice sounded almost elongated and muted, as if his throat was wet with something. ¡°I will protect the world!¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡±

    Yashin stretched out both his hands and shouted, ¡°Worship me! Be in awe!¡±

    His shadow, shimmering in the light, stretched out behind him and turned into a serpent. The serpent¡¯s head soon multiplied and increased in number, turning into a monster with two, three¡­seven heads.

    ¡°I am Orochi.¡±[1]

    A long smile crept across Yashin''s lips.

    ***

    Hercules had been excited about the fact that he could run amok, but he now asked the others as if he was daunted, ¡°Just how many Hunters are there?¡±

    Even if they knocked them down, and then knocked them down again, the tide of Hunters never ended. It seemed that there had been at least three hundred Hunters defeated by Heracles alone. Even so, Hunters continued to appear endlessly and rush toward the party.

    ¡°Die!!¡±

    However, to their relief, at some point, the number of Hunters was no longer being replenished.

    ¡°How is it on that side, Odysseus?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only asking now?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­you!¡±

    Heracles eximed in horror at Odysseus.

    ¡°You son of a bitch! You pushed them all over to me!¡± Heracles shouted at Odysseus, who looked quite lively. There were many fallen Hunters around Odysseus, but their numbers were abnormally fewpared to Heracles. In other words, Odysseus had pushed Hunters whom he was supposed to face toward Heracles.

    ¡°That was why it seemed like there was no end¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, by the way¡­¡± Odysseus said, also motioning over toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You¡­you too?!¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to save up a lot of energy.¡±

    Like Odysseus, Lee Jun-Kyeong had also made Heracles deal with therge number of Hunters in the midst of the confusion of battle.

    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve wanted to fight anyway, wasn¡¯t this something you should have enjoyed?¡±

    ¡°This is a matter of pride!¡±

    Although they were all talking as if they were rxed, before anyone knew it, the party had moved into a formation and stood near one another. All of them could feel it.

    ¡°Is this real?¡±

    ¡°Are they all Heroes?¡±

    Hel¡¯s voice drifted into the ears of Heracles and Odysseus, who were talking in disbelief.

    ¨COne hundred and twenty Hero-Grade Hunters are approaching.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at Heracles and said, ¡°How do you n on handling them all alone?¡±

    1. Yamata-no-Orochi is a mythical Japanese eight-headed serpent/dragon that is integral to the monarchy of Japan, as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, which came from the serpent¡¯s tail, is one of the three sacred imperial regalia of Japan. The Orochi fought against Susanoo in Japanese Myth, and is one of many cultural myths about a Hero fighting a Snake. There¡¯s a simr tale in both Greek (Olympus) and Norse (Asgard) Mythos. ??

 Chapter 210: Two Serpents Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 210: Two Serpents Pt. 5</h4>

    The party could sense the group of Heroes getting closer and closer.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying all of them are¡­¡±

    ¡°All of them are Heroes created by some ceremony?¡± Odysseus and Heracles asked as they found their ce in their formation.

    The information that Hel had brought was astounding. In the midst of the cataclysm and the confusion, Yashin had suddenly changed. He killed, subdued, and brainwashed the upper echelons of the Hunters.

    ¨CCorrect. They say that the first ceremony was a sacrifice of Hunters.

    After establishing his power, the first thing he did in the midst of the chaos was to sacrifice the Hunters who had refused to follow him. Yashin had gathered the Japanese citizens and began the ceremony before them.

    ¨CHe cut off their heads and¡­

    ¡°Wait a minute. We don¡¯t need that much detail. But basically, you¡¯re saying he consumed their souls,¡± Odysseus said, holding up his hands to stop Hel as if the thought made him queasy.

    ¡°Can you really not endure something like that as a Hunter?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between having to do something and being used to doing it.¡±

    Odysseus waved off Heracles¡¯ teasing as the signs of the approaching Heroes were getting closer.

    Hel continued as if trying to mediate between the two Hunters.

    ¨CThe ceremony has been held a total of seven times so far. The first ceremony had a thousand sacrifices, the second ceremony had two thousand¡­

    ¡°What a crazy bastard.¡±

    ¡°So then the number of humans that have been sacrificed so far¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been silent all this time, finally opened his mouth, ¡°Twenty-eight thousand¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s really gone off the rockers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±

    It was a number that made even Heracles balk.

    ¨CAs the ceremonies progressed, it seemed as though the number of Hunters were insufficient and that more sacrifices were needed since they were using ordinary humans.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¨CIt¡¯s a soul-devouring ceremony.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ Yashin is gaining the strength he has and his sanity through it¡­¡± Heracles said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and responded, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s maintaining his reason if it''s gotten to the point of offering humans as a living sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°...I guess that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Whether it''s his mind or his body, he¡¯s already be a Ruler,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, hispanions nodding in agreement.

    ¡°Yashin has obtained strength and has shared that power with the Hunters who followed him.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, with that power, he¡¯s been able to mass-produce Hunters and thus was able to increase the number of Heroes dramatically.¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus organized the information that they had gathered, while Lee Jun-Kyeong brought up another point, ¡°However, both the Hunters and the Heroes didn¡¯t earn their strength normally, and the Heroes that were created through Yashin¡¯s powers¡­¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t have titles.¡±

    They were all Heroes with no titles.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a monster, not a Hero,¡± Heracles said, smirking as if he had finally obtained a clear answer.

    <i>Prod.</i>

    Odysseus elbowed Heracles in the side as he red at the man who was feeling proud of himself.

    "What''s the matter?"

    "That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Odysseus''s eyes turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Come to think of it¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also a Hero without a title.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    As Heracles was about to speak, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly cut him off, ¡°They¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    There was no more time for them to talk.

    ¡°Damn it! Everyone dodge!¡± Heracles shouted, looking up to the sky.

    Thousands of arrows were falling from the sky, each arrow containing a threatening mana. Heracles began to move, trying to dodge, and as Odysseus tried to follow him, they both suddenly stopped at the sound that echoed in the air.

    <i>nk!</i>

    All of a sudden, a huge veil formed in the sky. It was a barrier used by high-ranking mage-type Hunters.

    ¡°You see, I¡¯ve learned some magic,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, smiling as he extended his hand.

    The arrows were shattered by the barrier, unable to reach the party. However, that didn¡¯t mean the attack was over. The Hunters had finally appeared, all of them with more than hero-grade strength, running in formation.

    ¡°What era is this supposed to be?¡±

    "I don''t think those are normal horses?"

    One hundred and twenty Hunters were quickly approaching them on the backs of horses. All were armed with heavy armor, katanas, and bows.

    ¡°Samurai¡­?¡±

    They each resembled the famed warriors of Japanese history, the samurai.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    Of course, the samurai from history hadn¡¯t been able to infuse mana into their katanas.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s test them out a little!¡± Heracles shouted.

    Although he had imed he was tired, when enemies had appeared before them, Heracles stepped forward once more, mming his gauntlets, which seemed as if they were on fire, forward again.

    ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    However, this time, Lee Jun-Kyeong was already running past the massive Hunter. His red spear was already held in hand, emitting a strange heat. Lee Jun-Kyeong''s speed as he ran forward was much faster than the samurai rampaging toward them on the horses.

    ¡°Because it looks like we¡¯ll have to hurry.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice was clearly audible even though it was far away, and Heracles and Odysseus could feel it too.

    ¡°The ceremony¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s started.¡±

    In the center of Tokyo, where the Association Headquarters would have been, a faint light began to stream out.

    <i>Shine!</i>

    It was beginning to form a pir of light.

    ¡°The First me,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his voice announcing the rise of the curtain on the battlefield.

    ¡°Ahhh!!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!!¡±

    Of course, there would be no curtain without a celebration, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was using the screams of his enemies as a weing of the y.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed his spear and ran forward.

    <i>¡®There are one hundred and twenty Heroes we have to face.¡¯</i>

    It was a force that was enough to take one¡¯s breath away just by hearing their numbers. Facing a hundred and twenty Heroes was more difficult than he could have imagined. Although none of them were Apex like Odin, it was still like colliding with the entirety of a secret organization.

    To do this right now would be like fighting alone against an entire secret organization. If it was before, they would probably think he was crazy. No, they would be thinking that right now as well.

    Looking at Heracles and Odysseus behind him he could tell that they were both astonished and bbergasted. One hundred and twenty Heroes was not something that anyone could deal with alone. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel an overwhelming surge of energy.

    <i>¡®I think it¡¯s possible.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t been able to have a proper fight even to this day, so right now, this was a perfect opportunity.

    ¡°I can rampage as much as I want.¡±

    A bizarre heat continued to exude from Muspel¡¯s Spear and enveloped Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Hiyaa!!¡±

    ¡°Die!!¡±

    It seemed to have sensed his recklessness as well. There was a sneer on the face of the enemy at the front of the charging horses. An impressive mana was imbued into their katanas as they rushed forward while swearing at him in Japanese. Each of the Heroes had activated their skills, theirbined mana enough to make Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skin tingle.

    <i>Screeeech.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly came to a stop like a car that had suddenly hit the brakes, his foot tearing into the road and bing deeply embedded.

    ¡°Hiyaa!!¡±

    The Japanese Hunters had gotten close to him before they knew it, raising their weapons with triumphant expressions. Their katanas, bows, and even their long spears were all imbued with a bluish mana.

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    Palpable waves of mana were undting off of the Hunters due to their synchronized activations of skills.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    In the midst of their attack, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a small breath. It was the basis of the mana stream. As he inhaled, his heart started to pound.

    <i>Thud! Thud!</i>

    A massive amount of mana flowed through him like it was being pumped. Passing through his hands, the mana infused into Muspel¡¯s Spear, the zing mes on the weapon ring up in intensity.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    The spear grew to three times its length as Lee Jun-Kyeong called out softly, ¡°The First me.¡±

    The First me was originally a skill of the Demon King that specialized in stabbing. Intense, ultra-high heat mes were imbued into a stab turning into a skill that incinerates and kills all enemies in a straight line.

    Originally, he had created it by imitating the Demon King¡¯s skill, so he had no choice but to use the First me skill exactly as the Demon King had. But now it was different.

    He had grown as a Hunter and as a human. Now, he could use a skill that was his own, and this was the first one.

    "Blossom!"[1]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swung the spear while casting The First me without stabbing forward like he was supposed to do. Like countless flowers in full bloom, sparks of me suddenly scattered from Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    [You havepleted an incredible achievement!]

    [A small amount of stats has been earned.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a notification in his ear.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> admires your achievements.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> has sponsored you additional stats.]

    It was truly a pleasant voice to hear after a long time.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not done yet.¡¯</i>

    The fully blooming flowers of me hadn¡¯t yet reached the enemies.

    ¡°Arthur¡¯s Swordsmanship¡­¡±

    [Shuffle.]

    "Merlin''s magic...¡±

    [Shuffle.]

    The things he had learned all had their own principles. Although it had just seemed that Lee Jun-Kyeong had only been outputting the same information he had been given, he actually understood it all.

    Just as he had learned the mana stream, Lee Jun-Kyeong had understood the basics of all of the techniques he had been taught. The structure and systems of mana, the movements of the body, the trajectory of the weapons, everything hade together.

    He knew it was a bit childish, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to be the one to name this technique.

    ¡°Dragon¡¯s Breath.¡±

    The mes of the fully blooming flowers of fire began to gather once more, forming into a circle.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    The mes, now rotating in a magic circle, spread all over the area, incinerating all that was around it and turning the area into and of hell.

    [You havepleted an Unbelievable Achievement!]

    [Additional stats¡­]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    The lines he had already heard once repeated themselves again.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath; he had consumed a lot of mana in a single attack. His heart was pumping like crazy, as if he had just been through an unbearable workout. He slowly looked around and couldn¡¯t even hear a scream.

    ¡°...¡±

    There was nothing left before him. The one hundred and twenty Heroes were gone.

    ¡°He¡­in one blow¡­¡±

    ¡°He killed them all.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t let it end like this.

    ¡°Hel!¡± he raised his arm and shouted.

    ording to Hel, the souls of the Hunters who had gained power from Yashin would go back to Yashin once they died. Once Yashin gained more souls, he would be stronger.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯</i>

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    A blurry astral figure circled around and grabbed the souls of the dead Heroes.

    ¨CMaster. It seems it will be difficult to hold onto them for a long time.

    As if Yashin¡¯s power had gotten this strong already, there were limits to even Hel¡¯s ability to hold onto the souls. The souls that were made visible through Hel¡¯s ability were howling like the ordinary people they had hunted.

    ¨CAghh!!

    ¨CSave me!

    Maybe because they had been consumed by mes, the souls were twisting into grotesque shapes. If this continued, it seemed that Hel would soon lose its grip and the souls would return to Yashin. However, they had also prepared for this.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu.¡±

    With a rattling sound, Hyeon-Mu, who hadn¡¯t been able to aid them so far, appeared next to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although his appearance was almost already like that of a human now, his true identity was closer to that of an undead.

    ¡°These are your new soldiers,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong quietly.

    Hyeon-Mu responded in a slightly more rigid tone.

    ¨CI¡¯ve received the master¡¯s favor. I will repay this by bing even more useful to you, Master.

    <i>Rattle.</i>

    An ufortable sound echoed across the battlefield as hundreds of skeletons appeared, all soldiers created by Hyeon-Mu.

    ¨CHel.

    Hyeon-Mu called out to Hel, to which the astral figure replied.

    ¨CUnderstood.

    The one hundred and twenty souls held by Hel began to seep into Hyeon-Mu¡¯s soldiers.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be, right?¡±

    As if in disbelief, the murmurs of Heracles and Odysseus echoed through the empty battlefield.

    ¡°Did the Underdog just gain the power of a hundred and twenty Heroes?¡±

    1. Something that I really appreciate about this Author is the use of naming. Not only has the Author been really good about sourcing even the most obscure mythos to name the characters based on their characteristics, but the naming of each of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s skills has also been almost poetic with regard to the Hanmun. The term blossom here means two different things based on the Hanmun used. ?? (é_»¨) means the moment a flower blooms, while ?? (é_»¯) means enlightenment. ??

 Chapter 211: Two Serpents Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 211: Two Serpents Pt. 6</h4>

    ¡°I thought my level would go up¡­what a shame.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that his level would have risen after wiping out a hundred and twenty Heroes, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t hear the notification that he had been waiting for. It was the same when he checked his status window. His level was still stuck at level 99.

    <i>¡®I wonder if it¡¯ll go up when I get a title.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong still had yet to be granted a title. He predicted that his level up and title woulde at the same time.

    ¡°...¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until he finished worrying about his level that he noticed the gazes directed at him. Heracles and Odysseus looked at him with wary gazes, babbling nonsense.

    ¡°I can see why people are so afraid of you.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why they call you a god¡­¡±

    ¡°But, back then, I was sure you were at a level where I could beat you up¡­¡±

    As they spoke, Lee Jun-Kyeong just smiled at them.

    <i>¡®How do you feel, are you satisfied?¡¯</i>

    At the same time, he spoke to Hyeon-Mu and Hel.

    ¨CThank you, Master.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s two familiars seemed to be happy with their newly acquired power. Through the coboration between Hel and Hyeon-Mu, the one hundred and twenty skeleton soldiers could no longer be called skeletons.

    ¨CUghhhh

    ¡°Have they all be Death Knights¡­?¡±

    They moved around moaning as if they were trying to say something, so it was obvious that they had be Death Knights, one of the top-level monsters among the undead species. Death Knights were monsters on the level of asionally appearing as Bosses in gates.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus justughed nkly as if the current situation was absurd. This was more than enough for them to enjoy their victory on this battlefield.

    ¡°The force is getting stronger,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong as he looked at the center of Tokyo.

    The aura that had risen dimly had now be visible, spreading toward the sky like an ominous pir of darkness. They all could clearly feel it growing.

    ¡°We have to hurry,¡± said Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    The party also quickly came to their senses and nodded.

    <i>Tadak!</i>

    They set off toward the city center. As they moved, they could feel gazes from all over, perceiving the gazes of the people through the closed windows and the gaps in the curtains.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although they immediately closed their curtains in fear, Lee Jun-Kyeong clearly saw their eyes.

    <i>¡®Hope¡­and fear.¡¯</i>

    Their eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions. Lee Jun-Kyeong then moved along, not concerning himself with them any further. He wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of everyone on his own. All he could do was hope that they would adapt to the changes ahead and survive through them.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing else I can do other than hope.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s steps quickened. The party headed toward the center of Tokyo as fast as they could toward the towering pir of darkness that spread through the sky.

    ***

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    The shaking mana seemed to overwhelm everything in its path.

    ¡°Agh!!¡±

    At the location of the ceremony, fueled by the screams of the people, the pir of darkness grew ever stronger. Soaring high into the sky, the Hunters were throwing the prepared offerings at the pir one after another. The pir of darkness was like a brazier that was meant to cultivate great power.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± Yashinughed lowly inside the pir.

    Every time a sacrifice was made, it felt like he was being filled with strength. Each time a person was sacrificed to the pirs of darkness, a great feeling of pleasure ran wildly through him.

    He remarked, ¡°It feels like I¡¯m being born again.¡±

    Although it was apanied by the pain of having his body torn apart, even that was still enjoyable. He could see before his very eyes new flesh growing underneath every tear, rebuilding his body as it tore itself to shreds. It was at this moment that he felt as though he was truly escaping from the shackles of his humanity.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Yashin shouted andmanded, to which the Hunters responded loudly and increased the speed at which they presented the offerings.

    No matter how much the sacrifices resisted, there was no recourse for their freedom. Though some rebelled, all that urred was their limbs being cleaved off, leaving only their torsos to be thrown into the pir of darkness.

    There was nowhere for them to escape, and even if they did, their families would be sacrificed in their stead instead. To leave was to subject what they held dear to be sacrificed instead. For the sake of Japan¡¯s peace, they were those who had been sacrificed and given as offerings for the nation.

    ¡°HAHAHA!¡±

    Yashinughed madly, descending into revelry, when all of a sudden, the Hunter¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°The samurai were wiped out.¡±

    The Heroes he had created were human weapons that he had created by strengthening Hunters and granting them the powers of Heroes. He had felt them, who had been sent to catch the Underdog, being annihted. Yashin staggered for a moment with a great sense of loss.

    ¡°Their power was taken¡­?¡±

    Yashin¡¯s pupils dted in surprise. His eyes had alreadypletely changed over into snake-like slits. For a moment, he was ovee by loss and anger, but he soon settled his emotions, smiling again.

    ¡°Thest rites have begun. That kind of loss is worth it for this.¡±

    There was more to gain here than he had lost, and it was enough that the samurai had stopped them for a moment. In the midst of the ceremony was when he was at his most vulnerable as Yashin had to repeatedly cycle through death and rebirth in the pir of darkness.

    ¡°All Hunters will go and stop them,¡± Yashin dered abstractly.

    However, soon after, he shook his head.

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    As if remembering something he had forgotten, Yashin turned his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a debt to settle with the Underdog?¡±

    There was a card right next to him for him. It was more certain to work than the Hunters so he had better make use of it. In fact, it was the one who had helped him obtain such strength.

    Yashin had asked for help from the Underdog, but when he had been rejected, he had reached out to the man. Although the man was like a benefactor, he, who seemed weaker than himself, was no longer worthy to be deemed an equal. To Yashin, he was just another plebeian for him to give orders.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and deal with them? If it¡¯s you, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be impossible for you to take the Underdog down.¡±

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    Something rose out of the shadows, and Hunters and ordinary humans alike trembled like an aspen in the wind. Unlike Yashin, who was restraining his power for the sacrifices, the man who had appeared at this moment was exuding a horrifying terror to everyone.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± the man said, almost as if he was yawning.

    ¡°Are you ordering me?¡± he continued in a small voice.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    Yashin suddenly shuddered.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid?¡¯</i>

    What he had just felt was the feeling of fear. He had taken off his human facade and was bing a god, so it was unbelievable to even think that he would have felt something like that. As his state of mind began to crack, Yashin came to his senses as the voice in the shadow spoke once more.

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s not a bad suggestion.¡±

    <i>¡®No, there must have been something wrong just now,¡¯</i> Yashin thought to himself.

    It was only because the final rites were currently underway and that he was momentarily vulnerable, which was why he had randomly felt so strange.

    <i>¡®Good. After the ceremony, I will be a God.¡¯</i>

    At that time, he would be the one who wouldn¡¯t have to fear anything anymore. Yashin convinced himself it was okay for him to swallow his pride for now.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    The shadow agreed, ¡°Good, as the sess of your ceremony is something I¡¯m looking forward to as well.¡±

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    The shadow soon copsed and disappeared, and where it had just been, only sand remained.

    ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡±

    The shadow disappeared, and Yashinughed to himself loudly. As the ceremony progressed, he could feel his power begin to burgeon, and it was a mighty power that didn¡¯t require him to rely on any sponsorship from a Sponsor.

    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not quite right,¡± he said, shaking his head. He already knew the true meaning of this ceremony. This was a ceremony that would make it no longer need sponsorship at all.

    ¡°Because I will be the Sponsor.¡±

    ***

    ¡°This really is disgusting. There¡¯s no end to them.¡±

    ¡°I think I understand now why Japan didn¡¯t suffer any damage during the cataclysm.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re able to maintain this level of power even after the cataclysm ends¡­¡±

    ¡°Even conquering the world is possible.¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus were talking as if they were just gossiping back and forth. However, they weren¡¯t just sitting around either.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    When Heracles¡¯ fist struck the ground, Hunters would be catapulted into the air.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Then, Odysseus, not missing a beat, sliced the Hunters, cutting them in two.

    Not only were the two of them a fantasy duo for gossiping, but they were also a primetimebo forbat. However, just as they had said, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also frightened by the sheer number of Hunters flocking toward them.

    ¡°It really is disgusting.¡±

    Since the number of ordinary humans increased as they went toward the center of the city, Tokyo, it wasn¡¯t possible for them to use any wide-area attacks. He was attacking by sweeping through the Hunters as much as possible, but there was still a limit to what he could do.

    Finally, Hyeon-Mu, who was standing alongside Lee Jun-Kyeong, spoke up, ¡°I will step in, Master.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s soldiers had merged with the souls of the Heroes, and finally, their transformations had beenpleted.

    ¡°Good. Hyeon-Mu, I¡¯ll leave it to you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the Familiar while nodding. If the enemy was pushing forward with numbers, then they had no choice but to match their push with numbers.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head and shouted, ¡°We will be pushing forward again!¡±

    ¡°What about here?¡±

    ¡°This ce has¡­¡±

    ¨CGroaaaaan.

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s soldiers, which had disappeared for some time, now emerged from the battlefield, now fully transformed into the blue undead knights, the Death Knights.

    ¨CGroaaaaan.

    The knights moved at an iparable speed and drew their swords. However, Hyeon-Mu hadn¡¯t even started yet. The Familiar stretched out both of his hands and called out, ¡°Rise.¡±

    One hundred and twenty Heroes had attacked them, each one riding a horse that was also unusual. The horses had also been killed by Lee Jun-Kyeong, and¡­

    ¨CNeigh!!

    ¡­all of them had been revived as blue ghost horses.

    Each radiated a bluish light mixed with the dark aura of death, exuding a mysterious feeling.

    ¡°Mount!¡± Hyeon-Mumanded as the Death Knights began to ride their steeds.

    ¡°This is your first battle.¡±

    A smile forms on the corner of Hyeon-Mu¡¯s mouth. Now, the expression on the Familiar¡¯s face, which had beenpletely indecipherable when he had been a skeleton, was clearly visible.

    ¡°Show your strength to the Master.¡±

    ¨CNeigh!!

    The horses started to gallop as the Death Knights riding them raised their swords with heavy expressions, as if they had been given the order of a lifetime.

    ¡°Sweep them all!¡±

    At the same time, Hyeon-Mu¡¯s spell exploded over the Hunters. Although he specialized in wide-area magic, his mana control was extremely precise. Therefore, the Familiar was able to control his spell to hunt only his desired targets. A path was opened on the battlefield.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°How great!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ran forward, followed by Heracles and Odysseus. Now, the Headquarters of the Association was right before their very noses.

    A gigantic pir of darkness that soared high into the sky, piercing the heavens, exuded an even darker aura. They could feel that the ceremony had reached its climax. Once it was over, it would be dangerous.

    They didn¡¯t know what sort of situation would unfold. However, they knew that Yashin would be stronger than when he had met with him before.

    ¡°Because it''s thest ceremony¡­he¡¯ll be iparably stronger than before.¡±

    It was dangerous, so they had to hurry.

    ¡°Dodge it!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly shouted. Heracles and Odysseus threw themselves to the side without questioning him.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Something had appeared where they had just been standing, and it was deeply embedded into the ground. Moreover, another one of the projectiles was also flying over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong deflected it off to the side.

    <i>Tremble!</i>

    However, in doing so, he could feel Muspel¡¯s Spear tremble furiously as the projectile had a tremendous amount of force behind it. It was an incredible amount of power, and the shock vibrated through his whole body, almost as if he had just collided with a mountain.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over to what he had just deflected.

    ¡°A Kopesh¡­¡±

    Embedded into the floor was a Kopesh, a traditional Egyptian weapon, a curved scimitar shaped like a sickle. At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze turned back to where the kopesh hade from.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    As far as he knew, there was only one group of Hero-Grade Hunters who wielded the kopesh.

    ¡°The Jackals¡­and their captain Set.¡±

    ¡°Long time no see. Underdog.¡±

    The shadow visible in the air slowly took shape. It was definitely the same Set that he had faced once before, the one who had followed the person they had presumed to be the Demon King.

    Set had fled instead of dying during the battle between Lee Jun-Kyeong and him, but he was now standing right before Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You cannot go past this ce, Underdog.¡±

 Chapter 212: Two Serpents Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 212: Two Serpents Pt. 7</h4>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Set and said, ¡°Looks like you managed to survive.¡±

    <i>That </i>day had been like an awakening. For the first time, he had experienced Multiple Sponsorship, and it was also the day that Set had disappeared alongside the sudden appearance of a massive crater in Egypt.

    ¡°Well, I just about died back then, but¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it emanating from Set as the Hunter stared back at him. It was a power that had reached such an extent that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how he could have been hiding such a huge aura until now.

    ¡°You see, I received help from <i>that being</i>.¡±

    ¡°As I expected¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    He had searched the ce where Set had disappeared countless times, and the only thing he had found was a piece of cloth.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back at Set andmented, ¡°The Demon King had saved you.¡±

    ¡°The Demon King? Are you all referring to <i>that being </i>as the Demon King?¡± Set responded, the corners of his mouth curling up as if he was interested. While Set spoke, Lee Jun-Kyeong signaled at Heracles and Odysseus with his eyes.

    <i>¡®Go.¡¯</i>

    Even now, as they were speaking to Set, the ceremony was still going on. It would be impossible for Heracles or Odysseus to stop Set.

    <i>¡®Yashin should be vulnerable while the ceremony takes ce. Hurry.¡¯</i>

    Thus, the best course of action was for Lee Jun-Kyeong to hold Set back himself and send Heracles and the rest of the party to the origin of the ceremony.

    ¡°So the Demon King¡­ I¡¯m sure <i>that being</i> said something along those lines as well.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened. One of his assumptions had just been confirmed by Set¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®The Demon King remembers the future.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t the only one who had returned from the future. The Demon King also remembered the events in history and knew that he was the Demon King. Confirming that was huge.

    ¡°However, <i>that being</i> shouldn¡¯t be given the title Demon King,¡± Set firmly said as he looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°No, he is a Demon God. He could never be belittled with just the title of a King.¡±[1]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong gripped his spear and said to Set, ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If it¡¯s the Devil¡­unfortunately, that title should belong to me.¡±

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong kicked off the ground and soared high into the sky above Set, who had been standing on even ground with him.

    ¡°Now!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, brandishing Muspel¡¯s Spear from well above Set¡¯s gaze. The burning spear zed as his Dragon¡¯s Breath moved to dominate the battlefield once more.

    <i>ROAR!</i>

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    Fortunately, Heracles¡¯ party had recognized Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s signal and started to run. Although the Jackals quickly began to pounce toward them, indignant at being underestimated, Heracles began to exude a fearsome aura.

    ¡°Looks like you idiots really seem to think I¡¯m some easy punching bag or something!¡±

    His gauntlets started to shake as if they were about to burst. Without hesitation, Heracles mmed the ground with a fist.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    His gauntlet exploded and sent fragments of earth everywhere. However, Heracles wasn¡¯t done with just that.

    ¡°I am Heracles!¡±

    He shouted his name and struck the air with the other hand he hadn¡¯t used yet.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The fragments that had hit the ground and shot out everywhere suddenly changed directions, flying toward the mana that was bursting through the air.

    <i>ng, ng, ng, ng!</i>

    The sound of metal shing repeated dozens of times over.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The groans of the oppressed Jackals echoed through the space. They were trained elite Hunters and were the most elite of Heroes. However, Heracles¡¯ attack had been enough to overwhelm them.

    Still, their strength wasn¡¯t something to beughed at. Although the Jackals had all been wounded, none of them had died. However, that was all Heracles had been aiming for, anyway.

    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough in the first ce!¡±

    As Heracles and Odysseus ran away, Odysseus withdrew a bow from his inventory for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used this.¡±

    It was a longbow that looked unusual, even at a nce. Odysseus nocked an arrow without any hesitation and shot it high into the sky.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    The singr arrow suddenly split while in the sky into dozens of arrows, raining down on the Jackals almost as if they had honed onto their bodies. The Jackals were quickly forced to raise their khopeshes and ready themselves for the arrows.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave it to you, then!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Underdog!¡±

    There was a gap, and finally, Heracles and Odysseus had escaped the battlefield.

    ¡°Jackals.¡± The sound of Set''s voice echoed throughout the battlefield. ¡°Catch and kill your prey.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The Jackals, having blocked the arrows, quickly nodded and disappeared. The situation had unfolded just as Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted. However, his expression was still not good.

    ¡°Now, it looks like the picture you had wanted isplete, Underdog.¡±

    It was because Set¡¯s expression was so rxed, and it waspletely unable to be read.

    <i>¡®Does he think that the ceremony won¡¯t be stopped?¡¯</i>

    Or could it be something else?

    ¡°Do you want the ceremony to fail?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. Looking at his indecipherable expression, he then readied himself for battle.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The sound of explosions rocked the air from behind them from Hyeon-Mu and Hel¡¯s battle, while Heracles and Odysseus had already gone ahead.

    ¡°Answer me, please.¡±

    Now it was his turn.

    <i>m!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his foot and mmed it down on the ground.

    <i>Crack!!!</i>

    The road split in front of him. From within the crack, mes raged and soon began to erupt.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    As if forming a magic circle, the erupting mes quickly surrounded and engulfed Set and Lee Jun-Kyeong. As if feeling the heat encroach over him, Set began to spread his hands and move.

    Then, he finally gave the answer that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted, ¡°It¡¯s because the ceremony has already beenpleted.¡±

    <i>Rip!!</i>

    The sound of space itself tearing rang out. Before anyone realized it, Muspel¡¯s Spear was touching the base of Set¡¯s throat.

    ***

    Muspel''s Spear was held at the base of Set¡¯s throat, and even though Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to pierce through his throat at any moment, he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Demon King¡¯s goal?¡±

    There was too little information. The information he had obtained from history or the book written by the Demon King was useless by this point as Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know the purpose of the Demon King with the world that the man had changed.

    Set was definitely the Demon King¡¯s subordinate.

    ¡°Did you really think I would say something?¡±

    However, Set was rxed, even as Muspel¡¯s Spear was held on his throat. Lee Jun-Kyeong, as if expressing that his threat was no simple bluff, pushed forward the spear de slightly.

    <i>Squelch.</i>

    A drop of blood seeped onto the tip of the zing spear point and fizzled.

    ¡°Actually, I think I¡¯ll be the one to ask.¡±

    Even with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s driving move, Set¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°It¡¯s not toote now, so why don¡¯t you join hands with us?"

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    Set disappeared from before him even though Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t sensed any signs of him making a move.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Then, Set, who had disappeared from before his eyes, swung his khopesh. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly reacted, raising his spear to block the blow.

    ¡°I know that the world that you desire is a world where ordinary people and Hunters live in harmony,¡± Set said as he took a step backward. ¡°<i>We</i> can create that world.¡±

    ¡°Is that the Demon King¡¯s purpose?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°No, his will is far greater than that.¡±

    Set¡¯s face finally had a readable expression: Ecstasy. It was the feeling of having achieved something huge, something to aspire for.

    ¡°He will be the god of this world,¡± Set said, dering his final intentions. ¡°He will force all to their knees and stand on top of all existence.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the world already been ruined, though?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°It is as he desires,¡± Set retorted, shutting Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth. ¡°He desires to purify this polluted world. To turn it all into nothing and start anew, reforming a pristine world.¡±

    Set stretched out both hands, the two khopeshes he dual-wielded soaring high into the sky.

    ¡°He will be the God of a new world, and everything will be ording to his will¡­ He desires to create a fair world without conflict or irrationality. What do you think? Is this not the world you desire, Underdog?¡±

    Set seemed to truly follow the Demon King and support his will.

    ¡°Let us join hands. The Demon King also desires you. Moreover, I don¡¯t hate you either, so¡­¡±

    Set was talking to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a faint smile, but then he suddenly stopped speaking. As his eyes slowly descended, he saw that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given up on their polite conversation somewhere along the line.

    "So that''s the purpose of the Demon King?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a cool tone. Muspel¡¯s Spear stuck out of Set¡¯s chest.

    ¡°...¡±

    Set stood, unable to respond. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think that Set would die just from having his chest pierced.

    ¡°It will be difficult for you to survive this time.¡±

    <i>Shing!!</i>

    Muspel¡¯s Spear resonated with his intent. The spear in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand began to glow red, emitting pure heat.

    <i>Hiss.</i>

    An intense heat erupted from the spear, causing the air to tremble as Set¡¯s blood vaporized into smoke as it flowed down the spear''s body.

    ¡°Well, that grand n, unfortunately, will fail.¡±

    <i>Roar!</i>

    mes erupted from the cracked ground, rushing toward Set and beginning to coalesce. A ball of me circled around Set, trapping the Hunter in a ze.

    ¡°I will stop it.¡±

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong pulled Muspel¡¯s Spear out of Set¡¯s torso and stepped back. Set struggled to escape the mes, but the mes that clung to his body seemed unwilling to let the Hunter go. The extremely condensed and oppressive inferno spewed over itself, radiating a sweltering heat as if it could melt anything it touched.

    The very space it existed in copsed as the void tore itself apart as the oppressive inferno created by Lee Jun-Kyeong incinerated everything. There was no way that Set would be able to survive while within it, or at least that was what Lee Jun-Kyeong assumed.

    <i>¡®But, why am I still so anxious?¡¯</i>

    That was why he couldn''t leave. The orb of me slowly consumed its strength and faded. In the space where the sphere of me had dissipated, everything had returned to nothingness and be ashes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached the ce where nothing should have existed.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    The heat from whatever mes had still remained was enough to burn his clothes. Then, in disbelief, Lee Jun-Kyeong knelt down and picked up the remnants on the ground, letting them sift through his fingers.

    <i>Shhhh.</i>

    It was evident from what was flowing through his fingers.

    ¡°Sand¡­¡±

    <i>¡®Set has run away once again.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked back.

    <i>Boom!!</i>

    A raging tempest washed over Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the gale contained a sticky and unpleasant aura.

    ¡°The ceremony¡­!¡±

    He could tell at a nce where the wind wasing from, from the pir of darkness that had already pierced through the sky. Heracles and Odysseus had been sent first, but they had failed to stop the ceremony. The pir of darkness that pierced the sky slowly closed in and shrunk. In the center of the pir that was growing smaller, an ear-piercing howl erupted.

    For some reason, that grotesque and sullen howl that reverberated in his ears sounded like a newborn baby crying for the first time as it entered the world. He could feel an incredible auraing from the source of the howl.

    ¡°It¡¯s a real monster¡­¡±

    From it, he could feel a monster that couldn¡¯t bepared to anything he had seen before had been born in Tokyo, emerging from the pir of darkness with pale white hair waving in the wind.

    1. Demon God is the literal trantion of the term Devil from the chapter where Lee Jun-Kyeong states he wants to be a Devil and not a Demon King. ??

 Chapter 213: Two Serpents Pt. 8

    <h4>Chapter 213: Two Serpents Pt. 8</h4>

    ¡°Damn it!!!!¡± Heracles screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Throw the offerings inside!¡±

    Although they had run as fast as they could to the source of the ceremony, when they arrived, all they saw was thest of the offerings being thrown into the pir of darkness.

    The final offering had been a child who didn¡¯t seem to have even reached fifteen. The child was dragged at the hands of a Hunter and roughly thrown like trash into the pir of darkness. The scene of the child screaming seared itself into the minds of Heracles and Odysseus.

    Against all expectations, they didn¡¯t find the dark pir of darkness, the ceremonial offerings, or even Yashin himself. Instead, there was a monstrous, massive white serpent before them.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    ¡°A D¡­dragon??!!¡±

    ¡°N¡­ no, it''s not,¡± Odysseus said, slowly getting back up. Blood was dripping from his head, and his clothes were all dusty.

    ¡°It sort of looks like a serpent?¡±

    He had never seen a serpent of such massive size, but the pupils and the feeling it gave off was definitely that of a serpent. They soon confirmed what it was. The white serpent that stared down upon them clearly opened its mouth and spewed something over them.

    ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    A blue-purple liquid fell toward Heracles and Odysseus.

    <i>Shhhhh.</i>

    The two quickly dodged as the blue-purple liquid cascaded over where they had just been, melting everything it touched and corroding quickly deep into the ground, seemingly descending forever.

    ¡°If we get even a little bit of that liquid onto us¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll die.¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus looked at each other and nodded. They had failed to stop the ceremony.

    <i>Grit.</i>

    They were unable to even save a child. In return, the price for their failure towered over them. A white serpent slithered its long neck back and forth as if it could pierce through the heavens.

    ¡°Is that¡­¡± Odysseus looked up at the sky as he spoke.

    The serpent was writhing around as if it was in pain after spewing the liquid toward the two of them.

    ¡°Is that supposed to be Yashin¡­?!¡±

    Yashin, who they hade all this way to find, was nowhere to be seen. All that had appeared in ce of the fading pir of darkness was the white serpent in front of them.

    Looking at the serpent tower over them, it was easy for them to infer that Yashin, who had gained the power of the Rulers, had be the serpent itself, turning into a monster.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t arrived yet either.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve only had a pitiful showing since arriving in Japan,¡± Heracles said, looking at the serpent in anger.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do something before the Underdoges?¡± Odysseus responded in turn.

    Compared to Heracles, Odysseus was normally rtively docile. However, right now, he was radiating a simr fighting spirit to his partner. It was because of his overwhelming feeling of helplessness.

    This came about from not being able to save someone that he wanted to save, and it was something he hadn¡¯t wanted to ever feel again after bing a Hero.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± Odysseus said, pulling out his bow, a weapon he rarely ever used.

    His bow was a weapon that was ever close to being a divine weapon, and it was rare to see even within Olympus. However, to Odysseus, it was just an object that reminded him of painful memories. It was also the reason why he was with Heracles, who was often called the outsider of Olympus.

    Heracles looked at the bow and said, ¡°Penelope¡¯s Bow¡­¡±

    She had been Odysseus¡¯ belovedpanion, Hunter, and Hero, and the bow was a memento that had been left behind when she had died.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that name in a long time.¡±

    Although Odysseus aimed his arrows calmly, it was inevitable that his memories would be written in the creases on his brows.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you and I agreed,¡± Heracles said as he imbued strength into both gauntlets.

    The two weren''t looking at each other. Instead, both were staring at the white serpent that twisted its massive head.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    The mana emanating from Heracles¡¯ body crushed and pulverized the entire area around him as his eyes turned redder and redder. Odysseus also drew upon his mana as Penelope¡¯s Bow radiated light. The weapon resonated with his mana and began to strengthen the arrow knocked on its string.

    They both knew that the huge serpent in front of them was a monster that would be difficult for the two of them to handle. However, they hadn¡¯t be Hunters just to run away from an enemy they couldn¡¯t match. Rather, they had be Hunters in order <i>to</i> face such unmatchable enemies.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, since we¡¯ve felt this level of tension.¡±

    Their feet slowly fell as they walked forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The first to step forward was, as always, Heracles. ¡°Die, friend.¡±

    In one hand, the silhouette of a lion enveloped his fist, while the other had the shape of a bear. Soon, both silhouettes began to take on a reddish glow from their originally blue outlines.

    Madness was the source of Heracles¡¯ power that influenced and changed everything, and it was an insanity that he had only drawn upon to an extent he could control. However, now, it was time for him to let go of the reins.

    <i>Swish!</i>

    An arrow passed by his ear as he rushed toward the serpent¡¯s head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not some hopeless damsel, either,¡± Odysseus said, his arrow flying through the air and striking the white serpent on the head

    ¨CHowl!!!

    ***

    Heracles grabbed the serpent''s head.

    Although the head of the giant serpent was far toorge for human hands to grasp, Heracles¡¯ hands were not normal. One hand had be a massive lion and coiled itself around the serpent¡¯s head, while the other had be a huge bear, crushing the serpent between itself.

    In between the two beasts, Heracles roared violently, ¡°<i>Keugah!!!!</i>¡±

    <i>Drip, drip.</i>

    The red light flowing from Madnesspletely coated his blood. Although the venom that flowed from the mouth of the serpent fell to the ground like rain, it was unable to reach Heracles. While Heracles barely held on to the dredges of his sanity, he signaled Odysseus to make his move.

    ¡°Shoot¡­it!!!¡±

    <i>Thud, thud, thud, thud!</i>

    In the blink of an eye, the sound of flesh being pierced repeated continuously in Heracles¡¯ ear. The serpent''s head was filled with countless holes as if it had be a honeb with arrows lodged deep inside.

    <i>Tak!</i>

    At that point, Heracles, even without a signal from Odysseus, let go of the serpent¡¯s head and fell far away.

    ¨CRoar!!!!

    The serpent screamed and searched for its enemies. It tried to spew venom at Heracles, but suddenly, the arrows stuck in its head began to explode all at once.

    <i>Boom! Boom, boom, boom, boom!</i>

    It was enveloped in a mix of explosions and mana, and it became messed up to the point that even the outline of its head couldn¡¯t be distinguished. Odysseus hadpleted his role, and now, it was Heracles'' turn again.

    ¡°This is the end! You dog bastard!¡±

    It was a situation where the limit of Madness that the Hunter could handle had already been far exceeded. However, Heracles emitted even more red light, forcing himself even more beyond the limit.

    The cataclysm had granted him growth.

    <i>¡®Because everything around me has changed,</i> <i>I can change, too.¡¯</i>

    There were no more limits.

    Red blood flowed from Heracles'' mouth and eyes. With one hand a lion, the other a bear, he sped his hands together and joined the two beasts as one.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A grotesque mixture of lions, bears, and numerous other beasts formed, emitting a blood-like red light as if spewing a fountain of blood, awakening a primal fear within the enemy. Alongside the terrifying beast created bybining all that he had into a single blow, Heracles twisted his body while in the air and fell.

    He fell not toward the head of the serpent where a massive hole was, but instead toward the long neck connected to the head.

    ¡°DIE!¡±

    Heracles'' hands struck the serpent''s neck like a sledgehammer.

    <i>Ding.</i>

    There was a small tremor at the point of impact.

    ¨CBOOM!!!!!!!

    Then, a huge cascade of energy burst forth as if it would destroy the world as an explosion rocked the very air.

    <i>BOOOM!</i>

    Thick smoke covered the sky like volcanic ash as something cut through the smoke and plummeted down.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    However, the falling figure luckily didn¡¯t suffer the humiliation of being thrown to the ground by his own blow and was rather quickly caught by Odysseus.

    ¡°You did well,¡± Odysseus said to the figure as he held it from falling. It was a distorted lump of a person, but it was still clearly recognizable as Heracles. Luckily, he was still breathing.

    ¡°Did we really¡­take it down¡­?¡± asked the almost terrifyingly battered Heracles.

    The smoke slowly dissipated as Odysseus peered through the remnants of smoke and opened his mouth slowly.

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    What they saw before them in the gaps between the disappearing smoke was a huge serpent that had been horribly crushed. Theirbined attack against the serpent that was sorge that it seemed impossible for humans to take down had been sessful as the drooping head of the serpent didn¡¯t seem able to get back up.

    ¡°So, then we too¡­have an exnation to give to the Underdog¡­¡± Heracles said with a faint smiling, passing out immediately after his words.

    Instead of rampaging mindlessly due to the uncontroble Madness, he stopped himself by forcing himself to faint. However, at that moment, Odysseus muttered as he watched the scene before his eyes unfold on his own, ¡°That''s¡­that¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    <i>Gurgle, gurgle.</i>

    There was a grotesque gurgling as the serpent¡¯s head, which had seemingly fallen down and copsed¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s not dead¡­???¡±

    It started to rise once again.

    ¡°Fu¨C¡±

    Then, it soon began to split into several pieces and was regenerating. Something was unfolding right before Odysseus¡¯ eyes. The head of the serpent, which had been one, split and created more and more heads like a tangled thread.

    Eventually, a total of eight heads formed.

    ¡°What the hell are we dealing with¡­¡±

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    As Odysseus mumbled to himself helplessly, one of the heads plummeted down toward the two Hunters, tearing through the space.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong ran quickly. With every step he crushed the ground under him and split through the heavens, moving so quickly that it seemed that he was skipping through the void.

    However, his journey wasn¡¯t easy.

    ¡°Set¡­!¡±

    Set was obviously not dead and continuously hindered him as if to buy time. The sand floating in the sky hurtled toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, attacking him whenever he ran above a certain velocity.

    As if it was made from something terrifying, it continuously would break through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s defense and hinder his steps. He would rather have fought and crushed an enemy with an actual body and advanced forward, but the sand in his way just continued to absorb mana and deftly move around him, buying time.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Then, although he hadn¡¯t even arrived yet, he saw the head of the white serpent fall to the ground.

    <i>¡®A white serpent.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to find out the identity of the monster in his sights in his memory. However, he had no idea what that white serpent could be. He had been wracking his mind for the unknown monster, but the serpent soon seemed to be defeated by Heracles and Odysseus.

    ¡°Are we good now¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped for a moment seeing the serpent fall, but soon began to move even faster.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The sand rushed toward him again, but Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly covered his whole body in a zing inferno.

    ¡°Screw off!¡±

    He could feel an enormous amount of mana draining away like the ebb of the ocean as a terrifying heat took over the space, so hot that it didn¡¯t distinguish between friend or foe. The power he had created was so vast that at this point, it had reached an extent that it was able to affect the ordinary humans hiding in Tokyo.

    However, he couldn¡¯t help it.

    <i>¡®Not like this¡­!¡¯</i>

    He refused to lose Heracles and Odysseus. He had approached the location of the ceremony before he knew it, and the serpent was raising its head just as Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought.

    The destroyed head was splitting apart, regenerating into an eight-headed monster. The feeling of its aura was overwhelming.

    The aura that expanded from the mutated serpent was to an extent that it couldn¡¯t bepared whatsoever with the appearance that it had before it had copsed, enveloping Tokyo as if it was passing the city to consume the entirety of Japan.

    One of the heads that had fully regenerated was plummeting down with its head aimed toward the ground.

    ¡°No!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong elerated even more as a terrifying inferno erupted from his back like rockets. The sand that had been interfering with his movement from Set had already disappeared as Lee Jun-Kyeong reached out a hand as he heard the sound of an explosion rupture in his ear.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

 Chapter 214: A Single Serpent

    <h4>Chapter 214: A Single Serpent</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The serpent¡¯s head collided with the ground, causing a massive explosion. The scattering debris and cascading rumble gave the illusion as if the sky itself had copsed. From the midst of the flying debris, Lee Jun-Kyeong appeared with a groan.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    He dragged a body in each hand. Theyy limp as he quickly escaped from the center of the chaos andnded nearby.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked as he put the two people, Heracles and Odysseus, down.

    On one hand, Heracles was still seemingly passed out as if he had lost unconsciousness, while on the other, Odysseus, awake, muttered to himself haphazardly as if he couldn¡¯tprehend what he had just seen, ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put his hand on Heracles'' body, and with a bright light, Heracles¡¯plexion began to get better.

    ¡°He¡¯lle to his senses soon.¡±

    The magic he had learned from Merlin was really bing more and more useful.

    Odysseus then called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had already turned back as if to leave, ¡°Are you really going to deal with that?¡±

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    The serpent that had only had one head had suddenlye back to life with seven more, and the pressure that had already been overwhelming when it had only had one head had now be so all-epassing that the Hunter couldn¡¯t control his body properly.

    Odysseus could feel it. That serpent was a monster, and it was a monster that couldn¡¯t bepared to anything he had ever faced.

    Almost¡­

    It was almost like a dragon brought about to herald the end of the world.

    ¡°There¡¯s no other choice, is there?¡±

    However, even in front of such an enemy, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke calmly.

    ¡°<i>Geughhh</i>.¡±

    ¡°H¡­ Heracles?¡±

    With a small moaning sound, Odysseus¡¯ focus shifted, asking another question, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Heracles'' condition was critical. Madness was a power that would consume its user, and Heracles hadpletely unleashed all the Madness within him in order to deal with an unmatchable foe. The effects of his decision were easy to see.

    <i>Ssssss.</i>

    Just from the level of red light almost bursting from his body was enough to guess at his condition. As soon as the Hunter woke up, the Madness he had unleashed had begun to devour him. With every rattling breath, more and more red light began to be emitted.

    <i>Flicker!</i>

    However, a vast mana emanated from Lee Jun-Kyeong and swept over the Hunter.

    ¡°Hu¡­huh¡­?¡±

    Heracles stretched out his hands in surprise.

    Although Heracles and Odysseus may not have known it, Lee Jun-Kyeong also had Madness. Not only did he have Madness that he had obtained from the red ore, but he also had the demonic mana possessed by Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had grown to more and more increasing heights, had reached a level that transcended fully manipting his own Madness. He was now able to even affect Madness within others. However, that didn¡¯t mean that everything was okay.

    Hemented, ¡°The Madness within you is greater than I thought, Heracles. You have about an hour with which you can hold your sanity together¡­any more than that, and you might not be able toe back.¡±

    If Heracles ever gotpletely consumed by Madness, then he would be a berserker, just like the Heracles of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s past. That man had be a berserker and even killed his partner, Odysseus.

    He would be crossing a river of no return.[1]

    ¡°How nice.¡±

    Still, Heracles seemed satisfied enough with the result. He had amplified his Madness, but he had nevertheless been able to conserve his sanity. Moreover, it had even seemed like he could take things further.

    ¡°Can you really say something like that with that <i>thing</i> right in front of you?¡± Odysseus said, seemingly scolding the Hunter as he stood up and lifted his bow.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been on a raid,¡± he continued to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    It had been a really long while since he had been on a raid to take down a boss within a gate, let alone a boss with this much power.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s try killing that crazy serpent bastard.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­there¡¯s no reason we shouldn¡¯t be able to?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong remarked, now feeling Hyeon-Mu and even Hel approaching from afar.

    They seemed to have finished off their enemies at this point and were returning to join them. All of their cards had gathered on the table.

    ¨CROAR!!!!!

    ¨CROARR!!!!!!!

    Eight heads howled and red at the party, exuding a mighty aura.

    ¡°Does anyone know what Yashin¡¯s title was?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    Yashin was a Hero who had been secretly raised in Japan. That was why he had been unfamiliar even when Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen him in Egypt. His title was also shrouded in secrecy, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had no knowledge of what it could be.

    However, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t the same for Olympus.

    ¡°Orochi.¡±

    ¡°ording to the information we had gathered, his title is Orochi.¡±

    ¡°Orochi¡­¡±

    The moment Lee Jun-Kyeong said Yashin¡¯s title, a voice rang out.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> faces the Eight-Headed Serpent head-on.]

    It called out to the Eight-Headed Serpent.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    Then soon, what followed was somethingpletely unexpected.

    [The true name of the Eight-Headed Serpent is forcibly revealed.]

    "What?"

    ¡°Forcibly reveal its true name?¡±

    [New Mission]

    Simultaneously, the Sponsors of Heracles and Odysseus also requested the same from the two of them as The Sky of the Apocalypse did for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [Subdue Yamata no Orochi.]

    The group looked at each other. Not a single person had been given a mission since the advent of the Cataclysm, but now, a mission was suddenly taking ce. The gigantic monster that had appeared before them, Yashin, which possessed the power of a ruler, was now¡­

    ¡°Is that¡­ That¡¯s supposed to be a Sponsor, right¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s most likely not the main body of a Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°Then is it a Sponsor that descended through Yashin¡¯s body¡­¡±

    The three shook their heads at the same time. Although it was a series of unbelievable events, they were still used to at least this much by this point.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped forward and said, ¡°The Yamata no Orochi Raid.¡±

    Then, as he advanced forward, his eyes stared straight into an empty plot of space for a moment. He didn¡¯t miss it.

    <i>¡®Set is here.¡¯</i>

    There must have been a reason that Set¨Cno, the Demon King had ordered Yashin to incarnate his Sponsor.

    <i>Flicker.</i>

    A burning spear flew toward the white serpent.

    ***

    ¡°Concentrate!¡±

    Heracles¡¯ cry rang through the air. Although he was engulfed in Madness, still in control of his sanity, Heracles was barely able to hold onto himself. Since Lee Jun-Kyeong had helped him control his Madness, the hunter was now fighting like a godly warrior.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Pow!</i>

    Madness was numbing his pain and enhancing his instincts. With a savage instinct for blood, Heracles had now be a monster that held onto his sanity. Every time his fist shot forward, Orochi let out a scream.

    ¡°Its regeneration is too fast!¡±

    Odysseus was also shooting arrows nonstop.

    The special arrows he had saved in his inventory poured out through his bow as if he had been saving them all for this day. The coborative power of Heracles and Odysseus had been powerful enough to take out another head of the serpent once more.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    ¡°Concentrate!¡±

    ¡°Please focus!¡±

    However, the two of them shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong as the Hunter looked forward.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    A white head ripped through space and flicked forward like a whip.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    <i>Crash!</i>

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong blocked it with Muspel¡¯s Spear, it was still inevitable that he was thrown to the ground from the force of the blow.

    As he stood up, Heracles shouted as he approached the Hunter, ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡±

    Orochi was running wild.

    "Something¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°...is strange.¡±

    But there was something weird about the serpent. Everything seemed weird.

    ¡°And what the hell is that supposed to be?¡±

    There were five remaining serpent heads.

    Heracles and Odysseus had dealt with one.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong with another.

    ¨CHisss!!!

    Hyeon-Mu and Hel, who had joinedter, had also taken on another and brought it crashing down. The heads of the serpent didn¡¯t regenerate as Lee Jun-Kyeong had torched the necks of the heads as they cut them off, the mes still clinging to the cleaved stumps and burning them.

    Although everything was going in the party''s favor, it had been too easy. For Lee Jun-Kyeong, that was a problem.

    Orochi was the Incarnation of a Sponsor. It was a monster that actively used a Ruler¡¯s power and whose body was asrge as andmark built in Jamsil.[2]

    But that was all there was to it. It didn¡¯t use any powers, magic, or even any skills. All it could do was passively resist against the party with its sturdy body.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Even now, as they were in a precarious position where there was a gap in the party¡¯s defense, Orochi was leaving them alone.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    Although Hyeon-Mu¡¯s soldiers and Hel were doing their best to hold the monster in check, there were still five heads left. Even if there was to be a big attack that was to fall, it should have fallen on them already. No, this was too easy.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ¡°It¡¯s almost as if it¡¯s fighting.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fighting, it¡¯s fighting us¡­!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what he means.¡±

    Odysseus also seemed to have noticed the oddity.

    "It''s like it¡¯s resisting something we can''t see."

    Orochi wasn¡¯t only dealing with their party. There was something else. The monster was fighting against something invisible, an enemy hidden from them. That was why it was only dealing with them with its physical prowess, avoiding using any mana.

    ¡°...!¡¯

    It made sense.

    But, who then? Who was helping them in the battle against Orochi? Moreover, even to do so secretly, out of sight¡­

    Then, the answer hit Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Set¡­¡±

    It was only then that Lee Jun-Kyeong noticed.

    ¡°You have to kill it!¡±

    "What?"

    "Hurry!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly kicked off the ground and soared high into the sky. Although he had been holding power in reserve in order to keep Set in check, he couldn¡¯t afford to do so any longer. mes began seething from Lee Jun-Kyeong, and as if he had be the sun, a zing light and heat began to consume the surroundings.

    Hel and Hyeon-Mu noticed the changes and started to retreat, as did Heracles and Odysseus.

    "What''s going on?!"

    Of course, although Heracles seemed dissatisfied with this situation, Lee jun-Kyeong¡¯s momentum had grown too far for him to interfere.

    As if he was trying to destroy the entire ce, Lee Jun-Kyeong was emitting power that they had never seen before.

    ¨CROAR!!!!

    Btedly, Orochi''s heads began to move. The remaining five heads began to attack Lee Jun-Kyeong at the same time. The heads moved quickly as if they were bending, shooting forward, holding him back.

    ¨CROAR!!!!

    As if it had lost its m, the serpent finally started to use the skills it had been avoiding until now. One head opened its huge mouth, the gathering mana spinning fiercely as if it meant to sweep everything away. The form of something began to materialize.

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong had be the sun, then what had begun to materialize in Orochi¡¯s jaws could also be considered a sun, a ck, purple sun. The two suns red at each other, and the other heads approaching the Hunter started to attack Lee Jun-Kyeong violently.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¨CROAR!!!!!!!

    The head that had flicked forward like a whip melted in the high heat before it could even reach close.

    ¨CKEUGAHHHHH!!!!

    Another head tried to pierce Lee Jun-Kyeong like a spear and collided with the Hunter, but was left in pieces in the collision.

    The other two remaining heads approached his body as if they were swords, swinging down with a sharp aura.

    ¡°<i>Ha-a-eup!</i>¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong radiated his mana to the best of his ability and the sun surrounding Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body began to split apart. Faced with the cleaved sun, Orochi¡¯s two heads exploded.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    ¡°...!¡±

    It was all in an instant.

    Four of the heads that they had to struggle to cut down with such difficulty had disappeared at once. Lee Jun-Kyeong was emitting enough mana and power that it had been easily possible.

    Opposingly, that meant that he was overdoing it to that point in order for that to happen. Like a protagonist in a myth that emerged from an egg, Lee Jun-Kyeong emerged from the cracked sun, his whole body stained red and his shin covered with dragon-like scales.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear was no longer a spear, but instead, it seemed to have be a terrifying dragon¡¯s w.

    <i>Rumble.</i>

    The mana that had been lingering in Orochi''s mouth finally began to stabilize, and as time seemed to slow down to a crawl, the ck sun began to flow out from Orochi¡¯s mouth.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Without hesitation, Lee Jun-Kyeong rushed forward to the remaining head. The ck sun, which had been moving ever so slowly, elerated in an instant, colliding with Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was running almost at the speed of light.

    ¡°<i>Ugh!</i>¡±

    ¡°H¡­hold onto something!¡±

    The resulting explosion gave off a shockwave that shook all of Tokyo, a storm of mana that left all unable to even open their eyes properly.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Still, Heracles saw how the explosion unfolded. Lee Jun-Kyeong had been about to cut off Orochi¡¯sst remaining head. However, the moment he collided with Orochi, the pir of darkness consumed the two once more.

    <i>Zztt!!</i>

    However, this time, the pirs of darkness didn¡¯t spring up from the ground like during the ritual. This time, it descended from the heavens.

    ¡°Underdog¡ª!!!¡±

    Descending, the pir swallowed Lee Jun-Kyeong and Orochi.

    1. Reference to the movie, River of No Return, with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. Became wildly popr in Korea as the first Marilyn Monroe movie toe out after her visit to Korea in 1954 on her honeymoon. The actual river is the Salmon River in Idaho, USA. ??

    2. Jamil is famous for itsrge buildings and arenas, some of which are consideredndmarks in Korea for how big they are and the events they host. ??

 Chapter 215. A Single Serpent Pt. 2

    Chapter 215. A Single Serpent Pt. 2

    Whoosh.

    A cold, harsh wind swept over the destend.

    Destroyed buildings dotted thendscape, and there was so much snow that the chill felt like needles piercing a person¡¯s eyes, making one cry alongside the wind.

    Boooong!

    The ringing sound was bing more and more serious as people were riding deer through the ruined city.

    As if the riders had thoroughly prepared themselves, they werepletely covered in winter clothes, moving quickly, as if they were being chased by something.

    ¡°It would have been nicer if they could have dropped us closer to at least Beijing¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang said, pouting as if he was dissatisfied.

    The party had passed through a gate in order to ask for aid from the Chinese forces. However, they didn¡¯t arrive at Utgard nor Beijing, where the Chinese had settled. Rather, they were in some ce in the middle of nowhere.

    Fortunately, they at least had Won-Hwa, who, being from China, was able to recognize where they were and guide them to their destination.

    ¡°We should be able to arrive within the day,¡± Won-Hwa said, smiling as he replied to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s grumbles.

    After such a long time, he was returning home. Of course, while it wasn¡¯t a normal situation, he still seemed to have stirred up some feelings of reminiscence.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang chose his next words carefully. ¡°Something must have changed since we left, right?¡±

    Led by Liu Bei and his two brothers, the survivors of China had established an independent settlement, departing from Utgard, the city of Giants. They had settled down in Beijing once more, the former capital of China.

    ¡°So far, it seems like the China I''ve seen before,¡± Won-Hwa replied.

    Although there was still some distance left to the settlement, all they had seen in passing so far was the same as before. This ce had long be and of ice that emitted only a chilling frost.

    It was a frozen wastnd of death, where everything was broken or destroyed without a single sign of people or life able to be felt.

    ¡°Even the monsters¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shook his head as if to shake off his anxiety and continued.

    ¡°...¡±

    In turn, Won-Hwa also seemed to be deeply troubled. He both loved and hated his homnd, China. He hated the country for watching on the side as its citizens were oppressed bymunism, while he also loved it for being where he was born and raised.

    Thus, there was a little part of him that might have been even more hopeful of their return. Hopeful to see his country rise above all the hardship and return to what it had been before, even if it was only a little bit.

    However, his expectations had been badly shattered. Nothing had changed, and China was still and of death.

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early to make any hasty conclusions.¡±

    "That¡¯s true."

    ¡°I wish we could have passed Utgard or Thrymr¡¯s city on the way, but¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wished to have been able to go to where the giants were as they were also a group that they would have to meet.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the road we must travel on doesn¡¯t cross in that direction. We¡¯ll have to cross the river to get there as we did back then.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The two were silent for a while. Then, as the sounds of the strong winds brushed by their ears, Jeong In-Chang looked up at the sky.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± he mused. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s doing well?¡±

    Won-Hwa responded confidently in his usual monotone-like voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t he the Lee Jun-Kyeong?¡±

    ***

    ¡°I was¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong racked his brains. The intense shock had shaken his skull, and his mind was hazy.

    ¡®In order to knock down thest head of Yamata no Orochi, I¡­¡¯

    He suddenly remembered that he had driven his mana to the limit. But why? Why had he put in so much effort and punishment just to do it?

    ¡°Set¡­¡±

    Because he was lurking around. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he should have saved his strength in order to deal with the Hunter, but it was for that very reason that he had to try to kill Orochi by using all of his strength to the very limit.

    After the advent of Orochi, the monster clearly possessed enormous power, but it had also shown an inability to focus its full attention on his party. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw that the serpent had been unable to properly use the great power that it possessed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought that the reason behind it was Set. Orochi had to have been dealing with the Hunter at the same time.

    ¡®He was dealing with Set.¡¯

    However, Set had been invisible on the battlefield, and Orochi had never actually directed any attacks at the invisible Set. It was only after realizing that, that Lee Jun-Kyeong had understood what was going on.

    ¡°The ritual wasn¡¯t over¡­¡±

    In the first ce, the ritual that had been performed by Yashin through offering living sacrifices hadn¡¯t simply been an act of incarnating a Sponsor into the Hunter¡¯s body. There was some other reason behind it. That was why after Orochi had descended, the serpent had resisted the ritual.

    ¡°What sort of ritual was it that the incarnation of the descending Sponsor would resist¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what sort of ritual it could have been. After thinking through everything that had happened, Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly remembered where he was.

    Sssss.

    He finally realized that he and Orochi had both been consumed by the pir of darkness. Lee Jun-Kyeong nced around.

    Everywhere he looked, his surroundings werepletely different from the battlefield he had fought on previously, almost like he was now in a cave. He knew where he was without even having to ask: within the pir of darkness that had swallowed him and within the ceremony.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward and looked around. Although an orb of me floated around him and emitted light, his ability to see the surroundings didn¡¯t improve.

    That meant that this wasn¡¯t a normal space. Then, where exactly was he?

    He wondered idly if it was okay on the outside, but then he reassured himself that things would still be okay.

    The pir of darkness had engulfed both him and the serpent, so there was no way for Orochi to still be outside. Thus, the safety of Heracles and Odysseus should have been secured. However, that didn¡¯t mean the fight was over yet.

    ¡°Set~~!¡±

    Set would be waiting for him where he was right now. Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    ¡°Se~~t!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his voice again and shouted, the inherent mana erupting and forcing the cave to resonate violently.

    Rumble!

    ¡®It¡¯s devouring my mana¡­?¡¯

    The space around him shook, but Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel something strange about how it reacted. The mana that he had exuded by shouting was being absorbed.

    It was only then that he was able topletely feel it. His surroundings were unusual.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have any mana.¡±

    The mana that was inherent in his body remained the same, but the mana that should have just existed in space didn¡¯t seem to exist. Whether it was Earth before the cataclysm had started, Earth after the Cataclysm, or even within the gates that had tormented humanity to no end, any space was bound to contain some mana.

    However, this space seemed to be an exception: there was none.

    ¡®I can¡¯t recover here.¡¯

    Because of that, his mana couldn¡¯t recover. It meant that anything he used would be consumed and would disappear. Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered for a moment, but his answer alreadyy before him.

    Flicker.

    The spear in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand, Muspel¡¯s Spear, lit up with mes.

    Even if his mana would disappear, he didn¡¯t spare anything whatsoever.

    ¡®I will meet with Set here.¡¯

    Thrust!

    Muspel¡¯s Spear seemed to strike the air, but the sound of flesh being pierced echoed through the cave.

    ***

    "Looks like we''re almost there."

    Jeong In-Chang stretched a hand out into the air with a smile. Although it was simply an outstretched hand, on the ends of his fingertips, he could feel that the air was different.

    ¡°Looks like the sun has been doing its job well.¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Won-Hwa and Jeong In-Chang looked at each other and smiled. It was a gift that Lee Jun-Kyeong had left the settlers before they had left China, a little sun.

    As the Chinese Hunters had chosen to stay in an environment that ordinary people couldn¡¯t endure, he had left the sun in order to make it easier for them to create a semnce of the life they had used to live.

    Now that Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa had returned, the two felt that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s attempt had been aplete sess. On their way here, the soft warmth felt like velvet to the two of them, who had to face such bitter chill just moments before.

    Squish. Squish.

    They had trekked all this way while stepping through snow and were now able to hear their own footsteps again.

    Step. Step.

    A smile spread across Won-Hwa''s face. His homnd was bing alive again. The further they walked, the warmer the air became.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    The sight of the destroyed buildings having beenpletely demolished and in their ce, the framework for an arrangement of plots being constructed, was a sight so unfamiliar to them, almost as if they were seeing the germination of life right before their eyes.

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa inspected the grounds around them as they moved forward.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the changes in China urred due to our intervention.¡±

    It was hard to believe that they had an influence on these mysterious changes and grand events.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Won-Hwa kept his mouth shut as if he was feeling a sense of overwhelming emotion. The changes to the scenery before him as they progressed were no different in impact than the cataclysm had been.

    This was especially true for Won-Hwa, as he knew how it had been even better than Jeong In-Chang. Thus, his shock at the stark difference was even greater. The two of them were full of anticipation, excited that they would be able to meet people in a little while.

    However, suddenly, the two of them stopped.

    Thud.

    Standing in ce, they looked up at the sky. Unexpected changes were taking ce.

    Rumble!

    Suddenly, dark clouds gathered from the sky, apanied by the loud p of thunder. Darkness covered the sky in an instant as the world began to grow cold once more.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s mana!¡±

    The problem behind the phenomenon was that the dark clouds hadn¡¯t risen naturally. Someone was messing with nature. More importantly, that person was upending the sky and creating a storm. Enormous mana enveloped the sky, epassing the settlement as if creating a barrier.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang moved forward, almost throwing his halted body forward. The same went for Won-Hwa. They both had noticed it.

    There was a mana storm raging in the sky over the settlement, and a mana storm that could herald only one thing.

    ¡®There¡¯s only one person who could do something like this¡­!¡¯

    Mana that could fill the sky and control the climate indicated someone special was here.

    Rumble!

    ¡°Odin!¡±

    The Lord of Asgard hade to China.

    ***

    Crack!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong curled up his lips at the deafening sound. All that was visible was still only the mes from Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    However, he was sure that something had been pierced by the spear and that there was a way to escape this space. But then, a different sound than what he expected yed out.

    Pat, pat, pat!

    It was almost like the sound of iron shavings falling to the ground. Lee Jun-Kyeong had only instinctively moved his body, so he looked over to where he had just been. Although he couldn¡¯t see anything, he was sure that something was definitely there.

    ¡°Set.¡±

    He could sense that the Hunter¡¯s sand was there.

    ¡°How quickly you caught on,¡± a voice called out from the dark.

    ng!

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong thrust firmly with his spear toward the ce he still couldn¡¯t see anything in. What he heard in response wasn¡¯t a cracking sound but the sound of metal colliding.

    ¡°What a hot temper you have,¡± Set said.

    Sssss.

    At the same time, Se slowly revealed himself. The space they were in was no longer painted with darkness. Now, he and Set, the two were clearly visible, both emitting light in the dark space. Lee Jun-Kyeong took a stance.

    ¡°How about calming down?¡± Set suggested.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong immediately rejected, ¡°Sorry, but I have to get out of here.¡±

    He was about to stab his spear through Set¡¯s throat, but was quickly forced to stop by Set¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Do you even know where here is?¡±

    Set was trying to begin a conversation with him. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he should refuse, tear the Hunter apart, and escape from the ceremony immediately, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do so.

    There were times when he would have to drink, even if it was from a poisoned chalice. The information Set had would be able to solve many things he had been curious about. Lee Jun-Kyeong lowered his spear, and only then did Set roll up the corners of his mouth.

    He opened his mouth slowly, "This ce¡­¡±

    Seth''s voice seemed to ring in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Is Anngr. The forgotten dimension.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s eyes widened to the point where they looked as if they would tear. He knew that he was inside the ceremony, but to think he was currently in Anngr.

    ¡®Anngr¡­¡¯

    "It''s where the secrets of all the top Hunters are hidden,¡± Set continued to speak with satisfaction after he read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression. ¡°It is a space where you cane in direct contact with the Sponsors.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong questioned why he didn¡¯t realize something like that. The ceremony and the reason they had brought down the incarnation of the Sponsor¡­

    ¡°Anngr¡­¡±

    It had all been to use this space to get in contact with the Sponsors.

    ¡°So, what do you think? Do you still think you can get out of here on your own? And, well, now do you understand why I stopped you?¡± Set asked in a gentle voice.

    sh!

    From behind his back, huge eyes appeared for a moment before disappearing.

    ***

    Crack!

    The thunder that roared through the sky was intense. Although there seemed to be countless lightning strikes from the incessant roars of thunder, Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa couldn¡¯t see any lightning bolts, just the deafening sounds of thunder in their ears.

    ¡°Everyone has gathered there!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa ran toward the source of themotion, able to feel the numerous aura gathered in one ce. It seemed that Jeong In-Chang¡¯s predictions weren¡¯t wrong. Odin was definitely there.

    The gathered auras included the auras of China¡¯s three strongest Hunters, Utgard¡¯s ruler, Thjazi, and the exiled king of giants, Thrymr. The strongest people of the destroyed China, the absolute Apex Hunters, were gathered in one ce.

    There would only have been one reason they would have gathered in this manner: to face an enemy that brought danger to them all.

    ¡®It must be Odin!''

    Jeong In-Chang sped up even more. As the princess trembled as if frightened, they could finally see their appearances.

    ¡°Liu Bei! Thjazi! Thrymr!¡±

    As if surprised by Jeong In-Chang''s voice, the three looked over at the party. Jeong In-Chang looked back at them for a while. As expected, they were confronting a single being.

    The aura he could feel from that being, looking back at him with proudly opened eyes, was so vast that it could only have been described as overwhelming. However, it wasn¡¯t who he was expecting.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not Odin¡­?¡±

    It was definitely a different being. Just from the aura alone, that person waspletely different from the feeling he had been given by Odin.

    Then, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s gaze turned to the weapon the man was holding. It was somewhat familiar: a massive hammer. In addition, the person had an Asian face.

    Putting it all together, Jeong In-Chang was soon able to uncover the identity of the existence. He was the fear of all Hunters, the one they called the Korean Heracles.

    ¡°Chi-Woo!¡±

    He was the one to be confronting the Chinese Hunters here.

    Boom!!!

    A lightning bolt flickered through the dark clouds that covered the sky.

 Chapter 216. A Single Serpent Pt. 3

    Chapter 216. A Single Serpent Pt. 3

    They were the world''s strongest Hunters, the Hunters who were a part of secret organizations, and the Hunters who ruled over them like kings, such as Odin and Zeus.

    The power that these Hunters had built up in the fewer than two years after the Gates had appeared in the world was beyond imagination. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had definitely said it before.

    ¡®There is some sort of secret to their power.¡¯

    There was a reason they could be so strong and why they had a Territory that no one else would. All of those secrets hade from the verynd that Lee Jun-Kyeong was now standing on.

    ¡°Anngr¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around him at everything with a different light. In the dark, all he could see was Set and his spear.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is Anngr. You¡¯ve never been here before, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I know more about you than you think,¡± Set said as if he was reading his mind. ¡°You must be curious about many things. There must be many things you want to ask.¡±

    Set''s attitude was markedly different when he was in Anngrpared to when they were outside of it. This was apletely different attitude from when they had battled in order to prevent any interruption to the ceremony.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun quickly began to gather all the information he had just been inundated with andpile it all together.

    ¡®Anngr is the forgotten dimension.¡¯

    He was in an unknown dimension, an abandoned space that wasn¡¯t connected to anywhere else. This was a ce where nothing, not even the passage of time, existed. The only thing that could be done in this ce was to contact the original inhabitants of Anngr, the rulers of the dimension before it had been abandoned.

    ¡®The Sponsors.¡¯

    This was where a Sponsor would bring their chosen Hunter to strengthen them. Leaving them alone in the abandoned dimension, a Sponsor would then strengthen the Hunter ording to their own tastes.

    They would leave them with monsters, viewing them as entertainment as they watched the Hunter struggle to survive, offering sponsorship and strengthening them just as they were about to die.

    In that manner, the Hunters would grow, and eventually, they would be the ruler of their own part of the abandoned dimension. They were owners of the space but had simply been used by the Sponsor in order to strengthen the Hunter.

    Through this refinement, Anngr would¡­

    ¡®It would be a Territory.¡¯

    This was the secret behind the strongest and the secret behind their realms, a fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong would never have known if it wasn¡¯t for the records he had seen in the book of the Demon King. Any Hunter who had experienced Anngr had never revealed what they had endured here.

    ¡®Some were here for ten years, while for people like Odin and Zeus¡­¡¯

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, they should have spent more than a hundred years trapped in the Anngr, fighting enemies by themselves. This ce was the source of their strength and their entricity. Anngr was both their salvation and their pain.

    It was a Sponsor prison from which it was impossible to escape unless one reached a certain level, and a hell where one could never reach another soul or even any other Sponsors.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Set and said, ¡°You wanted to speak with me.¡±

    Set had waited for him to enter the ceremony, to enter his own personal Anngr, his Territory. The Hunter had wanted him to enter the dimension cut off from everything else. But why? Why would he have called him here?

    ¡°So you must have something you want to say to me without the Demon King knowing,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as Set nodded cautiously in response.

    ***

    Chi-Woo was a name shrouded in mystery that was feared by many.

    From the moment he had awakened, he had been on an entirely different level, scouted by the Association. Although he had collected quite a bit of fame as he raided countless dungeons and grew rapidly, one day, he disappeared.

    That was when rumors circted about Chi-Woo among the Hunters.

    ¡®They say that the Head of the Association¡¯s Enforcement Department is Chi-Woo!¡¯

    ¡®I heard he¡¯s been doing some sketchy things?¡¯

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear about it? Phoenix Guild! There¡¯s a rumor that the reason behind the sudden disappearance of all of their higher ranks is Chi-Woo.¡¯

    Bloody rumors continuously circted about Chi-Woo. It ranged from being the Head of the Enforcement Department that punished criminal Hunters to being a cleaner who would take on Odin¡¯s dirty work to kill any strong Hunters. All of the rumors had one thing inmon.

    ¡®The deaths of Hunters.¡¯

    He always seemed to be involved in huge fights, mysterious deaths, and other ominous activities of the sort. That was why even though many people just disregarded the rumors about him as simply rumors, they were still afraid of him.

    In the early days when Chi-Woo had joined the Association, he had made a few public appearances. However, from a certain moment on, he failed toe out in any public appearances, so much so that people were beginning to forget if he actually existed or not. Still, the fear that he had evoked didn''t seem to go anywhere.

    ¡°If you see someone with long flowing hair and a hammer, run away¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered to himself as if he was possessed by something.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Chi-Woo.¡±

    The rumor that circted among the Hunters and the source of intense fear was right before their eyes.

    "A Korean? Do you know me?¡± the man asked.

    The storm continued to intensify. In front of Thjazi, Thrymr, and all of the Chinese Hunters, including Liu Bei, a single person stood, ready for battle.

    It was Chi-Woo.

    That man was definitely Chi-Woo.

    But why?

    Jeong In-Chang wanted to talk to Liu Bei and hear about the situation, but there was no time.

    The aura radiating from Chi-Woo was definitely bloodlust.

    ¡°Y¡­yes, I am a Korean Hunter,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he gestured for Won-Hwa to stay as he walked forward.

    Chi-Woo seemed even more terrifying than the rumors. His aura alone was enough to overwhelm all of the people around them, many of whom were strong in their own right.

    It was easy to tell that Chi-Woo wasn¡¯t a growing Hunter. He was alreadyplete.

    ¡®He¡¯s as strong as the kings of the secret organizations.¡¯

    That was why Jeong In-Chang had to stop this fight. He couldn''t let Chi-Woo kill those who needed to help Korea. That was the only thing that was on his mind.

    ¡°Do you mind letting me know what¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    Boom!

    The raging storm gathered its energy in one ce, striking down on Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Goongje!!¡±

    If the princess hadn¡¯t caught sight of it and tackled Jeong In-Chang to the side, the Hunter would have been burnt to a crisp by the bolt of lightning that had struck where he had just been standing.

    Crack!! Crackk!!

    ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡±

    That was all Chi-Woo had to say after throwing out a lightning bolt.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Since you dodged my attack, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If there is something you want to say, say it.¡±

    Although it was harsh in tone, he was someone who had the right to speak that way.

    ¡°Why are you here¡­these people are not our enemies. They are¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you a traitor?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°The Chinese Hunters seem to have joined forces with those ogre-like monsters. Are you also a traitor who¡¯s joined hands with monsters?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang saw an opportunity at that moment.

    ¡®He¡¯s misunderstood the situation.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know why Chi-Woo was in China, but the Hunter seemed to think that the Chinese Hunters were traitors who had joined forces with the monsters. Therefore, all he had to do was clear up the misunderstanding.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. They¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Looking at where you stand, it¡¯s already clear enough.¡±

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know how to proceed when met with such a careless response, Chi-Woo made a clear deration of war.

    ¡°I should just be content with having even one more person to battle,¡± he said, holding his hammer aloft.

    Crackle!

    Lightning descended from the raging storm and began to gather around his hammer as the Hunters, including Thjazi, Thrymr, and Liu Bei, had already finished their preparations.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to talk again if you don¡¯t die!¡±

    BOOM!

    The hammer Chi-Woo threw flew toward Jeong In-Chang''s face.

    ***

    This was a ce where allmunications were blocked and only the Sponsor of Set was able to view what was going on. This was Set¡¯s personal Anngr.

    The reason Set had lured him here wasn¡¯t only because of the ceremony.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s eyes can¡¯t reach here¡­the only space where you can escape from his grasp and speak with me.¡±

    The Demon King, as expected, was no longer just a human, but possessed extraordinary powerspletely beyond a human¡¯s ability.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong understood. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re still being watched.¡±

    ¡°Watched you say¡­¡±

    Set curled up his lips in a sneer.

    ¡°That being doesn¡¯t have to watch. Information just flows to him naturally, like water down a stream.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Set said.

    ¡°The ceremony is still going on. If the ceremony that had just taken ce was to open a link to Yashin¡¯s Sponsor, Orochi, and create a pathway to its Anngr in order to bring Orochi down to the world¡­¡±

    Seth''s body wriggled. Just like how it sounded, it was a grotesque wriggle of his body, closer to that which a reptile would do, rather than a human.

    ¡°The current ceremony, on the other hand, is meant to steal the power of Yamata no Orochi, the Sponsor, who has now descended into Yashin¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Orochi had descended into Yashin. Through the secondary ceremony, it had entered Set''s Anngr, which was his territory and where he would be able tomunicate with his Sponsors! After this ceremony ended, Set would have the power of Orochi that had descended into Yashin. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Orochi would die. The power within Yashin should only be a part of Orochi¡¯s full strength.

    Still, that alone was suffocating. There was no doubt that Set possessed tremendous power.

    But then, what was the reason for all of this?

    ¡°Why are you telling me all of¡­¡±

    ¡°I am still counting on you,¡± Set interjected.

    His condition was gradually deteriorating. In Egypt, there were rumors floating around.

    ¡®Apophis.¡¯

    That unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Horus¡¯ Sponsor, The Desert¡¯s Sun, Set had been granted the Sponsorship of The Dark Side of the Sun, Apophis.

    However, as it had been uncovered that Set¡¯s Sponsor was The Death Within the Sands, it was clear that the Hunter also had Multiple Sponsorship.[1]

    ¡°That being definitely told me that he would purify the world and build it anew,¡± Set said emphatically. ¡°However, I knew the truth¡­that even if it was true that he wanted to purify¨Cno, destroy the world¡­¡±

    His pupils turned to slits like a snake.

    ¡°He has no intention of building a new world!¡±

    His body continued to writhe, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t attack. It seemed as though the Hunter was still struggling to convey his will to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It is only you!¡± Set screamed, his desperate feelings approaching Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Anngr was a dimension reconstructed only for a single existence. However, at this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong, Set, and even Orochi were here. Their emotions were all interconnected and could be felt by one another.

    ¡®He¡¯s being sincere.¡¯

    Everything Set said was sincere and true. He wasn''t telling lies.

    ¡°It is only you! Only you can stop this¡­!¡±

    Crack!

    Set¡¯s body hadpletely transformed. It was no longer human. Dark scales covered his skin, and his pupils were as narrow as those of a snake. His red pupils created the illusion of bleeding.

    ¡°Strike me down¡­then, all of the power contained within these ceremonies¡­¡±

    As the snake bristled its quivering scales, Set gave a final word, ¡°It will all be yours.¡±

    ***

    ng!!

    The sound of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s greatsword and the hammer colliding was as deafening as thunder.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s breath rattled as he looked around.

    How long had he been fighting? An hour? Two? The only thing that could be certain is that it hadn¡¯t been that long.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong¡­¡±

    ¡°Goong¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    But, in that short time, everyone around him had already copsed. The only one left standing was Jeong In-Chang. Even for him, if he hadn¡¯t gotten used to the burden of Gram to this degree by this point, he would have also been on the ground with the others, struggling to breathe.

    It was shocking.

    Jeong In-cCang didn¡¯t know what had happened after his party had left China, but the strength of the Chinese Hunters, Thjazi, and Thrymr seemed to have more than doubled.

    With their incredible strengthbined as one, as if they had joined forces for quite some time, they all banded together and tried to deal with Chi-Woo. Nheless, the result could be seen around him.

    ¡°Gasp¡­gasp¡­¡±

    All Jeong In-Chang could do was try to stifle his breathing and wait for the next attack. He didn¡¯t have the confidence to attack first and defeat Chi-Woo.

    Crackle! Crack!!

    The moment Jeong In-Chang stepped forward, he could feel that the blue electric current in front of him would consume all of hispanions. Chi-Woo was a monster, and Jeong In-Chang could never have imagined that there would have been another such monster in existence.

    That said, that didn¡¯t mean that he could stay still and just wait.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang gave out a cry as he raised his greatsword again, sprouting scales on his body. As Gram started to regain its form around him, he heard Chi-Woo¡¯s deep voice boom.

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    The only wounds on his body were some scratches on his cheeks and the back of his hands. He really was a monster.

    Chi-Woo, the monster, suddenly looked up at the sky as if something was unpleasant.

    Crack!!

    The sound of thunder echoed loudly in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s ears as he furiously looked for an opening as he stood on wobbly legs.

    ¡°I guess I should finish this before that bastardes,¡± Chi-Woo suddenly said.

    ¡°That bastard¡­?¡±

    Even before Jeong In-Chang was able to express his confusion, the sound of a bomb exploding rang right by his ears.

    BOOM!

    He tried to twist his body to escape it, but it was already toote. The sound of an exploding bomb hade from his own body.

    ¡°UGH!¡±

    Chi-Woo, who had appeared before him almost instantaneously, had struck his hammer down at his head. Although Jeong In-Chang was able to escape death somehow, he fell to the ground and repeatedly vomited bright, red blood.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!!¡±

    ¡°It looks like I was toote.¡±

    Raising his gaze, Chi-Woo looked up at the sky with an even more dissatisfied expression.

    ¡°Looks like that bastard is already here.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wondered who he was talking about. But, that thought onlysted for a moment before the sound of thunder struck again.

    Crack!!!

    A thunderbolt swiftly followed.

    BOOM!

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    As Jeong In-Chang saw what was headed for Chi-Woo, he was bewildered by the situation. Why was Chi-Woo¡¯s power attacking himself? It was an impossible situation.

    There was no way that a Hunter of that level wouldn¡¯t be able to control his own power. It was only then that he realized it.

    ¡®It¡¯s him.¡¯

    There was someone else who could control storms and lightning. Someone else who could save them.

    Crack!!

    A bolt of lightning struck right before his eyes, blinding his vision.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    As his sight returned, Jeong In-Chang caught a glimpse of a gray-haired man, standing with his back turned to him.

    ¡°And here I was, wasting my time digging around Seoul.¡±

    1. In the Egypt Chapters, Set¡¯s Sponsor was uncovered to be <The Typhonic Beast of the Desert>, not <The Death Within the Sands>. Set might have three Sponsors, it¡¯s not clear as of yet. ?

 Chapter 217. A Single Serpent Pt. 4

    Chapter 217. A Single Serpent Pt. 4

    In the pitch-ck darkness, something even darker squirmed and moved about.

    Slither.

    Whenever the sound of a snake crawling on the ground began to appear, without fail, Lee Jun-Kyeong would soon feel a shock that reverberated through his entire body.

    Bang!

    In this darkness, where nothing could be seen, Set had be a snake.

    ''Apophis.''

    In the past, when he had fought Set in Egypt, Set had also used these unknown powers. It was a dark power and a power of immortality.

    Although Set had still escaped from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s attack with the aid of the Demon King, there was something about his innate power that seemed to be impossible to extinguish. At least in Set¡¯s case, it effectively made him immortal.

    Horus, who had fought alongside him, had called it The Dark Side of the Sun, calling it the power of Apophis.

    Slither.

    Hearing the scales scrape as they flew through the air, Lee Jun-Kyeong spun his spear, blocking them from approaching him.

    ng, ng, ng, ng!

    Behind each blow was an incredible amount of force.

    ¡®The Immortal Snake.¡¯

    Set had turned into the snake itself.[1]

    Bang!

    With another explosion, Lee Jun-Kyeong was pushed backward again. The darkness was so dark that it was impossible to see. Furthermore, he was in the Anngr that favored Set, so Lee Jun-Kyeong had to find ways to evade his attacks.

    ¡®I have to win.¡¯

    Even if it was just for what Set had said to him. In order to obtain his power, he would have to defeat Set.

    However, there was not enough mana in Anngr for him to crush his opponent using his greatest strength, his terrifying mana. Furthermore, the darkness was too bleak for him to be able to beat Set using any quick movements.

    Bang!

    Another shock had shaken his body to the core.

    Slither.

    Bang!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes. There was no reason for him to keep his eyes open in such a dark world. He just had to close his eyes and focus on the sound.

    Slither.

    Bang!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong seeded in fully defending against Set¡¯s attack, now realizing that it was the monster¡¯s tail.

    Ssssss.

    At the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong released the mana he had umted in his body all at once. It was risky as he was in Anngr, where he wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb and restore any mana. However, he still had to defeat Set quickly, as his store of mana was finite.

    The scattered mana existed in Anngr for a moment, but even in that short time, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to see the world around him clearly with closed eyes.

    Ssss.

    The mana he had scattered worked like an echo, coating Set¡¯s body and providing Lee Jun-Kyeong with a semnce of vision.

    Swish!

    The spear he now stabbed finally was able to reach Set.

    Squelch!

    Muspel¡¯s Spear didn¡¯t emit any mes as Lee Jun-Kyeong had concentrated all of the fire and his mana onto the tip of the spear, focusing on its pration ability.

    ¨CROAR!!!!

    Amid the screams of the Set-snake, Lee Jun-Kyeong released his mana once again.

    Sssss.

    Mana scattered from Muspel¡¯s Spear as the spear was plunged into Set¡¯s body, quickly expanding. The mana contained in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s dragon heart rapidly flowed out.

    ¡®In one blow.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t afford to have this fightst long, so he had to subdue Set in a single blow.

    Cr¡ªaack.

    The sound of something breaking began to spread as Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes. In the space where nothing could be seen, in front of him, he saw a massive burning hand.

    ROAR!

    It seemed as though his hands had grown with a flickering me, increasing in size to those of a giant. The hand holding Muspel¡¯s Spear was bing more and more embedded into Set¡¯s body.

    ¨CROAR!

    Although the snake struggled, emitting a dark aura, it was to no avail. In the midst of Set¡¯s space, his Territory, his Anngr, a fire giant began to rule.

    [You have seeded in shaping a part of Surtr¡¯s body.]

    ***

    BOOM!

    An incredible tremor rang throughout Anngr. The forgotten and abandoned dimension, whose size was impossible to guess, shook with the massive tremor.

    BOOM!

    Then, the trembling space, which had shook as if it had just undergone an earthquake, gradually began to brighten.

    Flicker.

    Even as the giant¡¯s arm grew crimson from its temperature, the mes burning from it continued to grow stronger and stronger.

    Roar!

    The darkness had seemed so dark that nothing could be seen in it now began to lighten. In that space, without a single light, a sun had risen.

    ROAR!!

    The sun, just like the arm of the giant, had begun to create light while clearing out the darkness.

    ¨CROAR!

    A gigantic snake that seemed almost asrge as the space they were confined in was screaming as it copsed, its nape held by the fire giant.

    Boom!

    The arm that held the snake by the nape exploded with force as the fire giant imbued more strength into its arm. The snake wasn¡¯t even able to scream anymore.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The master of the giant¡¯s arm, Lee Jun-Kyeong, listened to the sound of his heart pounding with fire. The mana contained in the dragon heart, created from the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, had be fuel for the ze, constantly pumping. Burning mes rode down his arms and weighed down Set.

    BOOM!

    The fallen snake began to struggle against the oppressive force. It moved its tail that was longer than a train, and wrapped itself around the fire giant¡¯s arm. Just as the light that shone through the dimension seemed to be about to disappear, something began to crack once more.

    Crack!!

    The tail of the snake that was blocking the light from emitting began to split open, and between the torn scales, mes began to swirl as if they had prated through the snake¡¯s body.

    ROAR!

    The mana contained in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pounding heart wasrger than he had thought. It was seemingly able to match the mana contained in a city¡ªno, an entire dimension. All of it was burning, focused on defeating a single beating.

    ¨CROAR!

    All he had to do was continuously supply it. However, soon, the snake had been crushed to the point where it could no longer resist. The ck darkness lifted, and the dimension of darkness, Set¡¯s Anngr, was no longer shrouded in darkness.

    ROAR!!!!

    Nothing could be hidden under the light of the bright sun. There was a huge snake that seemed to be able to wrap itself around the universe, and an arm of me that caught and crushed that very snake. Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to be too small to stand among those giants.

    However, that very same Lee Jun-Kyeong was the owner of the arm.

    ¡°AGHHH!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong roared as he circted his mana even faster.

    As if refusing to be pushed back, he emitted even more mana than before. As the zing sun grew thicker, notifications began to ring in his ears.

    [Mana reserves are depleted.]

    His mana wasn¡¯t adequate. The incredible amount of mana that he possessed was beginning to run out.

    [Mana reserves are depleted.]

    The warning sounded again.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    His heart beat even more violently. Even still, the snake, seemingly at its deathbed, still refused to fall down. It was the immortal snake.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that perfect immortality did not exist. Just like the Immortal Siegfried, any power of immortality inherited from a Sponsor was never perfect. The same should be true for Set.

    Although Egypt¡¯s Heroes feared it as it was known as the immortal snake, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    ¡°Screw off!¡±

    Set was also notpletely immortal. He, too, would be subject to mortality. Finally, the arm of me twisted the snake¡¯s neck, breaking through its scales.

    CRACK!!!

    As the skin of the snake split, Anngr began to crack open.

    Rip!!!

    Then, just as the earth began to split open, as the crack spread before Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, he heard the ring of a final warning.

    [Mana reserves have been depleted.]

    This was a situation where he could no longer circte any mana. Surtr¡¯s Arms had been aze with me, but they lost their strength as a notification rang through the air.

    [The ceremony has beenpleted.]

    ***

    Thud.

    The crushed head of a snake-headed man fell to the ground and turned into a corpse before it had evennded. It was even able to take ast breath.

    ¡°What, have we handled everything by now?¡± said Heracles with a tiredplexion as he brushed the blood from his gauntlets. His whole body was stained with blue blood.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Around him, numerous corpses of snake humans were strewn about. Unlike the snake humanoid monsters, also called Nagas, these were a type of monster he had never seen before, with white bodies wrapped in cotton robes.

    They had continued toe out endlessly from the location of the ceremony, which was the pir of darkness thaty before them.

    ¡°I guess we can just wait now.¡±

    It had already been a day since Lee Jun-Kyeong had been sucked into that ce.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong had first gotten sucked into that ce with Yamata no Orochi, he had thought that his heart would stop. However, Heracles was soon able to calm down thanks to Hyeon-Mu and Hel, who seemed to stay calm without any worries as they took their positions.

    He wondered if it was because they both belonged to Lee Jun-Kyeong, but they had an incredible amount of trust in their master. Their owner had been sucked into a pir of darkness where they couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead of them, but they still seemed to remain calm.

    Heracles and Odysseus tried several times to break through the pir of darkness to try to save Lee Jun-Kyeong, but the solid pir of darkness was impossible to pierce through.

    ¡°Hissss.¡±

    ¡°Looks like there are still some left.¡±

    Although they were left just waiting, just like what was happening now, all that emerged from the pir of darkness were the white snake humans. All the party could do now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had disappeared was to clear out these emerging snake humans as they tried to restore stability to Tokyo.

    Oddly enough, the Japanese Hunters who had been on Yashin¡¯s side had all lost consciousness when the pir of darkness appeared. Whereas the rest of the Hunters who had been hidden in the city all lost their nerve and surrendered when the party showed their overwhelming power.

    ¡°Hurry up ande out,¡± Heracles grumbled.

    ¡°Just wait a little. You¡¯re being too hasty, Heracles,¡± Odysseus responded.

    As everything had been essentially handled on their side, all they had left to do was wait for Lee Jun-Kyeong toe out.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being impatient, but I think my reaction is the normal one. Have you already be addicted to fighting those things? Calm down my foot.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t seem like there would be any problems yet.¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus looked at the pir of darkness together. It was a pitch-ck darkness that seemed like one¡¯s soul would be sucked into it.

    ¡°What if the monsteres back and the Underdog is nowhere to be seen?¡±

    "Then¡­¡± Odysseus shrugged at Heracles'' question. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to fight again.¡±

    ¡°Where is this changeing from? I thought you¡¯d be the one to tell me that we¡¯d have to run away,¡± Heracles teased.

    Odysseus pointed out, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fight? I can¡¯t run away by myself and leave an idiot here to die.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    The two had rxed to the point of exchanging jokes. Still, their eyes were locked on the pir of darkness. The two of them waited for a long time, catching and killing the snake humans that would still emerge from the pir from time to time.

    Rumble.

    Finally, something began to change. The ground shook and the mana trembled.

    ¡°It¡¯s moving.¡±

    The pir of darkness began to tremble little by little. At this point, the party was certain. Whatever was going on in the pir had finished, and everything had been settled.

    ¡°It would be nice if Underdog came out, but¡­¡±

    If that monster showed up again, then they would have to put their lives on the line and fight once more. As the two Hunters adjusted their stance, Hel and Hyeon-Mu also came to stand by their sides.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars seemed to have grown rapidly through the repeated battles. Because they dealt in souls and corpses, there was ample opportunity for both of them to grow here.

    As the four of them waited with an expectation that this round would be a little better than before, they watched, ready, as the pir of darkness began to fracture.

    Crack!

    As the pir shook and the light slowly began to reveal itself in the fading darkness, Odysseus chewed his lip and said quietly, ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    They could see something clearlying out of the cracked pir of darkness clearly.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to die here.¡±

    It was a white serpent. Contrary to what they had expected, it seemed that the Underdog had failed.

    Rumble!

    They knew that the pir of darkness, now trembling even more violently, would soon shatter, and the monster that had consumed the Underdog would appear and destroy everything.

    "Odysseus." Heracles opened his mouth slowly. ¡°You go back.¡±

    "What?"

    ¡°Someone has to inform Olympus about what happened in Japan. At this rate, Japan is going to be the birthce of apletely new monster,¡± Heracles said, smiling wryly.

    ¡°For everything¡­¡±

    It was a side of Heracles that hadn¡¯t ever been seen before.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    BOOM!

    As an incredible aura exploded forth from Heracles¡¯ body, the sound of earth and space being torn apart rang through the air.

    CRACKK!

    The white serpent had finally broken through the pir. Orochi looked different from before. Unlike before, when it had looked like a serpent, now, it really looked more like a dragon.

    Its scales seemed so hard they were nigh imprable, and a long horn had sprouted from its head.

    ¨CROAR!!!

    With a cry that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth, the monster started racing toward them.

    ¡°Go! Quickly!¡±

    As it started to slither toward them, Heracles also started to run toward the monster.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you time!¡±

    His red glowing gauntlet resonating with his aura, Heracles charged forward like a lion. However, contrary to the party¡¯s expectations, after emerging from the pir, Orochi¡¯s head only just fell to the ground, right in front of where Heracles was about to run to.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Boom!

    As the ground shook from the copse of the serpent, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice rang out as he appeared, holding onto the horn on Orochi¡¯s head.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    1. The God Set¡¯s duty in Egyptian Mythos was to be the vanguard for Ra¡¯s eternal battle against Apophis. However, there are some myths that detail the fall of Set into darkness, sometimes depicting him to be an incarnation of the Lord of Chaos. ?

 Chapter 218. A Single Serpent Pt. 5

    Chapter 218. A Single Serpent Pt. 5

    ¡°Whew.¡± Heracles whistled as he surveyed the scene around him.

    ¡°Does this make you excited?¡± Odysseus asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than sighing, no?¡±

    Odysseus, who was scolding Heracles, had the exact opposite reaction to what was around them aspared to therge Hunter. Everything was dark and deste.

    ¡°In the end, this ce also fell.¡±

    Tokyo, the capital of Japan that had been fine, was now a mess. Fortunately,pared to other countries, the situation here was much better. Still, it was never a good thing to watch as another great city that had held stalwart through the cataclysm be destroyed.

    ¡°The residents are slowlying out.¡±

    The people who had closed their doors and windows were now slowly making their way to the street. Their expressions were terribly withered as they were frightened by the two-day battle. They opened their doors and rushed out to look at the aftermath.

    ¡°And the Hunters?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably moving by now.¡±

    The surviving Hunters were left tofort the surviving residents. Fortunately, only Tokyo was destroyed. The rest of Japan still seemed normal.

    ¡°Well, at least things seem to have ended in Japan like this.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ended?¡± Odysseus said, scolding Heracles once again.

    ¡°Although we came to get aid from the Hunters here in preparation for the battle¡­it¡¯s like we destroyed it all with our own hands.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, our hands? You saw it, too,¡± Heracles barked, his expression hardening.

    There had been a non-human Ruler, and a world ruled by monsters. Just from saying those words, it was like Heracles had returned back to what they had seen.

    ¡°Most of them would have died anyway if we had left unnoticed.¡±

    Many lives had been used as the price to bring Orochi down as an incarnation. They had even heard from Lee Jun-Kyeong that Set had tried to make use of this to steal Orochi¡¯s powers.

    ¡°Even if it had been Set that had taken those powers, all that would have been left for these people would have been despair.¡±

    The disappearance of Orochi hadn¡¯t solved everything either. The countless Hunters that had been created by Orochi¨Cno, Yashin, would have lost their powers. In a world where the cataclysm was still underway, having no one to protect them would lead to their deaths, one way or another.

    Heracles was sure that the result would have been the same either way, and the only difference being a discrepancy in many lives would have been lost.

    ¡°Well¡­yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    In the end, Odysseus had no choice but to acknowledge Heracles¡¯ point.

    ¡°That¡¯s that...but what about him?¡± Heracles asked cautiously.

    Normally, Heracles would have called him the Underdog or that bastard, but the expression of the Underdog after emerging from defeating Orochi and Set was stoic, as if he had learned of a secret he never should have been privy to.

    The two Hunters gave him space as neither knew how tofort him or alleviate Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s worries.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s approaching.¡±

    One of the Underdog¡¯s Familiars, a humanoid named Hyeon-Mu, was going towards them. This had been the first time that they had seen the Underdog¡¯s Familiars fight, but he had truly been amazing. With the Death Knights under hismand, Hyeon-Mu¡¯s control over water was no less than the now-deceased Poseidon, a famed Hero of Olympus.

    ¡°Ho, there!¡± Heracles said, waving his hand to Hyeon-Mu as if acknowledging him as his colleague.

    Hyeon-Mu greeted him in return with a small nod and requested their presence, ¡°The master is calling.¡±

    ***

    As they followed Hyeon-Mu, Heracles and Odysseus walked forward. They eventually saw Lee Jun-Kyeong and Hel in the distance, who were waiting for the Familiar to return.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Heracles frowned as he felt the unusual flow of mana, strong enough to make his entire body tingle.

    Before he could even ask what was going on, Hyeon-Mu responded, ¡°There were many casualties on the battlefield.¡±

    He then continued, ¡°Hel is gathering strength from those who have died.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike Heracles, who just epted Hyeon-Mu¡¯s words calmly, Odysseus frowned. While there were obviously those who had obtained power from Orochi and tormented people using their corrupted souls, there were also many who hadn¡¯tmitted any atrocities. Moreover, there were even ordinary people who had no connection to the battle itself and had just been caught up in the mess and died.

    ¡°Are all of the souls being reborn like those soldiers?¡± Odysseus asked Hyeon-Mu.

    Would all of the dead be reborn as soldiers? If so, would their souls¡­ Would they be denied salvation even within death?

    ¡°Are you thinking of Hades?¡± Heracles asked Odysseus.

    One of the strongest members of Olympus, Hades, had possessed abilities simr to Hel. He was a Hunter that handled the soul and used its power. Although he had incredible ability, the Hunter was not on good terms with Odysseus.

    ¡®Hades had gone too far.¡¯

    Hades was fascinated by the raw power of the soul. He desperately desired the enormous amount of mana contained within souls and was especially interested in the potential power imbued within the souls of Hunters.

    To Hates, the souls of Heroes were like precious jewels.

    Odysseus bit his lip and said, ¡°Hades¡­ He asked me to give him Penelope¡¯s soul.¡±

    Penelope, Odysseus¡¯ lover, had died in battle, and Hades, shockingly enough, had tried to extract the mana from her soul.

    ¡°But Penelope didn¡¯t want to fight anymore¡­¡±

    The Hunter had decided to vite Penelope¡¯s soul without asking for any consent from the deceased, so Hades had collided with Odysseus and Heracles in an attempt to steal away Penelope¡¯s soul. Fortunately, Zeus had been able to intervene in time and avoid internal strife, but Odysseus still could not let it go.[1]

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hyeon-Mu had been listening to the two of them and remarked, ¡°Master is not a barbarian.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Our master has obtained the consent of the soul.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Heracles said in disbelief.

    Rather than feeling better after hearing that, Heracles instead furrowed his brow.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like many would agree to something like this.¡¯

    This was a situation where even one more hand would be life changing. Unlike Odysseus, Heracles felt that it was right for them to mobilize all the power they could. In this sort of situation, to think Lee Jun-Kyeong would still ask for consent.

    There was no way that the ordinary people who hadn¡¯t even fought while they were alive would be willing to help them after death. However, he couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled after hearing Hyeon-Mu¡¯s next words.

    ¡°The majority agreed.¡± As if reading Heracles¡¯ expression, Hyeon-Mu continued, ¡°Master¡­told them that he would give them a chance to protect their family.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°As you both have mentioned, most of them died without being able to do anything. However, from this point on, things will be different.¡±

    Sssss.

    Translucent whitish things were continuously sucked into Hel¡¯s hands. Even without saying it, they were sure that they were souls.

    ¡°They¡¯ve been given a chance to take their family and the world¡¯s protection into their own hands.¡±

    ¡°Whatever works as long as the results are good,¡± Heracles said indifferently. However, although he gave off an air of indifference, a slight smile still appeared on his face.

    Smirk.

    Of course, it was the same response for Odysseus as well.

    ¡°I apologize,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his voiceing from afar to the two who were watching everything happen with wide eyes.

    He slowly approached the two as he continued, ¡°The souls of Japan that Hel absorbs will be used to protect Japan.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°Are we not going to use them in the uing battle?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response to their question. ¡°Exactly. Their strength needs to be used to protect Japan.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Is that what the souls wanted?¡±

    "No."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Tokyo, which was in ruins. Although the city had been in the middle of a great battle and was destroyed, it was still rare to find and that currently still maintained such a level of structure and humanity. It was so much so that he had made a decision after looking at the opportunity before him.

    ¡°The people who won¡¯t be a part of the battle, the ordinary people, will be moved to Japan.¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt it as he fought Set: Set¡¯s immense fear. The Hunter of great renown, who would have nothing to fear in this world, had been absolutely terrified of the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong had uncovered more and more about the Hunter¡¯s fear as they battled.

    ¡®He will destroy the world.¡¯

    Set had uncovered that the Demon King¡¯s purpose was the destruction of the world. That was why Set had abandoned all he had been aiming for and instead turned to devote all he could to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Anngr was¡­¡±

    It didn''t make any sense. Set¡¯s Territory, where the ceremony had led to, was a space where Set should have been able to exert more power than was permitted. Therefore, it should have been an unfavorable ce for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although it could be said that the gap between Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had fully matured, and Set was incredibly vast, that gap had been extremely shortened inside Anngr. It hadn¡¯t been a fight that should have ended so easily. To be frank, it was a fight where Set could have easily pushed him aside as he did the snake, devouring him and his power.

    ¡®I had won.¡¯

    However, the fight still ended with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s victory. At thest moment, Set had seemed to give up on everything. No, it was almost as if he had wanted to give everything to Lee Jun-Kyeong. He wanted to transfer over the burden of the end of the world and his fear of the Demon King.

    Now, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to focus on the next battle, the final battle.

    ¡°It will be in Korea.¡±

    Baldur, Odin, and the Demon King, now having lost Set, were all in Korea. The final battlefield hadn¡¯t changed. The era had changed and he himself hade back to the past, but his homnd was still fated to be the final battlefield.

    In the end, many of those who had survived to this point were guaranteed to be unavoidable casualties in that battle. If it was the Demon King, who had even caused the entire continent of Europe to sink to the ocean floor, then he would be able to crush the small penins with just a wave of his hands.

    That was why Japan was the perfect solution. This ce still retained a semnce of civilization, so it would be perfect as a shelter.

    ¡°I will be opening the gate,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    ¡°Something like what Merlin did, right?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded at Heracles'' question. He had already mastered the secret art of the gates that Merlin had used. Although it wasn¡¯t something that Merlin had taught him, he had still memorized the secret art in his head, almost as if he had recorded it down in his book.

    As he had more than enough mana and had adequate control of the technique, he would also be able to open the gate on his own as she had done.

    ¡°I will work as quickly as I can. Once I open the gate and stabilize the dimension inside¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re nning on keeping it open and continuously bring people to Japan.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Heracles nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea. Even if we win, it would have been a meaningless battle if everyone dies.¡±

    ¡°Unlike Merlin, it¡¯ll take me a while to open the gate. Roughly about six hours.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± asked Heracles.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just shook his head. "Nothing."

    There was nothing for them to do.

    Even if there was something they could do right at this moment that would guarantee them more Sponsorship, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to change much of the situation right now. The people here were already beginning to create homes for the others right now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already finished speaking to the ordinary humans of Japan, and they had all just nodded in agreement, as if they were okay with whatever their new conqueror had to say.

    No matter what anyone had to say about him, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still their savior, and they all seemed satisfied with just the fact that there would be no more ceremonies.

    Shiiinggg!!!

    Runes formed as Lee Jun-Kyeong stretched out his hands, continuing to pulse with mana as he moved on and continued to form new runes.

    ¡°Is there really only onest fight left?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and continued, ¡°As long as everyone else haspleted their part, all that would be left is¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused as he looked at the runes written in the air. ¡°To go to Seoul. The Demon King is definitely there. Odin as well.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Even Heracles¡¯ breath seemed to catch at the mention of that name. One could see it in his eyes, his realization that this was the end.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go prepare for it, then.¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t given an order to do so, he nned to make his preparations on his own.

    ¡°Also, I have a favor to ask of you¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused. ¡®A favor?¡¯

    Heracles had never asked for anything before. He caught Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s full attention with a request, something he had never done before.

    ¡°If we end this battle victorious¡­ I had wanted to give Odysseus a present¡­ if it¡¯s possible¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled at Heracles¡¯ nervous demeanor. ¡°I wonder if there would be anything impossible for us after this battle.¡±

    Heracles rxed his expression and nodded.

    It was just like he had said. After this final battle, the death of the Demon King wasn¡¯t the only result they would obtain. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that at the end of this battle, the winner would be defied just as the greatest of Eden had been.

    ¡®Gods.¡¯

    They would gain the power to call themselves Gods: the twelve Gods of Eden. Lee Jun-Kyeong hurriedly set aside the jumbled past from his memory. All he could afford to think about at this moment was the battle that remained before him.

    ¡°Also, by the way,¡± Heracles said, speaking up once again. ¡°Can you tell me that thing¡¯s name?¡±

    Unlike his earlier request, it seemed that this one hade from simple curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to refer to it,¡± he said with sparkling eyes, as if the topic had sparked his interest.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded simply, ¡°Jormungandr.¡±

    ***

    Boom!

    Although it had just put its head on the ground, the ground shook as if there had been an earthquake. It made sense. It would be impossible for anything but a great tremor to happen considering howrge of a head it was that hadid down on the ground.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly approached it as ity with its head down. It was a stark white,pletely unblemished. With pure white scales that covered its head, its elongated body continued with no end.

    Pulse!

    Part of its seemingly endless body was still hidden within the pir of darkness as it continued to move forward, revealing itself. Although the pir of darkness still stood, it felt different from the pir that had been formed for the ceremony.

    It was, almost as if¡­it was a nest? The easiest way to describe it would be to call it the giant snake¡¯s home.

    ¡°Jormungandr.¡±

    Hearing its name, the snake opened its eyes.

    A golden pupil the size of a building looked directly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    [Speak, Master.]

    The mana contained in the voice he heard was strong enough to make Lee Jun-Kyeong''s body tremble. This was a true monster that contained the power of Orochi, and it the being that was no less than the personification of a Sponsor and the powers of the two Sponsors that Set had possessed.

    Alongside Jormungandr¡¯s voice, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a notification.

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse> looks down upon its final child.]

    [<You have found all of the children of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.]

    [<The Sky of the Apocalypse>...]

    However, there was no sponsorship that followed.

    1. The term in Korean roughly trantes to a battle to the end between those of the same blood. ?

 Chapter 219. A Single Serpent Pt. 6

    Chapter 219. A Single Serpent Pt. 6

    Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!

    The people were frightened by the tremors that seemed to resonate throughout Japan from whatever was happening in the center of Tokyo.

    While some of the residents came out to the center out of curiosity, others locked the doors and hid just as they had done on that day.

    Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!

    The vibrations grew stronger, and with every tremor, runes were being engraved into the air as if they were being stitched directly into space itself. The magic and spells of ordinary Hunters couldn¡¯t hold a candle to what was happening at this moment.

    They would cast magic using skills that they had received from their Sponsors. Their spells would only be used in the most simple ways, as if they could only use what they were given, how they were given.

    In front of the Hunters, runes and geometric shapes spun slowly in the air. Only real Mages with systems of mana were able to do something like this. Moreover, all of this was done by Lee Jun-Kyeong on his own.

    ¡°You really did learn it perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Not only have you mastered elemental spearmanship, but to add magic on top of that¡­ You really are him, Underdog,¡± Heracles joked.

    ¡°He also has his Familiars, too.¡±

    ¡°Ha. I guess I really can¡¯t win against him then.¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus conversed calmly as they looked at everything unfolding around them. Their expressions were calm and rxed, most likely because they had been well-rested for the past few days.

    Zzzt! Zzzt!! Zzzzzt!!!

    The tremors continued to grow stronger.

    ¡°It really is incredible.¡±

    Ordinary humans may not have been able to feel it, but the Hunters could see it for what it truly was. There were Hunters who had surrendered to Yashin without receiving power from Orochi and also Hunters who had hidden from Yashin¡¯s tyranny joined Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s party. They could also see and feel the incredible portal forming.

    Their bodies shuddered as they sensed the amount of raw condensed mana before them.

    ¡°What sort of power is¡­¡±

    Those who hadn¡¯t seen the fierce battle between Orochi were terrified by the tremendous flow of power.

    ¡°...¡±

    On the other hand, the Hunters who had seen the fierce battle with Orochi just stood with their heads hung heavy. Their confidence was in shambles. Each one could now see that being a Hunter meant nothing in the grand scheme of the world.

    There was a sky above the sky before them, iparable in might. There was a heaven before them that they could never reach.

    Shine!!!!

    ¡°It¡¯sing,¡± said Heracles.

    Everyone started to back away. As the air vibrated violently, the magic circle twisted and consumed the gathered mana. Space and time trembled as, finally, a blue gate appeared.

    JING!!!

    Unlike normal gates, runes were inscribed around the outer edges of this one, enclosing it in a circle.

    ¡°Back up!¡± Heracles shouted once more, and the people backed away even further.

    Some of those that had gathered, not knowing exactly what was going on, were frightened by the sudden appearance of the gate. Then after some time, the entirety of Japan began to tremble as if an earthquake was shaking the inds.

    ¡°Ah!!!¡±

    As the shocked Hunters shouted, the tremors grew stronger.

    RUMBLE!!

    Before the Hunters had even noticed it, something massive suddenly appeared from within the gate and mmed its head into the ground.

    BOOM!

    ¡°A¡­a snake!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Orochi! It¡¯s Orochi!!! Run away!!¡±

    While there were panic-stricken Hunters who were confused at what was happening, most of those who had gathered just epted what was going on and stood still, watching. The head of a giant snake, so massive that it was able to swallow several buildings with one gulp, had appeared.

    As none of those gathered prepared for battle, the snake¡¯s massive jaws opened.

    Whoosh!

    From within it, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice resounded amidst the mor of the murmuring people, ¡°I¡¯ve returned.¡±

    ***

    People were constantlying out of Jormungandr''s jaws, carrying scarce luggage that was limited to food and daily necessities.

    ¡°There¡¯s no end to them,¡± Heracles said, shaking his head as if he was already drained by the number of people that had already appeared.

    It was truly endless as people and baggage came out of Jormungandr¡¯s jaw with no end in sight.

    ¡°Just how long is this thing?¡±

    ording to Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jormungandr was currently connected to both Korea and Japan, spanning the gap in its entirety through the gate.

    Because it was a journey that they had done before, they knew how long it took to pass through the passage in its entirety. It took several days, even at the speed of Hunters. However, Jormungandr had been able to cover that entire distance with its body alone.

    ¡°But, by the way¡­¡± Odysseus asked curiously. ¡°If people areing from there¡­ um, well¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ if you want to get over here from Korea¡­it¡¯s just¡­well¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah!!!!¡±

    Realizing what Odysseus was struggling to ask, Heracles said to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°Then are people entering through Jormungandr¡¯s asshole anding out of its mouth?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Exactly!¡±

    Odysseus pped his hands in glee as if he had finally experienced relief after a great amount of constipation. Lee Jun-Kyeong was dumbfounded for a moment at the absurd question.

    Shlick.

    Jormungandr red at Heracles in displeasure.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Being stared at by huge eyes the size of a building gave off an aura of intimidation, even for someone whose courage would be second to none like Heracles. The Hunter was at the point of shivering.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at the sight and continued, ¡°Because the gate is connected to the inside of Jormungandr, you don¡¯t have to worry about something like that.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jormungandr. ¡°It seemed to work.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been that long since Jormungandr had be one of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars, and even he didn¡¯t know exactly what or how much the snake could do. To make things more confusing, Jormungandr itself also didn¡¯t know.

    [I will hurry as much as possible, Master.]

    A booming voice rang in his head.

    ¡®Thest child of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>...¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jormungandr, thinking of the notification he had heard before. Clearly, it had been said that Jormungandr was the child of the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    The first child, ording to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s knowledge, had been Fenrir. The second was Jormungandr. However, there was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t understood.

    [You have found all of the children left behind by <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.]

    He had heard that after Jormungandr had been epted as a Familiar.

    [Hel has been epted as a child of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.]

    [Hyeon-Mu has been epted as a child of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>.]

    His other two Familiars had also been acknowledged by <The Sky of the Apocalypse> as its children. But, on what basis could the Sponsor just ept them as its children? Although he didn¡¯t exactly understand what had happened, he was still happy with what he saw looking back at him.

    He had been a little upset when there had been no sponsorship after he had found all of <The Sky of the Apocalypse>¡¯s children. However, looking at it now, there was a support he had never expected.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    It was just that the sponsorship had been focused on these brats instead. Hyeon-Mu was nowpletely human and had the appearance of a young man at that.

    Woosh.

    And as for Hel, although the Familiar was still translucent, it could now form aplete body at will. Moreover, there was something even more surprising about its transformation.

    "Master," Hel said, kneeling down and bowing her head.

    ¡°Was¡­was Hel always a woman?¡± Heracles shouted.

    The Familiar¡¯s gender had been rified after her additional sponsorship.

    ¡°The two of you focus on figuring out your newly acquired power.¡±

    ¡°I have received your order, Master.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Master.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars rose and disappeared, Heracles still looked dazed, shocked that Hel was a woman.

    Leaving Heracles to gawk, Odysseus walked over to speak to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°Do you have any information about the others?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned to Japan from Korea. If there was a party that had finished the job that they had been entrusted with, he would have run into them. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just shook his head in silence.

    ¡°...¡±

    His silence spoke volumes, expressing that they had been the only ones who seeded in their mission. At this moment, everyone else was still in the process ofpleting their missions.

    ¡°Still, I received some news about Ungnyeo. It seems that she had sent quite a few people to Gyeonggi-Do.¡±

    The number of people that hade out of Jormungandr¡¯s mouth was muchrger than there would have been in the entirety of Gyeonggi-Do. Ungnyeo¡¯s mission had been to gather the Korean survivors and send them all to Gyeonggi-Do, and Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able to hear news about Ungnyeo from the people he had met as they traveled out from Gyeonggi-do.

    From what he heard from the survivors, he had no doubts that she would soon join up with the party as she was given a rtively easy task. However, the fact that no one was close topleting their missions other than her still bothered Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡®Mr. Jeong¡­¡¯

    What worried him the most was those who had gone to China.

    ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Heracles said after nodding his head firmly, as if he had finally epted Hel¡¯s gender.

    He was asking whether or not they would go to help the others.

    ¡°We wait.¡± However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of going to help them. ¡°It''s something they have to do themselves.¡±

    The others had been given rtively easy missions.

    If even a mission like what had been assigned couldn¡¯t be solved, then only harder things awaited them. Therefore, all he could do was just believe in them and wait.

    ¡°I believe in everyone.¡±

    ¡®But why does it feel so ominous?¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t shake off that little feeling of anxiety. He looked up at the sky.

    ¡®One way or another, I found all of your children. Even if you won¡¯t give me any proper support¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the heavens while he desperately made a wish.

    ¡®Please, at least help mypanions.¡¯

    ***

    ¡°Cough!!!!¡±

    The blood that Jeong In-Chang vomited had formed a puddle. Although there wasn¡¯t any visible trauma, he coughed up blood again.

    ¡°Cough!!¡±

    Zzt! Zzzt!!!

    A blue electric current flowed through Jeong In-Chang¡¯s body. Every time a raindrop fell from the sky and hit his body, his entire body seemed to tingle and tremble.

    ¡°Th¡­then¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang carefully opened his mouth to speak, but his mouth was full of blood. Above him, the princess had be Jeong In-Chang¡¯s umbre, sheltering him from the rain. However, the princess'' condition wasn¡¯t much different.

    ¡°Princess¡­hurting¡­¡±

    Little by little, the princess had begun to speak the Humannguage. However, to hear that she was hurting¡­

    ¡°Just hold on a little more¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang felt a sharp pain in his chest.

    Although he had tried to intervene in the sh and do something about the battle, the result was readily apparent. The only ones who were still conscious were him and the princess. The giants, including Thrymr, the Chinese Hunters, and Won-Hwa, had all copsed like flies and lost consciousness.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to interfere, you idiot.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang came to his senses as he heard the voice speak to him.

    ¡°Well, either way, you really have a persistent vitality. Are you immortal? It wouldn¡¯t have been strange for you to have died dozens of times by this point,¡± the man said, blocking in front of Jeong In-Chang with his gray hair flying in the wind.

    ¡°Zeus¡­¡±

    However, that gray hair was also soaked in blood, and Zeus¡¯ appearance waspletely disheveled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that you¡¯d only see blood if you get in the middle of a fight between brothers? You should have run away when I told you to.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang came to his senses once again. He had been so surprised when he had met Chi-Woo, but what had surprised him even more was when Zeus, who had said that he was going to Seoul, appeared right in front of them.

    ¡®There was no reason for me to go to Seoul.¡¯

    Zeus had said that he would go and find where Odin and the Demon King were. However, his words had felt like he had decided to head to Seoul to find Chi-Woo, not the two others. Just like he had hinted, it was true that he had gone to Seoul to find Chi-Woo.

    ¡°Is it really okay for you to beat your younger brother like this?¡± Zeus teased.

    ¡®Chi-Woo is¡­¡¯

    Just like the shocking words that hade from the mouth of Zeus, the very Chi-Woo before them, was the brother of Zeus.

    ¡°How funny that sounds,ing from the mouth of someone who not once had called me Hyung.¡±

    It was a truth that no one had known. The fact that Zeus and Chi-Woo were brothers was something that even Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know.

    Jeong In-Chang looked at the two with clear eyes. Maybe it was a side effect of having lost so much blood, but his mind seemed even clearer than before.

    The two shed, a raging thunderstorm circling around them as thunder roared incessantly.

    Crackk!!!

    Chi-Woo and Zeus faced each other.

    ''A big one ising.''

    Jeong In-Chang was convinced by the storm of mana that he felt. Chi-Woo and Zeus were trying to put an end to this battle that hadsted for days. Both were tired, and both were wounded. The strongest Hunters, the two brothers, didn¡¯t have the strength to fight any longer.

    ¡°I know I said that I¡¯d try to drag this away from the people, but¡­¡± Zeus looked at Jeong In-Chang, his eyes slightly zed over, and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll need your help if we want to keep everyone from dying.¡±

    At his simple request, Jeong In-Chang shouted as loud as he could, ¡°GRAM!!!¡±

    BOOM!!!

    Thunder struck the ground even harder.

    CRACK!!!!

    The light from the bolt of lightning, which had shed through the air and struck the ground, was so strong that the entirendscape turned white. Jeong In-Chang hefted his greatsword without any hesitation, driving Gram deep into the ground. As he concentrated every drop of mana in his being, there was an impact, almost as if two nuclear warheads had just collided with each other.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be one, Hyung.¡±

    ¡°Now, hand your power over to me, little brother.¡±

    Zeus and Chi-Woo.

    No.

    ''Thor.''

    The title of Chi-Woo that Zeus had told Jeong In-Chang about.

    The two masters of lightning who had reached the level of gods collided.

 Chapter 220. A Single Serpent Pt. 7

    Chapter 220. A Single Serpent Pt. 7

    Although they were born from the same mother, the two were different from the moment they had entered the world.

    The two brothers had been split into an older and younger brother rtionship even though they had been born on the same day with just a difference of a few minutes had grown together. One had ck hair, and the other had hair as white as snow. The difference in their hair color seemed to dominate their lives, as the two were different from the moment of birth.

    ¡®Mommy will be back for you soon.¡¯

    Both had a hazy memory from their infancy: thest appearance of the mother who had given birth to them. With a promise to return, the mother left her own flesh and blood.

    ¡®Die! Die!¡¯

    On the other hand, every day, their father beat them. The boy with white hair was considered cursed. Their father,ining that everything had been ruined because of that child¡¯s existence, beat him again and again.

    That was the children''s first memory of their father: endless violence at home. Outside the home was no different.

    ¡®Look at that bastard¡¯s hair.¡¯

    ¡®An albino? Or something like that, at least.¡¯

    ¡®Make sure you don¡¯t catch whatever he has.¡¯

    The white-haired boy had always been the subject of attention as the children at school either harassed orpletely avoided him. As time went on, the boy became increasingly despondent.

    ¡®Die!¡¯

    On the other hand, the ck-haired boy grew more and more like his father.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you ever touch my brother again.¡¯

    Having grown up watching his father¡¯s violent outbursts, the ck-haired boy eventually raised his fists to protect his younger brother, having made the decision to be the one to bear the wounds in ce of his younger brother.

    The children at school were all soon conquered by the ck-haired boy.

    With eyes glistening with madness and massive fists that could knock down even an adult, the child was unafraid of anything and never fled from any challenge. He had be the terror of the school.

    However, even such a fearsome ck-haired boy was subject to the same hell at home.

    ¡®How dare a brat stare back at his father, someone who is like heaven to him, with such eyes?¡¯

    At home, he was just like the white-haired boy: always beaten over and over again. Eventually, as it wouldn¡¯t be different, either way, he stood up to his father.

    ¡®Dog bastard.¡¯

    ¡®You¡­! You! Did you just?! How dare you! You son of a bitch!¡¯

    ¡®I was born to a dog, so, yeah, I am a son of a bitch!¡¯

    He stood up to his father, who was always beating him, and fought back again and again. And, whenever he would be beaten half to death, the white-haired boy, with fewer bruises sttered on his body than before, woulde close and cry all night.

    ¡®Hyung¡­¡¯

    The ck-haired boy had sworn to himself.

    ¡®I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m¡­¡¯

    He would always protect the white-haired boy. On behalf of his weak and sickly brother, he would destroy the world. Whether his brother was the viin or the victim, he was going to protect him.

    That was the image the white-haired boy had of his brother as a child.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry that I have to bring you this news, but¡­as your father was drinking and jaywalking, he¡­¡¯

    Then one day, their father had finally met his end. It was a worthless death for a worthless father. Not a single person attended his funeral, and the children were sent to an orphanage, living a life that was better than the hell they had lived in before.

    ¡®Water.¡¯

    The ck-haired boy had be king.

    ¡®Pour some for my brother, too.¡¯

    His white-haired brother was now a prince. No one in the orphanage could disobey the two''s orders.

    ''Hyung¡­we could just...¡¯

    ¡®Shut up. If we be weak, they¡¯ll eat us alive.¡¯

    The white-haired boy tried to stop his changing brother, but there was no going back. He was the older brother and the one who had to always take care of him.

    ¡®Is this all the money?¡¯

    His brother changed more and more. After dropping out of school one day, his brother just never returned to the orphanage. He just left, saying that he was going somewhere and that he woulde and earn money.

    ''Wow, he''s number one in the whole school again!''

    ¡®There definitely is something special about him.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m jealous.¡¯

    As for the white-haired boy, he was no longer some strange alien but was bing a special person. The empty space his brother had left wasn¡¯t as big as it had been, as no one bothered him anymore.

    ¡®Hyung¡­¡¯

    However, he still had no friends, and all he did was wait for his brother to return. The only proof he had of his brother¡¯s life or death was the money that was deposited from time to time as his brother, who had sacrificed everything for him, had left him behind.

    The two children, who were separated in that manner, grew up as they lived twopletely different lives.

    ¡®O¡­outside¡­!¡¯

    Then, one day, the gates appeared.

    ***

    ¡®Hyung!¡¯

    When the gates appeared and the monsters descended, the bewildered white-haired teen, worried, immediately searched for his brother somewhere. The orphanage had been trampled by monsters, and everyone they had known had died.

    He had run away, seemingly forever, in order to live. In the midst of his escape, the teen ran into his brother once again.

    ¡®Hyung!¡¯

    ¡®This way!¡¯

    The brothers, who had finally met after such a long time, were forced to flee without having a single moment to breathe. The ck-haired teen was holding a knife he had gotten from somewhere and was slicing through monsters as the white-haired teen was relieved to feel his brother¡¯s shadow once again.

    His brother had returned.

    ¡®I! Am! Chi-Woo!¡¯

    The older brother shouted his name out loud as he cut through monsters again and again.

    ¡®Dodge!

    However, that onlysted for a short while. When the older brother struggled against an unexpected foe momentarily, a gate suddenly appeared behind his little brother¡¯s back.

    ¡®...!¡¯

    The white-haired teen stretched out his hand, but the gate that had appeared with a slight chime sucked him in like a ck hole. The older brother, who had been protecting his younger brother until now, screamed out as he threw himself at a gate once again.

    ¡®No!¡¯

    A voice spoke to the brothers who had entered the gate at the same time.

    [<The Master of the Blue Current> shows interest in you.]

    [<The Master of the Blue Current> sponsors you.]

    As the two opened their eyes, whaty before them wasplete darkness.

    ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ The older brother muttered to himself once again as if he knew something. ¡®To think I¡¯d appear here again¡­¡¯

    Unlike the younger brother, who was terrified by the darkness with a dumbfounded expression, the older brother was calm in the face of danger. He looked as if he had been in this darkness for years.

    ''It begins.''

    Monsters began to pour out before them without any time for him to exin. The white-haired teen no longer stood still like an idiot as his older brother took care of him and taught him.

    They had been sponsored. The older brother was a great warrior, knocking down the flocking enemies while he protected his younger brother over and over again.

    However, the two brothers understood this sponsorship wasn¡¯t for the sake of training them.

    No, it was just¡­

    ¡®Just the desire to be able to y with toys for a long time¡­¡¯

    That was the best way to put it. The enemies swarmed before them as the two brothers fought seemingly endlessly. In the spare moments that they found breathing room, the older brother taught the younger brother how to fight.

    A week, a month, and even a year had passed as the brothers continued to have to deal with the monsters in the dark. However, a lot had changed.

    The younger brother was no longer an existence who could only exist under the aid of the older brother. Rather, he had be the one to rush forward first, smashing and killing their enemies. It had always been like this.

    ¡®You always did learn quickly.¡¯

    A dark expression of sorrow hung over one side of the older brother''s proud face. The younger brother had already realized it by now. His older brother had already been to this space as dark as an abyss.

    He had already been trapped in this dimension they called Anngr, and he had spent so many years in this hell that it could be called immeasurable. Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only problem that byed the two brothers.

    [A Multiple Sponsorship Hunter is present.]

    [The difficulty increases.]

    [The difficulty increases.]

    As time passed, the monsters became stronger. When monsters that were too difficult for even the older brother to handle appeared, the brothers had to work together to defeat the monsters. They killed and killed over and over again.

    As three years passed in that manner, the two brothers were no longer able even to speak.

    ¡®...¡¯

    Within the dark hell from which there was no escape, the brothers consumed the monsters as they just focused on surviving. Their emotions had dried up. Their brotherhood had withered.

    ¡®Someday, this will end¡­¡¯

    ¡®This might be different from what you went through, Hyung.¡¯

    Cracks had begun to form. The older brother never ceased to hold on to the younger brother, who wanted to give up. However, the younger brother could see it.

    ¡®I want to die¡­¡¯

    His older brother had to undergo this dark hell now twice, so he was suffering the most. Thus, the younger brother begged and begged.

    ''I''ll give you anything you want! So please...let my Hyung leave this hell!¡¯

    His older brother had always protected him their entire lives, so the white-haired teen wanted to protect him at least once. However, the master of the realm who was ying with them had no intention of doing anything the teen wanted.

    [<The Master of the Blue Current> sponsors you.]

    [Your stamina has been restored.]

    The only thing he received in response was support, as if to push them into fighting once more. Thus, ten years passed in that manner, and one day, the younger brother looked over at his older brother.

    ¡®Hyung,¡¯ he said. ''Kill me.''

    ***

    The younger brother had an idea. The gate and sponsorship were things that had appeared for him. The gate had appeared behind his back, and the message he had heard countless times while going through this hell had only cemented that idea.

    [<The Master of the Blue Current> has a special interest in you.]

    As the smart one, the younger brother thought to himself. The pain that his brother was going through and the sacrifices that his brother had made throughout their entire lives had all been for him. That was why he felt that if he disappeared, then his brother could be saved.

    In Anngr, he couldn¡¯t end his own life and death by monsters was also impossible. While most Hunters didn¡¯t even know about the existence of Anngr, those who had gone there knew that Anngr was a ce where even death was not permitted.

    Death by monsters would be revived through sponsorship, and one was forced to fight in an endless hell through whatever means necessary. It was easy to understand. If it were possible to die, then how many people would have survived Anngr to the very end?

    However, the younger brother thought to himself. His brother had entered the space alongside him. If, by chance, his brother were to be the one to kill him, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for him not to be resurrected?

    No, that would only mean peace for himself.

    No, if that wasn¡¯t the case, at least, if he died and all the attention was focused on his older brother, he reasoned, wouldn¡¯t his powerful older brother be able to leave this ce eventually?

    That was the solution he had reasoned, but as expected he was beaten near to death. The older brother refused to kill his younger brother, and the two stayed together until the very end and went through hell.

    It took decades. Perhaps because there had been two of them, the hell had gone on longer than expected, and it had taken thirty years for the brothers to escape.

    However, when they emerged, only a few hours had passed in reality. Still, their strength remained the same as when they had exited. In the end, the brothers had changed and their brotherhood transformed. The two were obsessed with each other.

    They both had the conviction they had survived only because they had the other, and they had only been able to endure because they had each other. However, the creator of that Hell had no intentions of letting them go.

    [<The Master of the Blue Current> created an unauthorized number of incarnations.]

    [The Master of the Blue Current> offers a suggestion to the System.]

    Most likely, no one else could have ever heard such a message.

    [You have been granted a mission!]

    [Sacrifice for the Weak.]

    Sacrifice the strong for the sake of the weak.

    The mission was simple.

    [The more powerful incarnation will be absorbed by the weaker incarnation.]

    Hell unfolded once again as if they didn¡¯t get stronger, they would die.

    ¡®I¡¯m stronger than you, Hyung.¡¯

    ¡®What bullshit.¡¯

    However, the two brothers both wanted to die. Both had the thought: only if they died could the other live. Only by bing strong could they make the sacrifice for the other.

    The two fought, shing endlessly to prove that he was the stronger one. However, it was impossible for the battle to end.

    They fought endlessly in Anngr¡¯s frozen time. Because The Master of the Blue Current continued to give the younger brother an incredible amount of sponsorship, the older brother was unable to take the upper hand. Thus, the younger brother ran away.

    Fortunately, the mission continued, and the older brother didn¡¯t die from his momentary show of weakness.

    The two brothers who had walked out of hell had decided to continue their journey back through a different hell once again, fighting for the sake of the other until the end of their lives.

    ''I have to be stronger.''

    ''I have to be stronger.''

    They had to keep getting stronger¡ªonly then could the other live. One went to the Association, while the other to Europe. Thus, the two brothers, having be stronger than anyone else, fought with all their might while holding a hammer dripping with condensed electricity and a Thunderbolt.

    ¡°I am stronger!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s me~!¡±

    Thunder and rain crashed down as the two brothers fought, having to take each other down for the other¡¯s sake. It was an endless battle as a notification hade to their minds a short moment ago.

    [The mission''s time limit is running out.]

    [Please select the stronger one soon.]

    The older brother¡¯s choice had been to find stronger and stronger people and be even stronger himself, while the younger brother¡¯s decision had been to find his older brother and see an end to their battle.

 Chapter 221. A Single Serpent Pt. 8

    Chapter 221. A Single Serpent Pt. 8

    There was a bright sh that obscured the entire world.

    Tremble.

    Jeong In-Chang shook with excruciating pain. The houses of the residents were nearby.

    ''If I don''t stop this, everyone will die!''

    He had plunged Gram into the ground, forming a protective barrier around the colony. The fallout of the battle was beingpletely absorbed by Jeong In-Chang as he took on the burden of mitigating coteral damage.

    Zzzt.

    His entire body crackled as electricity flowed incessantly into him. Holding onto Gram for dear life, he bnced precariously on the line between unconsciousness and consciousness. After fainting and awakening dozens of times, his entire body was incinerated as his dead flesh was scorched ck.

    Zzt.

    However, the sound of electricity crackled again as new flesh began to grow over his ckened bones.

    [Authority, Immortality, has activated.]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had told him that Siegfried in history was said to be immortal. Although he did have certain weaknesses, the Hero was said to never die unless those weaknesses were specifically exploited. Now, Jeong In-Chang had awakened the power of immortality for the first time.

    ¡®So this is Immorta¡­¡¯

    Although there had been times when he had used bits and pieces of his Immortality Authority, this was the first time that he had ever used it to this degree. Every single cell in his body felt like it was alive. It was as if each was talking to one another and the surviving cells banding together and resisting.

    They were united against an external enemy that destroyed them. It was apletely new experience for Jeong In-Chang: death, and the concentration of countless wills that rejected it.

    The burned cells resisted and multiplied, his body repeating cycles of destruction and regeneration. Jeong In-Chang now could understand why Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that immortality wasn¡¯t a perfect power.

    It seemed wrong to call it immortality.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s ultra regeneration.¡¯

    It was an ultra regeneration where even if only a single cell was able to survive, the body could be revived once again.

    In the eyes of others, it made sense that it would be seen as an immortal power that revived one even if one was beheaded, or the heart was pierced through, but it was somethingpletely different from what they imagined. One would have to be torn apart and destroyed even down to thest cell. That was the only way one could kill someone with the Immortality Authority.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang groaned involuntarily. The pain had long since disappeared. This was a guttural expression of the wonder at how every cell within his being was alive, understanding that every cell had its own will.

    ¡®My mana is¡­!¡¯

    Moreover, the mana stream that he had learned from Lee Jun-Kyeong had merged with the will of the cells and was condensing palpably. He could feel a massive current flow through his body.

    The coteral powers and the fallout that seemed almost like natural disasters ravaging the world emitted by the Heroes with multiple titles like Zeus and Chi-Woo, or Thor¡ªhe was epting it all. Jeong In-Chang approached death and regenerated, over and over again.

    ¡®I¡¯m epting it all.¡¯

    He was absorbing all the mana contained in the aftermath of the Hunters¡¯ battle. He could feel everythingpletely filling up and bing fully saturated.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    When Jeong In-Chang moaned again, he could feel that something had changed. He was apletely new self. It was an incredible gift, given to him by the experience of reaching the edge of death and rebirth.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    When he breathed out, the sh of light that blinded his vision was fading. As he was born anew, the fight came to an end in utter silence.

    ¡°...¡±

    He raised his head and looked ahead as his eyes, having been destroyed and regenerated, were letting in more and allowing him to see more than ever before. However, even with all the new sights, there was only one thing that he was currently looking at.

    He was staring at the two brothers facing each other. Zeus and Chi-Woo stood at exactly the same spot that they had been before the sh had blinded the world.

    Jeong In-Chang wondered what had happened. He knew that they definitely had an invisible battle from the fallout that he had to deal with, but seeing both of them standing upright made it impossible for him to guess the oue.

    Thud.

    On his knees, Jeong In-Chang turned over to the source of the sound. Someone had stepped forward: Chi-Woo.

    He approached Jeong In-Chang. In the silence, in the quiet rainstorm, Jeong In-Chang heard Chi-Woo speak.

    ¡°I thought many times about taking my own life. Although the mission was just to select the stronger person, I knew that if I died on my own, you would resent me for the rest of your life.¡±

    His voice was wet as if drenched in rain.

    ¡°So, I tried to follow the mission. I became stronger and stronger, trying to be strong enough to sacrifice myself for you. Only then would you understand.¡±

    Zeus¡¯ voice was hidden in the gravity of Chi-Woo¡¯s words.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Thud.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be even stronger¡­¡±

    Then, the one to fall on his knees was Chi-Woo as red blood flowed from his mouth. It was a wound so severe that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for him to die even right at this moment.

    ¡°Also¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang could clearly see it as his vision was maximized by his regeneration. There were cracks, almost like spiderwebs, all over Chi-Woo¡¯s body. It seemed like his entire body would be torn apart at any moment as the Hunter seemed to be barely holding himself together using his vast mana reserves.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be the strong one.¡±[1]

    Zeus had be stronger and had even be the strong one.

    Jeong In-Chang just listened to the two speak.

    Finally, it was time for Zeus to speak, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to burden you anymore, Hyung.¡±

    As if his entire body had been bound, he couldn¡¯t even look over at Chi-Woo, and Zeus just raised his head and moved only his lips. ¡°Although the mission was for the strong to be sacrificed for the weak, as you said, Hyung, as long as one of us died, the mission would naturally be erased.¡±

    His upright head fell.

    Drip, drip.

    ¡°I will no longer be a burden on you, Hyung. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Even your death¡­ I just, the system¡­¡±

    In the pouring rain, Zeus looked up again toward the sky.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be taken away by that damned Sponsor.¡±

    Was it a tear?

    Something mixed with the raindrops that fell down Zeus¡¯ cheek. It only showed for a moment, but Jeong In-Chang saw it. Zeus smiled over at Chi-Woo once again.

    ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me, right?¡± he said, his voice choking up.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Chi-Woo said, onest time.

    Chi-Woo¡¯s shattered body finally began to crack into pieces as his heart stopped and gravity began to reverse around him. The raindrops that cascaded down stopped in the air.

    ¡°I will definitely kill that bastard that made us like this, Hyung.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wondered who he was talking about. Although he couldn¡¯t say it easily because he didn¡¯t know their circumstances, for some reason¡­

    ¡®The Sponsors¡­¡¯

    The ce where Zeus¡¯ anger was directed seemed to be high within the heavens. Jeong In-Chang could guess that it was because of the Sponsors. A blue electric current began to emerge from Chi-Woo¡¯s crumbling body.

    The current, floating around like dandelion seeds in the wind, fluttered in the air as it all floated in the reversed gravity.

    CRACKK!!!!! CRACK!!!!!!!

    A true lightning god was being born.

    ***

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    It was the first time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized that Heracles was so talkative.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong found it more interesting than annoying that Heracles would ask him something every time they met.

    ¡®In history, he was only ever known as a tyrant, a little demon king.¡¯

    He was only in history for a brief moment, but it had been a moment so intense that even someone who had been like him back then had heard of.

    The power that he had exhibited, his Madness, was rumored to be equivalent to that of Chi-Woo at the end. To think that monster could have changed like this. Furthermore, he was here, speaking to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Then, can I ask you something, too?¡±

    Since Lee Jun-Kyeong usually had few questions, Heracles opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just something I¡¯m curious about.¡±

    ¡°How good. It was a bit strange to be the only one asking questions, so you go first,¡± Heracles said, crossing his arms as if getting ready to answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear what our dear Underdog-nim is curious about,¡± the Hunter teased, even going so far as to summon Odysseus to join in.[2]

    ¡°Chi-Woo.¡±

    However, his mischievous smile soon disappeared in a sh at a single word from Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°When we first met, you had been disappointed that I was a Hero from Asgard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­it¡¯s because of some stupid urrences in the past.¡±

    ¡°It seemed as though you had been waiting for Chi-Woo at that time. Is that right?¡±

    Heracles cautiously nodded.

    ¡°That''s right. I was waiting for Chi-Woo.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever met him before?¡±

    As events passed quickly, Chi-Woo could have been said to be the only Hero in History that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t met in this rapidly changing world.

    Since the Hunter was also from Korea, he was very interested in him. However, not only had they never met, there was little he could uncover even from Odin.

    ¡®Although Chi-Woo belongs to the Association, that¡¯s all there is. The only time he listens to any orders from the Association is when we have a strong enemy we have to deal with.¡¯

    That was all Heimdall had to say about the Hunter as well. So, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Heracles, who must have met Chi-Woo as well.

    ¡°A monster.¡±

    Heracles only had one thing to say about him.

    ¡°He¡¯s the real deal, aplete monster. I¡¯ve fought him once before. I wasn¡¯t even able to throw a punch before I was destroyed. Moreover, at that time, I had even gone crazy with uncontroble Madness, but¡­¡±

    Heracles shook his head in disgust.

    ¡°He literally beat some sense back into me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t die back then for a reason. Because his purpose had been to subdue me, not kill me. The reason I had been disappointed when it had been you who came was because I thought that it would have been an opportunity for me to face Chi-Woo again and get revenge.¡±

    ¡°So then he was only to that level? Where could you possibly get revenge?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Heracles exchanged nces with Odysseus.

    ¡°Even now, I don¡¯t think I can beat him. To be honest, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about how much stronger he must have be.¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Odysseus, who had been sitting still to the side, finally opened his mouth.

    ¡°It seems like he has some sort of story with our Guild Leader.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The Guild Leader said something like that in the past. What was it again? Remember, you said that you definitely heard him say something about Chi-Woo and clearing that hellish gate when he was drunk.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    A moment of silence enveloped the group.

    ¡®Chi-Woo¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong adjusted his evaluation of Chi-Woo. He wasn¡¯t just some mysterious Hero.

    ¡®We have to get him on our side.¡¯

    Now that the battle with the Demon King awaited them, they had to recruit the Hunter, whose side wasn¡¯t yet clear.

    His potential was beyond imagination. Moreover, he was even acquainted with Zeus.

    ¡®I need to talk to Zeus when he returns.''

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong was imagining the addition of a new Hero, Heracles opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°Then, is it my turn?¡±

    Heracles spoke in a bright voice as if he was trying to revitalize the atmosphere that had be heavy with the mention of Chi-Woo¡¯s name.

    ¡°Your Familiars. Their names are so unique. There are names based in Hanja and names that are European. Is there a reason for it? There¡¯s supposed to be a specific reason for Famrs to be named.¡±[3]

    It seemed he was curious about the reason behind the difference.

    As he said, the names of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Familiars were definitely unique. They were called Hel, Hyeon-Mu, Jormungandr, and Fenrir.[4]

    They were all names that no one would have heard of normally. Jeong In-Chang had also wondered about their nomenture.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response was simple, ¡°It seems as though that¡¯s what they had to be.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°In the first ce, while it was a coincidence that I met my Familiars, isn¡¯t the process still the same?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand pointed at the sky.

    ¡°Familiarse from the Sponsorship of the Sponsors. It just seemed as though the Sponsor had wanted their names to be what they are.¡±

    It just felt like that this was the way it should be, and it was a feeling that these were the names they originally should have had. He had a bracelet that contained souls, and a feeling that came from having to name those who were originally his Familiars to begin with.

    That feeling, even if it wasn¡¯t for the will of the Sponsor, also came from the book within him. There was a chance that this may have been because of someone¡¯s influence, almost as if the book of the Demon King would have brainwashed him into naming them that way either way.

    Still, the Sky of the Apocalypse had said it, that these Familiars were its lost children. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though the names were still, not from the book of the Demon King, but instead from his Sponsor, the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    ¡°Oh ho.¡±

    Heracles nodded in admiration. It seemed as though his curiosity had been sated.

    ¡°...!¡±

    At that moment, someone ran toward the party while shouting.

    It was a Japanese Hunter. Urgently, he shouted in Japanese.

    "Zeus! Zeus is here!¡± he cried frivolously.

    1. The idea of gap and eul was exined in earlier chapters, but you¡¯ll find in Korean society this idea of juxtaposition, the idea of power, is repeated quite frequently. In this case, there is a significant distinction in the rtionship that¡¯s been expressed all this time, where Chi-Woo was always the strong one while Zeus was the dependent. Now, Zeus has risen to the same level of power, and it symbolizes a shift in their rtionship, a shift that doesn¡¯t trante as eloquently in English that it does in Korean. ?

    2. -Nim is a term simr to the Japanese -Sama, where it¡¯s a polite suffix one uses when speaking to someone with great respect. Heracles is using it ironically. ?

    3. Hanja is formalized Korean Script using Chinese characters. Rted to Hanmun, which are Chinese Characters written in Hanja, meant to be used in Korean contexts. However, generally, the terms are used interchangeablytely. ?

    4. Didn¡¯t mention this before, but because they are mentioning the Hanja, Hyeon-Mu is the Korean word for the ck Warrior (Tortoise) of the Four Divine Beasts, otherwise known as the Guardian of the North Sky. His domain is over the North and Winter, and he holds power over water. ?

 Chapter 222. The God of Thunder

    Chapter 222. The God of Thunder

    ¡°Zeus has returned!¡±

    Hearing the news brought by the Japanese Hunter, Heracles and Odysseus warmly weed the news as they were on the side of Olympus.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s the Guild Leader.¡±

    ¡°As expected, he¡¯s the first.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also excited to see him as well.

    Zeus wasn¡¯t someone that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been moving on the same path with until just recently. Still, although it was still difficult to say for sure if the Hunter was apanion or not, he was still the first one to return from his mission.

    ¡°So, where is our Guild Leader?¡±

    The three Hunters were currently in Japan. After hearing from the Japanese Hunter, they were told that Zeus had returned to the Korean area. The Hunter had been informed by the people that were traveling through Jormungandr. Zeus had asked them to convey that he would be taking a break in Korea.

    ¡°He must have found the location of the Demon King, right?¡±

    "If it¡¯s the Guild Leader, he might have captured Odin, too.¡±

    As expected, Zeus really was a trustworthy leader as Heracles and Odysseus chattered about as if they were children after hearing the news about their leader.

    It made sense. The world they were in was a battlefield where one wouldn¡¯t know when they would die. A mayhem in which even the strongest couldn¡¯t easily predict their own life or death.So, they were just happy that Zeus had returned.

    However, on the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if the others hadn¡¯t returned as well.

    ¡°What about the others? Any other news?¡±

    Although he had already heard that Ungnyeo was still on her mission, he still didn¡¯t have any news of his most treasuredpanions.

    ¡®Mr. Jeong and Mr. Won-Hwa.¡¯

    ¡°Siegfried and Hua Tuo are also back.¡±

    The Japanese Hunter only had good news to deliver.

    ¡°Also¡­they returned with the Giants and the Chinese Hunters.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes wide with a happy expression.

    ¡°Keke. It looks like everything''s turning up well,¡± Heraclesughed.

    ¡°Siegfried. Well, that brat grew up too, hasn¡¯t he.¡±

    Leaving the chattering party behind, Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fists. Hispanions had returned safely, and it seemed that their mission to get the help of the Giants and the Chinese Hunters had beenpleted sessfully.

    Although they may not be of big help in the great battle, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also considering the smaller skirmishes that they would have to undergo, so he was sure that their presence would be of great help.

    However, while those reasons were all true, and while he was still happy about their mission, in truth, he was happy for a simple, more fundamental reason.

    ¡®They returned alive.¡¯

    He had clenched his fists because he was afraid he would show too much joy in front of the devastated citizens of Japan.

    ¡°What a relief¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his only verbal response to what he had been told.

    ¡°Then are we going to go back right away?¡± Heracles asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°Not yet. If we¡¯re going to leave, we¡¯ll need Hunters that will take care of this ce. Because there are so many people gathered here, there will definitely be problems that arise. We¡¯ll need someone to direct the situation in case of any emergencies.¡±

    ¡°Then, should we leave Odysseus behind?¡±

    Odysseus¡¯ eyes narrowed into des. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just answered with a smile, ¡°I have someone in mind.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong would be the person that would rally the people here.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve made our preparations, let¡¯s n to go back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Good. Great, even.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±

    The party split apart, genuinely happy for the first time in a long time at the thought of meeting those who had returned from their missions.

    ***

    ¡°So this is Jormungandr¡¯s belly?¡±

    ¡°It just looks like a cave¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already traveled between Korea and Japan several times, but it was the first time for Heracles and the others to enter Jormungandr¡¯s belly. Jormungandr was the connection between the far-apart gates and Heracles and Odysseus found the entire situation so strange.

    ¡®Well¡­¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t like it wasn¡¯t the same for Lee Jun-Kyeong too. This was the first time Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen a monster like Jormungandr¡ªno, a Familiar like Jormungandr. He had never heard of even the Demon King having such a Familiar. Moreover, Jormungandr was still growing.

    ¡°It almost seems like it¡¯s consuming all the gates.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Heracles eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Does that even make sense?¡±

    The snake consumed gates, and the situation was exactly as described.

    ¡°Wait, then¡­¡±

    Odysseus responded simrly, and the two opened their mouths at the same time.

    ¡°Then is it possible to remove the gates altogether?¡±

    ¡°Would it be possible to destroy all the gatespletely?¡±

    What if, using Merlin¡¯s magic, they could connect all the gates once more and have Jormungandr devour them? Then, the gates would no longer break with a deluge of monsters, and the Hunters would no longer have to enter those dangerous ces in order to close them.

    ¡°All the danger would be gone, and¡­¡±

    Right now, at this very moment, there could be an era of peace. The key to it all was this huge snake, a power unique to Jormungandr.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure as of yet.¡±

    ¡°What does Jormungandr say?¡±

    When Heracles asked Lee Jun-Kyeong, like a system notification, Jormungandr¡¯s stomach rumbled loudly with the message.

    [I do not know either.]

    [I am currently the same as a nk paper. All I do is try anything that seems possible and inform the results to my master.]

    It was a voice that was as grand and deep as the snake was vast.

    ¡°Oh ho¡­¡±

    Heracles nodded, delighted that they had possibly found another solution.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    He seemed curious about something else at this moment.

    ¡°These walls look quite sturdy. It¡¯s something simr to your digestive tract, right? What do you think, can I try hitting it once?¡±

    Whether it was from his unique sense of pride or machismo, or possibly remembering the fierce battle he had against Orochi, unexpectedly, Heracles suddenly made a strange request.

    [Then, let me ask you something as well.]

    Jormungandr calmly responded, its terrifying words juxtaposing with its even tone.

    [Can I eat you?]

    As silence descended awkwardly, Heracles suddenly changed the subject, ¡°Oh ho¡­the¡­ there¡¯s the exit.¡±

    Drip.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong still clearly saw that a drop of cold sweat had fallen from Heracles'' forehead.

    ***

    ¡°Guild Leader! Guild Leader!¡±

    Having now arrived in Korea, Heracles hurriedly sought out Zeus, possibly as he thought that Jormungandr might actually eat him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood at the entrance to Korea and looked around. Most of the people here had already moved to Japan, and the only ones left were the Hunters, who were there to guide any stragglers that woulde to Gyeonggi-Do.

    The empty appearance of thendscape predicted the fierce battle that awaited them. However, seeing Heracles so excited, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself that it would be nice for him to meet the others as well.

    ¡°Zeus! Zeus! Hurry up ande out!!!¡±

    It was then that a Hunter approached, bowing his head deeply and speaking politely.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, sir.¡±

    It was the courtesy and respect that these Hunters had toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. In this ce, he was no different from a god. Even if he didn¡¯t want them to, they were nearing the point of worshiping him.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded with an ufortable expression.

    ¡°Siegfried is waiting for you.¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t want to make Lee Jun-Kyeong any more ufortable, he started guiding the Hunter immediately. However, in truth, there wasn¡¯t much guiding to be done, as far away, he could see the frost giants towering over thend.

    Smirk.

    The giants in ck were the forces of Thrymr, the Nar, and the giants in blue were the forces of Thjazi, the giants of Utgard.

    ¡®So they¡¯ve gotten stronger then.¡¯

    Although there weren¡¯t many, perhaps because they had only brought their warriors, the aura they radiated was definitely different from before.

    "However¡­¡±

    The Hunter, who was guiding the group, hesitated before opening his mouth, ¡°Lord Zeus¡¯ condition isn¡¯t very good. He said that he didn¡¯t want to meet anyone, and¡­¡±

    ¡°The Guild Leader?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    At Heracles and Odysseus¡¯ question, the Hunter replied meekly, ¡°Ah, well, I also don¡¯t know any details. It¡¯s just that everyone seemed to be in a depressed mood, so I thought it was prudent to let you know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, sending the Hunter back.

    It was obvious from where the others were gathered.

    ¡®He must be over there. Zeus, what happened to you?¡¯

    The Leader of Olympus was giving off an aura that seemed to show that he had grown stronger¡ªno, not just stronger, but several times stronger.

    In the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained Jormungandr. Thanks to the Sky of the Apocalypse, Hyeon-Mu and Hel were recognized as the bastard¡¯s children, which led to Lee Jun-Kyeong growing even further as the power of a Familiar was the power of the owner.

    However, even with all that, Zeus seemed to have grown just as much. What happened?

    ¡®Could he really have caught Odin?¡¯

    Could it be that his Sponsor, wanting him to do so, was willing to provide such a huge amount of sponsorship?

    In the midst of his curiosity, he had to soon move on as Jeong In-Chang called out to him when he noticed them approaching.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shifted gears, forgetting about his innocent curiosity as he soon realized something was wrong.

    ¡°Was there a problem?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, his expression was ominous.

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    The party followed him as he beckoned them to follow, guiding them far away from Zeus.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could never have thought of it. To think, Chi-Woo and Zeus were brothers. Moreover, Chi-Woo¡¯s strength was more terrifying than he had imagined.

    ¡®To think, not only did he have Multiple Sponsorship¡­ but he also shared a Sponsor with Zeus.¡¯

    Zeus¡¯ Sponsor was a special Sponsor that could only sponsor one person. It was one of the unique Sponsors, like the Sky of the Apocalypse.[1] It was bad enough that such a Sponsor had broken the rules and sponsored two people, but it had also given such a vicious mission.

    What Jeong In-Chang had to say about Zeus and Chi-Woo was shocking to Lee Jun-Kyeong as well. In the end, as a result of what had happened, Zeus had gained Chi-Woo¡¯s power. It would be of great help in the battles toe.

    ¡®We can¡¯t leave him like this.¡¯

    There was no way that Zeus would be of the right mind right now. Just then, Heracles and Odysseus came this way.

    Shake.

    When Lee Lee Jun-Kyeong gave them a look, they responded with a simple shake of their heads. They had gone to see Zeus, but he had refused to see them.

    ¡°When the Guild Leader is like that, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±

    ¡°I think for now, we¡¯ll have to leave him alone.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang also lowered his head. He had been the one to see everything firsthand. Although Olympus Guild hadplete notoriety in Europe, the real Olympus waspletely different ording to what he heard from the guild members.

    ¡°I will go.¡± In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped in.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°When the Guild Leader is like that, even if it¡¯s you, Underdog, he won¡¯t meet with you.¡±

    Although they tried to dissuade him, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave it like this. I¡¯ll go visit Thjazi, Thrymr, and Liu Bei after meeting Zeus. For now, please help them so that they can rest properly, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    ¡°U¡­understood. For now, Mr. Won-Hwa is treating their injuries.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and stepped forward. He couldn¡¯t imagine the mental pain Zeus was going through. The despair of losing a brother, and on top of that, having been the one to have done the deed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had never lost anything as he had been born with nothing. So, he had no intention of offering the Hunter anyforting advice or anything of that sort.

    ¡°Just what does he n to do¡­¡±

    Heracles looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong worriedly, as for some reason, it seemed like the Hunter was going to a battle. Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong walked away without saying a word.

    ***

    Knock, knock.

    A knock rang out, but no answer came.

    Knock, knock.

    The knocking continued incessantly, but an answer couldn¡¯t be heard either way.

    ¡°Screw off.¡±

    Eventually, a cold voice, like frost, came through the door.

    Knock, knock.

    ¡°I told you to screw off¡­¡±

    When the voice sounded again-

    BOOM!

    The door was suddenly thrown open as if it had been hit with an explosion. This was a door that even Heracles had been unable to open from the sheer amount of mana that Zeus had instilled within it. Standing in front of the broken door was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Are you really going to continue acting like this?¡±

    ¡°...but I was sure I said I didn¡¯t want to be bothered?¡± Zeus¡¯ gaze, looking back at Lee Jun-Kyeong was cold, mana oozing out of his startling blue eyes.

    Bloodlust emanated from the Hunter as if he was ready to kill someone at this very moment.

    ¡°How about fight a little right now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    However, Zeus was cold.

    ¡°I have no intention of ying with a child. Leave me alone for now¡­¡±

    BOOM!

    As Zeus lowered his head as he spoke, suddenly, an explosion ruptured again.

    ¡°Are you fucking insane?¡±

    The explosion this time was directly next to where Zeus was sitting. A spear was now embedded into the chair next to the Hunter. Zeus was left startled, looking back and forth between the quivering spear and Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    1. And the Desert¡¯s Sun. ?

 Chapter 223. The God of Thunder Pt. 2

    Chapter 223. The God of Thunder Pt. 2

    ¡°The rules are simple.¡±

    The party stood in an empty lot in Gyeonggi-Do as many people gathered around, watching them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus stood in the center. Around them were Heracles, Odysseus, Jeong In-Chang, and Won-Hwa.

    Around the core group of Hunters stood the rest of those in Gyeonggi-Do, even including all of those that hade from China as well.

    Everyone had gathered in this ce to watch what was unfolding.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to de-escte or something?¡±

    ¡°I told you, when the Guild Leader is like that, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±

    Those on Olympus¡¯ side still seemed to be concerned even though they knew Lee Jun-Kyeong''s ability.

    ¡°One of the two could die here.¡±

    Their Guild Leader, Zeus, had definitely grownpared to before he had left.

    On top of that, because they knew how much Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s strength had risen as well, their hands were sweating as they were faced with an impossible situation.

    Regardless of how things ended, even in these harrowing times when no one could predict what would happen, two allies were currently fighting.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s not use any weapons. Or Authorities, or any mana for that manner. Only¡­¡±

    ¡°You just want to use hand-to-handbat, then,¡± Zeus responded while uncontrobly spewing bloodlust.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°What are the rules then? Do I just have to kill you? Is that enough?¡± asked Zeus aggressively.

    ¡°Hmpf¡­¡±

    The giants showed their irritation after hearing that, but Lee Jun-Kyeong continued to remain calm.

    ¡°Until someone admits their loss.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    It was simple but straightforward.

    Facing Lee Jun-Kyeong, Zeus exuded a bitter, frost-like aura that felt as though it could cut through bone.

    It wasn¡¯t mana, but rather an almost palpably congealed bloodlust that was so strong that it was causing the surrounding area to begin to frost over.

    On the other side, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to exude a searing temperature, taking a serious stance while facing Zeus.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t something that can be resolved with just some talking.¡¯

    There was a reason why Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone this far instead offorting the Hunter, despite everyone¡¯s worries. Zeus was like a bomb right now.

    At this moment, with how much mental anguish he was under and considering how much strength he held, he was essentially a human nuclear warhead. Although it would be fine if he went straight toward their enemies, he was a nuclear warhead that just might detonate toward their allies at any time.

    That was why they needed a way to handle him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s add another rule,¡± Zeus said as he settled into a fighting stance.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew what the Hunter wanted and responded at the same time as Zeus, ¡°Nobody gets involved.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t interfere.¡±

    Then, the two of them, facing one another, finally began their spar.

    BOOM!

    ***

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to stop them¡­¡± Heracles said half-heartedly as his eyes sparked with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one telling me not to try to stop them¡­¡±

    On the other hand, Jeong In-Chang just closed his eyes and looked away as if there was nothing else they could do.

    BOOM! BANG!

    Massive pounding sounds, like the terrifying booms of a war drum, continued to resonate through the air.

    They didn¡¯t use any mana, but their highly strengthened bodies were weapons in themselves.

    The ground was pitted with craters.

    BOOM!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was being beaten. Unlike Zeus, who looked fine, Lee Jun-Kyeong was actually a mess. His body had been pummeled so much so that in some ces, his muscles had split apart and bone was beginning to show, and his clothes had turned the color of blood.

    ¡°Is this really okay¡­?¡± Heracles asked again.

    The fight between the two Hunters waspletely different from what everyone had been expecting

    ¡°Underdog just seems like hepletely resolved himself and is letting himself be beaten?¡±

    It waspletely different from the expected brawl between men, using their fists to let out their emotions by beating the other while also taking a beating right back.[1]

    The only person who was getting beaten in this situation was Lee Jun-Kyeong. Not only was his one-sided beating not enough, but Lee Jun-Kyeong, barely able to speak, still also continued to goad Zeus as they fought.

    ¡°Is thhat really allll you havee?¡± he spat.

    ¡°It¡­it¡¯s like I¡¯mmm being¡­beaten by cottonn.¡±

    BANG! BANG!

    ¡°Screw Olympus, you should have founded the Olympiad Math Competition inste¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, that¡¯s a little¡­¡±

    BANG! BOOM!

    The continuous booming of drums sounded. Although the onlookers began to feel as though Lee Jun-Kyeong might actually die if this continued, no one stood up to stop them.

    It may have looked bad, but everyone could see what was going on.

    Zeus wasn¡¯t aiming for any of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s vitals, and while Lee Jun-Kyeong was taking on horrible damage, he was still slowly recovering.

    ¡®Is he trying to say he¡¯s also an Immortal?¡¯ Jeong In-Chang thought to himself as he watched Lee Jun-Kyeong, even though that wasn¡¯t the Hunter¡¯s actual intention.

    Jeong In-Chang continued to muse as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong, thinking about his Immortality Authority that had just awakened a little while ago. After all, he had gained his immortality through the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    ¡®Mr. Lee also has the essence of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone as well.¡¯

    The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was something that would regenerate as long as it was fed enough blood. One had gone to his old self, one was fused into Gram, and the remaining one was currently in the process of regenerating.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to give it to the Princesster.¡¯

    Moreover, Jeong In-Chang also knew that there were two more in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s possession. Even while Lee Jun-Kyeong was being beaten so severely, Jeong In-Chang continued just to think useless thoughts, reading into the situation in the weirdest manner.

    As he mumbled to himself, he heard Zeus¡¯ voice in his ear, ¡°This is enough.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the same voice that had frozen the very air around them from before. Although the voice was still somewhat shaky from the lingering excitement from his recent exertion, it felt as though much of the raw emotions in it had finally been settled.

    ¡°Ha¡­ haaa¡­ ve yo¡­u¡­¡±

    Ppft

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, barely able to say anything, ended up bursting intoughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny after just being beaten to pieces?¡±

    In this mixed-up situation, it was Zeus who was looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he was dumbfounded at the Hunter¡¯s situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine now, so just recover, you dolt.¡±

    Zeus grabbed Lee Jun-Kyeong by the cor and threw him to the side as if discarding trash.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Although Won-Hwa quickly approached in order to heal a battered Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunter raised a hand to stop him.

    Hssss.

    Before their eyes, the scars that were entirely visible and gaping on him had be almostpletely recovered before anyone knew it. Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his head and looked at Zeus, who was walking away from them with his back turned.

    Zeus shook off hispletely bloodstained hands and turned around.

    ¡°Come find me when you¡¯re done being treated. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Smirk.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled once again, promptly copsing onto the ground.

    Thud.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong woke up after a while. His recovery had essentially consisted of needing to recover his energy.

    ¡®I really thought I was going to die there.¡¯

    Even if they had only decided to use their fists, it wasn¡¯t an easy task to continuously get beaten by Zeus¡¯ fists. He had almost lost consciousness a few times, to the point where he had sincerely considered asking to use mana at some point.

    However, he still persevered and was able to see Zeus with a much better expression in the end.

    Smirk.

    Zeus wasn¡¯t someone with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had some long history or another. Nor was he someone he could easily call apanion, either.

    In fact, Zeus was the notorious Guild Leader of Olympus in Europe. In Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s past, he had been the demon-like person who had founded Eden. He was someone who from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s perspective, was fine to kill if he had to do so, not someone he was ready to ept.

    However, at this moment, he was someone whom they desperately needed.

    ¡®The reason we had such a terrible reputation in Europe was something we couldn¡¯t avoid. From the beginning, they were the ones trying to push us out.¡¯

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard from Heracles regarding the truth of Olympus, there were a lot of misconceptions circting about the guild. After the advent of the gates, Europe was terrified at the prospect of the growth of Olympus and the addition of another superpower.

    ¡°But we never thought that they would have gone that far.¡±

    Because of that, they tried to mitigate their fears by trying to push them out. Without even ever asking for their aid or permission, they used the name of Olympus under a facade. They had gone so far as to even sacrifice an entire city in this manner just to try to mitigate their growth.

    As for the other thing that Heracles had to say about Zeus¡ªthat was unexpected as well. To think that Zeus was someone whom his guild members held great respect for, and he himself was someone who cared for each and every member underneath him.

    Even if what Heracles and the others had to say was something that was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to believe, he had seen it too.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally been convinced.

    The Eden of the future, and Zeus, the Emperor and God of Eden, had been destroyed and changed because of what happened to Chi-Woo. It seemed as though a simr thing must have happened in the history of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s past, as there was no Chi-Woo under the name of Eden.

    The Zeus of his past must have lost his brother then as well. Moreover, his brother had been lost at the hands of his Sponsor. There was no way that something like that wouldn¡¯t have broken the other Zeus beyond repair.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone so far.

    ¡°Whew¡­.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from the bed. There were wet wipes nearby, as if the blood on his body had been wiped off, and new clothes prepared off to the side, though neither Jeong In-Chang or Won-Hwa were present.

    ¡®Well, he said toe find him, right?¡¯

    Most likely, they had just assumed that Lee Jun-Kyeong would have gone to find Zeus immediately after waking up anyway. However, contrary to his expectations, Zeus¡¯ voice had rather descended over from the open doorway.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Although Zeus had told him toe to find him, it seemed that the Hunter hade here instead.

    Zeus smirked as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Although he hadn¡¯t done much other than just get beat, for some reason, it felt as though the two of them had gotten closer.

    ¡°You were an idiot,¡± Zeus said, his bloodlust having died down somewhat.

    ¡°But just how strong have you be?¡± asked Lee Jun-Kyeong

    "..."

    ¡°I absorbed my Hyung¡¯s strength. I even thought that in theing war with the Demon King, I¡¯d be the one to match him. That it would be my choice, and the way for me to honor my Hyung. But, just¡­¡±

    The light in his eyes steeled for a moment.

    ¡°But it seems like I¡¯m not the main character of this world.¡±

    "..."

    ¡°Just how strong have you be?¡± Zeus asked.

    No one had noticed; not Heracles, not Odysseus, and not even Jeong In-Chang or Won-Hwa had noticed it.

    ¡°The decisive battle against the Demon King is yours to fight alone.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s growth was astounding.

    His level hadn¡¯t reached 100 yet, having stagnated at 99. However, not only did his Familiars evolve, but there was also a secret that he hadn¡¯t told anyone else.

    ¡®Anngr¡­¡¯

    "So you''ve been there too, then."

    He was referring to Anngr, the discarded dimension and the yground of the Sponsors.

    It was also the Territory.

    It had many names, and it was the ce where his battle with Set had unfolded.

    ¡°How long did you stay there?¡±

    ¡°Ten years.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t told anyone that he hadn¡¯t left Anngr immediately after defeating Set.

    For him, it had been an opportunity.

    The Sky of the Apocalypse had refused to open the Anngr for him.

    That was why he hadn¡¯t been able to experience the discarded dimension that the other Apex Hunters had suffered through.

    Although others would have said that it was a relief he didn¡¯t have to suffer like that, he needed the time to properly control his strength.

    ¡°But to think you¡¯d experience that Hell voluntarily¡­even for you, that¡¯s an interesting choice.¡±

    It had been a necessary opportunity for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    He had spent ten years within Set¡¯s Anngr, hidden away without telling anyone.

    Still, there hadn¡¯t been any life-or-death battles against a constant horde of monsters in order to please his Sponsor like the other Hunters would have gone through.

    No, he just used the world where time had stopped in order to properly grasp his own strength.

    For him, who had gotten very strong so quickly, it was time that he desperately needed. No one else had noticed, only Zeus. Only the Leader of Olympus had discovered his transformation.

    ¡°You really are amazing¡­to the point where I can¡¯t not acknowledge you.¡±

    "..."

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just kept his mouth shut in response as, then, Zeus again was the first to break the silence, ¡°So, what is your goal, exactly? What, the same thing we talked aboutst time? World peace? To avoid the world of the future that Jupiter had shown me?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had a hunch.

    ¡®Zeus is truly opening his heart right now.¡¯

    Based on how he answered, Zeus would be a truepanion, an ally that would stand by his side until the final battle against the Demon King.

    Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong held his tongue. He didn¡¯t know what he wanted, and this wasn¡¯t something that he could just nonchntly throw out an answer to, either.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, thinking about how to answer, eventually just nodded.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    It seemed as though that was enough for Zeus. Because Lee Jun-Kyeong knew what Zeus had gone through, he knew what purpose the Hunter was looking for. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Zeus with a sparkle in his eyes.

    ¡°What do you think could be Jupiter¡¯s goal? Not only did it show you the future, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I don''t know." Zeus shrugged.

    ¡°It might be a god of this world that pities us. Or even¡­¡± Zeus continued as he looked out the window, ¡°It might be giving me an opportunity to destroy the fake Sponsor that is using its name.¡±

    "...?"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s gaze shifted to confusion.

    Zeus¡¯ title was Zeus, and his Sponsor¡¯s true name also meant Zeus.

    But then¡­

    ¡°...!¡±

    That was right.

    That Sponsor, Zeus, who was definitely <the master="" of="" the="" blue="" current="">, had sponsored both Zeus and Chi-Woo.</the>

    It should have only had one title to give out, but Chi-Woo was said to have the title Thor, so something didn¡¯t make sense about the situation.[2]

    ¡°I earned a new title after absorbing my Hyung¡¯s strength,¡± Zeus said.

    ¡°Jupiter. That¡¯s the name of the true God of Thunder.¡±

    1. While the idea of ¡°boys will be boys¡± and fighting to be closer exists in most cultures, in East Asia, especially Korea, this idea of manly men solving their emotions with their fists is very prevalent in media and fiction. The most recent expression of this would be in Woo Do-Hwan¡¯s boxing drama. ?

    2. Remember, Special Sponsors only have one title to give, which is why Lee Jun-Kyeong only had Horus¡¯ title/powers for a short time. ?

 Chapter 224. The God of Thunder Pt. 3

    Chapter 224. The God of Thunder Pt. 3

    The name Jupiter held great meaning for both Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong. Zeus had be whole by absorbing Chi-Woo''s power, as that power had originallye from Zeus and his Sponsor anyway. However, for some reason, his title had changed afterward.

    Moreover, Zeus had said it as well.

    ¡®I seem to be getting less influenced by the Sponsor as well.¡¯

    The number of notifications from his Sponsor had decreased, and he felt the Sponsor gaze at him much less than before. Whatever the reason was, things had changed for Zeus, hinting at something monumental.

    ¡°Then, a Sponsor above Sponsors¡­¡±

    Or maybe¡­

    ¡®An actual God.¡¯

    They both felt as though there might actually be another God, a real God, who felt pity for all that was happening to them.

    However, by this point, Zeus could neither hear Jupiter¡¯s voice nor see him in his dreams any further, which hinted at some other possibilities as well. Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong was satisfied with whatever was going on for now, as Zeus¡¯ issue wasn¡¯t the problem right now.

    The more pressing problem was Seoul.

    Zeus had gathered everyone together as he spoke. Although most of them hadn¡¯t yet returned, he still had to speak about what he had seen. As he had exined, his reason for going to Seoul hadn¡¯t been to determine the location of the Demon King and Odin.

    Still, although his main focus had been to find Chi-Woo, that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t paid attention to the other mission at hand. He had still entered Seoul and seen what the city had transformed into.

    ¡°It¡¯s like the underworld. Or, maybe, I should be calling it Hell?¡±[1]

    Zeus slowly began to exin what he had seen in Seoul, ¡°The first thing I can say is that, at least, the vast majority of the residents are alive.¡±

    A major part of Korea¡¯s poption was concentrated in Seoul, and it only ballooned further after the appearance of the gates. Hunters had flocked to the densely popted capital, and the more the Hunters congregated into one city, the more the surrounding provinces fell in danger from the gates and monsters.

    Korea was too small. Because the Hunters had assumed that they could always be dispatched to the surrounding provinces, they continued to gather in Seoul anyway, even as the provinces continued to grow more and more in danger.

    Although it wasn¡¯t an unreasonable assumption for the Hunters to be able to head to the provinces from Seoul, considering how geographically small Korea was, the time that it took to get there was still an issue.

    The damages caused by the sudden appearance of gates and monsters weren¡¯t just limited to simple property damage. This involved human lives. That time cost people their lives.

    Moreover, even though there was always a resident Hunter or two of the Association in these other surrounding provinces, the residents were still terrified of the possibility of a sudden gate break. Consequently, many people insisted on traveling to Seoul from all areas of the country.

    That meant that even though Seoul had already be incredibly saturated, the residents had further gathered to the point where the city was bursting at the seams from the constant influx of people.

    Jam-packed with human life as it was, Seoul had be the most dangerous ce in these harrowing times. Still, it was fortunate that most of the residents were safe.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing if you want to be positive, but we still don¡¯t have a good answer for the problem.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, nodding at Zeus¡¯ words. ¡°Are they hostages?¡±

    The fact that so many people were still alive where the Demon King had set up base, where Baldur and Odin were, was also a problem.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyst one of them is a hostage.¡±

    They had deliberately left the residents alive, holding them as one of the cards to use in their battle against Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party.

    ¡°...How infuriating.¡±

    ¡°Is this for real¡­¡±

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    At this point, the others also realized that the Demon King keeping the residents alive wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.

    ¡°Also, on the outskirts of the residential area, there are monsters densely gathering into a formation.¡±

    ¡°You mean that they are all taking orders from someone, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Whether it¡¯s the type or amount of monsters¡­¡± Zeus continued with a harsh expression, ¡°It¡¯s more than we can imagine.¡±

    This army of monsters was strong enough to make Zeus serious. It was hard for Lee Jun-Kyeong even to imagine how terrifying it was.

    ¡°What about the Hunters? Are they all just watching it happen?¡±

    There were as many Hunters as there were people concentrated in Seoul. Moreover, most of therge guilds and the corporate-sponsored guilds were also located in the city. There was no way that they had all died. Were they just watching all this happen?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, as I wasn¡¯t able to cross the wall of monsters.¡±

    ¡°Is it that bad already?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that if I passed through, there¡¯s no way that those bastards wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡±

    To be frank, Zeus¡¯ answer wasn¡¯t much better. It meant that the gathered monsters were strong enough that Zeus would have needed to use a substantial amount of power to pass through.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Most of them would have been persuaded to join the other side.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Quite a few of them were most likely persuaded. Considering those bastards can dominate the monsters and use them like servants¡­¡±

    ¡°It would be a new order.¡±

    Most of the Hunters would have sided with Baldur and the Demon King, as rebellion under those circumstances would have just ended in death. Moreover, there were attractive benefits to joining the Demon King anyway, without even the concern for their survival in the mix.

    In some ways, there were no differences between the cataclysm and the apocalypse. However, if they were to be the ones to control the apocalypse and direct the disasters¡­

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s worth following them. Especially for those who already tasted power, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    The state of Seoul could only be described asplete chaos now. They all wondered what they should do.

    That was why they were holding this meeting, to discuss how to proceed. However, they weren¡¯t able to find any solutions.

    ¡°For now¡­¡± In the end, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong who gave them all an answer. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to fight. It seems we¡¯ll have to wait for our allies who haven¡¯t returned yet.¡±

    ***

    Only Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned from their missions. Even if Zeus¡¯ goals had been different, it could still be said that he hadpleted his mission.

    ¡®The Demon King is in Seoul.¡¯

    Zeus had said that he had sensed the Demon King¡¯s distinctive aura. The reason he had described Seoul as an underworld wasn¡¯t simply because of the monsters that surrounded Seoul. It was because of two people.

    ¡®The Demon King and Baldur.¡¯

    Between the two of them, the terrifying aura of the Demon King stood out more.

    ¡°Did he say that it would be difficult for us to win even if we all worked together¡­¡±

    The Demon King of this era seemed different from the Demon King of the previous timeline. Either that or Lee Jun-Kyeong had misjudged the Demon King of his past.

    He was sure that the Demon King of the previous timeline had been eradicated by the Twelve Gods of Eden, including Zeus, with the help of countless Heroes.

    Although that could obviously be seen as an incredible achievement, their current strength rivaled that of the Twelve Gods of Eden.

    ¡®In fact, we¡¯re even stronger.¡¯

    However, Zeus had said it clearly.

    That the aura exuded by that single being was enough to cover all of Seoul and then some. It was an incredibly powerful aura, and he was an unbelievably great enemy. That was why they hadn¡¯t been able toe up with an answer. Gathering their allies was just a natural step in the progression.

    ¡°From this point on, no one will move on their own.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°We all go at once,¡± dered Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Zeus nodded while Heracles made a puzzled face.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a waste of resources? Although I get that it would be safer to go around in groups, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Safety is the most important thing right now,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted Heracles. ¡°We haven¡¯t confirmed Odin¡¯s location yet. Moreover, you haven''t forgotten, have you?¡±

    Heracles took a step back at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s harsh tone.

    ¡°There are still rulers everywhere. The cataclysm is not over.¡±

    They would be counter-attacked at the slightest mistake. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew they had barely been able to gather this amount of power. If even a single person were to be lost, they would be irreceable.

    Their enemies weren¡¯t stupid. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s alliance was the only force opposing them.

    ¡°We are in a position where we never know when they¡¯ll target us. Make sure you remember that.¡±

    ¡°...Understood.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was right.

    ¡®He¡¯s changed.¡¯

    After going to Japan, Lee Jun-Kyeong had changed. Although it had been so subtle that Heracles hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, it had be apparent in time.

    ¡®Well, it''s a good thing.¡¯

    Heracles was happy that Lee Jun-Kyeong had changed. Moreover, he wasn''t the only one who had noticed the other Hunter¡¯s transformation. Whether they had noticed it in the beginning or had only just be aware of it, everyone had eventually be aware.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s change¡ªto Heracles, at least¡ªwas like aplete evolution. He had be sharp. Before, he had felt somewhat indecisive andcking in charisma, considering the level of strength he had.

    ¡®But that¡¯spletely gone now,¡¯ Heracles thought to himself as he gazed at his perfected Guild Leader, Zeus. Unlike before, Zeus didn¡¯t mess with or make fun of Lee Jun-Kyeong anymore.

    While part of Zeus¡¯ earlier actions were because the Hunter had a mischievous personality, the truth was that Zeus hadn¡¯t approved of Lee Jun-Kyeong back then.

    Now, Zeus respected him.

    ¡°Do you have any objections?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked everyone.

    "No.¡±

    A single word from Zeus and silence from the rest of the party seemed to proim that Lee Jun-Kyeong had now be a true leader.

    ***

    The United States was the world¡¯s most powerful country prior to the advent of the gates. However, this seemingly all powerful stronghold fell as the gates appeared.

    Its domain was massive, but the poption wasparatively sparse, which consequently meant that the number of awakened Hunters was insufficient.

    Monsters were rampant in the widend, while there was no one there to protect the people. Whatever Heroes that were born were further pushed to their deaths because of theck of Hunters and the unsurpassable deluge of monsters.

    That was how the United States had lost the right to the title of Superpower in the world of Hunters.

    More Hunters awakened day by day through Sponsorship. Although they had seeded in taking backnd through foreign support, instead of focusing on growth, they instead were continuously forced to concentrate all of their energy on recovering their shattered nation.

    In that weakened state, now that the cataclysm had fallen upon them, the United States of America had truly be and of the dead.

    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±

    ¡°Chwiik! Chwiikk!!¡±

    Monsters infested thend as the ground itself was rotting from the sheer amount of human remnants that had been tossed to the side after the corpses were torn apart and consumed by the monsters.

    ¡°How insane.¡±

    A horrifying bloodlust boiled like magma from all sides.

    ¡°Are there really any survivors here?¡± Heraclesined as if he was already over having toe all this way.

    ¡°This really feels like no one could possibly still be alive,¡± Won-Hwa added.

    The party hade to the United States. They hade to find her, the one who had gone on a mission to this wastnd.

    ¡®Athena.¡¯

    She was somewhere on this continent, trying to rally survivors in the United States and recruit Hunters to join their battle.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared nkly at Zeus.

    ''He sent Athena here on purpose.''

    Not many people knew of the story of Athena and Heimdall. Although the two loved each other, Athena belonged to Olympus. However, as the Guild Leader of Olympus, Zeus was clearly aware.

    Heimdall, Seong-Gu Hyung, had gone to Seoul.

    ¡®Furthermore, it¡¯s be difficult to trust Seong-Gu Hyung.¡¯

    In his memories of his past that Odin had shown him, Heimdall had clearly deceived him. Although it had been the Heimdall of his previous timeline that had deceived him, Lee Jun-Kyoeng still couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling.

    Heimdall, Yeo Seong-Gu, was definitely his benefactor. But¡­what if it had all been nned?

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew he would be stabbed in the back by the one he trusted the most.

    ¡®Zeus has doubts about Heimdall.¡¯

    When Zeus had been on his way to Seoul, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked him for something¡ªto look out for any news about Heimdall. However, Zeus told him something strange when he returned.

    ¡®It was difficult to find anything. Just like any information about the Demon King or Baldur on the other side of the formation of monsters, I wasn¡¯t able to find out anything about Heimdall.¡¯

    Moreover, even before he had returned, Lee Jun-Kyeong had known there was something wrong.

    ¡®It¡¯s not just doubts, Zeus has been suspicious of Heimdal for a while.¡¯

    That was why he had sent Athena alone to the United States instead of having her stay in Korea.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would have been difficult even for Lady Athena, being here alone?¡± Jeong In-Chang said worriedly.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°PUHAHAHAHA!¡±

    Heracles and Odysseus onlyughed in response.

    ¡°Well, Siegfried must have never properly seen Lady Athena fight, right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, if it''s just observing it, then yes I did¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, back then¡­¡±

    Back then, in the gate in Europe where Heracles and Lee Jun-Kyeong had collided, Athena had appeared using Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt. Although it had only been a short sh with Heimdall, it had still been a harrowing experience.

    However, where they were right now, this ce was much worse than what Jeong In-Chang remembered about Athena¡¯s battle. Thus, he was worried about Athena¡¯s ability to even survive, let alone carry out her mission.

    ¡°What you saw then was, what¡­probably less than ten percent of Lady Athena¡¯s power?¡±

    "Really¡­¡±

    ¡°What, are you wondering if I¡¯m only thinking that because I¡¯m afraid of her?¡±

    Heracles and the others looked incredibly rxed as they joked about Athena.

    ¡°....¡±

    So much so that Jeong In-Chang kept quiet once he looked over at Zeus, who seemed even more rxed than the others.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no way she¡¯s in any danger. No matter how dangerous this ce is, Lady Athena should be fine as long as she doesn¡¯t run into any Rulers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Zeus, who had been silent, suddenly interjected. ¡°She should be fine dealing with one or even two Rulers. Because, well, that girl is a monster.¡±

    Athena¡¯s skills were so great that even Zeus boasted about it. Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa, who didn¡¯t know the details, became even more curious about her real skills.

    ''Athena¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also very interested in the Hunter. Even beyond the era he had experienced, even in the previous timeline before he was born, she had been there at the center of the Age of Heroes.

    Moreover, on the day that he was returning home from his part-time job at the convenience store, Athena was the one to summon him. Furthermore, when he had returned to the past, she had been the one to kill his Hyung.

    She had pierced the chest of the Heimdall of his previous timeline with the spear. She was a Hunter who could call herself a God, upying a ce in Eden. Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also curious about her real skills.

    BOOM!

    Then, with a huge explosion, a cloud of dust began to rise.

    The explosion that had urred in the barely visible street was obviously the work of a Hunter.

    ¡°That¡¯s mana!¡±

    Just when the group was about to move, Zeus saw the approaching swarm of monsters and stepped forward.

    ¡°Let me open the way.¡±

    1. The term for the Underworld trantes literally to Den of Demons. ?

 Chapter 225. God of Thunder Pt. 4

    Chapter 225. God of Thunder Pt. 4

    Crackk!!

    The entire road before the party was suddenly filled with a sh of blue currents. There had been an explosion of mana from afar. From there, a deluge of monsters poured out. So, Zeus walked forward and opened the way.

    ¡°Thunderbolt.¡±

    He didn¡¯t make any shy moves. He just lifted a single bolt of lightning in his hand and threw it forward in a straight line. It was a simple action akin to aimlessly tossing a javelin, but the resulting effect was absolutely shocking.

    Crackle.

    Everything within a straight line of Zeus was reduced to ashes.

    CRACK!!

    The bolt of lightning hadn¡¯t just incinerated everything in a straight line, but instead the current then spread out to all the monsters in the vicinity and killed any that fled as well.

    ¡°If he¡¯s this strong¡­¡±

    Heracles¡¯ jaw dropped. ¡°Can¡¯t all the monsters in the formation surrounding Seoul be roasted all at once?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible. Because those monsters are protected by magic,¡± Zeus responded calmly.

    The attitude of the person who had just shown them all such an overwhelming disy of power was somewhat muted andckluster.

    However, that was just Zeus in his perfected andpleted state.

    The God of Thunder had obtained the power of Chi-Woo and had beplete, and he had now descended on the United States, which had be like a hell. On the road opened up by Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt, the group quickly ran into a group of people fighting monsters as they raced down the path.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hunters!¡±

    Even at a nce, it was easy to see that the Hunters had considerable mana¡ªit was clear that they were all Heroes.

    There were about ten of them engaged in a sh against hundreds of monsters.

    ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Zeus asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    It was a recognition of Lee Jun-Kyeong as a leader and Zeus¡¯ willingness to abide by his choice.

    They could either save or simply watch.

    ¡°Save them, of course,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if it was an obvious decision.

    Smirk.

    Zeus raised a corner of his mouth as he spoke.

    ¡°Thunderbolt.¡±

    Again, blue currents began to bloom like flowers on the ck asphalt.

    ***

    ¡°Thank you for saving us¡­¡±

    The group of Hunters that had been engaged in the battle against the monsters bowed their heads. They seemed to recognize Zeus, Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the others.

    Well, it didn¡¯t really matter whether or not that recognized them either way.

    It wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to call the power that Zeus had just disyed as divine, and it was only natural in the current situation for them to show such consideration toward a Hunter with that much power.

    ¡°And who are you?¡± Zeus asked on behalf of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Crackle.

    The circle enveloping them was crackling with a bluish electric current. Beyond the boundary were the corpses of monsters piled in all directions.

    Gurgle.

    Although it was a little difficult to stomach it, the delicious smell began to waft around them.

    ¡°My name is Edward from the American Association. We are all Association members.¡±

    ¡°Edward¡­ and that was¡­¡±

    ¡°I know him. He¡¯s one of the Heroes of the Association,¡± Jeong In-Chang came out and said.

    Although he had studied many various subjects in order to go on trips with Lee Jun-Kyeong, he had focused even more heavily on learning the names and faces of Heroes than anything else.

    ¡°So, then, why are you here? It¡¯s not like we see any survivors or even an intact city around this area.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    It was strange that the Hunters seemed to be randomly in the middle of nowhere. None of the party could sense any aura of survivors, and there weren¡¯t any intact cities in the vicinity, either.

    It really felt as though they had just been dropped onto a remote ind filled with monsters. Considering their rtive strengths, there was no way that they could have survived in a ce like this for this long if they had been here all this time.

    ¡°Then why are you all here?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Edward spoke as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°We are a specialized unit sent out to save Lady Athena.¡±[1]

    ¡°Save Athena?¡±

    As if they had all set out on a noble, great expedition, the Hunters all shouted loudly in response.

    "That''s right!"

    ¡°Lord Zeus! We knew for sure that you would definitelye to rescue Lady Athena! We beg of you!¡±

    Possibly because Zeus was Korean, but the group of Hunters, bowing their heads deeply, shouted once again, ¡°Please save Ameri¡­! No, please save Lady Athena!¡±

    ***

    Unlike Korea, where the cataclysm had begun, only a few Rulers had appeared in the United States. A total of five Rulers had been birthed, and most of the United States¡¯ famous Heroes and Hunters had been annihted while taking down just one of them.

    A handful of survivors had begun to live in the areas where the Rulers had been defeated as they gathered other survivors and Hunters. If there was something to be happy about, it was that, fortunately, many Hunters had been born alongside the cataclysm.

    Moreover, the Hunters that belonged to the American Association had survived.

    After the cataclysm, the United States had lost its title as a Superpower as the gates continued to appear.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean the United States had just stood still and watched it all fall apart.

    The United States had proceeded to intensively study the methods of obtaining Sponsorships and the training methods of Hunters in order to systematically nurture Heroes. That research soon became their greatest advantage.

    Essentially, they had created a method that would stably train the early stages of a Hunter after they awakened.

    ¡°Still, all that amounted to was us barely being able to hold on.¡±

    Even if the newly awakened Hunters were able to grow quickly and stabilize, the situation itself was too horrid. Gates were breaking everywhere, and monsters were flooding the country. Just defeating the Ruler hadn¡¯t ended anything.

    As the veils continued to grow and widen, they began to ovep with the Rulers of other districts. They had a time limit.

    There was nothing else that could better express their approaching destiny, whether they had wished for it or not.

    They held onto faith in the midst of their despair, but there was no salvation from the God that they were waiting for.

    ¡°The fallen Ruler has been resurrected¡­¡±

    As Edward said those words, a thick look of despair and pain passed across his face as the party also went silent as he saw his expression.

    ¡®Rulers will be revived.¡¯

    Unless you were Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Hunter chosen by <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">, the Rulers couldn¡¯t be destroyed.</the>

    They were the worst type of monsters, one that would revive even if they were killed. For these Hunters, for America, the Rulers were their Demon King.

    ¡°Half of those who had survived died on the first day. We were barely able to fend it off after putting our lives on the line.¡±

    The wounds of a Hunter would generally regenerate with time. However, many scars still littered the bodies of the Hunters before them.

    They were all wounds that had been inflicted recently, and these Hunters had barely been able to continue living through harsh struggle.

    ¡°Fortunately, the Ruler didn''t seem to want to exterminate us. So, we thought we would find peace again.¡±

    They had regained their hope in the midst of despair.

    ¡°Then, an even greater despair came.¡±

    However, that was only just the beginning.

    ¡°The veilpletely ovepped, and the Rulers of two districts met.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    It was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others hadn¡¯t seen in any of the other areas. No, to be honest, it was something they had no knowledge about because the ces where Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had reached out were only a small portion aspared to the rest of the world.

    The two Rulers had met.

    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Zeus also seemed curious about what had happened to them.

    ¡°It was a war. The two Rulers fought for multiple days and nights over theirbined territory.

    ¡°Then, it must have been horrible for you all,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°Well, no¡­ For us, it was actually the most peaceful time. The Rulers didn¡¯t pay any attention to us whatsoever because they were too busy fighting each other.¡±

    The others nodded after hearing that.

    ¡°Because of the battle of the Rulers, we obtained a short break. However¡­¡±

    ¡°What, one of the two won?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The battle of the Rulers has ended.¡±

    At that time, the party''s eyes turned to Lee Jun-Kyeong. The only person among them who knew much about the Rulers was him, so there was something that they all wanted to ask him.

    ¡°What happens if a Ruler is killed by another Ruler?¡± Zeus asked on behalf of them all.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just shook his head. He didn¡¯t even know himself. He hadn¡¯t heard about or even seen any battles between Rulers. He also wondered about what had happened.

    Therefore, he looked over at Edward, who continued, ¡°It didn¡¯te back to life.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was the most surprised out of all of them. Then, Zeus silently looked over.

    ¡°...¡±

    Following, the quick-witted Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa also looked over at him as well. The only one who still had to take a moment to think was Heracles. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew why they were staring at him.

    ¡®The Ruler that I killed hadn¡¯te back to life either.¡¯

    Moreover, there was the information they had just obtained as well.

    ¡®And, a Ruler that is killed by another Ruler doesn¡¯te back to life.¡¯

    Only he was the one who was special to the point where even he questioned himself.

    ¡®Then, am I supposed to be a Ruler or something¡­?¡¯

    However, that was too far of a leap, and the implications of it were too severe to say out loud. Moreover, if Lee Jun-Kyeong had the power of a Ruler, Zeus would have realized it earlier anyway. So, he then had a different question.

    ¡®But, if the mana of a Ruler isn¡¯t what serves as the proof of a Ruler, then¡­?¡¯

    ¡°This is taking too long. Let¡¯s just continue and finish this. So, one Ruler didn¡¯t revive again and the other one was victorious. What happened after?¡± Zeus interjected, changing the subject from the unspoken question in the air.

    Edward came to his senses once again and continued, ¡°There wasn¡¯t much of a change for us at that point, just that the Ruler itself had changed. However¡­the issue was what came next. The rest of the veils also merged together.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°So five, no, four Rulers had gathered into one district then.¡±

    "That''s right."

    Edward''s face showed the endless despair he felt. The situation was one where that despair made sense.

    ¡®The only thing left for the people to hope for was being able to see the next day.¡¯

    In the end, all the survivors in the United States had left was despair for theing apocalypse.

    ¡°We¡­¡± Edward continued, his voice breaking withplete desperation. ¡°We all thought that the best way would be to die on our own terms.¡±

    ¡°...it¡¯s understandable.¡±

    Even Heracles nodded with sympathy. Although he would have fought till the very end, others were different. Living in endless despair would eventually destroy people. They would have thought it would have been better if that next day wouldn¡¯te.

    However, there was still one person who hadn¡¯t yet appeared in Edward¡¯s story.

    ¡°Then, Lady Athena appeared. She pierced through the monsters besieging us and came to rescue us!¡±

    Edward spoke of Athena as if he worshiped her. Because of their poor perception in Europe, Athena,ing from Olympus, most likely didn¡¯t have a good reputation in the United States. However, at this point, did that really matter?

    To them, Athena would have been a ray of hope and a light of salvation.

    ¡°She annihted the monsters and rescued us. She didn¡¯t even need any help from us. Just¡­¡±

    ¡°So then she must have fought alone,¡± Zeus said as if he had expected it from Athena.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±

    Before Edward could speak, Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at each other.

    Zeus was the first to speak, ¡°The Rulers still remain.¡±

    ¡°Her mission had been to gather the American Hunters and bring them back.¡±

    Due to her personality, she was the type to risk her life to carry out any mission.

    ¡°Then she must have gone to catch the Rulers.¡±

    ¡°She must have shed with the Rulers,¡± Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong said at the same time.

    Edward had begged them to please save Athena earlier.

    ¡°Then, where is she?¡± Zeus said to Edward with eyes ame. ¡°Tell me where she is headed.¡±

    ***

    One Ruler had died in a battle between Rulers. Excluding it, the other four Rulers were still more than enough for the party to feel enormous pressure.

    ¡®She hasn¡¯t shed with them yet.¡¯

    Athena had left a few days ago. However, there were no signs of any battles yet. The party was sure of it as there was no way that Zeus or Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if that amount of power had shed together.

    Athena hadn¡¯t yet encountered the Rulers.

    ¡®She¡¯ll bump into them soon.¡¯

    They could sense a huge amount of auras gathering in one ce. Either because they had already acknowledged Athena as a strong enemy or because they wanted to fight among themselves, the Rulers had all gathered in one ce.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s Athena, it¡¯ll be difficult,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Zeus.

    ¡°I already know. And she knows it too.¡± Zeus also had a serious expression.

    Even if it was Athena, one of the strongest Hunters in existence, there was no way she hadn¡¯t realized what the result would be from fighting four Rulers at once. It was simply death.

    ¡®No matter what.¡¯

    There was absolutely no way for her to survive that battle. Even for Zeus, it was guaranteed that even he would have died in that position if it was him prior to obtaining Chi-Woo¡¯s powers and bing whole.

    ¡°What could Athena be thinking?¡±

    No matter how much she was willing to risk her life toplete her mission, this was beyond reckless.

    ¡°She might just have a death wish,¡± Zeus responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    As the two talked, people began to gather behind them¡ªthe Hunters that could still be useful that Edward had mentioned.

    1. ck ops units. Back in the Korean War, they were essentially secret units of troops sent on national security missions with over 60% fatality rates. Some of these missions were so dangerous that they were awarded posthumous medals of valor before even embarking on the missions. ?

 Chapter 226. The Goddess of The Battlefield

    Chapter 226. The Goddess of The Battlefield

    The United States had been a superpower, and it was and of opportunity where countless people lived. However, at this point, fewer than a million people were living there as the rest had all died in the cataclysm.

    Of course, that was only the confirmed number that had gathered in the city of survivors. There most likely were many people who weren¡¯t included and were hiding around the country, living while holding their breath.

    Currently, what could be said to be the best among the remaining Hunters in the United States were gathered behind the party.

    They were the best of the best.

    ¡°They¡¯re useless.¡±

    However, Zeus¡¯ assessment of them was quite blunt.

    They were Hunters who had just barely survived. Although it made sense to call them the best of the best, considering they were those who were left after trying so hard to survive, this¡­

    ¡°If we take them to where the Rulers are fighting, they¡¯ll just die useless deaths.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had been the one to ask them toe. They had gathered, wondering if he was thinking of taking them on the mission to rescue Athena.

    Zeus knew that it wasn¡¯t the case, but he still made thatment, wondering just in case. But, as Zeus had thought, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of taking them to the battlefield.

    ¡°I mean, you already know we won¡¯t be taking them anyway.¡±

    A loud mor stirred as those who had heard the conversation between Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus began to protest.

    The United States had be and of hell, and they were the ones who had barely survived the battles that dotted the hellscape.

    While they had been waiting for their deaths in despair, Athena hade.

    ¡°Lady Athena saved us.¡±

    ¡°We cannot stay still when she needs help.¡±

    ¡°Let us at least be your human shields.¡±

    Athena had saved them, so many of them had gathered in order to repay that favor. From a certain perspective, it really was impressive.

    ¡®What all these people couldn¡¯t do¡­just a single person aplished.¡¯

    Athena had restored their hope.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ¡°That was Athena¡¯s mission. To gather you all to safety and have you join the fight to follow.¡±

    They all immediately quieted down.

    He continued, ¡°Do you want Athena¡¯s mission to be a failure?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°You all are alive now, thanks to Athena,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his words heavy with meaning. ¡°If you have energy left to spare, use it in a more meaningful ce.¡±

    ¡°Then what is it that we should do?¡± one person asked.

    Even though they were sure to be upset by what he was saying, they didn¡¯t disy any dissatisfaction.

    They knew it too. Their lives¡ªno, the very survival of mankind now depended on the man before them.

    ¡®It seems Athena told them in advance.¡¯

    These Hunters seemed ready to jump into the fray even at this very moment, and they were standing here waiting and listening to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus because of the information that Athena had given in advance.

    ¡°Gather the survivors. You said they were in bunkers, right?¡±

    Even in this miserable hellscape, there was a reason that so many people had been able to survive. In the past, the United States had built bunkers all over the ce in preparation for nuclear war, so the survivors had repurposed them to survive a different kind of apocalypse.

    The gathered Hunters nodded.

    He ordered, ¡°Gather them all in one ce.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°You will take the survivors to safety.¡±

    ¡°Safety¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is there even a ce that can be called safe in the midst of this chaos?¡±

    Everyone gathered knew that the entire world had already begun to be destroyed in the cataclysm.

    They questioned him and were doubtful. Then, a glimmer of hope appeared. A strange feeling enveloped them in the end.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve prepared a safe ce. Please take the survivors and set up camp there. Just focus on surviving until it¡¯s all over.¡±

    That was the end of Lee Jun-Kyeong''s speech. As he stepped on the rubble of the destroyed buildings, he moved forward. ncing over at the gathered Hunters, Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa followed behind him.

    Heracles stood, smiling as if to buck up to the Hunters as Odysseus smiled bitterly and walked forward.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke once again to the gathered Hunters.

    ¡°We have others who are going to fight.¡±

    Zzt!

    When the Hunters panicked and retreated at the sudden sound of a gate opening, the sound of massive footsteps began to emerge from the gate.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    ***

    ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Hans Kim.¡±

    ¡°Are you Korean?¡± asked Zeus.

    "Yes,¡± Hans said.

    While almost all of the Hunters that had been gathered were sent to take the survivors to Japan, there were a few among them who traveled with the party. One of whom was the Hero-Grade Hunter, who had introduced himself as Hans Kim.

    ¡°Guild leader! Don¡¯t you know about Hans Kim?¡± Heracles said as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Well, I mean, as if you would have any interest in the world¡­¡±

    Zeus was someone who had only focused on bing stronger, turning away from the world and only focusing on the gates he had to clear. Olympus hadn¡¯t been created intentionally. In fact, as he pursued strength, those who had followed him seemed to have grown into a guild that was at the level of a secret organization.

    Zeus tilted his head.

    ¡°Are you famous?¡± he asked, simply curious to see someone who was stronger than he had been expecting.

    Hans Kim scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say in front of you, Zeus, but¡­I guess I was somewhat famous, to be fair.¡±

    ¡°You traitor!¡±

    ¡°Traitor¡­?¡±

    ¡°Heracles! How can you just outright call him a traitor? You idiot,¡± Odysseus scolded Heracles.

    ¡°He was a Hero from Korea, but he was scouted to the US for a lot of money. He was well known back then for his ability and having a growth potential that wasparable to Zeus,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he took over.

    ¡°Ah¡­ That¡­that¡¯s a little far¡­what I had wanted to say was¡­¡±

    Hans Kim waved his hands in embarrassment, but Jeong In-Chang wasn''t wrong.

    Kim Yun-Soo, whom the Association had seen potential in and raised painstakingly, had changed his nationality to the United States after receiving a huge amount of money. It shouldn¡¯t have been an easy decision as that near-limitless fortune wasn¡¯t able to protect a Hunter¡¯s life.

    Moreover, Korea was a Hunter powerhouse while the United States was a copsed empire that had lost its stronghold. The United States had thrown scouting offers to Hunters from many countries around the world, and only a few had responded.

    Needless to say, as Hunters, money was overflowing. What mattered to them was faster growth and safety, leading to many Hunters wanting to belong to a strong country.

    Edward stepped out and said, ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding. Hans didn¡¯te to the United States for money,¡±

    Edward held a high position in the American Association.

    ¡°Hans¡¯ parents had been detained by the United States.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, rather than detention, it would be better to say that we seeded in naturalizing his parents.¡±

    The United States had tried to buy Hunters with money, but once they discovered that the results werecking, they quickly shifted their methods. Rather than persuading Hunters, who already had incredible strength and massive wealth, they decided to go a different route to convince them to join the United States.

    ¡®Did they target Hunters¡¯ families?¡¯

    In particr, in East Asia, where the culture was one that emphasized filial piety, the strategy should have been very effective.

    ¡°When Hans¡¯ parents came to the United States, Hans had no choice but to ept an offer from us. Externally, it just looked like he had been bought¡­¡± Edward said shamefully.

    It would have been an embarrassing fiasco if it had been leaked to the internationalmunity.

    However, Edward just spoke about it casually.

    Seeing Heracles¡¯ surprised gaze, Edward continued, ¡°What impact would this have? The United States is already ruined, and I have to find my own way to survive.¡±

    He himself was also an immigrant, but it seemed that there wasn¡¯t much love lost for his country, the United States.

    ¡°Well, regardless of what happened, Hans, I¡¯m sorry for calling you a traitor. Let¡¯s do our best.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­thank you¡­¡±

    A total of six Hunters had joined the party: Hans, Edward, and four other Heroes. They were all Hunters that had reached a level the party could at least use, at least able to serve as guides to take them to where the Rulers and Athena were.

    Staying behind as the others chattered and set out, Zeus asked Lee Jun-Kyeong a question, ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±

    He paused as he could see Lee Jun-Kyeong continuing to follow behind him and hesitate.

    ¡°So it¡¯s about Athena, then.¡±

    Catching on quickly, Zeus asked once more as Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response.

    ¡®I¡¯m curious about her.¡¯

    They didn¡¯t have much of a rtionship, but it was still a rtionship that had been impactful enough to leave a mark on his life, whether it was a good mark or bad.

    ¡°She¡¯s a loyal little brat. And¡­well, she¡¯s a little delicate, too.¡±

    ¡°Delicate?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong recalled the image of Athena that he remembered. Delicate was a word that didn¡¯t seem applicable in any way.

    ¡°That hurt little brat just tried to get stronger somehow in order to survive. You could call that being delicate.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°That pain she feels is because of Heimdall. That¡¯s what you were curious about, right?¡±

    Everyone in the world knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong and Heimdall had a special rtionship. It made sense that he was curious about her.

    While some of it was just a personal curiosity, part of it was also curiosity regarding her rtionship with Heimdall, Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics. For me, I just hate Heimdall. The wounds Athena got from him aren¡¯t ones easily erased. That¡¯s why she went so far and became immersed in all her missions.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was flustered. That was really the reason she could be so strong?

    "If you really are curious...¡± Zeus grinned and continued.

    It was the first mischievous smile he disyed since he had absorbed Chi-Woo¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Go save him and ask him yourself.

    Rumble.

    The mana around them was gathering and swirling toward one location.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not far.¡±

    With this much mana, it was more than enough to make the entire world tremble.

    ¡°A fight is about to begin.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus¡¯s eyes met. Simultaneously, they spoke to each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be off first, then.¡±

    With hardened expressions, they both nodded at each other.

    They both had their own roles in this battle as they were each charged with a Ruler.

    ¡°Chwiiik!!¡±

    However, before that, all of the monsters before them had to be taken care of.

    ***

    Everything, in the end, was just an instant in time. Even when her life, which hadcked nothing, had been ruined. Even when her father, who had been her strongest supporter, had passed away. Even when her mother, who had always treated her with love, or her older brother, who had supported her in every way, quietly from the background, had disappeared instantly.

    ¡®The gates.¡¯

    They had all left her when those damn things had appeared. Those damned things spewed out monsters and sucked away everything she had. They had trampled and crushed her, and when she hade to her senses, she was there.

    Amid all the monsters, she was watching her mother who had a kitchen knife in her hand trying to defend her, get torn apart and eaten. Seeing their mother die so gruesomely, her brother, running away, was kicked to death by another monster.

    At that time, her father had cried as if he had gone insane. The president of apany, her father, who was always dependable, was crying like a child.

    ¡®At that moment, he saw me.¡¯

    To divert the attention of the monsters, he ran and ran to save his only remaining daughter even though his wife and son were dead. He sobbed the entire time.

    ¡®Chwwiik¡­¡¯

    The disgusting cries of the monsters faded away as she sat there, unable to do anything. She just copsed helplessly, crying out for her father, who was running away from her.

    Her father cried even more until it turned to a scream, a harrowing scream, calling for the monsters that had taken everything from him. He was screaming to save the life of his only remaining daughter.

    When she couldn¡¯t see her father running any further when she couldn¡¯t hear even a hint of his cries, she still found herself sitting in the same ce, lying alone, surrounded by carnage in a wilderness she had never seen before.

    All she saw when she came to her senses was the kitchen knife that her mother, who had beenpletely devoured, had held, abandoned by the monsters. She picked it up and began to move.

    ¡®...¡¯

    Maybe her father was still alive. He might have been able to run away from that chaos. Even if it waste, she had to save him now.

    So she approached the direction her father had run to while crying. He must have wanted to save her, wanted her to survive.

    ¡®But I didn¡¯t want to live.¡¯

    She was terribly afraid, frightened beyond belief, to have everything she knew taken away instantly, left alone in an unknownnd.

    She just wanted to see her family. She just wanted to go with them. If, by chance, her father was still alive¡­

    ¡®It was a useless hope.¡¯

    As she followed her father¡¯s trail, the only thing she saw was a man¡¯s arm, haphazardly left lying there. Her father¡¯s favorite shirt was torn off and left on the arm.

    She saw it and looked around. There was nothing else there.

    For a while, she stood there, unmoving. There were no cries or sobs as she stood there nkly in ce.

    Then, that was when she had clenched the handle of the kitchen knife.

    Clench.

    ''Kill.''

    That thought was the only thing that filled her head. Thus, she began to move once more.

    ¡®Chwiiik.¡¯

    She walked towards where the monsters¡¯ cries continued.

    ¡®Chwiiik!¡¯

    Then, when facing one of those monsters, she froze utterly, like a car whose engine had died.

    Tremble.

    She hated herself for thinking she could fight something like that.

    Her father had tried to save her. She should have at least tried to run away in order to survive. She shouldn¡¯t have tried to confront the monster that had jumped out as if from an unbelievable movie.

    ¡®Chwiiik!¡¯

    Like that, when the monster approached to eat thest member of her family, she heard a faint grinding sound.

    Squelch.

    She thought that it was a sound that wasing from her own body, just not feeling any pain from it because she was already dead.

    ¡®Are you okay?¡¯

    But then, hearing a voice that followed that terrifying sound, she couldn''t help but to sit down and weep.

 Chapter 227. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 2

    Chapter 227. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 2

    This was the first time she realized how much of a relief it could be to hear another human¡¯s voice.

    ¡®...¡¯

    Looking at her, the person before her seemed to immediately realize what had happened and waited for her to cry without saying anything. She slowly looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and there was something that was clearly visible even through her blurry vision.

    The girl opened her mouth without even realizing it.

    ¡®¡°Baldy¡­¡±

    That was the first time for them. It was the first meeting between her, who wouldter obtain the title Athena, and him, who had already be Heimdall.

    ¡°That¡¯s a little much to say to the one who saved you.¡±

    ***

    ¡°How unlucky. To be caught up in an A-Grade Gate of all things.¡±

    She didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant, but judging from his tone, it seemed that she had found herself in something quite serious.

    ¡°Who are you? And what the hell is going on?¡±

    Without even realizing it, she found herself unwittingly turning toward him for support. It wasn¡¯t just because she had seen him casually slice up the monsters that had decimated her family. He also had a charm that made people feelfortable, feel relieved just to be with him.

    However, the more she stayed with him, the more strange she felt things were.

    ¡°Do you somehow know who I am?¡±

    The man acted as if he knew her, what she liked, what she feared. He seemed to know exactly what had happened. She just assumed it was because of his special ability.

    ¡°Although you treat me like it¡¯s our first time meeting, I definitely get the feeling that you know me, that we know each other.¡±

    Although she had asked him several times, all she received in response was just being told to be quiet.

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    Because that meant that there were monsters around, the girl had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

    After colliding with monsters several times, they were finally able to advance.

    ¡°When do you think we can escape here?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to bother the person who had saved her.

    With the power he possessed, the man seemed to be able to get himself out of this hell. However, the man just shook his head.

    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Nothing will change if we just go out right now. The outside world is the same as here.¡±

    ¡°Then are you saying that the outside has be a hell, too?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    The bald man then asked her a question, ¡°Do you want to experience the helplessness you experienced here ever again?¡±

    For a long time, she couldn¡¯t answer his question.

    ¡°Do you want to experience having what you hold dear ripped away from you again?¡±

    He asked her again as she clenched her fists.

    No, she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather die at that point.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s a promise. Just wait a little more, it won¡¯t take too much longer,¡± the man muttered iprehensibly as he carried her along for a while.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put that down?¡± he said as he looked at the kitchen knife in her hands.

    ¡°Did you take it because it was your mother¡¯s keepsake?¡±

    He had asked her cautiously as if trying to feel her out, but her answer was very direct.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s to protect me.¡±

    In a moment of emergency, if the man were to be in a dangerous situation, then she could at least create an opening.

    ¡°Leave me and run away if there¡¯s danger. I can do at least that much for someone who saved my life.¡±

    He continued forward while mumbling something iprehensible again, ¡°You¡¯re the same as ever.¡±

    Several days passed like that.

    This ce the man had called a gate was wide, and monsters continued to appear that were so powerful that even the bald man, who seemed able to defeat anyone, struggled. Still, even when covered in blood, he continued to advance while sometimes muttering something iprehensible under his breath again.

    ¡°My power hasn¡¯t returnedpletely. Hmm, is it a restriction?¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t ask him anything further, as the more she spoke with him, the more ufortable she felt, as if she was going to make a mistake with him, her savior. As they continued in that manner, the man finally stopped somewhere.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t ask anything whatsoever. A terrifying monster that exuded an aura like she had never felt before was roaring.

    ROARR!!!

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll actually have to use it this time.¡±

    The man threw something into the air while muttering something iprehensible once again.

    ¡®A rainbow¡­¡¯

    It was such a beautiful rainbow of light. As the rainbow appeared and disappeared, the monster¡¯s roar disappeared alongside it. Instead, she heard a kinder voice than any other that she had heard until now.

    ¡°Hold on well. It will be more of a hell than you¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±

    Of course, it was also the moment she heard the system¡¯s voice for the first time.

    [<tthe goddess="" of="" the="" battlefield=""> sponsors you.]</tthe>

    ***

    ¡°Hold on well.¡±

    Clearly, the baldy had known she wasing here.

    Moreover, he had also known that this ce was a hell. But, even though he had known it, he had still brought her to such a ce.

    At first, the girl was angry. She had thought that she was escaping the hell she found herself in, but ended up falling to an even crazier hell. The hardest part of it all was the solitude.

    As she hunted the monsters that kept appearing, the only interaction she had was the sponsorship sent from time to time from her Sponsor, who seemed to be enjoying her struggle.

    She couldn¡¯t talk to anyone or do anything. Her life just repeated in cycles: hunt the monsters and then eat the monsters. There was nothing that couldn¡¯t be eaten when faced with starvation.

    After a few months of living like that, she was even thankful to that baldy.

    ¡®He said that the outside world was like that hell, too.¡¯

    All things considered, he might have just been giving him a chance to survive there. This current hell was an impressive space. Even after being injured to the point of death by a monster, she was revived.

    As if her Sponsor was trying to mold a warrior that would satisfy her, the Sponsor would bring her back and urge her to fight, again and again. Then, as she fought like that over and over, she began to hate the baldy, too.

    ¡®You asshole.¡¯

    If he was going to throw her into a ce like this, then he should have at leaste with her. She would think at times of how much she hated that he left her here alone, but then she would return to being grateful again.

    At some point, she no longer feared any of the monsters. She had killed them, and then killed some more. Although the shapes and types of monsters were all different, she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡®They¡¯re the enemies that killed my parents.¡¯

    She considered them all the monsters that had killed her brother and her parents and ughtered them as they came. It was a never ending road of revenge.

    She thought that the futility of it all would eventually overtake her, but her desire for vengeance just zed stronger the more she continued. Hunting had be enjoyable, and the pain was bearable. However, she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the solitude.

    ¡®Is anyone there¡­? How many years have I passed in this darkness?¡¯

    One day, she saw a vision of her parents weing her and, off to the side, a vision of her brother as well.

    AHHH!

    But then, the monsters that were running toward her once more tore through the visages of her family. They were faces she had already begun to forget.

    She raised her spear again.

    Stab, cut, explode.

    One day, she threw her spear away and began to hunt them with her bare hands.

    Although the monsters she faced became stronger, she was bing even stronger than them. After endlessly hunting the monsters, that bitch of a Sponsor, satisfied with what she saw,uded sponsorship after sponsorship on her with the same intensity as her satisfaction.

    So, she hunted endlessly. Somewhere along the line, that hateful Sponsor had be a being she almost considered a friend.

    ¡®Maybe she¡¯s actually a good being?¡¯

    Although she may have been the reason the girl had been pushed into this hell, in truth, what the Sponsor had done was no different than saving her life.

    More importantly than anything else, she had been given strength.

    The strength to not die like her parents, like her brother.

    The strength to fight.

    ¡®The strength to face him.¡¯

    So she changed her mind. This wasn¡¯t hell. No, it was a kind of shelter.

    A shelter made for her until she became perfect.

    A shelter made so someone like her could bepatible with such hell.

    ¡®You want to make me be able to face the hell outside, right?¡¯

    Before she knew it, she was even talking to the Sponsor. There was no response.

    Groaaah.

    Just as always, monsters that let out disgusting cries came toward her once again. She wasn''t afraid of them anymore.

    [<the goddess="" of="" the="" battlefield=""> sponsors you with Aegis.]</the>

    This time, she obtained a shield.

    ***

    At a rough count, it seemed like ten years had passed¡ªten hellish years.

    In her solitude, the girl had even made friends with the Sponsor, a friend who never responded to her call. Although it was stupid, at least the Sponsor was looking at her and spending time with her.

    Whenever she defeated the monsters, the girl asked her the questions that she wanted to ask herself.

    ¡®What is your purpose?¡¯

    ¡®What are these monsters?¡¯

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t want an answer, as these were just as much for her as they were for the Sponsor. She thought of the Sponsor as a sort of god who worked diligently to save her people in this era that was like theing of the apocalypse.

    That was why she was going to the same.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to save people.¡¯

    She had made up her mind and gotten stronger. The girl and her Sponsor, they were friends like no other, attached at the hip.

    She couldn¡¯t hear them anymore.

    The calls of her parents, the calls of her brother, and even the cries of the monsters had disappeared.

    In that dimension of nothingness, she spent over ten years. Eventually, one day, the girl heard her Sponsor¡¯s voice for the first time.

    [Leave Anngr, my child.]

    The girlughed without answering. When she opened her eyes after getting out of that hell, she found herself in a familiar ce.

    ¡®So, I¡¯m back here.¡¯

    She had returned to the time before she entered the ce called Anngr. She was now back to the gate where her parents had been killed.

    She could feel that the gate was copsing, so she had to get out of there.

    Screech!

    The remaining monsters that hadn¡¯t yet died caught sight of her and rushed forward.

    They were the things she had been afraid of before she had gone to that hell¡ªno, before she had entered Anngr, which had been her shelter. They were the real monsters that had killed her family.

    But that girl, that little girl had be a warrior before she knew it.

    ¡®Die.''

    Her spear had no mercy as it pierced through space.

    ¡®GRAGHH!¡¯

    Her spear brought despair to the monsters. She wanted to pay the despair she had received back the same way.

    Squelch.

    However, she didn¡¯t go through with it, just killing them with a single stab. It wasn¡¯t mercy. It was just that her vengeance had been worn down, faded and inscribed onto her very being like a tattoo.

    There weren¡¯t any chances for her to use Aegis.

    ¡®The gate is copsing.¡¯

    She could see that she had to leave right at this very moment. However, her anger, which had be like a tattoo stained on her soul, refused to let her just leave like this.

    ¡®I have to kill them all.¡¯

    These monsters, who had taken everything from her¡ªshe had to cut all of them down without leaving even a single one behind.

    Swish! Squelch! Bang!

    Her spear, her fists, and her feet moved nonstop. She didn¡¯t get tired. She was no longer a girl, nor was she even a warrior.

    She had be one with the one who had sponsored her.

    ¡®The Goddess of the Battlefield.¡¯

    As the pile of monster corpses formed a monster, the gate finally copsed, and she finally escaped. It was only then that she finally realized. That the time that she had spent in Anngr hadn¡¯t even amounted to a single flip of a child¡¯s hourss.

    ¡°Long time no see. Baldy.¡±

    That he had been waiting for her.

 Chapter 228. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 3

    Chapter 228. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 3

    ''Long time no see. Baldy,¡¯ the girl said when she saw the man again.

    For a moment, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She had thought that all of her emotions had long dried up. But right now, she realized she was wrong.

    ¡®You look like you¡¯re going to cry.¡¯

    She had lost her parents and her brother. She couldn¡¯t remember her friends anymore. But, to think, she would be this happy just from seeing this man that she had only known for such a short time.

    ¡®Follow me. We have a lot left to do,¡¯ the man said as if it was a given she would go with him.

    ¡®Okay.¡¯

    The girl responded and followed quickly as if it was natural that she would follow him.

    ***

    They traveled around the world that had copsed intoplete chaos and became filled with cries and screams. They went everywhere they could. Each ce they left behind was filled with the corpses of monsters piled so high they formed mountains.

    Everywhere they passed, people regained their hope.

    ''Thank you¡­''

    Without rest, they traversed all over Korea, finding and closing gates.

    Moreover, it was then that she realized it.

    ¡®It¡¯s not just us.¡¯

    The power to deal with their enemies didn¡¯t only exist within her or the baldy. Countless people had awakened under the title of Hunter. However, it was still rare to find someone as strong as she was.

    Somewhere along the line, the girl and the baldy stood out, and the others called out to them, calling out their titles.

    ¡®It¡¯s Athena and Heimdall!¡¯

    They had be the heroes in the fairy tale that saved people. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that things had changed for her.

    The monsters were just the object of her vengeance. She continued to do what she had to do, only just following the baldy to wherever he went.

    Eventually, it all ended.

    The world in chaos had been restored a semnce of stability by the powerful Hunters, and an organization to manage these Hunters had appeared in order to preserve this peace.

    Korea was now normal. Finally, for the first time, from the moment she had lost her parents, she had found some space to breathe.

    ¡®By the way, mister¡­¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not a mister. We¡¯re roughly the same age.¡¯

    ¡®Why is your head like¡­¡¯

    It had been a long time since they had been able to have a proper conversation.

    ¡®Wait, no, then, I¡¯ll start speaking informally,¡¯ the girl said.

    ¡®Fine.¡¯

    The girl, smiling faintly, asked once more, ¡®How are you so strong? Did you also go through Anngr? Did you earn a Territory, too?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡®But¡­then how are you so okay?¡¯

    She knew he was special. People may have called her a Hero, but she knew otherwise. She was a broken human. She was a psychopath who gave meaning to her existence by murdering monsters and spilling their blood.

    But the baldy was different. There was something, something almost spiritual, that he aimed for. Everything he did was for that thing.

    ¡®If you have some sort of goal or something, I want you to take me with you.¡¯

    Surprised at what she had just said, the girl buried her face between her knees as she tried to hide her blushing cheeks. As she sat there for quite some time, embarrassed, she finally heard a response.

    ¡®No,¡¯ the baldy said. ¡®You and I are on different paths. You¡¯ll never be able to understand me.¡¯

    She still wasn¡¯t able to raise her head yet.

    ¡®What do you think the Sponsors are?¡¯

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    ¡®They¡¯re demons. Demons that brought those monsters to this world.¡¯

    ¡®...¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t easily give the man a response.

    ¡®You probably wouldn¡¯t think that way. But that¡¯s not the point. What do you think lies for us at the end of all this?¡¯

    ¡®What do you mean, the end of all this?¡¯

    ¡®When all of the monsters are in, and there are no more threats to the world or to humanity.¡¯

    The man¡¯s voice was firm.

    ¡®A world where Hunters with power are all that remain. No¡­¡¯

    It sounded like the man suddenly looked up at the sky.

    ¡®A world where those bastards¡¯ entertainment hase to an end.¡¯

    ¡®Are you worried about that type of world?¡¯ the girl finally asked.

    However, his answer was different from what she expected.

    ¡®No, all of those bastards are useless. What I¡¯m worried about is¡­¡¯

    There was a deep longing in his voice. For some reason, it was mixed with a deep longing that almost blurred to jealousy.

    ¡®What I¡¯m worried about is a child.¡¯

    ¡®A child? What the hell? What did I say, you are a mis¡­¡¯

    ¡®That child has been through countless hardships. Hardship greater than anything you or I can imagine. The hell we went through was a drop in the bucketpared to the hell he endured.¡¯

    The man looked at the girl on the floor.

    ¡®That child is the most important thing to me. And¡­most likely is for you, too.¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯

    The man stood up as the girl still had her head buried between her knees.

    ¡®I hope we never have a reason to meet again. Because, well, you and I have different paths. With your power, go find some countryside somewhere and set up a farm. That¡¯s what I, the one who saved you, ask of you.¡¯

    The man then left.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s up to you if you want to listen to me, at least.¡¯

    Even at that point, as the man walked away, the girl was unable to lift her head from between her knees. She couldn¡¯t even reach out to grab him.

    ¡®So I got rejected, then,¡¯ she muttered to herself.

    ***

    She tried her best to understand him. However, the more time passed, the less she felt like she could understand him.

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    She heard that he had joined the secret organization behind the Association, Asgard. Because of that, she refused the invitation to the Association.

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    She wondered if he needed the help of the Association for the task he had mentioned?

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    She wondered just why he had chosen that path instead of the one he had been traveling with her. What could Asgard do that she couldn¡¯t?

    The girl was left alone once again, but she wasn¡¯t the same as she had been before. She had forgotten.

    ¡®He had been the person who had made me feel again.¡¯

    She had forgotten the eternity she had spent in Anngr. She had forgotten her emotions, long worn out and frayed beyond repair. She had forgotten her true self, which was only revealed when she was with that baldy.

    She, whom everyone had called a Hero, soon became shunned and avoided by all. The girl had be this way because of the cruel and cold world. Herfort and her home had disappeared.

    Now, the only ce she could befortable, as always, was the battlefield.

    Squelch.

    The girl turned down yet another invitation from the Association and traversed the world alone. During her travels, she moved about aimlessly as she closed gates and yed monsters. She was only focused on the job at hand and the ughter.

    Then, that was when she met him.

    ¡®You¡¯re Athena, right? How strong,¡¯ a handsome figure with flowing white hair said.

    However, her first impression of the man was horrid. She knew who he was.

    ¡®Zeus.¡¯

    Although he was Korean, it was said he had moved to Europe and almost relentlessly went about closing gates. He was someone who had gone through the same hell that she had and was someone who could understand her.

    In a gate, the girl just continued forward, intending to pass the man by. However, suddenly, the man made an offer.

    ¡®If you don¡¯t have anywhere to go, what abouting with me?¡¯

    ¡®...¡¯

    The girl responded with a question, intending to refuse.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what your motives are, so¡­¡¯

    She, herself, had no motives, so there would have been no benefits to traveling like this. Nor was she able to satisfy the needs of someone who wanted to move about while forming a guild. Thus, she wanted to take the simple route, where both went their own ways.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have any goals.¡¯

    ¡®...¡¯

    ¡®I just want to be stronger than anyone else.¡¯

    It was then that she paused, thinking to herself.

    ¡®That¡¯s all I want.¡¯

    He was someone simr to her.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    She started to feel a sharp pain in her stomach. She realized that she most likely had fainted from how hazy things were. How long had she been out?

    ¡®This might be the first time.¡¯

    This was the first time she had fainted ever since she had left Anngr. That might have been why she had been thinking about the past, when she had met Zeus before joining Olympus.

    Everything came to her mind vividly, like a dream.

    Her entire life had changed after meeting Zeus. He was the same as she was. Although he wanted to die, he continued to survive because of some nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him he had to.

    So, in the end, she joined his side.

    ¡®I¡¯ll beat him the next time I see him.¡¯

    She had told him about the baldy. Although it didn¡¯t seem to be all that important to her, that was how Zeus had responded. She also had a great debt to the white-haired man. Thus, she had intended to survive in order to pay off that debt.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡±

    Her mind was hazy as the blood that dripped from her entire body had formed a puddle on the ground. It hadn¡¯t been long since she had started this battle¡ªroughly about three weeks since she hade to the United States to rescue the survivors and fight those lunatic Rulers that tore the continent apart.

    Looking up, she could see those bastards, the four Rulers. They werepletely different from the monsters she had fought until now. In fact, they were worlds apart from even the boss monsters that she had fought within the gates.

    Their strength had reached the point of warping reality.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    Those bastards wereughing as they looked at her. The craters she had left in their bodies regenerated before her eyes. She had never been pushed to this point since she had left Anngr. In fact, she had always assumed that if she were to die in battle, it would have been against another Hunter, not a monster.

    However, the cataclysm was a different beast. Everything was different about the Rulers.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a child. For it to push us to this extent was more than enough for such a young child.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. To think, because of that psycho bitch, I had to join forces with these bastards.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°It looks like she¡¯s going to die¡­¡±

    Although their figures were different, they were somewhat simr to humans. The powers they used were simr to that of Hunters as well. Still, the level of strength was iparable.

    Squelch.

    The girl drove her spear into the ground and forced her body up. Although her body may have been aplete mess, her weapon was still fine.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°That! That psycho bitch!¡±

    Those bastards that had apanied her all this way began to argue.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to excuse myself here.¡±

    ¡°What bullshit are you spouting?¡±

    Even though they weren¡¯t speaking in Korean, she was able to tell that there seemed to be some sort of dispute between them.

    ¡°After we kill her, we have to fight among ourselves. Stop speaking nonsense and y your part.¡±

    Most likely, they realized that they would have to fight among themselves after killing her.

    Even so¡­

    Clench.

    She didn¡¯t rx. For three days, she had barely held on as those bastards mocked and ridiculed her. Then, they would squabble amongst themselves whenever she fell, focusing once again on her if she ever showed an opening.

    Although those bastards were strong, she was strong as well. If it wasn¡¯t for their monstrous regeneration, they most likely would have died at her hands by this point.

    ¡°Gasp.¡±

    She caught her breath as her wounds clotted. For a second, she thought there was an opening.

    ¡°Looks like that bitch recovered again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying we should just kill her already.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done.¡±

    Those bastards were standing around her like neighborhood bullies as they joked around, and they began to stir their aura as the proper form of the Rulers were revealed.

    Rumble.

    As their terrifying aura began to boil, their bodies began to grow. They were simr to humans, but they were still, in fact, somethingpletely different. One of them slowly began to transform.

    ¡®A dragon¡­¡¯

    Eventually, it transformed into the appearance of a western yong[1]. It looked as if a red me might suddenly explode forth from between its jaws at any moment.

    Another one grew to incredible height as it turned into a stone giant, while another shrunk into a tiny dwarf. The final one stayed the same, its original appearance the same as its human-life figure.

    They were all shapes she was used to as she had shed with countless times in this short period.

    ¨CGo and die now, you crazy bitch.

    The Ruler, which looked like a dragon, opened its jaws as it spoke. From between its teeth, a swirling me stirred. Incredible mana began to flow likeva.

    ¡®Aegis.''

    The girl hefted her shield. Her divine item had shed against that bastard''s mes countless times now. However, she realized none of them were ying around this time.

    ¡®They¡¯re serious.¡¯

    They wanted to end things this time.

    Crackle, crackle.

    It was the same type of power as her guild leader, who had given her a new purpose. An electric current of blue light was crackling around the human-like Ruler. As storm clouds rolled in above her, the girl grew angry. She hated that bastard the most. Whenever it attacked her, it always made her think that the guild leader was there.

    ¡®Then, it¡¯ll be those other bastards next.¡¯

    In the end, even if she blocked the mes and the current of electricity, she knew that the stone giant and the dwarf would run toward her. She was going to die this time.

    ¡®Heimdall.¡¯

    She wondered why she was thinking of that baldy again. She still didn¡¯t understand what he had meant, and she chalked this random thought to the dream that she had about him when she was passed out earlier.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    She stood, spear and shield in hand, as she looked over at the four rulers.[2]

    She would die. However, she wouldn¡¯t go down easily.

    ¡°One of you is going to die with me.¡±

    The words of the guild leader came to mind.

    ¡°I told you, your mouth is too crass, Athena.¡±

    ¡°G¡­guild leader??!¡±

    The impossible had happened.

    Although she had been sure of it, the current of electricity she saw earlier had been created by that human-like Ruler, before her very eyes was the back of a white-haired man.

    In his hand was a bolt of lightning that was more blue and more beautiful than anything that the human-like Ruler had created.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly.¡±

    1. A Yong is an eastern dragon. While it may be tranted into dragon, the actual creature is worlds apart from the Western dragon. ?

    2. If you remember all the way back to the beginning, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s use of a spear and shield was said to be really rare. That was a reference to Athena. ?

 Chapter 229. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 4

    Chapter 229. The Goddess of The Battlefield Pt. 4

    ¡°...¡±

    The dragon that was preparing to unleash its me breath, the human-like Ruler that was discharging an electric current, and the stone giant and dwarf that were looking for an opening all stopped in ce.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So you are¡­¡± the man said.

    The Rulers could feel it, too. That the two who had just entered the battlefield were a force to be reckoned with. No, they were beyond that.

    "How can a human have such power...!"

    The Rulers realized that the two before them were strong enough to overwhelm them. As the four Rulers froze, the atmosphere of the battlefield froze in turn.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that Rikachu,¡± Zeus said.

    ¡°Then, what, are you a Paichu?¡± a mischievous voice said from the side.

    ¡°You are¡­!¡± Athena said as she looked over at him.[1]

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing on Athena¡¯s other side. The reason she had been startled was simple.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t sense him appearing.¡¯

    The guild leader? Fine. That made sense, as his speed was too fast for her to keep up with. But not Lee Jun-Kyeong. Thest time she had seen him, she had been able to easily sense where he was.

    However, it was different now. Even right now, as she had all of her senses maximized as she was on a battlefield, she couldn¡¯t sense him. Even though he was standing right next to her, he was like a ghost.

    When he unleashed his aura, she felt a presencerger than anything she had ever seen before.

    BOOM!

    ¡®That brat that Heimdall had saved, he¡­¡¯

    She had heard the name, the Underdog, quite a bit. Apparently, another great Korean Hero had been born or whatever. Even though his name was repeated everywhere, she hadn¡¯t paid him any attention.

    It wasn¡¯t until Heimdall hade to save him that Athena had begun to be interested. The corners of his mouth curled up as the Hunter looked over at Athena.

    ¡®Somehow he reminds me of you.¡¯

    Heimdall hade to mind.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head back to the Rulers and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the dragon, then.¡±

    There was an odd heat to his voice.

    ¡°You see, I have a lot of interest in dragons.¡±

    Although the Rulers had definitely been raising their auras to kill Athena just moments ago, they still hadn¡¯t made their move yet. All they could do was listen to the Hunters¡¯ yful conversation.

    Even the Red Dragon, who was about to unleash its me breath, remained still with its mes stifled in its mouth.

    Gulp.

    Athena swallowed and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the dwarf, then, because he¡¯s the most annoying little shit among them.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at Athena¡¯s word choice, but soon, he rxed and smiled.

    ¡°Great.¡±

    That left one Ruler, the Stone Giant.

    ¡°Whoever finishes first handles that one after.¡±

    Right as Zeus finished speaking, the ground began to shake violently.

    Rumble!

    ¡°It seems¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, lifting Muspel¡¯s Spear. ¡°That the Stone Giant will have an opponent soon enough.¡±

    From a distance approached a horde of colossal giants. There were Hunters as well, seemingly carrying out duties quickly as they joined the group.

    The two seemed to have agreed to let them take one of the Rulers as a party.

    ¡°You bastards!¡±

    Unable to hold back any longer, the dwarf Ruler finally stomped off the ground. For a being of its size, it seemed to be faster than any Hunter they had ever seen before.

    BOOM!

    There was an explosive sound of a drum. All of a sudden, Athena had charged forward, pushing the dwarf back with her Aegis.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked ahead. His opponent was the Red Dragon.

    At that moment, the dragon spewed out its me breath almost haphazardly, as if it couldn¡¯t keep the me breath contained in its lungs any longer.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a single deep breath as the fierce mana that surged up from his dragon heart sted out in turn alongside his exhale.[2]

    ¡°...!¡±

    The dragon''s pupils dted. It felt it, too. That what it had, the Hunter had as well.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t let that moment of panic recede.

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had just mmed into the ground and carved a deep footprint, was no longer there. He reappeared right in front of the exploding me breath that was finally released.

    BOOOM!!!

    In front of the iing mes, Lee Jun-Kyeong held out his spear. It was a situation where he was riding the line between life and death. The heat was so intense that everyone in the vicinity could feel it scorching their skin.

    All the rulers expected to see Lee Jun-Kyeong melt away. However, instead, they were greeted by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Looks like Muspel¡¯s Spear can finally evolve.¡±

    Seeing the red-colored spear devouring the mes, the other Rulers shut their mouths and began to fight.

    ***

    The bright red spear was so red it seemed to be on fire as it pierced toward the dragon, whose vibrant crimson paled inparison. It was seemingly a stab that anyone could do, so simple that a child could do it without ever learning the spear. However, the power behind the spear held in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand was anything but ordinary.

    HISSSS!

    The view of space itself being split apart unfolded as mes spewed out from the spear, looking like a falling sun. The seemingly evanescent tip of the spear seemed as if to capture the sun of the universe, a sun that melted the earth and scorched even the air.

    BOOOOM!

    The spear fell, mming into the massive Red Dragon¡¯s back, which was covered in impossibly tough scales. Moreover, the Red Dragon was a Ruler with high resistance to fire.

    Still, right at the moment of impact, the dragon¡¯s back exploded.

    Pow, pow, pow, pow!

    The explosion onlysted a short while, but the results were devastating.

    Sssss.

    The Red Dragon¡¯s back had been directly hit with a single stab and was visibly beginning to melt.

    ¨CROAR!!!!!

    No longer able to spew any nonsense, the Red Dragon could only let out an instinctive scream of pain. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t over.

    He retrieved his spear and spun it tip-side down, plunging the spear into the Red Dragon¡¯s back once more.

    Squelch!

    Although it wasn¡¯t imbued with the same immense power of mes as before, it was still more than enough to drive through the Red Dragon¡¯s already copsed back.

    Bang!

    With the spearpletely plunged into the Red Dragon¡¯s back, Lee Jun-Kyeong unleashed a burst of mes through the spear body. The already melted and unsightly back nowpletely burst open, exploding flesh everywhere.

    ¨CROARR!!!!!

    More agonizing screams echoed across the battlefield.

    In some worlds, dragons were the top predators, revered as being just below the gods. But at this moment, it was naught but a beast.

    ¡°It''s not any different from a monster.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke, he swung down with his outstretched leg.

    ng!

    The roaring head was then crushed down by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s foot. Following that, the dragon smashed into the ground, releasing a huge cloud of dust. Lee Jun-Kyeong took that moment to look around a little.

    Ahhhhh!!!

    A huge roar echoed in his ears. Thjazi and Thrymr, Liu Bei and his two brothers, Jeong In-Chang, and Won-Hwa, had all joined forces to take on the Stone Giant. He could feel how much they had grown.

    ng, nk!

    Though they seem to be losing slightly, at that moment, Athena¡¯s shield, flying like a boomerang, firmly hit the Stone Giant¡¯s head. The Stone Giant shook from the blow.

    Ooooooooh!

    The two frost giants each grabbed an arm and pinned the Stone Giant down as Jeong In-Chang drew Gram. Soon, the Stone Giant¡¯s heart would be pierced.

    ¡®There isn¡¯t much time left in the cataclysm.¡¯

    The Rulers that would die here would no longere back to life. Of course, he would have to summon his Familiar to make sure that happens.

    ¡®Hel.¡¯

    Crackle! Crackle!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked off into the distance and saw a space filled with fog. The area it covered seemed to be enveloped in dark clouds that emitted crackling blue electricity.

    It was easy to tell whose mana it was. That brilliant blue glow was most likely the work of Zeus.

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s gaze turned over to Athena.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Unlike the others, she was struggling quite a bit.

    Shing!

    On the clearly exhausted girl, a light shined down, almost as if a fairy had descended upon her. At the same time, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see her stamina and wounds healing quickly.

    ¡®That should be Athena¡¯s Authority.¡¯

    On a battlefield that she dered, Athena could fully recover a specified number of times. If not for that power, she would have died before Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others arrived.

    Most likely, the recovery she had just used had been the final use that she had been desperately trying to conserve. The dwarf seemed to be some sort of dual-wielding swordsman, but its skill was so great that it seemedckluster to simply call it a swordsman.

    To be frank, the dwarf had such a beautiful mastery that calling it a sword monarch didn¡¯t seem out of ce.

    ng!

    However, Athena was no less skilled. She, too, was a Hunter who had gone through Anngr. Most likely, that was where she had perfected her spearmanship.

    Even watching her out of the corner of his eye, Lee Jun-Kyeong could find much to learn about the spear. Athena¡¯s spear slipped between the dwarf¡¯s twin swords and stabbed him in the shoulder. It seemed her side would be finished soon enough as well.

    ¨CROAR!!!!!

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong himself hadn¡¯t finished just yet, either. The Red Dragon, who had definitely been crushed into the ground, roared and pushed itself to its feet.

    The ground shook as its massive body moved. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood in the sky, standing in a position that blocked the very sun as he looked down upon the battlefield.

    Zzt. Zzt. Zzt.

    Runes and scripts floated around him. Merlin¡¯s magic was more often utilized by him, a spearman, than Arthur¡¯s swordsmanship.

    ¨CROAR!!!!

    Upon the back of the roaring Red Dragon, the runes and scripts fell.

    ZZT!

    The magic circle that Lee Jun-Kyeong had created held domain over gravity. It was terrifyingly potent and was strong enough to hold even the weight of this Red Dragon.

    CRUSH!

    It was able to crush everything in its domain.

    ¡°As expected¡­¡±

    Even with all that, however, the Red Dragon continued to breathe. The Ruler had been able to do nothing beyond the first me breath that it had let out. However, its tenacious life force still seemed to stay strong.

    ¨CRoar¡­

    With an exhausted gasp, the beast lifted its head. As if it still retained some sanity, it didn¡¯t make any moves to use another breath at this moment.

    Zzt.

    Instead, it began to erase the runes that were weighing him down, breaking open the magic circle. Dragons had another title.

    ¡°The Lord of Magic.¡±

    As the story goes, dragons were supposedly the ones to create magic. Thus, only magic was able to defeat one in turn.

    ¨CRoar¡­

    The runes floated around its body. Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t forgotten about it.

    ¡®This bastard¡­¡¯

    It was immortal. The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone that had be his other heart, the dragon heart¡ªthe bastard in front of him was one of the true owners of that item that had given him the Authority of Immortality.

    That was why before his very eyes, the wounds he had inflicted on the dragon were healing. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to be able to defeat it with just the blows he had given it.

    CRACKK!!!

    Just then, a huge p of thunder rumbled in the distance as Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the aura of one of the Rulers, the one with the human-like form, dissipate.

    Zeus had finished.

    ¡°I¡¯mte.¡±

    Now, it was his turn to finish.

    Flicker.

    In Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand, Muspel¡¯s Spear began to spew mes. The burst of fire coiled up Lee Jun-Kyeong''s arm like a snake. Now that Muspel¡¯s Spear had evolved to the next level, its mes began to resonate with the mana near Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s heart.

    His eyes glowed with mes.

    He could see it.

    ¡®Mana¡­¡¯

    He could see it.

    ¡®mes¡­¡¯

    He could see it all.

    Following the clearly visible distortions in the air, Lee Jun-Kyeong stretched out a hand.

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

    The sound of space copsing on itself resounded as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm transformed as it moved forward. His arm, consumed by the mes of Muspel, had suddenly transformed into the right arm of the me giant.

    ¨CThat¡­ that¡¯s!!

    [You have manifested a portion of Surtr''s body.]

    He had practiced countless times in Anngr, forming a vessel that could fully contain his power. His power had been limited by his human body, forcing him to create this new form of his.

    Thump! Thump!

    His heart pounded, constantly injecting mana into his arms. Even though his heart contained a seemingly endless ocean of power, he was beginning to feel the cost of this form¡¯s consumption.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down to the ground. This technique was what had devoured Orochi and defeated Set, who had be Apophis personified. That said, by this point, he had taken it to the next level.

    BOOOOM!

    Two arms of the me giant Surtr materialized and crushed into the Red Dragon, who was looking up at him from the ground.

    Flicker!

    The magic circle cast by the Dragon burst into the mes and disappeared. The master of such a ridiculous me grabbed the Red Dragon by the nape of its neck with a single hand.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted the heart.

    ¡®I¡¯ll take it.¡¯

    His other arm plunged right into the Red Dragon¡¯s chest.

    1. For the past few chapters, they¡¯ve been written in Athena¡¯s first person. However, from here on, it¡¯s reverted back to the third-person from the view of Lee Jun-Kyeong. ?

    2. This is a little confusingly written, but Lee Jun-Kyeong is NOT spewing fire right now. The dragon just realizes that Lee Jun-Kyeong also has a dragon heart, and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana is so great right now that it is like steam as he exhales. ?

 Chapter 230. The Goddess of the Battlefield Pt. 5

    Chapter 230. The Goddess of the Battlefield Pt. 5

    The massive mes of Surtr ruled the sky as the arms of the me giant exuded an overwhelming presence. At this moment, the zing hand was about to tear the heart of the Red Dragon out from the confines of its chest.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked down at everyone from the sky as silence fell across the battlefield.

    The Stone Giant was bigger than either Thjazi or Thrymr. In fact, it was bigger than the two of thembined, had died with Gram impaled through its heart.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong watched hispanions who had taken down the Stone Giant, taking note of their appearances.

    Thrymr gasped for breath as his body looked as if it had pieces literally torn from his flesh as Thjazi was passed out off to the side with a huge crater on his chest.

    Jeong In-Chang knelt on the Stone Giant¡¯s chest, unconscious as he desperately gripped Gram¡¯s handle as Won-Hwa was quickly treating the wounded.

    ¡®They¡¯ve be stronger than I thought.¡¯

    Liu Bei and his two brothers were also lying on the ground with injuries. Each wound was a testament to the part they had yed in the battle.

    Heracles held a wounded Odysseus with one hand. On the other side, he could see a figurepletely incinerated to death.

    ¡®He really is strong.¡¯

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the figure of an ally. Instead, it was the Ruler that resembled a human. Having fought with Zeus, it was turned into a charred corpse by Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt.

    To think, Zeus¡¯ lightning was stronger than that of the Ruler. As expected, Zeus wasn¡¯t the same Zeus that he had used to be.

    Finally, he turned toward the dwarf Ruler with the twin swords.

    ¡®Her title suits her, it seems.¡¯

    It had been pierced through by the spear in Athena¡¯s grasp, breathing its final gasp. Quite honestly, its appearance was unsightly,pletely unbefitting of something called a Ruler. Still, it contrasted nicely with Athena, who was holding the dwarf aloft, pierced through by her spear. It was a sight that nicely suited her title.

    ¡°The Goddess of the Battlefield.¡±

    Anyone who saw her on the battlefield would say so when they saw her fight. She had an overwhelming charisma that no one could match.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around and saw thendscape they had created. The ground was torn, destroyed, and turned into a scorched earth of death.

    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to reap what you have sown.¡±

    Surtr¡¯s arm finally made contact with the Red Dragon¡¯s chest. But then, at that moment, he heard something unbelievable.

    ¨CM¡­ master.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step back, bewildered. It definitely came from the bastard he was dealing with. That was definitely the Red Dragon¡¯s trembling voice.

    ***

    Pat, pat, pat.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± said Zeus, dusting off his scorched clothes that were rustled and crumbled.

    Zeus, who had the same attributes as his opponent, had crushed his enemy with electricity. However, that didn¡¯t mean he had been able to win the fight unscathed.

    ¡°To think my clothes would be this ruined. Looks like I¡¯ll have to get used to this power, too.¡±

    Zeus looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong before continuing, ¡°However, I have no intention of doing anything as insane as what you did.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slightly at Zeus¡¯ resolute expression, after which he responded, ¡°You didn¡¯t even show everything this time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! I didn¡¯t use that because I didn¡¯t have the confidence to control it. It¡¯s not like I have any intention of incinerating everything around us.¡±

    After saying that, Zeus looked around at the destroyedndscape and the appearances of hispanions, who seemed to have started to recover little by little.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s reached a level I can be happy with,¡± Zeus said, looking at the palm of his hand as he evoked a current of electricity.

    The blue current crackled and red up before disappearing as the Hunter grinned mischievously. It was the first battle he had fought properly after absorbing Chi-Woo¡¯s powers, so his emotions were understandable.

    ¡°I can help with your re-limation.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    Zeus didn¡¯t refuse Lee Jun-Kyeong''s offer, as bing even a little bit stronger meant they could save another person. Both of their gazes then turned over to the girl who was looking over at the two of them.

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus spoke at the same time.

    Her appearance was baffling beyond belief. It hadn¡¯t been easy to notice while they had been on the battlefield, but her body was covered in blood. In addition, her clothes were nothing but rags, as countless wounds could be seen through the tears.

    ¡°Put this on,¡± Zeus said, throwing his cloak over to her.

    Although it had been burned in the fight, it was enough to cover at least the important parts.

    ¡°Thank you," she said as she caught it and put it on.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at her without saying a word. This was the first time he would be interacting with both of them on the same side. Although he had met her briefly in Korea, he had never actually seen her fight before.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with some difficulty.

    ¡®Heimdall!¡¯

    In his eyes, ovepping with her figure, was the sight of her stabbing her spear forward while screaming Yeo Seong-Gu¡¯s title. She was the reason he had been sent back to the past. If he had to try to describe their rtionship, at the very least, it wasn¡¯t a good one.

    Also, Lee Jun-Kyeong just remembered, hadn¡¯t she tried to kill him on the day he had met Heracles?

    ¡°...¡±

    Athena also lowered her head as if she was also thinking back to their past interactions. Lee Jun-Kyeong had a lot to speak about with her, especially about things regarding Seong-Gu hyung.

    Seemingly embarrassed, she turned the conversation in a different direction, ¡°The mission wasn¡¯tpletely a sess. I tried my best to save them, but most of the Hunters were already¡­¡±

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Guild leader.¡±

    This was apletely different view of the girl, as there hadn¡¯t been any hint of embarrassment or fluster on her face when they had stormed onto the battlefield.

    It made sense.

    She was the Goddess of the Battlefield and the Iron-Blooded Empress. Only Athena was fit for such a title.

    ¡°Considering you saved this many people, you¡¯ve done more than enough. You even tried to fight four Rulers on your own to buy time. You¡¯ve done enough.¡±

    She bowed her head lightly at Zeus¡¯ words. Soon after, her head turned.

    ¡°They¡­¡±

    She looked over at the gathered bodies of the Rulers as Hel stood over them.

    ¡°The souls of the Rulers are being extracted. Although there isn¡¯t much concern over them reviving even if we left them alone, as the cataclysm ising to an end, their souls should be of great aid to us.¡±

    A in Ruler was essentially a gold mine. Everything down to their corpses had its own uses, as their weapons had already been long recovered.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to check on what happened to Mistilteinn when I bring them to the two Park twins.¡¯

    The weapons would be repurposed for the Hunters. However, the most important part remained.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hel was extracting the souls of three corpses, as one of the four was missing.

    ¨CHeeung¡­

    That one missing Ruler, the Red Dragon, was moaning softly as it was tied up off to the side in the wilderness. In a hurry, Lee Jun-Kyeong had just left it with Muspel¡¯s Spear plunged into its tail.

    Muspel¡¯s Spear continued to absorb its mana, slowing its recovery. If it had tried to do anything stupid, then it would have been incinerated from the inside out.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was also a little flustered at the moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s at least talk to it first.¡±

    He, along with Zeus, began to approach the pitiful figure.

    ***

    Hel already had experience in extracting the soul of a Ruler as she had extracted the soul of Elfame. He had wanted to extract information from Elfame¡¯s soul.

    Specifically, the truth that no one else knew¡ªno, the secrets, the entire truth that someone had hidden.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had assumed that at least the Rulers would have information regarding it.

    However, that process had been a failure. Hel had said that after absorption, not only had she not been able to absorb Elfame¡¯s soul in its entirety, but that it had also already been in pieces in the first ce. Basically, any information she extracted was useless in the first ce.

    For example, it would only result in information about the world that Elfame had ruled. While that information was good to have, the important things that they were looking for were different.

    ¡®The Sponsors.¡¯

    Moreover, they needed information about why the gates had been created in the first ce. Why did the Sponsors sponsor and empower people in the first ce?

    Finally, there was the question of the identities of the Sponsors. Those were all the things Lee Jun-Kyeong was curious about. That was why he wanted to gather information from the souls of the Rulers they had in this time.

    It was certain that they would be broken into pieces this time as well, but there was always a chance for something to change. Even if they weren¡¯t able to get any information either, Hel would absorb those souls in the process and be stronger anyway.

    However, even having gone into this battle with that n in mind, Lee Jun-Kyeong waspletely bewildered at the moment.

    ¡°To think that aplete Ruler would swear obedience to us.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t heard any messages, so the beast before him hadn¡¯t been chosen as a Familiar, either.

    ¡°There¡¯s something different about you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the whimpering Red Dragon as he spoke. A Ruler was an overwhelming force that was created within the veil erected by the cataclysm. That meant that the Ruler was bound to the veil itself, or at least bound to something.

    However, this bastard was different.

    ¡®Is it because of the fusing of the veils?¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it had anything to do with the fusion of the five veils. No, that couldn¡¯t be true as the other Rulers weren¡¯t like this. Only this one was different.

    ¡°Why have you been released?¡±

    This Ruler had been freed of its bondage, but it hadn¡¯t been released from the beginning. When the battle had started, there had definitely been a feeling of it being tied down to something like the other Rulers.

    ¡°It was then.¡±

    However, as soon as he had manifested Surtr¡¯s arms when he had been about to tear its heart from its chest, that bondage, that thing that had held it back, had disappeared. It was something that couldn¡¯t be expressed in words. Something almost like the system.

    The Ruler slowly opened its mouth.

    ¨CThat¡¯s¡­

    Its voice trembled with pain.

    ¨CAt that time¡­your powers¡­

    An intermittently trembling voice slowly emerged from the Red Dragon¡¯s mouth.

    ¨CThe me of the beginning¡­it¡¯s because¡­because I saw that power¡­

    Although the Ruler was speaking as if it would die soon, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression soured.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The Red Dragon and Zeus both made puzzled expressions at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s sigh.

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong said, ¡°I was sure you said you would swear obedience, right?¡±

    ¨C...?

    ¡°Your tone is a littlecking, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¨CYou¡­you dare?! I am¡­! I am the ancient one who has lived for 30,000 years¡­! ¨C¡±

    BANG!

    Before the Red Dragon had finished its words, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s fist mmed violently toward a mouth.

    Towards the mouth of the ¡°dying¡± Red Dragon.

    ***

    The hierarchical rtionship had to be made clear, and it was something that had to be done even more so if the one being epted was also a being of great strength. epting such a powerful being without establishing one¡¯s might was just asking for a problemter down the road. Thus, this was a necessary evil.

    ¨CI¡­ I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered for a moment.

    A dragon¡¯s mrs were called dragon fangs, right?[1]

    He had no idea what the front canines would be called, but he was sure that Park Jae-Hyun would love those pir-like white fangs.[2]

    The dragon continued begging in a servile tone.

    ¨CI¡­ I¡­ I will obey¡­.

    It had definitely said that it would obey, so all Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing was educating it to clearly act the part.

    ¡°You really are quite hard to please,¡± Zeus said sarcastically as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

    He was sure that it would be near impossible for him to see someone beating a dying Red Dragon with his bare fists like he was seeing right now. The Red Dragon looked over at Zeus for a while as if it really was pitiful. However, it snorted furiously at Zeus¡¯ following words.

    ¡°Still, thank you for allowing me to see such a rare sight.¡±

    The beast in front of them was definitely a Red Dragon. Even among them, it was a dragon of the highest rank, strong enough to be a Ruler.

    The reason for beating¡ªno, educating it wasn¡¯t just to simply establish a hierarchical rtionship. The bastard was acting like it was dying.

    Even though its mana was being consumed by Muspel¡¯s Spear, even though its wounds from the battle were catastrophic, a dragon was still a dragon. The Ruler before them boasted an impossibly tenacious vitality, so much so that it almost seemed as though it was boasting that it was the origin of the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone.

    Even though it was a Red Dragon, Lee Jun-Kyeong had definitely been beating it with fists infused with mana. If it were any other being, being beaten this one-sidedly in this manner would have meant an instant knockout.

    ¡°Are you ready to give a straight answer now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked once again.

    ¡ªYe¡­yes, sir.

    It was all a matter of dragon pride. The Red Dragon, who had boasted of the grandness of the dragon and insisted on refusing to speak politely even if it died, was now speaking politely and meekly, albeit with a little protest.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the answer to my question?¡±

    There was something about the dragon that they couldn¡¯t see. Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to know if it had escaped from what he thought was the system.

    ¨CWell, that¡¯s¡­

    The dragon raised its massive head and spoke, this time, unlike before, its words were clear and precise.

    ¨CIt is because the power that you showed is rted to the source of the beginning of the world.

    1. A reference to the Hanmun. The Hanmun for dragon fangs (ýˆÑÀ) and mrs (´óÑÀ) both use the same fang character as the modifier. ?

    2. Canines in Korean use a different character (È®³Ý), hence why he¡¯s confused. ?

 Chapter 231. The Meaning of the Cataclysm

    Chapter 231. The Meaning of the Cataclysm

    ¡°A power rted to the source of the beginning of the world?¡±

    There was only one thing that came to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind after hearing what the Red Dragon said.

    ¡°Are you referring to the Arms of Surtr?¡±

    It was an ability with an enormous amount of mana inherent within it. It had been created by the final evolution of the Authority, Reign of Fire, given to him by <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">.</the>

    With it, he could materialize parts of the body of Surtr, the me giant. He wondered if this ability was the source the dragon spoke of because it had reached the limits of an Authority. Considering its power, even with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s near-limitless reserves of mana, it was still impossible for him to manifest Surtr¡¯s entire body.

    Most of the time he had spent in Anngr had been devoted to honing this ability. He had seen it too, how the dragon had been shocked to see the appearance of the hands of the giant that had grabbed it by the neck and was about to tear its heart out.

    ¨Cit¡¯s simr, but at the same time, different.

    The dragon blinked its massive eyes, which seemed to be about the size of a building.

    ¨CThe powers sponsored upon you by the Sponsors do not contain the powers of the source because the Sponsors themselves haven¡¯t yet reached the source itself.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused for a second.

    ¡®This dragon, it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Do you have information about the Sponsors?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus looked at each other as their eyes shone. The Red Dragon was essentially a shining gold mine that could fill in all of the information they so sorelycked.

    ¨COf course, I do¡­we were also¡­

    ¡°Your words are getting a little uppity again, don¡¯t you think?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¨CCough, cough. We, too, were no different from you all.

    ¡°...!¡±

    That could only mean one thing.

    ¨CWe also went through the same things as you had. The Sponsors and sponsorship.

    A tinge of grief appeared in the dragon¡¯s pupils.

    ¨CWe even saw the end of the world.

    A bitter silence enveloped everyone. What the dragon had to say had caused that much of an impact, its voice deafening even in a whisper.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even those who had been conducting their duties from afar looked over at this ce. The dragon had mentioned that they had been sponsored and interacted with the Sponsors. Even after all of that, they had faced the end of the world.

    ¡°Do you mean that we won¡¯t be able to stop the monsters?¡±

    Even after hearing that, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to speak in a doubtful tone. The Red Dragon had said that the world would end as if it was an unavoidable result. While everyone else may have fixated on those words, he was different.

    ¡°But humanity will prevent this crisis.¡±

    He knew this world wouldn¡¯t perish. Rather, they would go beyond just blocking the monsters and staving off gates. Instead, they would go so far as to integrate their appearance into society, using them as resources. The end for them wasn¡¯t the end of the world.

    Although the result could be said to have been simr to what the dragon was referring to, rather, it was the victorious humans¡ªno, the victorious Hunters that would rule the world. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t believe it.

    ¨CTo be frank, that would be an even worse ending.

    The Red Dragon said something that was even more unbelievable.

    ¨CBecause that would be a true apocalypse.

    The Red Dragon spoke too casually regarding this as an absolute sincerity and belief hung over its face.

    ¡°This bastard¡­¡± Zeus began to say to Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°It¡¯s not lying.¡±

    ***

    In the previous era, in the era that Lee Jun-Kyeong had lived beforeing to the past, there had been a rumor that spread across the world.

    ¡°Zeus can detect lies.¡±

    ¡°Zeus can read people¡¯s hearts.¡±

    ¡°Lies can¡¯t be told in front of Zeus.¡±

    Out of all of Eden, among all of the Hunters who had imed to be gods, there was one who was closer to being a true God than anyone else. He was the one who had brought peace to the world.

    It was rumored that it was impossible to lie in front of him. However, that rumor ended up being cataloged away as false, as everyone disregarded it. They all assumed that it was just an absurd rumor about someone with great fame and had be almost a myth.

    However, on the other hand, as many as there were people who believed it to be false, there were as many people that knew otherwise.

    No, it was more than that. Anyone who knew about the existence of the Hunters knew it was true. A Hunter¡¯s abilities were endless. In particr, nothing was impossible for those who had reached the apex. So much so that they all just assumed that those gods had already gained eternal life.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had always thought that it was a lie.

    ¡®That¡¯s not possible.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t sure if the power that he had at this moment had surpassed that of the Zeus¡¯ who had been the Peak of Eden, as he had never seen that Zeus before. However, if it was truly something a Hunter could do, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t have been able to replicate it with his level of strength at this moment.

    Even heartbeats could be faked, so Lee Jun-Kyeong assumed that if Zeus really did have the ability to see through lies, it would be an ability rted to an Authority. That was why he was still reluctant to tell any lies while dealing with him, even if he didn¡¯t believe the Hunter had the skill.

    However, now, the truth was revealed.

    ¡°I can feel the subtle tremors of mana,¡± the Hunter said. ¡°Although they say that your heartbeat changes when you lie, it¡¯s possible to fake it. But, you can¡¯t fake mana.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Truth and lies are hidden within mana. All in all, it¡¯s never failed me yet,¡± Zeus said as he scratched his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s a skill I learned in Anngr. My hyung and I had nothing to do for all those years, and it''s an ability we acquired through studying each other for so long.¡±

    It was something only he could do. Unlike other Hunters, who had never gone into the dimension in pairs or all at once, Zeus and his brother Chi-Woo, the Hero Thor, had survived in Anngr together for over ten years.

    Through that time, they were able to have an experience more valuable than anyone else¡¯s.

    By studying each other¡¯s abilities, they had been able to dig into the powers and secrets of mana.

    That was something that even Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t do.

    ¡°This dragon is the same. When it said that it would swear obedience to you, there was a slight tremor of its lies. But now, there isn¡¯t any tremor, or at least none that I can detect.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nced at the Red Dragon for a moment as it quickly turned its head. However, that wasn¡¯t the point of the matter. This was a crisis that, if humans couldn¡¯t ovee it, would mark the end of the world.

    If by chance, humans were able to ovee this crisis, then it would be the apocalypse of the world. Moreover, there was definitely a different nuance that matched the difference in words.

    Moving aside from Zeus¡¯ ability, he looked over at the Red Dragon as it slowly turned its head again.

    ¨CI am Saeynkaed.

    The Red Dragon spoke while looking over at Zeus.

    ¨CMy name is Saeynkaed¡­it¡¯s a glorious name given to me by an ancient dragon. You, the one who uncovers lies. You and my mas¡­

    ¡°Although you don¡¯t have to call me master or anything, do whatever you please,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected.

    ¨CIf¡­if it is to him, I can reveal my true name.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen information regarding a dragon revealing its true name in the book of the Demon King. It was a significant event, as just knowing a dragon¡¯s true name could influence the dragon to some extent.

    Apparently, it had spoken in a voice that only the two of them could hear, and the rest of the party, who had been rmed by the mention of an apocalypse, only looked over in their direction, puzzled.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me your name. But, back to the main point. What did you mean by that? That if the humans win, it would be a true apocalypse? No, first, start from when you became free of the bondage.¡±

    The dragon wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere.

    ¡®I can just obtain the information that I want slowly.¡¯

    Now that the dragon had given him its true name, Lee Jun-Kyeong reached out and pulled out Muspel¡¯s Spear.

    ¨C...!

    The party hurriedly raised their weapons, flustered and shocked. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just raised his hand.

    Thrum.

    The Red Dragon, Saeynkaed, slowly rose.

    ¡®As expected, the dragon is impressive.¡¯

    As soon as Muspel¡¯s Spear was pulled out, a huge wave of mana condensed and began to restore its body as its regeneration reached a speed visible with the naked eye. The dragon lowered its head slowly as it expressed sincere gratitude for his trust.

    ¨CThank you.

    From Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s perspective, it had just been something he had done as the dragon had offered him its true name.

    ¨CLet me start again from the beginning.

    Tick, tock.

    With every second, the dragon¡¯s body was being restored to its original state, as now, as its shiny scales began to flutter, the dragon began to radiate fierce mana from its body.

    Jiing!

    The Hunters grew even more flustered.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus standing still with their arms crossed, they put down their weapons once again.

    ¡°Ha¡­at least warn us first,¡± Jeong In-Chang, who had been dozing off as he leaned against Gram, grumbled as he stared at Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, he was immediately silenced by the sight that soon followed.

    Where the Red Dragon had used to be, where the mana had gathered, a woman with red hair knelt on one knee as she spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I, Saeynkaed, swear true obedience to you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, seeing her naked body, flusteredly waved his hands as he stammered, ¡°W¡­ why don¡¯t we put on some clothes first?>¡±

    ***

    ¡°This world¡ªno, this Earth has many dimensions that inhabit its space,¡± said the woman who was in Athena¡¯s spare clothes.

    What had used to be a Red Dragon had transformed into apletely humanoid appearance. There was nothing to be surprised at, as when Athena had told them already that when she had first met the dragon, it had been in a humanoid appearance like it was at this moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong vaguely remembered it, polymorph or something along those lines. It was a magic that only dragons could use, but as a possessor of a Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone, it was a magic that he could use as well.

    ¡°Moreover, numerous dimensions copsed and disappeared. All of them...went through the same things as us.¡±

    Monsters appeared. Gates descended. Sponsors provided sponsorship.

    ¡°Are you saying that not even one of those countless dimensions could stop the attack of the monsters and the gates?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t understand it. How could not even one of the dimensions block them?

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    However, Saeynkaed firmly responded as if she wasn¡¯t interested in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Not a single dimension. There wasn¡¯t a single ce that could hold out to the end. It was easy to stem the attacks of the gates and monsters in the early stages of their appearance. In particr, monsters already existed in many dimensions, including ours, and many of us lived in symbiosis with them or hunted them in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, it was the advent of the cataclysm that had caused the copse of so many of the dimensions.¡±

    The cataclysm¡ªthe great change that the Earth was going through right now, that everyone was going through.

    Although it had been difficult, the advent of the gates and monsters had been able to be stemmed. However, this great change had turned all of that effort into nothing.

    ¡°The degree of the cataclysm varies from dimension to dimension. However, the thing they all had inmon was that no one would be able to stop it. Eventually, the dimension would be consumed by the cataclysm and would copse.¡±

    That was what all of the Rulers had gone through, something Saeynkaed had confirmed for them all.

    ¡°I was the strongest in my dimension. When all of the other dragons had died, and I was left alone, I inherited the dying wishes of the remnants of the dragons and gained enormous power.¡±

    An entire dimension of dragon wishes, and the Red Dragon had brought them all together. It wasn¡¯t easy to imagine the power that Saeynkaed must have had. It definitely would have been differentpared to it now.

    ¡°However, it was still too much.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Do you know what lies at the end of the cataclysm?¡± she asked.

    Zeus looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered simply, ¡°No.¡±

    The end of the cataclysm? As far as he knew, the end of the cataclysm wasn¡¯t any different from now. If anything, it was just that the monsters would cover them all like a tsunami.

    The Demon King and the Heroes had eventually ovee them, and it was only after the cataclysm hade to an end that there had been a conflict between the Heroes. Then, the Demon King had been killed by Eden.

    That was all Lee Jun-Kyeong knew.

    ¡°The end of the cataclysm is the kind of fate that cannot be prevented.¡±

    ¡°And what the hell is that supposed to be?¡±

    Anger shed across the face of Saeynkaed for a moment, resembling a wildfire burning through a forest.

    ¡°The Sponsors.¡± The dragon only had one thing to say. ¡°That is where the Dinner of the Sponsors begins.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong made a puzzled expression. ¡®The Dinner of the Sponsors begins?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t something he could easily understand. Neither in the book of the Demon King or the history of his previous era had the Sponsors evere to the forefront.

    If the Sponsors had appeared at the end of the cataclysm, there was no way that their identities wouldn¡¯t have been revealed. However, nothing like that had happened. All that was written was the fights between humanity and the monster tides or even the fights between humans themselves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the beginning. The reason why gates and monsters appear. Moreover, what do you think about the sponsorship process at its core?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded dryly, ¡°I think they¡¯re ying games with us.¡±

    They were the avatars of the Sponsors, and the monsters were prey meant for the avatars to hunt. Even if an avatar were to die, they could just make another one. They could create their own incarnations.

    That was why they entertained themselves through the struggles of the avatars and offered such sponsorship. It made sense once one thought about it.

    ¡°If they were sponsoring us to help us, they could have given us this level of strength from the start.¡±

    The abilities of the Sponsors were endless. Out of the countless Hunters that were still sponsored, vast numbers of them continued to grow through sponsorship.

    What did that mean?

    It meant that even though the Sponsors had the ability to raise sponsored Hunters as much as they desired, they had total control over their levels of growth. Watching the Hunters fight for their lives was just what they used as entertainment. This was what a Sponsor was to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Zeus nodded in agreement as if he thought simrly.

    ¡°That sounds about right. The end of humanity, Saeynkaed. Well, if what you say is right, I think they enjoy watching the creatures of the dimensions struggle in despair. They just torture them with the facade of hope as they let them grow ever so slowly.¡±

    I can win.

    I can survive.

    It will all end someday.

    I will be stronger.

    ¡°The Sponsors are monsters that devour those emotions,¡± Zeus said.

    Smirking, Saeynkaedughed, not expressing the correct answer to her question.

    However, her following words made Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus immediately m up.

    ¡°Then, where does that leave you two?¡± she said.

    ¡°You, who have had incredible strength from the beginning and received support iparable to that of any other Hunter?¡±

    There was no easy answer to her question.

    ¡°Why were you raised in Anngr?¡±

    Saeynkaed¡¯s smile deepened a little.

    ¡°Both of your answers are correct, but at the same time, wrong.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    In the ufortable silence where neither could say a word, the polymorphed dragon began to speak once more.

    ¡°They don¡¯t really have a choice in giving you small amounts of sponsorship.¡±

 Chapter 232. The Meaning of the Cataclysm Pt. 2

    Chapter 232. The Meaning of the Cataclysm Pt. 2

    It was true; Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus definitely were different.

    Unlike the others, they had been to Anngr and the rapid growth they had experienced there was akin to a cheat code.

    Of course, they had paid a fair price for that strength, but that was beside the point.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that Sponsors have no choice but to sponsor us little by little?¡± he asked.

    Saeynkaed nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If an Incarnation is raised through excessive amounts of sponsorship, any incarnation that can¡¯t contain that rapid level of power will explode.¡±

    ¡°Explode?¡±

    ¡°We just call it an explosion, they don¡¯t actually blow up. They just rapidly lose their vitality and be monsters that have lost their sanity. Of course, nothing of the sort happens to the Sponsors.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus immediately thought of the same thing.

    ¡°The monsters¡­¡±

    Monsters had lost all vitality and reason. Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought they had been creatures from other dimensions all this time.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. All of those things you call monsters were once Hunters. They are all broken Incarnations.¡±

    If that really was the case, one hypothesis became certain to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Those who sponsored and provided sponsorship were Sponsors, and those who opened the gates and raided the world with monsters were also Sponsors.¡±

    But if that was the case, those who were attacked and those who attacked existed at the will of the Sponsors.

    ¡°My thoughts are correct, right? All of this chaos is just the entertainment of the Sponsors?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, sure that it was all just a game for the Sponsors, a type of entertainment created through the blood of the Incarnations.

    ¡°It¡¯s right, but at the same time, it¡¯s not.¡±

    Saeynkaed¡¯s answer was no different than confirming that it was, in fact, the Sponsors who had opened the gates.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what the dragon meant by that.

    ¡°All of this chaos, the invasion of the dimensions, has happened because of a single reason.¡±

    Finally, they could hear the reason behind all of this tragedy.

    Saeynkaed swallowed and spoke.

    Crackle.

    However, at that moment, an electric current started to run through her body. It was a current that didn¡¯t belong to Zeus.

    It was simr to the phenomenon that a gate would emit when it appears.

    Saeynkaed didn¡¯t seem to havepletely escaped the bondage of the system as the dragon frowned as if she was in pain.

    Swish!

    However, a surge of mana swept over her as if a bucket of water had been sshed over. The dragon had finallypletely freed herself from the shackles of the system. Slowly managing the pain, Saeynkaed continued, ¡°The survival of the Sponsors.¡±

    ¡°The Survival?¡±

    ¡°And, their resurrection.¡±

    It was at that moment that the pieces all fit.

    ***

    In the beginning, there was a dimension.

    It was a single world where numerous beings of all sorts of races were born and raised.[1]

    As it was the only dimension, the inhabitants of the world were special.

    Since countless forms of auras, energies, and power hadn¡¯t been spread through existence yet, all of it was for their taking, and all of which was seized and monopolized by these beings.

    Theypeted with each other, growing in strength and power.

    ¨CThere was nothing left for them.

    When they finally took control over the entire dimension, eventually, their purpose disappeared.

    There was no reason for them to be stronger, and nond for them to conquer.

    Though things may have been different if they didn¡¯t have such enormous power, these beings, who had the power to shake the very heavens and earth, found themselves having lost their purpose, falling into despair.

    Thus, like that,

    ¨CThey started killing among themselves.

    There was no ce for them to unleash their great power. Nothing for them that they had to do. So, they, who needed neither food nor sleep, began to ughter each other. However, that, too, also had an end.

    ¨CThey were unkible.

    Those who had already gained the power of a world couldn¡¯t die. It was just a cycle of destruction and resurrection. As they crusaded against one another, the dimension began to crumble.

    Then, one of them asked a question.

    ¨CFor what reason do we have to kill each other?

    ¨CNo, let¡¯s kill the dimension itself.

    ¨CLet¡¯s make it disappear.

    Feeling the gravity of their neverending lifespan, they decided to destroy the ce they called home, destroying the only dimension that existed. They had the power to do so, and eventually, what they desired hade to fruition.

    The ground on which they tread disappeared. The air that they breathed dissipated. The dimension itself copsed.

    ¨CHowever, even after all of that, they couldn¡¯t die.

    They weren¡¯t just immortals, they were immortal.[2]

    They became souls that floated amidst the pieces of the broken dimension, unable to do anything because they had lost their physical bodies. Time continued to pass for them as their minds grew increasingly unstable, until one day, a change urred.

    In the center of the broken and shattered dimension, a heaven-shattering explosion expanded forth from the empty world where nothing existed.

    It was an explosion caused by the power contained in the souls of the absolute beings that floated around in the empty space as the countless forces that had condensed in one dimension expanded outward in all directions.

    ¨CThe world expanded everywhere.

    Then, from there, countless dimensions were born.

    Dozens, hundreds¡ªno, there were so many different dimensions that it was no longer possible to count them all.

    The souls of the absolute beings didn¡¯t pay any attention to them at first, assuming that those unlucky bastards that were waiting to be born would eventually end up the same as they had.

    However, that assumption couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. The divided powers neither destroyed the dimensions they fell into nor did they fall into their own madness, rather keeping a bnce among themselves and developing the world.

    To the absolute beings, those newly created creatures may have been insignificant and feeble insects, but there was a strange order to them. The souls of the absolute beings watched over them as they floated around through the countless dimensions, unable to do anything after having lost their bodies.

    However, as they traveled, they began to have aspirations again.

    ¨CI want to live.

    ¨CI want to breathe again.

    Seeing the living creatures, they lusted after them.

    They desired their flesh and to have that flesh and blood once more and really live again. They wanted to be given another chance to exist. Thus, some of the absolute beings began to interfere with the dimensions.

    If they didn¡¯t have bodies, they would make some. However, no matter how absolute their power, that was the one thing that was beyond them. They couldn¡¯t create bodies for themselves.

    ¨CThat was a power only reserved for the origin of the beginning.

    The origin of the beginning was the unique power that only existed in the first dimension, and it was the power that maintained genesis.

    It was what the absolute beings called the power of the source.

    Unless they could obtain some of that origin power that no one could create, they wouldn¡¯t be able to create a body for themselves. Unfortunately for them, the powers of the source had disappeared somewhere alongside the explosion of the dimension.

    Although it made sense that the absolute beings wanted to find that power, their desire to do so was even greater than one could have imagined. Eventually, a different idea was suggested by one of the absolute beings.

    ¨CHow about handling both issues at the same time?

    There was a very simple answer to their desires, to find the powers of the source while also obtaining a body.

    ¨CLet¡¯s take it away from them.

    They had existed all this way in that manner¡ªstealing, killing, and destroying. So, they just decided to continue doing what they were good at.

    An innumerable number of bodies were already spread across all of the dimensions. It would be enough for them to just take those away. The absolute beings eventually decided on a dimension and gathered there, wanting to build their world once again.

    Finally, they all stretched out their hands, and soon, the fire was lit.

    Flicker.

    They had assumed that it would obviously all be theirs for the taking, but the results were nowhere near what they had taken for granted. They had too arrogantly assumed that the flesh before them would be theirs to take, but the spread of the mes was too strong, and everything burned to ashes.

    The creatures from the other dimensions weren¡¯t enough.

    ¨CThey couldn¡¯t ept them.

    The souls of the absolute beings, who possessed limitless power, were too difficult for the flesh of the living beings to contain. Instead, an entire dimension was incinerated in their attempt.

    In the midst of that chaos, even some of the souls of the absolute beings were incinerated as well. In the midst of those neverending mes, the creatures that had received even a little bit of the soul and power of the absolute beings were distorted.

    ¨CAnd monsters were born.

    They had lost their souls and their very selves, bing monsters with powers. The absolute beings, in turn, left the burning dimension behind and agonized over their failure.

    ¨CAre we really just doomed to never don flesh and blood again?

    They had achieved everything they had aspired to. The feeling of failure was nearly impossible for them to ept as they were those who had achieved even the destruction of their own dimension. The absolute beings became worried over their own failures and started to wander through the other dimensions.

    ¨CLet us go find creatures that will ept us.

    They wanted to find even stronger flesh¡ªno, a flesh that could handle the burden of their souls. That would be enough for them. Numerous dimensions were sacrificed, copsing under the influence of the absolute beings.

    ¨CThose dimensions had be destroyed worlds where monsters infested thends.

    What the absolute beings created and left behind were Hells. Countless years passed.

    Every dimension they woulde across would copse and be its own unique Hell, as still, the absolute beings had failed in obtaining even a single physical body.

    In that time, some of the despairing absolute beings had even found the sweet embrace of death that they had so desperately craved. Caught up in the despair and destruction that they had created, these absolute beings had been abandoned alongside the dimensions that the others had left behind.

    Even though those absolute beings had wanted death, the others were different.

    ¨CThat¡¯s not the ending we wanted.

    Rather, the surviving absolute beings began to crave a flesh of their own even more. The abandoned absolute beings and the dimensions that had swept away with them fused into each other, bing something uniquely different.

    ¨CThey became one and became the Anngr.

    On the other hand, the remaining absolute beings no longer wanted to feel the sting of failure.

    One of them then spoke.

    ¨CIf no one is able to contain the burden¡­

    They would just make a creature that could.

    The absolute beings were beings that were only just souls. Although they could influence the world, the influence they could exert wasn¡¯t enough to meet their wishes. Thus, they decided to go a different route.

    ¨CThey looked back on the path of devastation they had walked.

    They went back toward the copsed dimensions, the monsters they had created, and Anngr. They had made up their minds to use the things that they had created.

    Gathering up the Hells, they began to travel through the dimensions once more. That was the start of it all.

    ¨CThe start of the Sponsorship.

    The n to raise the living creatures and eventually take over their bodies had begun, and it was the beginning of the nightmare that would envelop them all.

    ***

    "This¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stumbled.

    Saeynkaed had used a method of transferring her memories rather than verbally informing them.

    All of the information that she had obtained during the countless years she had spent tied to the system was spread out before the two Hunters, as the dragon gave it all over to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus. It was a method that she couldn¡¯t have done if she hadn¡¯t given them her true name and if they didn¡¯t trust her.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s the truth?¡±

    The truth that Saeynkaed had shown them, the truth that the humans¡­

    ¡°That we¡¯re just cattle¡­¡±

    What the Sponsors were doing, it wasn¡¯t like a game. It wasn¡¯t some sort of entertainment.

    As Saeynkaed had said, the Sponsors had done this dance over and over again with a desperate heart. In order to regain their desires and bodies, they were creating Hunters like raising cattle.

    Each Hunter would grow little by little through Sponsorship, and their goal was to grow the abilities of the Hunters until they were strong enough to ept the power of the Sponsors.

    ¡°Then the reason for supporting so many Hunters at the same time would be¡­hoping to catch one if they cast a wide enough, right?¡±

    The Sponsors were absolute beings. Their number of incarnations wasrgely based on the reasoning they believed in. Each of the absolute beings had a different disposition.

    Some just wanted to win the metaphorical lottery by sponsoring as many people as they could at once, while others wanted to reduce the probability of failure by concentrating on a small number of incarnations.

    Some of them even wanted to focus on just a single person.

    Those who had forced their incarnation through that Hell or only supported one person¡ªthey weren¡¯t some special sort of Sponsors.

    They were just the same as the rest, only choosing a way forward to reach their desire.

    That meant one thing.

    ¡°The ones that are special are us,¡± Zeus said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They were those who had passed the Sponsors¡¯ test and were the best of the Sponsors¡¯ livestock.

    ¡°The truth is a little different. Only those who are qualified to handle it can undergo the hell of Anngr,¡± Saeynkaed said, correcting Zeus.

    ¡°Moreover, there are a lot fewer absolute beings than you would expect that are the masters of an Anngr. Moreover, Anngr isn¡¯t something that just anyone can enter. Only those with enough potential can enter Anngr.¡±

    ¡°Either way, that just means we¡¯re just the good ones out of all the livestock candidates, anyway,¡± Zeus said, grinding his teeth.

    ¡°Then what about the system?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Saeynkaed with a somewhat nk expression. ¡°What about those like you, the Rulers?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong already had some guesses, but he wanted to make sure he knew the exact facts.

    ¡°The system is a management system created by the will of the absolute beings. It is a power that can efficiently manage the incarnations and fulfill the will of the absolute beings.¡±

    It had all been because of the absolute beings. They had done all of this chaos just because they were able to because they had wanted to create some sort of great incarnation just so they could use their bodies.

    ¡°What an efficient livestock management system¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said self-deprecatingly.

    ¡°And, as for us Rulers¡­¡±

    Before Saeynkaed was able to finish, Zeus finished for her.

    ¡°You must have been the ones who had been able to grow until the final stage for bing the bodies of the Sponsors. There just must have been some reason you weren¡¯t able to ept their power. It was just that because it was too wasteful to throw you away, so they¡¯re using you to raise the other livestock, right?¡±

    Zeus had the same thoughts as Lee Jun-Kyeong, and as expected, Saeynkaed nodded as she responded in agreement.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°The situation of those you call the Rulers, our situation, is worse than that of the fate that befalls you all. We¡¯ve just been relegated to puppets used to train you¡­ We used to be incarnations just like you. We were those that had wanted to survive and struggle to the very end and protect our dimensions.¡±

    ¡°I mean it sounds noble and all, but it¡¯s not like every one of you was like that. There had to have been some of you who had wanted to be absolute beings as well and chose to help their Sponsors even though they had uncovered their true intentions.¡±

    People like The King of Alfheimr, Elfame¡­

    Saeynkaed was silent, and both of them understood her silence to be an affirmation. Moreover, both of them understood that the very Rulers they hated were pitiful beings with no control over their very existence. Thus, it was time for them to bring the conversation back to the main point.

    ¡°This is the most important question,¡± Zeus said.

    ¡°What are the powers of the source, and how did you¡­¡±

    ¡°How did I get free of the system?¡±

    She had found a way out. A way out that could turn this entire chessboard upside down. There was also onest question as well.

    ¡°Also, then, what is the cataclysm?¡±

    They had gotten enough basic information needed to piece it all together, so neither Zeus nor Lee Jun-Kyeong cared anymore about the Sponsors¡¯ sordid history.

    No, now it was time for them to discuss what was most important.

    ¡°Answer us,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    1. Note, the Korean word for world ?? doesn¡¯t mean the physical but refers to the metaphysical idea of a ce of existence, so in the case of the dimension, calling it a ¡°world¡± means a ce to exist and live in, not necessarily a single. ?

    2. There is a distinction between the concept of immortality and what people call immortal in East Asian culture. Think immortals as people who won¡¯t die if nothing happens to them (like some of our Mc¡¯s in Wuxia and Murim books could theoretically never die if you don¡¯t kill them) and true immortality as someone who just can¡¯t die. ?

 Chapter 233. The Meaning of the Cataclysm Pt. 3

    Chapter 233. The Meaning of the Cataclysm Pt. 3

    ¡°The cataclysm can be called¡­¡± The first question that Saeynkaed answered was about the cataclysm. ¡°It can be seen as the final chapter.¡±

    ¡°The final chapter?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what lies at the end of the cataclysm?¡± Saeynkaed asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded slowly.

    How could he forget? At the end of the cataclysm, there was only one thing: a single gate.

    ¡°Gehenna¡­¡±

    It was the harbinger of the end, and it was something etched into history, etched into his memory. Gehenna had served as the marker that the world had reached the final stages of the cataclysm.

    ¡®It was the most terrifying gate of them all, the bringer of an unprecedented catastrophe.¡¯

    The world had suffered almost irrecoverable damage throughout the cataclysm in the previous timeline. However, during the current timeline, the damage that the world had faced was nowhere near that of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s past yet.

    ¡®Back then, the Demon King hadn¡¯t destroyed Ennd¡­or even established his power, for that matter.¡¯

    In truth, more than half of the damage that had wracked the world in the current cataclysm was the direct or indirect result of the Demon King¡¯s actions. In the previous timeline, the cataclysm itself had caused little damage.

    Ennd still existed in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s past, alive and well, and the Round Table emerged to protect its people. Moreover, because arge number of British Hunters survived, they were then able to go out and defend Europe.

    It was the same for the Korean Hunters. In the previous timeline, the Demon King even joined forces with the Hunters to defeat the monsters that arose in the cataclysm, taking down the Ruler himself.

    Because any Ruler who died at the hands of the Demon King wasn¡¯t able to revive itself, Korea was quickly able to find stability.

    As Korea was a Hunter powerhouse, still standing strong after the defeat of the Ruler, the country dispatched its Heroes and Hunters all over the world, and the world soon entered a stable state.

    It was then that the nightmare truly began.

    ¡®Gehenna.¡¯

    The most terrifying gate of them all appeared. Although it was only a single gate, its ripple effect was far greater than anything that had ever appeared before it.

    It appeared in the center of Korea, but its effects reached across the entire world. Moreover, the monsters that appeared from it were on apletely different level from any monsters before them.

    The survivors of all the Hell that hade thus far, the cities that had stood the test of apocalypse, were all crushed and killed by the monsters that emerged. Even the Hunters and Heroes that had only brought the horns of victory thus far died in the face of the monster tides.

    Desperate to block the neverending tides of monsters, they turned to the method they always relied on, the best way to stop it all.

    ¡®Closing the gate.¡¯

    Gehenna was a unique gate that spewed out monsters even though it hadn¡¯t undergone a gate break. So, the only option was to go inside and raid the boss.

    The world assumed that was the best way to end the situation at hand. It was arge-scale operation involving all of the named Heroes. Not only the Demon King, but also Zeus, who hadid the foundation for Eden, entered Gehenna.

    In the silence, in the destruction, people waited for many days. Finally, after a long time passed, they saw the signs.

    ¡®Gehenna had been closed.¡¯

    The day that Gehenna was closed and the raid waspleted, the cataclysm ended. However, that didn¡¯t mean the fight was over.

    The Heroes that had entered Gehenna all showed their true colors¡ªtheir ambition to dominate all of humanity. They wanted to build an organization that would rule over the through the incredible power they had obtained from Gehenna, while the Demon King fought against their ambition.

    The result of the battle was something Lee Jun-Kyeong already knew: the defeat of the Demon King. Eden was established, and the organization lived on, continuing to the era in which Lee Jun-Kyeong lived.

    That was what Lee Jun-Kyeong knew.

    Looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, Saeynkaed¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°As expected, from the one who had the power of the source¡­ Those who know that name are rare even amongst the Rulers¡­¡±

    Saeynkaed seemed genuinely surprised, and she nodded. ¡°At the end of the cataclysm is Gehenna. That is the end of the final chapter.¡±

    But then, did that mean that Gehenna was what brought destruction and devastation?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand.

    Gehenna was the beginning of Eden, so it definitely wasn¡¯t a herald of the apocalypse or anything like that.

    However, his thoughts shifted as Saeynkaed¡¯s ensuing question brought about a grave issue deep within Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Do you know what Gehenna is?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had no answer to that question.

    Even in history, even in the Book of the Demon King, there wasn¡¯t a single mention of what had happened within the Transcendental-grade Gate, Gehenna. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to guess what sorts of horrors lurked within Gehenna, but he didn¡¯t need to do so, as Saeynkaed seemed to know the answer.

    ¡°No, but you do. Tell me.¡±

    The apocalypse she referred to was different from what he had been expecting.

    ¡°Gehenna is another Anngr created directly by the Sponsors to take away the bodies of the Incarnations for themselves.¡±

    What she said was even worse than he had expected.

    ¡°The Incarnations that entered to close Gehenna either all died because they couldn¡¯t stand the power of the souls of their Sponsors¡­¡±

    Basically, it was a different form of the end of the world.

    All of the strongest Hunters would be annihted, no longer able to hunt the monsters escaping from Gehenna. The world would be trampled on by the monsters and perish, unable to do anything as the people watched everything crumble around them.

    But, even worse than that¡­

    ¡°Or their bodies were taken over by the Sponsors¡­¡±

    It was the ending that the absolute beings wanted. They were finally getting the bodies they so desperately desired.

    ¡°It signaled the birth of a world where the absolute beings would descend.¡±

    Just as Saeynkaed said, it was the true end of the apocalypse.

    It was only after this exnation that Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    His eyes shifted toward Zeus. He had been a Hero in the previous timeline who had entered Gehenna and returned alive as the founder of Eden.

    Zeus¡­

    ¡°A Sponsor¡­that was what you became.¡±

    ***

    It had served as the end of the cataclysm and the beginning of Eden.

    However, the Eden made after Gehenna wasn¡¯t actually founded by Zeus. Instead, it was founded by the Zeus who had been deprived of his body by his Sponsor.

    The Master of the Blue Current was the real master of Eden. The others in Eden wouldn¡¯t have been different. Everyone would have been empty shells stolen by their Sponsors.

    They were living nightmares.

    All of the suffering in the previous timeline was because of the Sponsors.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong staggered from the gravity of the unbelievable truth. It wasn¡¯t the Heroes that the Demon King fought, full of hubris, calling themselves gods. No, it was a battle against true gods, a battle to save mankind and save mankind from the resurrected nightmare.

    He was truly a Hero. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know what had happened to the current Demon King, but the Demon King in his other life was definitely a true Hero.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    There was something Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°We can assume that all of those who entered Gehenna and came out alive lost their bodies, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    The Demon King confronted the Sponsors. But if that was the case, then¡­ What the hell did it mean that he fought against them? Was he the Hero that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew him to be? Or was it all just a Sponsor fighting another Sponsor?

    Saeynkaed nodded as if to acknowledge it was a reasonable question.

    ¡°If they returned alive from Gehenna, their bodies were taken over. There was no other possible way to leave that space. In the first ce, the Incarnations received their power from the Sponsors. What I mean is, they are the ones who are encroaching on the Sponsors¡¯nds¡­no, they fell into a trap that was already waiting for them.¡±

    ¡°And, of course, they would have their bodies taken away in that case,¡± Zeus finished for her.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s only to be expected. If they couldn¡¯t ept the power of their Sponsor, they¡¯d either die¡­¡±

    ¡°Or be used as a Ruler like you.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, interrupting the conversation between the two.

    ¡°There has to have been an instance of one entering Gehenna and not being taken over by one¡¯s Sponsor, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Saeynkaed. ¡°Like the way you were freed from the bondage of the system. There must be some sort of simr way to avoid the Sponsors.¡±

    He was referring to an exceptional being. The others had been used in whatever way the Sponsors desired or had been forced to y the part of the immortal puppet Rulers.

    However, the Ruler in front of them, Saeynkaed, was different.

    During their battle, she had found a way out of the system¡¯s noose. That was what they were searching for¡ªthe method to escape the hands of the Sponsors.

    ¡°The powers of the source.¡±

    ¡°The powers of the source.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Saeynkaed looked at each other and spoke at the same time.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t quite sure of what it really was, he knew they needed that power.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. If one holds the powers of the source, it should be theoretically possible to not lose control of one¡¯s body even within Gehenna.¡±

    It was the reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that the Demon King didn¡¯t have his body stolen from him. He was sure that the Demon King was still a human being, not a Sponsor with grudges against other Sponsors.

    The powers of the source that Saeynkaed said Lee Jun-Kyeong had to have had was why Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that the Demon King was still the Demon King. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s strength came from that source, after all. If he had those powers, then the Demon King definitely had them as well.

    If that were the case, then the Demon King¡¯s body shouldn¡¯t have been stolen away within Gehenna. He had remained human and fought against the Sponsors as a Hero.

    ¡°You said that these ¡®powers of the source¡¯ weren¡¯t the Arms of Surtr.¡±

    ording to Saeynkaed, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s Authority of Fire was not what she was talking about.

    But if that was the case, then what did he and the Demon King have inmon?

    Whatever it was, it had to be the powers of the source.

    ¡°Our dimension was special,¡± Saeynkaed said, finally moving on to talking about the powers of the source.

    ***

    It was a world where humans and the other races coexisted.

    In Saeynkaed¡¯s world, there existed beings that were referred to as monsters, beings that were like the human race that Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus belonged to.

    Races like elves, or the race that Saeynkaed belonged to.

    ¡°Our original name was the Draconians.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know much about other dimensions, so he listened to Saeynkaed¡¯s story with interest.

    It was the first time he heard about the Draconians and the origins of the dragons¡ªthe so-called strongest race.

    ¡°Thanks to our incredibly sturdy bodies, we were able to escape the genocide wrought on by the humans in our dimension. However, to be honest, it¡¯s a little much to call it an escape. The only option we really had was to hide in the depths of the earth and avoid the gazes of the humans.¡±

    ¡®To think that the dragons had such a history¡­¡¯ Zeus now also looked at Saeynkaed with interest.

    ¡°Centuries passed in that manner, and we were forced to go deeper and deeper underground to escape the pursuit of humans.¡±

    Anger flickered on her face. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if she had also been through that tragedy.

    No, she couldn¡¯t have. She had been a dragon from birth.

    The anger she was expressing right now was the innate rage from her race, an indelible grudge engraved deep within her bones.

    ¡°One day, one of our ancestors who had gone underground and lived through that bereft life¡­found it.¡± Saeynkaed''s eyes shone.¡±

    ¡°It?¡±

    ¡°The ancestors said that it was, at the same time, fire, water, and forest.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say.

    Saeynkaed looked at the two and smiled. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make sense, but that was the only way they described it. We also didn¡¯t know what they meant. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that their words were lies.¡±

    Saeynkaed''s eyes widened.

    ¡°After our ancestors discovered it, our race waspletely transformed. Our race, which hadn¡¯t been able to use mana, whose only benefit was a sturdy body¡­¡±

    ¡°You became the Lords of Magic. You became the dragons.¡±

    If that was the case, then what her ancestors had discovered hadpletely transformed their race.

    ¡°It was the powers of the source. I didn¡¯t know it then. However, after I became a Ruler and sifted for information for eons, what I discovered was that the object my ancestors had found was a fragment of the powers of the source.¡±

    That power had created a race that could be called the strongest.

    ¡°However, it eventually turned out to be a disaster.¡±

    ¡°The Sponsors were seeking the powers of the source¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly. They discovered the fragment in our dimension and saw potential in us.¡±

    A n must have been devised to take over the dragons¡¯ bodies, and they must have begun their invasion. Creating more incarnations like they did to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus, starting the sponsorship process.

    In the process, amid the overflowing tide of monsters, the dimension would have been driven to destruction.

    ¡°They still must have failed.¡±

    Saeynkaed was the strongest dragon, and she had still been relegated to bing a Ruler.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. However, it wasn¡¯t because of the powers of the source. The powers of the source that we had obtained had really only been a small piece of a fragment. So small that all of the powers of the source disappeared in the process of turning the Draconians into dragons.¡±

    Saeynkaed lowered her head as if she was thinking back to her dimension for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s not the important part. Either way, although the powers of the source disappeared back then, the influence of that power and the memories of my ancestors still remain within me.¡±

    Saeynkaed looked directly at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The powers you exhibited, I saw it within those mes.¡±

    Because she had been influenced by the powers of the source, Saeynkaed was sure of what she had seen and what she had felt inside her.

    That connection was the reason she had been able to escape the bondage of the system. Within the powers that Lee Jun-Kyeong had shown that held a glimpse of extremity, she had found what they all had been searching for.

    ¡°You have that power. A greater power than our ancestors discovered.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that this information had the potential to bring things to a true end, so he was cautious with his next question. ¡°If, by chance¡­the powers of the source that you speak about¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stared at the sky outside the window for a moment.

    ¡°Is there a possibility that I could have gotten it from sponsorship?¡±

 Chapter 234. To Advance

    Chapter 234. To Advance

    ¡®Is it possible to receive the powers of the source from a Sponsor? No, that¡¯s impossible.¡¯

    Saeynkaed¡¯s voice rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head. She was definitely right.

    ¡®If a Sponsor had gained the powers of the source, everything would have already be and of their own. If Saeynkaed was right, the powers of the source are what they want most, and the powers of the source are the very foundation that would allow them to achieve anything they wanted.¡¯

    However, what would happen if the one who had these powers were hostile to the other Sponsors? What would happen if they were dissatisfied with how the other Sponsors acted?

    No.

    ¡®What if a Sponsor who pitied us was the one to obtain that power?¡¯

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that wouldn¡¯t have been the answer. If it had been, then everything would have been much simpler. If such a Sponsor really did exist, one who had gained the powers of the source, then it would have already put an end to everything.

    Although many questions had been resolved by their conversation with Saeynkaed, more questions still remained.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving soon,¡± Zeus said to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    They were heading to Seoul again.

    They had taken the normal humans to Japan, and gathered all of the remaining resources they could with the Hunters. Additionally, as all of the Rulers had been defeated, they were also actively searching the North American continent for traces of survivors as well.

    As everything had stabilized by this point, the group had set off once more, heading back to Seoul.

    ¡°Will everything bepleted once the Round Tablepletes its mission?¡± asked Zeus.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°I know what your question is,¡± Zeus said again..

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had remained silent since leaving the United States, and Zeus knew that the Hunter had many questions.

    ¡°Your Sponsor definitely is special. Your Sponsor is, well, a being that is impossible to understand even after hearing Saeynkaed¡¯s exnation¡­¡±

    Zeus continued, making the motions of staring off into the sky, looking for something, ¡°It really is the Sky of the Apocalypse.¡±

    During the conversation with Saeynkaed, Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked about his Sponsor.

    Saeynkaed was a Ruler with a greater level of intelligence than they ever could have expected.

    Was it because she was of a race that had inherited the powers of the source?

    Although she had lived as a Ruler for countless eons, she had always dreamed of freedom. Even while her mind had been taken over and her body their puppet, she had made every attempt to get information somehow.

    Thus, she knew the names of countless Sponsors, and that was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked about the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time hearing a name like that.¡±

    Her response was disappointing. Saeynkaed had exined that she knew about the Sponsors of Zeus, Athena, and even Jeong In-Chang. However, she knew nothing about Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s.

    That was why he felt so strange.

    ¡°It might just be that I don¡¯t know myself. While there has never been a case where a Sponsor has been able to obtain a body for itself, I have heard of one or two cases of the opposite happening.¡±

    As a dimension was attacked and the beings within received sponsorship, a select few among them became strong enough to be called the strongest in their dimension.

    Once that happened, it was almost guaranteed that one would undergo the final test where one¡¯s body would be stripped away from them to be used as the flesh for a Sponsor. However, there were rare cases where this didn¡¯t happen.

    Some of the Hunters would realize something after gaining strength through sponsorship. There was also the case where someone would be an absolute being through the use of a special item or another.

    Then there was a third method.

    ¡®One can inherit Sponsor¡¯s position because the Sponsor wishes to pass it on.¡¯

    That was most likely what Elfame had been aiming for¡ªto make contact with a Sponsor and be one himself.

    However, Saeynkaed had said that there had only been a few such cases throughout the eons. Even if someone were to be an absolute being in one way or another, that being wouldn¡¯t be much different from the other Sponsors.

    ¡°In order to create the system, the Sponsors linked together their thoughts and consciousnesses. The system isn¡¯t just a simple tool meant for control.¡±

    Their purpose and their desire was toe back to existence and rule over everything.

    In order to make sure that didn¡¯t disappear, in order to keep each other ountable and not give up, they were linked together.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally opened his mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡±

    However, Zeus just smiled at him as if to ask why he was worrying so much. ¡°Just think about the simple things.¡±

    He was right.

    ¡°Whatever the truth is and whatever it is that we have to know doesn¡¯t actually matter. For us, the main thing that matters is that those who had taken over Seoul, the Demon King and hispanions, are dangerous.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Those bastards have already crossed the line. I¡¯m only asking because I have to, but if those bastards have some sort of grand goal, do you think you would stand on their side?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had respected the Demon King and saw him as his idol. But, he had already crossed the line.

    He had sunk the ind of Ennd and killed some of its strongest Hunters. As a result, many people who should have survived this era had died.

    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to state that half of the world had been destroyed because of the Demon King.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that he was the root of nearly all of the destruction in this current cataclysm.

    ¡®...if he has memories of the future like I do¡­¡¯

    He theorized that the Demon King was causing so much chaos because he wanted to cause a ripple effect. But it wasn¡¯t easy for Lee Jun-Kyeong to imagine.

    How could a Hero who had wanted to save Humanity against the Sponsors make such a choice?

    ¡®A great purpose¡­¡¯

    As Zeus had said, if the Demon King had some sort of grand goal in effect, would he¡­ Lee Jun-Kyeong was torn on what he should do. If he could understand the goal and agreed with it, was he supposed to follow him and leave behind all the sacrifices, deaths, and pain he had caused?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    "You''re right,¡± he said. ¡°They are an evil that must be dealt with.¡±

    That was the conclusion he hade to. As for the other issues, he would take it step by step.

    Yes, it was fine to do things like this.

    ***

    Jormungandr had be evenrger, especially because of what he had done so far.

    The snake spoke in a booming voice.

    ¨CI am absorbing the surrounding gates.

    Even if Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t connect the gates himself, the snake was finding and devouring nearby gates on its own.

    He had be a huge passage¡ªno, it could now be said to have be a gate of its own. The snake grew as he continued to consume gates, and those effects had even spread over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡ªAhem.

    Jormungandr responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thanks awkwardly, as if it was embarrassed. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to speak to it some more, before he knew it, the gate leading to the outside was shining before them.

    Zzt.

    He looked back.

    There were Zeus, Athena, Hercules, and Odysseus. Then there was Liu Bei, his two brothers, and the giants. Of course there was Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, Hyeon-Mu and Hel. In fact, even Saeynkaed quietly followed alongside the North American Heroes who were strong enough to be useful.

    ¡®They¡¯re quite dependable.¡¯

    They were all walking forward while looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    By this point, Merlin should have arrived as well.

    Now, the preparations really wereing to an end.

    ¡®Advance to Seoul.¡¯

    It was time for a face-to-face with the Demon King.

    Zzzt.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong passed through the gate first, after which everyone else exited in turn.

    A bright light obscured his vision, and what followed were loud noises in several differentnguages.

    He slowly removed his hand that was covering his eyes.

    He was in Gyeonggi-do, and this was the route to Seoul.

    ¡°Come,e.¡±

    Before him, he saw Horus, his entire body still wrapped in bandages.

    ¡°Dear brother.¡±

    The glow in Horus¡¯s eyes that peered through the bandages was still enough to signify his growth.

    Next to him stood Isis, his mother, who appeared to havee directly from Egypt.

    Alongside them were Thoth and Sekhmet, who were the heads of the Hermopolis and Heliopolis branches.

    Beyond them were even more wee faces.

    ¡°Lord Underdog!¡±

    ¡°Lord Underdog!¡±

    There was Inebu and Numek.

    Even Bastet looked at him with a bright expression.

    ¡°It looks like everyone is safe.¡±

    Egypt seemed unscathed by the cataclysm, more so than expected, by the looks of those who had traveled from the country.

    Augh came out, after which Merlin, Arthur, and the surviving Knights of the Round Table emerged.

    They had returned after sessfullypleting their mission.

    ¡°We¡¯rete because of that thing,¡± said a beautiful woman, Merlin, as she stepped forward.

    Her expression was filled withughter that stemmed from deep inside. She pointed toward the gate through which Lee Jun-Kyeong and his group were exiting.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know something like that even existed.¡±

    She was referring to the belly of Jormungandr.

    ¡°Because of it, the gate wouldn¡¯t open whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°As expected, you didn¡¯t know it either. The gates that I can open are limited, and the one that I opened when I sent you all on your respective journeys was the key gate.¡±

    That path was one that she had paved in advance. However, that very gate had been opened up and fed to Jormungandr by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    "Ah¡­!¡±

    ¡°That huge creature¡­ What did you call it? Jormungandr? Is it a he or a she¡­ Anyway, it wouldn¡¯t allow me to open the gate at all. So, I tried to bypass it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°He ate all the gates in the surrounding area, too, didn¡¯t he¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly. It took us quite a while to circle around.¡±

    A deep look of fatigue marred her face as she spoke and shrugged. However, her expression was also full of yfulness. Whatever had happened, the result was good.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head in embarrassment.

    ¡°Wee back,¡± he said to everyone.

    ***

    The Middle East region is finding stability,¡± Horus said.

    He was the King of the Nile, which was the secret organization and hidden ruler of Egypt.

    In the previous timeline, it had been unable to ovee the cataclysm and had to go into hiding after suffering near-catastrophic damage, but things were different in this timeline.

    Rather, they had actually spread their wings. Due to the awakening of Horus, they had gained a reliablemander.

    ¡°All of the Rulers of Egypt have been ughtered.¡±

    They had been able to achieve a great victory.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought that they wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive the cataclysm due to Set¡¯s betrayal and the resulting carnage and destruction.

    Hemented, ¡°Everyone seems to have be much stronger.¡±

    Just as he said, the Nile¡¯s power itself had increased dramatically. They stabilized Egypt and immediately went on an expedition to stabilize the surrounding areas as Horus personally participated in all of the battles.

    ¡°I tore the Rulers to death with my own hands. Although it had been a bit disconcerting to see that the Ruler I had killed first came back to life while on an expedition...¡± Horus¡¯ eyes turned to Isis. ¡°My mother came forward herself.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Isis. She had been a despondent empress who had lost her husband.

    However, she had always seemed more of a warrior than an empress.

    In the midst of her grief, she had been able to regain her son, who eventually became an outstanding warrior. It was the same for her as well. Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the magnificent power sleeping within her.

    In any case, as Horus had said, the Middle East region was on the path to stability thanks to the Nile''s activities.

    ¡°How many survivors?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was referring to the ordinary humans.

    ¡°Although there are more than a few of them¡­ It¡¯s still not a lot. Most of those who survived were those who were already under the protection of the Nile. Everything unfolds in the meaning of Ra¡­¡± Horus said with a reverential attitude.

    The situation was much better than expected.

    ¡°However, it seems you didn¡¯t decide to bring the Hunters and Heroes from the Middle East to this battle,¡± the leader of the Nilemented.

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    He didn¡¯t think they would be of much help.

    He exined, ¡°We have to protect the survivors. Yes, the cataclysm ising to an end. But that doesn¡¯t mean all of the danger has disappeared.¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    Of those who stood alongside them, the weakest among them was still a Hero. Those who had gathered here were the greatest Hunters in the world, strong enough to hold the entire in their fists.

    Every one of them could feel that the cataclysm wasing to an end. They could feel the change in mana around them because those changes were affecting them, making them more powerful.

    ¡°We¡¯re bing stronger,¡± Horus said worriedly.

    ¡°Even without any further sponsorship, all of us are growing stronger. Even you and I.¡±

    This increase in strength might be seen as a good thing from one point of view in this situation, but they all understood that there was no change without any reason. The fact that they were all getting stronger could only mean that something else wasing.

    ¡°By chance¡­¡± Horus began to ask worriedly. ¡°Is another cataclysm going to ur?¡±

    The Underdog had first warned them of the cataclysm. Thus, Horus asked because he felt as though Lee Jun-Kyeong might also know what would happen next.

    ¡°There will be no more cataclysms.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer was something that the others had desperately wished for more than anything else, and the other Hunters all sighed in relief. Horus, in particr, looked as if he was truly relieved by it all.

    ¡°However, one final hurdle remains before us. It will bepletely different from what we had seen before, and the very survival of this world as we know it will depend on it.¡±

    ¡°More than a cataclysm¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, dear brother.¡±

    Horus asked calmly, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s response was simple.

    ¡°Gehenna,¡± he said gravely. ¡°It is thest gate and¡­a ce that you can never enter.¡±

 Chapter 235. To Advance Pt. 2

    Chapter 235. To Advance Pt. 2

    The truth that Saeynkaed had told them was about Gehenna.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was going to tell everyone gathered here what he had learned as they all needed to know this. He looked over at his audience: Ungnyeo, Fenrir, Sangun, and even¡­Heimdall¡­

    Barring those four, everyone who had any rtion to him stood before him. All of the Hunters that were necessary for the uing battle were here. If they were to join the battle and put their lives on the line, they all deserved to know. That was true regardless of whether or not it was easy for them to ept.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel everyone staring at him. Zeus¡¯s eyes were the most piercing as he had heard the tale of Saeynkaed as well. At first, he had tried to dissuade Lee Jun-Kyeong, arguing that he wasn¡¯t sure if these Hunters, these Heroes, could truly ept this truth right before the great battle.

    Moreover, even if they could ept it, there was no way to predict how any of them would respond. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had to tell them all because of that very reason.

    After all, they would eventually discover the truth behind the existence of Gehenna or the purpose of the Sponsors.

    He stated, ¡°They¡¯re here to steal your bodies. At the end of the cataclysm lies the final gate, Gehenna. That gate is an inescapable trap from where their ambitions wille to life.¡±

    ***

    Whether it was when he had spoken to Saeynkaed or even at this very moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong had refused to hide from the gazes of the Sponsors. He remembered that someone had once said that the Sponsors were all the same.

    ¡®They¡¯re all terrible voyeurs.¡¯

    It was something that the other Hunters would often forget once their rate of sponsorship slowed down.

    The gazes of the Sponsors were always upon their incarnations. Moreover, that was why they would improve the bodies of their Incarnations whenever the Hunters would do something or achieve something satisfactory.

    Basically, the Sponsors were most definitely looking down upon them.

    Although there may have only been two Sponsors when Lee Jun-Kyeong and Zeus had been speaking with Saeynkaed, it was an entirely different situation now. There were at least thirty different Sponsors watching them.

    Despite that, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t stop talking.

    ¡°In the end, if you enter Gehenna, it¡¯s a given that your Sponsors will take away your bodies.¡±

    Havinge this far and grown this much, Lee Jun-Kyeong now had the power to hide them all from the gazes of the Sponsors. As long as hepletely drained this small space of all the mana in the vicinity, he was sure that the Sponsors wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through. After all, the method that the Sponsors used to examine them was through mana itself.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°However¡­isn¡¯t it possible for us to just die without our bodies being taken away?¡± asked Thoth, who had kept stoically silent throughout the entire time Lee Jun-Kyeong had spoken.

    None of them knew that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade from a different era, the future. It was a fact that few people knew. Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no intention of exposing that.

    ¡°No matter what happens, the end is the same. An apocalypse, and the final end of it all."

    ¡°...¡±

    The entire room went silent. It wasn¡¯t an easy topic for them all to suddenly believe.

    ¡°Is there any way you can prove it?¡± Arthur asked.

    Creaaak.

    As soon as he spoke with a heavy expression on his face, the door opened as if someone had been waiting for this very moment. A beautiful woman with long red hair walked through. She hade all this way with Lee Jun-Kyeong from the United States.

    Although none of the gathered Heroes said it aloud, they all could feel it.

    ¡°So it¡¯s her¡­¡±

    ¡°The Ruler¡­¡±

    She was the most terrifying of monsters that they had fought up to now, and the power of the Rulers exuded from deep within her.

    The gathered Hunters had heard rumors that she had told Lee Jun-Kyeong everything. Now, she was here.

    ¡°Everything is up to you all. You have the right to choose what to do next.¡±

    What decisions they would make now and how they would act from this point on was dependent on them.

    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous of a task,¡± the witch, Merlin, said.

    ¡°Even at this very moment, the Sponsors are watching us. What I mean by that is that, as Lord Underdog has said, they are listening to and watching every move we make.¡±

    The n of the Sponsors had been created over eons, but now that sess was right before their grasp, Lee Jun-Kyeong was trying to ruin it all.

    [... is watching you.]

    [... is watching you.]

    [... is watching you.]

    [... is watching you.]

    [... is watching you.]

    [...]

    Right as Merlin finished speaking, notifications endlessly came in a terrifying manner. It was so fast that it was impossible for them to verify which Sponsors they were. They spread out to everyone gathered.

    The faces of the Hunters all furrowed, paling with the realization.

    Even those who had wanted to insist that Lee Jun-Kyeong prove it came to the same realization.

    ¡®This is for real.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Underdog, had been telling the truth. The undivided attention of all of the Sponsors of the Hunters gathered was all there. The Sponsors were very interested in their meeting, and that fact alone was enough proof.

    Silence ufortably descended on the room as they all were shocked and quiet for quite some time.

    Finally, it was Horus who spoke next. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    The man who called Lee Jun-Kyeong a dear brother spoke up as his eyes were filled with betrayal, anger, and unmistakable chaos as a conflicting deluge of emotions poured over him.

    ¡°Our Lord, the Desert¡¯s Sun¡­¡± The words were branded into his mind as Horus turned around and continued, ¡°The Lord would never use us like that¡­¡±

    He had ascended to the throne at a young age. Throughout his entire life, he had been a devout believer in the Desert¡¯s Sun. It was impossible for him to reconcile such conflict against his faith.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected as much. Horus stormed out of the room. Everyone gathered their thoughts in silence as Lee Jun-Kyeong lowered his head.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°You always make sure to leave behind a massive wave every time youe back,¡± someone said. His tone was a bit mocking, but his expression was extremely expressionless.

    Regardless of whatever happened, regardless of whatever truth he would learn, the speaker was always the same.

    ¡°You really always stay the same, don¡¯t you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongmented.

    ¡°Tsk. If you¡¯re going to speak nonsense, stop wasting my time.¡±

    ¡°The reason he¡¯s talking like that is because he¡¯s a little shy, Junnie,¡± Park Yu-Jin said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood before a brother and sister duo. They were both seemingly around the age of a middle-schooler as they worked hard before a forge.

    The two in front of him were nothing if not consistent. No matter what mission he had been on, no matter whether or not he had returned, the two were always handling mes as they forged weapons out of their bare hands.

    ¡°You both really are heavenly cksmiths,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said offhandedly, apliment that he had never voiced aloud before.

    ¡°W¡­what?¡±

    ¡°W¡­what¡­!¡±

    From their embarrassed appearances to even their speech and mannerisms, the both of them were almost indistinguishable.

    ¡°I¡¯m just teasing.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin¡¯s noses both furrowed, but the two rxed their expressions soon after.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun clicked his tongue as he gestured toward Park Yu-Jin. The girl smiled inexplicably and headed over somewhere.

    ¡°Have you prepared some kind of great gift?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

    ¡°Just wait quietly,¡± Park Jae-Hyun simply said as he continued what he was doing.

    Time passed as Lee Jun-Kyeong sat quietly and watched Park Jae-Hyun handling the fire.

    It was always amazing for him to watch someone focus so much on one thing and put all of their effort into it.

    Flicker!

    At that time, the me that Park Jae-Hyun was handling began to burn with a deeper color, and the cksmith floundered for a moment.

    He plunged his weapon into the zing fire, which had now turned a stark white as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Is this your doing?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t answer.

    However, Park Jae-Hyun smiled in turn.

    ¡°As expected, I keep telling her that you never disappoint me.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had now fully be one with the Authority Reign of Fire. He was now the true Ruler of fire. He couldmand mes to change their appearance and was able to utilize all of their traits fully.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and stretched out his hand again.

    "This¡­!¡±

    Even Park Jae-Hyun looks surprised by what happened next.

    Although the mes continued to burn as brightly as they had been, the heat they gave off changed drastically.

    ¡°Is this mana¡­?¡±

    Even the mes held within his grasp had alsopletely changed. What Lee Jun-Kyeong could do now was exactly what Park Jae-Hyun had been looking for.

    ¡°If it¡¯s this, it¡¯s more than enough!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out if you just wait!¡± Park Jae-Hyun shouted boisterously

    Park Yu-Jin approached as she called out, ¡°Oppa.¡±

    There was something in her hand. It was an object that resembled an ungainly, thin wooden staff. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew exactly what it was from a single nce.

    ¡°Mistilteinn¡­¡±

    It had used to be the massive wooden pir that Elfame had shot like an arrow. Now, it had be almost paltry, easily held in the palm of Park Yu-Jin¡¯s hand. However, the only thing that had be paltry about it was its appearance.

    ¡°As expected, you recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to speak under the intensity of his bewilderment.

    The Mistilteinn that he had given them could have just been said to be a massive wooden trunk that contained tremendous mana.

    However, the fact remained that it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary tree trunk, but a manifestation of Elfame¡¯s kingdom. The trunk had been a branch of Alfheimr¡¯s World Tree, and the mana it contained beliedmon sense, so Lee Jun-Kyeong had handed it over with high expectations.

    However, what he saw in front of him was ridiculous.

    ¡°It¡¯s even better than I expected.¡±

    It hadpletely changed, so much so that it was difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to figure out the nature of its new form. Although he could at least recognize how much mana it now had, even that was ridiculous beyond belief.

    ¡®It¡¯s at least three times more than before¡­¡¯

    Mistilteinn had already possessed a monstrous amount of mana before, but it was now spewing out at least three times that.

    But what about its characteristics? At a minimum, it seemed as though it would never break. It still had the shape of a tree trunk, but at this point, it wasn¡¯t something that could be called a tree, either.

    ¡°It was a surprise for us, too. Its current form is its original one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s original form?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although we didn¡¯t even realize it at first¡­¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun wrung both wrists and stretched his neck as if he were dumbfounded.

    ¡°It was talking to Yu-Jin and me.¡±

    ¡°Talking to you? Are you saying it has an ego?¡±

    Ego was a term that referred to weapons with sentience. Weapons of this category were difficult to use because of that, but they had extraordinary abilities to match. However, the response was different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong had expected.

    ¡°Not exactly?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    The two shook their heads as if to tell him to stop guessing randomly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it has an ego. The memories of its original form were reaching out to us.¡±

    ¡°The World Tree?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as he listened to those seemingly iprehensible words.

    ¡°Either way, although it may havepletely disappeared by now, we processed it the way that it told us to. After we engraved it with the magic circles, it¡­¡±

    ¡°Changed into that form?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. However, there is a bit of a problem.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun stretched out a hand and made a gesture as if he was beckoning for something.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to have realized something as he began searching through his inventory, pulling out countless things from the subspace.

    Swords, spears, shields¡ªeverything from ores to something that even appeared to be a corpse.

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! What the hell are you doing?¡± Park Jae-Hyun shouted at him.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you asking for something in return? I know it may look useless, but these things are stuff I took from the Rulers¡­ That over there is the right arm of the Stone Giant¡­ While it¡¯s my first time seeing those ores, too. And¡­¡±

    ¡°Who the hell asked for stuff like that?!¡± Park Jae-Hyun yelled as he waved his hands.

    sh!

    However, even as the smith wasining, with a sh, all of the stuff Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken out disappeared so quickly that Lee Jun-Kyeong had almost missed them.

    ¡°Ahem. Well, I mean, if you¡¯re offering, it would be rude for us not to ept them.¡±

    As he made a feeble excuse, Park Jae-Hyun handed over what he had gathered to Park Yu-Jin.

    ¡°Hand over Muspel¡¯s Spear.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Only then did Lee Jun-Kyeong realize what Park Jae-Hyun wanted, so he handed over Muspel¡¯s Spear to the smith. Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin both inspected the spear as if they were filled with interest.

    ¡°As expected¡­¡±

    ¡°It really can¡¯t anymore, can it?¡±

    The two muttered among themselves while leaving Lee Jun-Kyeong off to the side. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood quietly, unbothered, as he waited for them to say something.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown quite a bit since thest time I saw you. Is it because of that sexy nuna you brought over?¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun was clearly referring to Saeynkaed.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. In any case, it seemed as though Muspel¡¯s Spear has reached its end.¡±

    "I beg your pardon?"

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be able to evolve any further. No, to be frank, at this point, it can¡¯t even properly contain the strength you have anymore. Although it¡¯s true that this little brat grew all this way with you¡­¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun looked over at Muspel¡¯s Spear with misty eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for it to keep up with you any longer.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face hardened. It was true, he had noticed it, too. Muspel¡¯s Spear couldn¡¯t handle his strength any longer.

    It was the first weapon that Park Jae-Hyun had made for him and had been a growth-type weapon that hade all this way. However, it was still incontestable that it was an iplete weapon.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had asked himself, even if he were to be given another weapon, could he even ept it?

    As he wrapped himself with guilt and confusion, a voice he had never heard before rang in his ears.

    ¨CIt¡¯s okay.

 Chapter 236. To Advance Pt. 3

    Chapter 236. To Advance Pt. 3

    It was a strange experience.

    ng!

    As the sound of the hammer rang clear through the air, it felt as though a soundless, white sheen was cascading over his head. All of the noise thatplicated his mind was disappearing.

    ¡®It¡¯s not bad, is it?¡¯

    The light in Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s eyes as the smith looked at him seemed to be asking him that question.

    ng!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in return.

    The sound of Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s hammer continued to ring, mming down on an anvil. However, it was the first time Lee Jun-Kyeong had experienced something like this, as he was the one swinging it at this time.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing good.¡±

    Under Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s instructions and his purview, Lee Jun-Kyeong was smithing something with his own hands. In front of himy Muspel¡¯s Spear and Mistilteinn.

    Normally, the reason why a cksmith would forge something, hammering it into being, was to shape it and strengthen it. However, this was different.

    ng!

    Sssss.

    As he swung his hammer, something flowed forth from Lee Jun-Kyeong and entered into the materials. Park Jae-Hyun had a name for what was happening at this very moment.

    ¡®This is called the sharing of the souls.¡¯

    It was a process in which one would share their soul with the weapons they were forging with their own two hands.

    What they had before them was the purest essence that the two siblings, the greatest cksmiths, Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin, had wanted to create. Moreover, the only person who could act as their tool to do so currently was Lee Jun-Kyeong himself.

    ng!

    The sound of the hammer rang once more as the worries that bothered Lee Jun-Kyeong disappeared. However, before he knew it, they began toe back to him once again.

    Sssss.

    But this time, things were different from before. If his various thoughts and worries could have been said to be as disorderly as a chaotic road before he had started hammering, now, they were all rising one by one in an orderly manner.

    ¡®We¡¯ve reached the end.¡¯

    What flickered through his mind were the trials he had gone through so far, the days of suffering in the previous timeline, and how he had found himself returned to the past.

    ¡®A lot really has happened, hasn''t it?¡¯

    He had also moved ording to the history that had been written by the Demon King. However, though he may have walked along the same path, his actions were different.

    Finally, most importantly, the Demon King was all that remained. Although he had been the Hero that Lee Jun-Kyeong had loved and admired the most, now, just like a prince from within a fairy tale, all that awaited him was the final battle against the Demon King.

    ng!

    Goosebumps appeared all over his forearms alongside the sound of the hammer. He was scared just thinking about it. However, just as much as he felt fear¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡¯

    It was a feeling impossible to describe. The Demon King was the main culprit that had caused all of these disasters, damage, and carnage. Even though he had been a Hero that Lee Jun-Kyeong had looked up to and wanted to emte in the past, all Lee Jun-Kyeong could think about now was anticipating meeting him as a viin.

    Still, there was one thing he hadn¡¯t done. Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t seen him yet with his own two eyes.

    ¡®I¡¯ve still never met him, not even once.¡¯

    Zeus, Merlin, and Odin had all met him, but Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t. Still, he would meet him soon.

    ng!

    With the next swing of his hammer, another thought arose in his mind.

    ¡®The Sponsors¡­¡¯

    They had a horrifying purpose, and their actions and behavior betrayed their view of humanity as livestock. On top of it all, humanity had no choice in the matter as they were forced to allow themselves to be taken advantage of by the Sponsors.

    All of his worries and countless thoughts came and went through his mind as he continued to hammer away to try to find the answer.

    ng!

    However, thest one that came to his mind was the most difficult for him to reconcile.

    ng!

    He was quite confused about this.

    ¡®The Sky of the Apocalypse¡­¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t quite figure out the identity of that bastard. Hearing the story from Saeynkaed, Lee Jun-Kyeong was convinced that all that the dragon had said was true from what he had noticed from the behavior of the Sponsors.

    However, even so, the Sky of the Apocalypse couldn¡¯t be easily judged.

    ¡®It¡¯s different from the other Sponsors. After all, the abilities of this bastard, who was the one who sent me into the past, are uniquepared to the others.¡¯

    It was to the point that it was overwhelming. Moreover, that was the exact reason why he was so scared.

    The Sky of the Apocalypse was different. It had sent him to the past and watched over every single thing that he had aplished.

    ¡®This bastard, unlike the other Sponsors, it¡­¡¯

    It even seemed as though it didn¡¯t even covet his body.

    ng!

    When the sound of the hammer rang again, suddenly, Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin froze.

    Ding!

    ¡°...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned, thinking that the work had finished, and so he looked at them, hammer in hand. However, the stiff faces of the two cksmiths were enough to show him that something was wrong.

    ¡°...¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s mouth opened slowly as Park Yu-Jin was already beginning to speak.

    ¡°Right now¡­¡±

    ¡°We just received a mission.¡±

    They opened their mouths and spoke at the same time. It was a mission that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t received.

    ¡°The Sponsors¡­¡±

    ¡°They want us to kill you.¡±

    As they finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong put down the hammer he was holding.

    ***

    There was a system avable to the Sponsors called Missions.

    Missions generally didn¡¯t appear very often. Even though most people didn¡¯t care about them, there wasn¡¯t a single Hunter who didn¡¯t at least know what they were.

    The reason was simple. A mission was like a lottery, so to speak.

    The missions were rare beyond belief, but if onepleted one sessfully, a disgusting amount of sponsorship would be given. However, what the Hunters most wanted through sponsorship wasn¡¯t an increase in skill or ability.

    No, what they really wanted were items. There were only very few cases where Sponsors would sponsor Hunters with items. In most of those rare cases, they were only given in the name of missions.

    A sponsored item had an incredible performance that was iparable to that of any ordinary item. They were items that could raise their user¡¯s abilities by two or more tiers, making it nearly impossible to quantify the value of these sponsored items. That was the reason why they were so impossible to find.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong now finally understood the purpose of these missions.

    ¡®The missions are directives.¡¯

    Now that he had fully understood the purpose of the Sponsors, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t have figured out the meaning behind the mission before him and the missions as a whole. This was a system for the Sponsors to move their Incarnations in their desired directions.

    ¡®Instead of the sponsorship, which can¡¯t be done carelessly¡­¡¯

    This was a way for them to strengthen the bodies of their Incarnations, even if it meant that the Sponsors would have to push themselves a little more.

    The Sponsors wanted their Incarnations to be strong. However, ording to Saeynkaed, the Sponsors couldn¡¯t just relentlessly provide their Incarnations with endless sponsorship. The bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it.

    Since sponsored items didn¡¯t directly affect the bodies of the Incarnations, they were an attractive alternative that could also stably strengthen the Incarnations without destroying them. Notably, with such incredible power, they also had the side effects to match.

    ¡®If they obtain items, the growth of the Incarnations will slow down.¡¯

    In essence, sponsored items were still objects that weren¡¯t directly rted to the body¡¯s ability. In particr, it was already a widely known fact that a Hunter''s growth would stagnate if they became dependent on items.

    Swayed by the powerful force within their grasp, they were apt to die even more easilypared to when they hadn¡¯t received the item, as they would be more prone to overexertion due to overconfidence in their abilities. Moreover, there was another thing as well.

    ¡®There¡¯s a chance, most likely, that a sponsorship item also taps into the potential of the Incarnation itself.¡¯

    Thus, a sponsored item would slow the growth of the body of the Incarnation, too. All things considered, sponsored items weren¡¯t a perfect system.

    ¡°It¡¯s guaranteed to be a sponsored item?!¡±

    ¡°Has there ever been a mission like this?¡±

    Nevertheless, at this very moment, one of those imperfect missions that could provide such incredible sponsored items hade before all of the Hunters.

    The Hunters were in an uproar as the mission that had appeared before almost every single Hunter in the world was something they had never seen before.

    [Bring Justice Against Those Who Would Disturb Order.]

    The person who disturbed the order was specified clearly.

    [Kill Lee Jun-Kyeong.]

    His name was clear for all to see, even changed to depict ¡®The Underdog¡¯ for those who hadn¡¯t yet learned Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s name.

    A buzz rose around the world.

    They were in the midst of a period of cataclysm, and now that everything around them was dangerous, sponsored items were a massive source of temptation for the Hunters.

    Thud.

    So much so that many eyes were suddenly cast toward Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s footsteps.

    "This¡­ .¡±

    ¡°Whew...¡±

    Everyone was looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, each with gazes filled with their own thoughts and desires. However, not a single one of them moved carelessly, as everyone gathered here could tell how strong Lee Jun-Kyeong was.

    All of them knew that not a single one of them had the skills to take him down. Moreover, there were also those who had followed and admired him.

    ¡°You crazy bastards! Watch what happens if a single one of you takes a step out of line.¡±

    ¡°Protect the Underdog!¡±

    They came forward, wanting to protect Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong bit his lip, sensing the manner in which everyone had their own reactions from every direction. The Mission pushed forward by the Sponsors wasn¡¯t good for them in any way.

    It wasn¡¯t that he thought that anyone would suddenly attack him without any thought¡ªif any of them were that stupid, then they would have already died by this point in the cataclysm. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that there wasn¡¯t a problem.

    ¡®We¡¯re going to be divided.¡¯

    In order to act against the Demon King, they were nning on advancing on Seoul now. However, the sudden mission created a chaotic atmosphere among the Hunters.

    Moreover, only those inmand actually knew the purpose of the Sponsors; the Hunters, who weren¡¯t part of the upper echelon, had no idea of anything regarding the details.

    ¡°But still, considering that this type of mission hase up¡­¡±

    ¡°Something is definitely wrong, right?¡±

    ¡°I mean, think about it. How could a human be that strong?¡±

    The Hunters began to have doubts, fear spreading among them. Although it was just a small crack in their alliance, it was only just a smidge of curiosity at this moment.

    ¡®One can never know what would happen on the battlefield.¡¯

    Right now, when they had to deal with the Demon King, none of them knew what would happen next, and having even the smallest tinge of doubt was never a good thing.

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward.

    He even ignored the gazes of Jeong In-Chang and his colleagues that were directed at him.

    On top of it all, there was even that as well.

    ¡®Horus¡­¡¯

    The pharaoh of Egypt that had been brought by Merlin to join their forces, Horus, just couldn¡¯t ept the secrets of the Sponsors that Lee Jun-Kyeong had unveiled to the Apex-Level Hunters.

    The fact that the Sponsor he had worshipped, the object of his faith, had the sole purpose of stealing his body was inconceivable. The Leader of the Nile was displeased at the idea, unable to ept it. Moreover, it was not just him. The other Apex Hunters had simr thoughts.

    ¡®They are the problem.¡¯

    The mission should have already appeared before them by now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be considered an order from their god¡­?¡¯

    One thing that those who worshipped their Sponsors as deities had inmon with one another was that they all thought of the missions as an oracle, the Word of God spoken down unto them.

    ¡®They really might think that I¡¯m disrupting the order.¡¯

    Inciting people with lies, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see how he could be twisted into a person who sphemed their God with lies.

    ¡®There could be an even greater split among us.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was exasperated. Of course, it really had to be right at this moment.

    Thump.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly sat where he stood with his legs crossed in the middle of the street. Every Hunter¡¯s eyes were focused on him. Since Gyeonggi-Do was on the path to Seoul, all of the citizens in the area had been evacuated to Japan.

    All who remained here were Hunters, and most of them, if not all, should have received the mission.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang, who had been following behind him, began to speak when Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped.

    ¡°What do you n to do?¡± he asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at him.

    ¡®Could he have gotten the mission, too?¡¯

    There were only a few Sponsors to whom The Sky of the Apocalypse hadn¡¯t expressed hostility, one of which was Jeong In-Chang¡¯s The Prince on a White Horse.

    ¡®If what I think is right¡­¡¯

    The mission wouldn¡¯t have appeared before Jeong In-Chang. Moreover, even if it did, he refused to doubt him.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Seeing the fire in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes, Jeong In-Chang just sighed and stood next to where he had taken his seat.

    ¡°Well, even if I don¡¯t know what you n on next, I¡¯ll just do it with you.¡±

    Moreover, as Jeong In-Chang finished speaking, Won-Hwa, Liu Bei and his two brothers, and the giants all came to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just sat quietly, sitting in silence as if waiting for something. Without saying anything, he was tranquil, as if nothing had happened.

    Thud.

    Then, finally, footsteps began to echo through the air.

    One.

    Two.

    The sound of the footsteps gradually increased.

 Chapter 237. To Advance Pt. 4

    Chapter 237. To Advance Pt. 4

    Thud.

    The sound of the footsteps of the giants and the strongest humans that had gathered in Gyeonggi-do rang unnaturally through the air, but the impact of the steps in his mind was clear.

    THUD!

    "So here theye¡­" Jeong In-Chang said.

    Although he wasn''t sure what Lee Jun-Kyeong could have wanted, it seemed as though the Hunter must have been waiting for them.

    "The people you have been waiting for have arrived, Mr. Lee."

    Glup.

    The sound of approaching footsteps got closer. Whether it was Lee Jun-Kyeong and those who stood by him or the bystanders who were just watching from the side, they all swallowed nervously from the tension.

    For most of them, the mission to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong had appeared before them. Even the select few who hadn''t been qualified for a mission of this degree had still heard of its details through the spreading rumors.

    As the situation progressed, eventually, the strongest people on the found themselves gathered in one ce once again.

    "Shouldn¡¯t we run away?¡±

    ¡°What if a fight breaks out¡­¡±

    It was a situation where no one could tell when a bomb might explode.

    Despite that, not a single person left.

    By now, if one were a Hunter, they would have figured it out. In order to ovee the current situation and the cataclysm, and in order for the humans to lead the rise of civilization again, they had to see what would happen here.

    They needed to see if there would be a fight or not. If it really did happen, then they needed to find out who would win.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, his Familiars, and the Hunters who stood by him on one side, and the strongest humans who had dominated this era were on the other.

    Gulp.

    As the footsteps grew closer and closer, the tension in the air grew more and more.

    Finally, they arrived.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    The Hunters, numbering well into the dozens, walked toward Lee Jun-Kyeong in slight disarray.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at their faces.

    ¡®Zeus, Athena, Heracles, Odysseus¡­¡¯

    The Hunters at the very front were those with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong could be said to have fostered a deep bond by now.

    Behind them were the other Heroes of Olympus, and even further back, standing alongside the American Hunters, were what was left of Britain.

    ''Merlin, Arthur¡­ Gawain.''

    The figures of the Round Table had all gathered together.

    Then, finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw him.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The leader of the Nile, Horus, and the forces of Egypt came into view.

    The expressions of the Heroes were all different.

    Heracles had a rxed expression, as if he wasn''t nervous in any way, while Odysseus was stiff, as if he had been overwhelmed with tension.

    On the other hand, Zeus looked dissatisfied, while Arthur had a mischievous look on his face.

    Thud.

    All of them were standing in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who sat in his seat like a sitting duck, looked up once again at the crowd before him.

    Each gaze from the Heroes before him stung with mana, all focused on him.

    "..."

    Even in the midst of the chilling silence, each one spoke volumes with their eyes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    ''So all of them, then¡­''

    While he couldn''t be sure that everyone on the had received the mission, he could be sure that, at the very least, the Hunters before him had all received it.

    He could feel their tension, their confusion, and even the simmering greed.

    There was no way that these Hunters didn¡¯t understand how important a sponsored item could be at a time like this. This was evidenced by the greed sparkling in their eyes.

    Although not everyone had that, the fact that there were still some whose eyes lit up in that manner was more than enough to leave its impact. Many of the greed-filled gazes were from those who belonged to the secret organization of Egypt, the Nile.

    ¡°The mission, it¡­¡± Merlin stepped forward from the crowd and began to speak. ¡°It appeared before us.¡±

    She looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with aplicated gaze. He could see it from the way that her eyes flickered into the empty space before her. Even at this moment, she was probably looking at the mission.

    However, a sudden chuckle broke the awkward air as Merlinughed, with Arthur soon following. The witch waved her hand, dismissing the mission window.

    ¡°We already expected something like this to happen,¡± she said.

    Then, smirking, she moved over to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side as Arthur, Gawain, and the other survivors of the Round Table soon followed. Standing next to the Hunter, Merlin spoke in a soft voice¡ªso quiet that only Lee Jun-Kyeong and the other Apex Hunters could barely hear her.

    ¡°In times like these, sponsored items are a great temptation,¡± she said. ¡°Because there has never been a mission before that guaranteed a sponsored item, so people could view this mission as essentially a promise that one could be the owner of an unprecedented item.¡±

    After she spoke, she looked around at the surroundings. What she was speaking about was simple.

    ¡®Divine Armament.¡¯[1]is mana.

    Ripple.[2]

    However, as he had promised, Lee Jun-Kyeong stretched out his hand to stop him.

    Whatever Horus chose, he would keep his word. He could handle it alone if he had to fight the Hunter.

    However, Horus¡¯ subsequent actions werepletely different from everyone''s expectations. He didn¡¯t raise his sword and stab Lee Jun-Kyeong, nor did he extend a hand with an expression of understanding.

    Clench!

    Instead, he hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong fiercely.

    In the bewildering situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Horus a question, ¡°Are you abandoning your Lord?¡±

    Horus¡¯ faith was deep. Even if Horus wasn¡¯t to point the tip of his sword at him today, Lee Jun-Kyeong had assumed that they would have at least had quite a bit to discuss.

    Yet his reaction was contradictory.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He could feel the deep voice of Horus reverberate from within his embrace. Before Lee Jun-Kyeong knew it, Horus had let him go and was now holding his shoulder while speaking with a grin.

    ¡°The Lord exists in many ways,¡± he said, his voice bing more and more confident.

    ¡°Did the mission not show up before you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked him out of curiosity.

    Horus worshiped his Sponsor, The Desert¡¯s Sun, as a god. Its true name was Ra, and it was the only Sponsor whom the Sky of the Apocalypse had allowed Lee Jun-Kyeong to have a Multiple Sponsorship, albeit for only a short time.

    ¡®Is that why the mission hadn¡¯t appeared? Like Jeong In-Chang?¡¯

    However, the answer he received in return waspletely unexpected.

    ¡°The Lord¡­¡± Horus said, his voice full of unexpected emotion. ¡°The Lord directed me to protect you.¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t believed everything that Saeynkaed had said, as he assumed that even if the dragon hadpletely surrendered, there was no way that all of the information that she had was correct.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that he thought that she was lying. He simply felt as though there was a chance that there might have been more behind what she knew that she wasn¡¯t privy to.

    There was this as well.

    ¡®Saeynkaed was wrong about this.¡¯

    Through this incident, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to change some of his doubts into a source of confidence. There really were special Sponsors¡ªan idea that he had formed as he looked toward his own Sponsor, the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    ¡°Although there are exceedingly few Sponsors that are on the side of the humans, they still, in fact, do exist.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure if they were actually on the side of humanity or just on the side of their own incarnations.

    Moreover, if neither was the root of their motivation, then they could just be entities that oppose the other Sponsors.

    The root of it all was that he did understand it properly and that they really were helping them. There was something else as well.

    ¡®They¡¯re all Sponsors rted to the Sky of the Apocalypse.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned against the Sponsors, so many of them were trying to have him killed for leaking unfavorable information about them to the others.

    However, unlike those Sponsors who had wanted him dead, the Sponsors in question hadn¡¯t given out the mission to kill him. Rather, they had actually given out a mission to protect him instead.

    Thus, he was sure that they were on the side of humans and that not all of the Sponsors were enemies.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scanned the audience.

    Now, everything was ready.

    The powers within Egypt and the Middle East would all be handled by Horus. If any of them were to still cause issues, then Horus would handle it with prejudice, as he was never a kind King in the first ce.

    ¡°We will advance soon,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong dered.

    As he spoke, he also gave an order in his mind.

    ¡®Come back quickly.¡¯

    ¨CUnderstood, Jun-Kyeong.

    Fenrir responded telepathically.

    1. p until now, the English word ¡®item¡¯ was used to refer to items. Now, it uses ÉñÆ÷, or lit. Divine Instrument. This is a more obscure Korean word that refers to items that symbolize Gods, like Sun Wukong¡¯s Staff or Thor¡¯s Mjolnir.[/ref]

    Whichever King from the secret organizations ended up sessfullypleting the mission could end up obtaining a divine armament that was no different from being the hallmark of their Sponsors.

    Moreover, getting something of that power in the midst of the final cataclysm was an opportunity too good to pass up.

    ¡°It¡¯s a temptation that no human being could ever resist. A chance for one to really be the protagonist.¡±

    It was just as Merlin said.

    At this moment, on the precipice of their advance, there wasn¡¯t a single one of them who was fool enough not to realize that they all had to join forces to face theiring foes.

    However, the only person specified in this mission was him.

    If, by chance, they were able to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong, then they would be able to obtain a divine armament.

    ¡°Who knows? This really might be their chance to be the protagonist of whatever is about to unfold.¡±

    In being human, they were all still subject to the fatal w of mankind: to live in the thrall of desire and to die in the grasp of greed. Any of them could believe that if they could just obtain a divine armament, they would be able to defeat the Demon King and re-establish order in the world.

    At this point, no matter who asked, the protagonist of this fallen world was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    But, if they could muster their courage and take that final step, it could be an opportunity beyond imagination for them.

    ¡°You can think of it as an opportunity to be the master of the world,¡± Merlin said, ending her musing.

    Her goal was simple.

    ¡®She¡¯s forcing them to make a move.¡¯

    She was stimting the Hunters before them, saying aloud what everyone was thinking in their head and provoking the powerful among them to act.

    The reason behind her provocation was clear.

    ¡®Those who need to be culled should be culled right now.¡¯

    She looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, her eyes clearly expressing her thoughts.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded slightly.

    He had realized this, too.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s true as well.¡±

    That was why he had sat here and waited for them, the noisy Hunters that had gathered before him, who were only now facing the reality of their deepest thoughts and desires from the blunt ridicule that came from the mouths of others.

    ¡°Hmpf. You really are just speaking out of your¨C¡± Zeus said as he moved forward.

    He, Heracles, and Odysseus moved over to stand next to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Of course, Athena soon followed and joined ranks with her guild members with an expressionless face.

    Half of those that had gathered were now facing Lee Jun-Kyeong, while the other half stood by his side.

    However, even though the numbers may have been equal, the bnce of power was firmly within Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s grasp.

    Rustle.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally stood up, bowing his head in gratitude towards those who stood by him. Then, he looked at those who stood in opposition to him.

    Several Heroes flinched at his intense gaze.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them. Horus still stood before him.

    ¡°If there is to be a fight where I¡¯m the target¡­¡± he said. ¡°Those behind me won¡¯t get involved.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words oozed pure arrogance and conceit, but none of those to whom his words were directed felt as though it was out of ce.

    Zeus, Merlin, and Jeong In-Chang nodded, respecting his wishes.

    ¡°This is thest time. This will be the only ce where you¡¯ll be able to challenge me and face me one-on-one. Wait, no, if you want to challenge me, you can alle together, too,¡± he said in a calm tone.

    Still, even though his voice was calm, each of his words pierced everyone¡¯s ears.

    ¡°However, let me be clear¡­¡± Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice changed. ¡°This is your only chance to face me.¡±

    His tone may have been polite, but the waves of mana that rushed forth from him were a stark contrast.

    WHOOSH!

    It was an inferno-like mana that felt as though it would rampage through everything and burn it all to ashes. Lee Jun-Kyeong had revealed his intentions. Now, it was their turn.

    Thud.

    As soon as he had finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward. He had been waiting all this time for onest person, wanting to see how he would react.

    ¡°Horus¡­¡±

    This was the man who called him brother, and a man who served his Sponsor through faith. Moreover, Horus was an important figure in the battles that were to take ce from this point on, the King of Egypt and the Middle East.

    ¡®It might be difficult without him.¡¯

    Horus was also walking toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. His eyes, visible through the bandages, were hardened, but his gait was that of a noble King.

    Steps filled with vigor continued to approach Lee Jun-Kyeong. Then, Horus stopped before him. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what Horus was thinking.

    ¡®What choice could he have made?¡¯

    It was hard to read his frozen face, which was made even more difficult as the Hunter was covered in bandages.

    Watching the unexpected situation, Jeong In-Chang subconsciously began to r ?

    2. This is a sound effect used frequently in mangas/webtoons like Dragon Ball Z, where one is so strong that a slight move causes the air to shake. ?

 Chapter 238. To Advance Pt. 5

    Chapter 238. To Advance Pt. 5

    The group of Hunters descended into chaos as the mission to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong ended by devolving into a simple incident.

    Although the mission hadn¡¯t yet been canceled for any of those who had received it and no one had made any moves, the Hunters were already acting as if there was no mission.

    ¡®In case there is someone among you that wants toplete the mission¡­¡¯

    The reason that they were avoiding the mission window was because of the derations of Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s other powerful allies.

    ¡®Think of what it means to have to deal with all of us. Yes, sponsorship items are great, but you¡¯re not really thinking that it would mean that you would be able to survive against all of us, are you?¡¯

    His angry words worked exceedingly well in stopping the Hunters in their tracks, serving as a realization of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s position.

    However, while Zeus had given the whip, Lee Jun-Kyeong approached with a carrot.

    ¡®If you can survive theing fight, then you will be Heroes who will go down in history.¡¯

    What these Hunters had wanted was fame and money.

    ¡®After this battle, you¡¯ll receive it all, whether you want it or not.¡¯

    All the fame and money in the world was already theirs as long as they survived. Since the man before them was quite possibly the strongest in the world and was a necessary means for their survival, they nodded in agreement and forgot about the mission.

    Of course, not everyone reacted in that manner.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asionally felt hostile gazes toward him from people with eyes filled with greed. However, that was just something that he had to bear.

    Moreover, that was a problem for their leaders, or those who would be their leaders, to worry about.

    The chaotic atmosphere gradually calmed down as the Hunters now prepared for battle.

    Shing! Shing!

    The battle that awaited them was unprecedented, and as Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, it was a terrifying battle that may go down in history.

    ¡°Take two steps to the right! You¡¯re leaving an opening on the left!!¡±

    The Hunters were honing their skills and sparring with each other.

    ¡°Please take a look at my weapon!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you! We have the best cksmiths in the world here. Why don¡¯t you leave it to them?¡±

    ¡°Where would a Hunter like me have the money to leave my weapons with those people?¡±

    ¡°They said they would do it for free!¡±

    "What?"

    The two cksmiths inspected their armaments and worked diligently to try to discover even better ones.

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin, the two siblings, were working hard and sleeping fewer than two hours a day. But there was no sign of fatigue on their faces. They polished and repaired countless weapons, preparing for the battle in their own way.

    ¡°Whew¡­ I miss my family.¡±

    ¡°They should be alive, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see¡­¡±

    There were those who missed their families.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Then, there were madmen driven crazy by countless battles.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There were even those who remained silent as there was nothing left in their lives.

    Numerous groups of people had gathered here.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked between them and took in everything.

    Then, an explosion sounded out.

    BOOM!

    However, not a single Hunter paid any attention to the sound, as they had been hearing it continuously for several days. By this point, all of them knew who was making the noise.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    A happy voice was heard from the direction where the explosion wasing from.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong.¡±

    It was Jeong In-Chang, his preciouspanion who had now be indispensable¡ªone of the few whom he could trust until the very end.

    He was waving his hand alongside the giants, Liu Bei and his two brothers, and even Lee Jun-Kyeong''s Familiars.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe all this way! We¡¯re doing great here!¡±

    They, too, were preparing for battle.

    They knew that in the fight that would take ce soon and their role wouldn¡¯t be that great. However, they all knew that even what they could contribute would be difficult. Thus, they were shing to hone each other¡¯s strength and sharpen each other.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded as if he was happy just to see them.

    ¡®Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡¯

    ***

    ng!

    Although wooden sparring swords were being used, the sound of metal shing rang out in the air. Moreover, the wooden swords that should have shattered into pieces from the force of the previous collision were strangely still intact.

    Upon further observation, a hint of blue color, mana, was oveid on the surface of the wooden swords.

    ¡°Well, your ability to use mana seems to have increased tremendously, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Arthur said with a grin that expressed hisplete and utter satisfaction.

    With such a wide smile on his face, he swung his sword hard once again.

    ng!

    Although it looked just like a simple swinging motion, what appeared before Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes was different. It felt like a massive mountain pressing down upon him. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shifted his stance and raised his sword with both hands.

    CLANG!

    A huge sound rang out again.

    ¡°At this level, there is a chance for you to win against Gawain even if you only use your mastery of the sword.¡±

    The smile on Arthur¡¯s face disappeared as he spoke while taking a step back.

    ¡°That was your problem. Your mana is expressed in the form of a me, so while its destructive power is high, its precision is extremely poor.¡±

    Arthur spoke about the point that he had made before. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew Arthur was right.

    ¡®My ability is specialized in emitting a me-like energy.¡¯

    Moreover, since he only used his power of mes, his precision was quite low. At least, he hadn''t learned how to input his powers properly.

    With his unique experience in learning both swordsmanship and magic from Arthur and Merlin, he had discovered his ability to learn skills as if he were inputting them directly into his brain. However, not even that could adjust the precision of his mana. But now, those shorings had been offset.

    Then, with a bursting sound, something flew toward where Lee Jun-Kyeong stood.

    Bang!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nonchntly raised one hand as runes floated around in front of his hand.

    Ssss.

    The red sphere that had rocketed toward him disappeared as if it had never existed.

    ¡°Your Dispel has also reached the pinnacle.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t been able to learn Merlin¡¯s abilities through input. Although he had learned how to use magic just by seeing it, it was still less difficult to cast it than the task of erasing any magic.

    Merlin, who had suddenly appeared as she cast a spell toward him, had wanted to verify something about his growth.

    ¡°What on earth happened?¡±

    ¡°What on earth happened?¡±

    The two leaders of the Round Table asked at the same time.

    ¡°In the space of a few weeks...¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a level of ability that could be demonstrated in such a short period of time. Did you really just learn it by reading it like you said earlier?¡±

    Concern and curiosity appeared in both of their eyes.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head¡ªthis wasn¡¯t an ability rted to his input ability. This was a skill he had realized on his own.

    ¡°I went to Anngr.¡±

    He had realized what he hadcked alone during that time. Thus, he had been able to grow at an astonishing level.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    ¡°Just why would you go to that hell¡­¡±

    ¡°Did your Sponsor force you? After all this time, now?¡± they asked, but Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head again.

    ¡°You can just think about it as if something had happened. We don¡¯t have enough time for me to tell you such a long story now.¡±

    ¡°Jormungandr¡­ Saeynkaed¡­these things must have something to do with your new Familiars.¡±

    Arthur crossed his arms and took a step back. They were done sparring. That had been theirst sh to address whatever the other wascking before the big fight in Seoul.

    ¡°I have nothing left to teach.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to teach you.¡±

    There was nothing more for Lee Jun-Kyeong to learn from the two. Now, there was nothing that hecked.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting closer to perfection,¡± said Merlin.

    However, even still, their expressions weren¡¯t good. They, too, were some of the ¡°lucky¡± few who had also been to Anngr, and they were worried about the impact the time spent there would have had on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Rather than trying to reassure them, Lee Jun-Kyeong simply said with a small smile, ¡°We should be happy because our chances of winning have increased.¡±

    However, his words and his smile actually made their expressions darker.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Arthur carefully opened his mouth. ¡°Are you really nning on going in alone?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If what you said is true, then it would be suicidal for us to go in. But can you be sure that you are different?¡±

    What Arthur was saying was simple.

    ¡°If Gehenna is so dangerous, let¡¯s find another way.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had informed them about Gehenna, the most dangerous gate, in a series of meetings. It still remained, and it was a ce where no one should enter.

    However, the only way to end all of this was to enter it, so he decided that he would go in alone. After the battle with the Demon King, once he emerged victorious, he alone would enter and close Gehenna. That was what he had told them all.

    It was the most dangerous and terrifying gate of all.

    ¡°You might have to actually deal with the Sponsors directly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too big a task to handle alone.¡±

    It was a dangerous ce where no one knew if they would have to face their Sponsors.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed silent.

    ¡°Whew¡­ I won¡¯t say anything else, but if you need help at any time, let me know.¡±

    ¡°We will do what we can.¡±

    Eventually, the two had no choice but to agree. They could feel it, too, that Lee Jun-Kyeong was special. Although they were also special, there was something different about Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    That was why they had said that they needed to talk¡ªbecause there were many more things that Lee Jun-Kyeong could do.

    ¡°Please¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he was making a promise. ¡°I will seed.¡±

    He looked up at the sky once more.

    If he wanted to be sessful¡ªno, if he didn¡¯t want humanity to end up in the worst possible oue, he would need the help of one entity.

    <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">.</the>

    ***

    The chaotic atmosphere suddenly turned into breathtaking silence.

    Rumble!

    A resounding vibration shook the ground as everyone could feel it.

    Tremble.

    They each grabbed their weapons.

    ¡°Hadn¡¯t we cleared out all the monsters around us?¡±

    The Hunters that had gathered here weren¡¯t just ying around, clearing out monsters around them whenever they had time. Thus, the monsters around him should have already been exterminated.

    ¡°What is this vibration?¡±

    At this point, Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others could feel an inexplicable trembling. A huge noise rang out as the Hunters who were resting also came out to assess the situation.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just stood still.

    Then, not only did he stand tall, but there was also Jeong In-Chang, who, before he knew it, had approached Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Even the other Heroes were the same.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Heracles was even smiling with his arms crossed.

    While the nervous Hunters were puzzled by their appearance, someone was running toward them from afar.

    ¡°Someone ising!¡±

    The movements of the person clearly indicated that he was a Hunter, but his face wasn¡¯t familiar. The person running was waving both hands in greeting as if to emphasize that he wasn¡¯t the enemy.

    Jeong In-Chang said aloud, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    Rumble, RUMBLE!

    The vibrations shaking the ground gradually became more severe, and, apanying it, Jeong In-Chang saw something white running toward him.

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!¡±

    Even at this distance, its main body was clearly visible as something that was obviously enormous was running toward me.¡±

    ¡°Ha, it¡¯s not just one!¡±

    Next to it, another being was running. It was a wolf with white fur.

    Next to it was the Lord of the Mountain that had died, the white tiger. He was running across the destroyed city along with a wolf.

    ¡°We are not the enemy!¡±

    Meanwhile, the Hunter, who had been waving finally arrived, breathing tiredly.

    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­¡±

    Slowly, the Hunter announced, ¡°Ungnyeo ising!¡±

    Ungnyeo, Fenrir, and even Sangun were here.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    The time hade.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly walked forward as Fenrir and Sangun continued to get closer.

    Looking up, he smirked as she was sitting on Sangun¡¯s head.

 Chapter 239. To Advance Pt. 6

    Chapter 239. To Advance Pt. 6

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    A strangeughter echoed through the room that had once been used by Odin, one of the strongest Hunters in the world. Moreover, this room was the office of the president, the symbol of the Korean Association.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    Now, it was nothing more than a ruin that gave off an old-fashioned feel. The furniture was covered in dust, and the room was aplete mess. However, the new owner of the room didn¡¯t seem to care about such things.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    He just held his face and let out a strangeugh.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    He wondered how he had be like this.

    Finally, he tore his hand away from his face. He looked up at this sky, mumbling emptily to himself as his sculpted face sparkled, reflecting in the pale light.

    The man was Baldur, a Hero who had been the hidden son of Odin and one of the symbols of the Korean Hunters. Moreover, although he belonged to Asgard, at this very moment, he had be the Ruler of Seoul.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Although his sculpted face remained unchanged, there was one thing missing from his face: vigor. His face was so pale that one couldn''t believe he was alive. His face had used to shine, but now was no longer glowing and rather gave off a dark feeling.

    "Father, you...¡±

    Baldur cupped his face again. Even at this moment, his mind was dizzy.

    -Kill.

    -Destroy.

    -Exterminate.

    Something like an auditory hallucination was taking over his mind. Voices that kepting into his head after he had gained strength.

    Crash!

    Baldur stretched out his hands and overturned the desk, but nevertheless, the voice in his head didn¡¯t go away.

    -Kill.

    -Destroy.

    -Exterminate.

    It just continued like this, repeating itself over and over. To gain the power of a Ruler meant that one would no longer be human. Moreover, it also meant bing an enemy of humanity.

    -Kill the humans.

    Clench.

    Baldur clenched his fist so hard that his nails dug into his palm, the blood flowing down his knuckles.

    Drip. Drip.

    ¡°No! NO!¡±

    Baldur was sure that he was a human. He couldn¡¯t follow the will of the voice. No, he would endure it. However, there wasn¡¯t much time left.

    Thud.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before thest of his remaining reasons disappeared. Baldur already had the blood of countless people on his hands.

    Not Hunters, but ordinary people.

    All of those memories¡­

    -Aren¡¯t they so sweet?

    Now, things were starting to no longer feel painful.

    "Why¡­¡±

    Baldur covered his face again and bemoaned as the blood on his palm ran down his face and dripped down his chin.

    "Father¡­¡±

    He had just wanted to be recognized. He just¡­he had just wanted to have a rtionship with Odin like other sons had with their fathers.

    But, but why¡­

    ¡°This thing that I am now¡­¡±

    Had Odin done this to him?

    Odin, who had given this sort of power to him and then never showed his face again, returned not long ago. However, Baldur still wasn¡¯t allowed to see him, as Odin was busy having a conversation with someone who resembled that Underdog.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­if I can no longer remain as a human¡­¡± Baldur lowered his hand again, his sparkling eyes shining splendidly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just start with my father¡­ Ahahaha¡­!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t push! Don¡¯t push me!¡±

    People were screaming, but the wishes they so desperately prayed for couldn¡¯te true.

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    The monsters enved them and forced them to move. Regardless of theirints, not only was it impossible for the monsters to understand the human tongue, but they would also devour some of them at certain points.

    ¡°Agh!!!¡±

    In the end, the people ended up closing their mouths and moving in the direction ordered by the monsters.

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡±

    ¡°Just hold on just a little longer¡­ we¡¯re okay¡­¡± a mother said,forting her crying children.

    However, some of the other children didn¡¯t even have that to hold onto.

    Sob, sob.

    These children just cried as they were orphaned and alone in the world. They were taken care of by the fathers who had lost their entire families, finding kinship in their loss.

    The ce where they were was hell. Not long ago, it had been a brilliant civilization and the safest city in the world.

    This current hell was the new Seoul.

    ¡°I never thought that Seoul would be like this...¡±

    Someoneughed in vain with empty eyes as the hellish days repeated themselves over and over.

    They were all livestock.

    Their fate was boiled down to moving under the control of the monsters and the high-ranking Hunters, barely surviving day by day on the slop that they were provided. Any form of resistance was meaningless, and trying to do so in any way always proved fatal.

    ¡°Agh!!¡±

    Someone who couldn¡¯t stand it any longer tried to push the monsters away and flee, but soon ended up bing food for the hungry monsters.

    ¡°Heroes, my a¡­¡±

    ¡°All Hunters are bastards.¡±

    The people before them were those that they had once praised and looked up to. But now, the Hunters were no different to them than the devil. They were all infuriated. The Hunters were just watching the monsters enve the people.

    Crunch.

    In their enraged eyes, the people could see the sight of a Hunter just nonchntly biting into a cookie. Nowhere in his eyes could they sense that he looked at them as humans, the same as he was. In the past, these Hunters were people that they had trusted and praised.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    But now, he was just a being that had created this hell of sorrow.

    "Mister."

    A man felt the child he had under his ward take hold of his hand and call out to him.

    He looked upon the child. The child¡¯s bones could be seen through his skin because of the incessant malnutrition, and his face was covered in blood.

    ¡°Yes, dear.¡±

    There was only one thing that the man could do for the child¡ªwords of kindness.

    There wasn¡¯t much else that could be done for this child who had lost his parents and had fallen into this hell.

    ¡°Someday¡­¡± The child opened his mouth with innocent eyes. ¡°We can go back to the way it was before, right? That¡¯s how it always is in fairy tales.¡±

    Even in this difficult situation, the child hadn¡¯t yet lost his innocence.

    ¡°The bad monsters and demon lords are defeated by the Hero!¡±

    The manughed, his voice filled with bitterness.

    ¡°...¡±

    He was unable to give an answer. He just couldn¡¯t.

    The Heroes that the child spoke of were on the side. They had been the warriors that they had trusted.

    ¡®The Heroes you speak of went so far as to subjugate the monsters to rule over us people.¡¯

    But how could he say that to the child? Now, there wasn¡¯t much he could do for the child.

    Clench.

    All he could do was make sure that the child didn¡¯t stray from this procession, holding onto his hand to make sure he didn¡¯t be food for those monsters.

    But that didn¡¯t mean that the man didn¡¯t also have hope.

    "I really hope¡­¡±

    He smiled bitterly again.

    ¡°I really hope things turn out that way,¡± he said, letting the child know that their wishes weren¡¯t that different.

    ***

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Odin groaned as he clenched his thigh with his hands.

    There was a dark burn lower down on the exposed portion of his thigh.

    ¡°It looks like this can¡¯t be treated.¡±

    It was the wound that he had suffered at the hands of the Underdog when he had fled from Gyeonggi-Do. It had been inflicted when he had been hit with the Underdog¡¯s spear.

    Odin smirked. That brat, he didn¡¯t disappoint him.

    ¡°He¡¯s even better than I had expected.¡±

    Whether it was his growth, his disposition, or the goals he had wanted¡­everything about him satisfied him.

    Odin removed his hands from his thigh andid down. He could see a panoramic view of Seoul just outside his window. Not many people knew that he was in Seoul¡ªso few, in fact, that he could count them on his hands.

    Among those who knew he was in Seoul, most, like Baldur, didn¡¯t actually know the specifics to where he was.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡± Odin sighed. ¡°The end is not far away.¡±

    It had just dawned on him that there were only a few steps left for him to reach that long-awaited goal. As a child, he hadcked nothing, and as he grew older, he had grown even more perfect.

    He was one of the most wealthy people in Korea, and his destiny was to be the head of a corporate dynasty. From intelligence to morality, he had thought that hecked nothing.

    Thus, that made Odinck desire. Odin never could know what others had wanted or how others felt.

    He had tried many things and taken on many challenges. However, everything was easy for him, and he soon became bored with the world.

    At that time, somethingpletely new had urred.

    ¡®The gates appeared.¡¯

    He had been resting in a safe house when he saw the gates, but the next day, he secretly went out, choosing a gate and entering it. It had clearly been an act of insanity, something that anyone would most definitely consider suicidal.

    However, Odin, for the first time, could feel it.

    THUMP.

    His heart was racing. However, that onlysted for a moment, as fighting against the monsters that attacked him was very different from how his easy life had passed. When he had finallye to his senses after fighting for his life, he had arrived there.

    THUD!

    Anngr.

    "Wait for me," Odin said to the sky.

    While he had been in Anngr, there had been two main feelings he had left. Those feelings had been how he had survived through it all.

    Firstly, he had been filled with a curiosity of the unknown. Everything around him was amazing as everything around him was something he had never seen before.

    Because he already had everything in the outside world, he hadn¡¯t been interested in anything. Then, he finally understood what it felt like to have everything around him be something new.

    Thus, he began to crave new knowledge.

    The second thing he had felt was anger.

    ¡°I will pay you back for the past thirty years.¡±

    It was the rage he had toward his Sponsors that had burned ever fiercer during the thirty years of solitude he had spent in Anngr.

    Those two feelings were the only things that Odin had, and for those two things, he¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll give anything. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±

    He was ready to risk it all, and he had already given up everything he had to do so, including his only son.

    ¡®Baldur.¡¯

    Odin smiled, not a care on his face as the pain in his throbbing thigh felt infinitely more pleasant.

    ***

    ¡°Where on earth are you taking us?!¡± the people screamed as the monsters forced them to continue forward while the Hunters controlled those monsters.

    ¡°...¡±

    Looking down upon it all, there was something sitting leisurely at the top of a tall building, watching over everything. Not a single person seemed to notice him, acting as if they couldn¡¯t even see that he was there.

    ¡°...¡±

    He just looked over at everything, quietly without care for anything else.

    ¡°...¡±

    Because all of this before him was a situation he had created, and when he closed his eyes, he could feel everything.

    ¡°...¡±

    That was true for everything in Seoul, even down to the movement of the ants. If he expanded his senses a little further, then he could even feel beyond the veil, even down to a ce that drew his attention.

    Gyeonggi-Do.

    The man smirked.

    ¡°So now they¡¯re moving.¡±

    It had been a long wait.

    He wondered what the others would consider long.

    Months? Or years?

    For the Hunters who entered Anngr, would they measure a long time in decades?

    It was just a random thought, as everyone was wrong.

    His idea of a long wait waspletely different from anyone else¡ªa time so long that none of them could even dare to fathom it.

    ¡°It really has been such a long time.¡±

    He got up from his seat, his strikingly tall form unfolding as his ck robes fluttered in the breeze.

    Then, he said, looking back, ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    There, a man with a shiny bald head stood.

 Chapter 240. To Advance Pt. 7

    Chapter 240. To Advance Pt. 7

    ¡°There really seems to be no end to them?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if he was appalled.

    There were so many people bustling about that even the subtle sounds of their breathing sounded like collective thunder.

    ¡°Just how many people are there?¡± Jeong In-Chang continued to ask Lee Jun-Kyeong, who stood quietly.

    In the end, Jeong In-Chang muttered again to himself, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no way we can know, right?¡±

    He turned to watch the procession once again. It was so vast it was worthy of the word incredible. Countless people were following along, led in front by Sangun and Fenrir.

    As they endlessly trudged forward, each person represented a survivor of Korea who was saved from hiding.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s over a million,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong finally said.

    Jeong In-Chang nodded in response as the number was reasonable, considering the masses of people before them.

    No, it was more than reasonable.

    ¡°It could be even more than that,¡± he said in awe.

    As the endless procession continued forward, they walked forward to the gate opened by Lee Jun-Kyeong. Fenrir and Sangun now stood on both sides like gatekeepers guarding the gate as the survivors entered the gate between them.

    ¡°I guess Lady Ungnyeo really is amazing,¡± Jeong In-Changmented.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought for a moment¡ªthe Hunter was right.

    ¡°How are they following along so quietly even after being told to enter a gate?¡±

    The number of Hunters in the procession was small, so the majority of them were ordinary people. But, these ordinary people had been told to go through a gate as soon as they had arrived in Gyeonggi-Do.

    Although they had definitely expected and assumed that these people would have been terrified and required some persuasion, the reality waspletely different from what they had expected.

    The survivors that Ungnyeo had rescued were all heading toward the gate without any questions, walking forward and following the path ahead, even though it may have been a path to their doom.

    ¡°Based on what the people are saying¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. ¡°It seems as though they are calling her a priestess, a saint, a witch, etc.¡±

    He could hear the voices of the people whispering quite clearly. They were praising Ungnyeo and giving her titles. He wondered what could have happened.

    However, beyond it all, one thing was certain.

    ¡°Regardless, what¡¯s important is that theypletely believe and follow Ungnyeo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ I had been worrying about the time we would have had to waste on persuading people when we¡¯re about to advance, but it really is a relief.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang shook his head and looked ahead.

    Then, a voice called out, ¡°Prin¨Ccess!¡±[1]

    The princess in Jeong In-Chang''s arms suddenly popped her head out. She had been quiet for a while, expressing that she needed to sleep.

    Now that she woke up, she no longer looked like a small ogre doll. No, now, she was a cute little doll instead.

    Or¡­

    ¡±She sort of feels like a spirit now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he caressed the princess''s cheek with his fingers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°Only In-Chang can touch me!¡±

    Even her pronunciation had bepletely clear.

    ¡°Um¡­princess, let''s¡­ um¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang hugged the princess with an awkward smile.

    As Jeong In-Chang grew stronger, the princess was also influenced. Thus, it could be said that her current form and demeanor were also something that was influenced by Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong apologized to the princess. The princess crossed her arms and turned her head to the side.

    ¡°Hmpf.¡±

    Thud!

    Then, she quickly jumped out of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms and looked up at the two of them.

    ¡°Princess, do you want to go somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    "Where?"

    "I¡­!¡±

    The princess, hopping in ce, pointed over to the procession of people.

    ¡°I want to go see the wolf!¡±

    They knew without asking that it was the princess'' nickname for Fenrir.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it.

    That was right. Fenrir and Princess had spent quite a bit of time together.

    As if she was happy to be able to see Fenrir once again after such a long time, before they knew it, the princess was running toward him with a bounce in her step.

    ¡°You must be having a hard time,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said jokingly.

    ¡°Yes¡­it feels like I¡¯m raising a daughter¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang answered sincerely.

    ***

    ¡°Will it be okay for you to leave your ce?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked with a warm gaze.

    How long had it been since he hadst seen her face to face?

    She didn¡¯t know how long it had been for him.

    ¡®Because it¡¯s been more than ten years for me.¡¯

    He had entered Anngr, and in the fleeting moment she had spent out here, he had spent several years alone there.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t said anything about it to anyone, but while he was in Anngr, what he had wanted to see the most in that terrible hell of loneliness was her.

    ¡°Because everyone is being nice to me,¡± Ungnyeo said, turning her head as if she were embarrassed.

    The number of survivors that she had rescued was sorge, so the procession was still continuing.

    The one who had been leading them through the gate had been Ungnyeo. But that woman was now sitting in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any issues. Everyone knows where they have to go if they want to survive.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t there quite a few people who had said that they would rather stay?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said jokingly.

    There were also Hunters in the procession that were heading to Japan through the gate. They were those who had awakened in the midst of the cataclysm and had recently be Hunters.

    Although it could be said that they had grown at a rapid pace, none of them would have been of much help in the fight toe.

    Thus, those people were also going to Japan, intermixed with ordinary humans.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard that some of them were making a fuss about wanting to stay behind anyway.

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s because they wanted to help you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered about the path Ungnyeo had walked and what actions she had taken. In any case, regardless of the name that they had chosen for her, she was revered by all of the survivors as a true leader.

    They trusted her so much they were willing to remain behind in this limbo, not knowing when they would die.

    ¡°How have you been doing?" Lee Jun-Kyeong said after making meaningless small talk for quite some time.

    Ungnyeo smiled silently.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I asked an obvious question. It must have been so hard. Why don¡¯t you go get some rest?¡± he said to the woman who hade all this way to find him.

    Either way, Won-Hwa had said that they had handled all of the discussions about the next steps anyway.

    He had seen her face with his own two eyes now. That was enough.

    Ungnyeo spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was about to turn around.

    ¡°Are you really nning on going in alone?¡±

    She was referring to Gehenna. She, too, would have heard about the purposes of the Sponsors and what remained at the end by now.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded without looking back.

    Although he thought that she would have tried to stop him, all she responded with was a simple answer, ¡°Okay.¡±

    His steps continued, each made with difficulty. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong left without looking back.

    Clench.

    Left behind, alone, Ungnyeo clenched her fists.

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe in you.¡±

    The work that she had done for the survivors as she had roamed the country¡ªshe hadn¡¯t spoken about what had happened, but it hadn¡¯t been easy, and a lot of things had happened.

    With several encounters with Rulers, there had been more than a few instances where she had almost died. As she defeated them and defeated them, the truth became visible little by little.

    There had been something strange about each time that Fenrir would suddenly grow or receive support. As she saw the Familiar grow, she could see it too.

    ¡°You really are carrying too much of a burden.¡±

    There was arge, invisible burden on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s back.

    ***

    As dawn broke the next day, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes in bed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was quiet. The sound of the over a million people that had gathered had disappeared.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked over to the window with unsteady steps. As he opened the window, everything was quiet.

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone had already left through the open gate.

    He hadn¡¯t expected everyone to move through it all in one day, but it seemed as though Ungnyeo¡¯s influence was greater than he had thought.

    Or, if that wasn¡¯t the reason for it, then perhaps they wanted to leave this ce as quickly as possible.

    Of course, the reasoning was simple.

    ¡®What did she say again? That this ce was going to be an even more terrifying hell?¡¯

    Ungnyeo hadn¡¯t said much to the people, just expressing that she had never told a lie and that this ce was going to turn into hell: a hell worse than what they had all just gone through to survive.

    She was right.

    This ce¡ªno, Korea, would be a battlefield.

    This was their destiny.

    It was a fight for the world or for something even greater than that.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong put on his coat.

    There was frost outside, and it looked like it was going to snow soon.

    Before they had realized it, it had be winter.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong could have made it so that he didn¡¯t feel the chill in the air, he didn¡¯t bother. Instead, he came out as he let the chilly breeze wash over him.

    In front of the door was Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°We waited for you.¡±

    He lookedpletely different from Lee Jun-Kyeong, wearing sturdy armor forged by the siblings, Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin.

    What could be considered their masterpiece was draped over him as his huge sword hung behind him.

    Although the sword had been created previously by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request to Park Jae-Hyun, the sword had changed quite considerably by this point.

    ¡°Mr. Park had created it for me. Although he said that this was a secret¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang said as if he was embarrassed, ¡°He said that he had added some of the remaining ingredients that had been left behind while strengthening Muspel¡¯s Spear¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    At the sight of the Hunter speaking quietly as if he hadmitted a crime, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t hold in hisughter.

    ¡°Are you really sure he made it with the leftovers?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke nonsense.

    He then walked forward again without saying a word, with Jeong In-Chang following behind him with the princess held in his arms.

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯vee, too?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    As they passed through the hallway, they ran into Won-Hwa. At the sight of him tying his shoces and checking his needle holder, Lee Jun-Kyeong greeted him and helped Won-Hwa up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Won-Hwa answered in clear Korean, having bepletely fluent by now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward again, with Jeong In-Chang and Won-Hwa in step behind.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    As they were about to leave the building, he heard a familiar voice.

    It was a grumpy voice, speaking English, not Korean.

    ¡°We waited, too,¡± Heracles said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Odysseus also stood next to him.

    ¡°The guild leader and Athena have already gone,¡± he said as he walked forward to stand behind Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although he was clearly a member of Olympus, something as inconsequential as his affiliation wasn¡¯t what was important at this moment. As Lee Jun-Kyeong continued forward, before he knew it, his little group had grown. When he had reached closer to the road to Seoul, the force of a massive exhale mixed in with the chilly wind, enveloping Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Although the morning was bright, it had suddenly seemed as if night had descended upon them because of the being standing in front of them.

    ¡°Thjazi went first and took the giants with him.¡±

    It was Thrymr, his massive body clearly different from that of a human.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered meeting him in China. Although he and Thjazi hadn¡¯t been on good terms with the exiles called the Nar that Thrymr had led, all of the problems had been resolved in the end when they aided Thjazi in bing the new king of Utgard.

    Standing next to him were two brothers who, while much smaller than Thrymr, were exceedinglyrge for humans.

    ¡°We are here, too.¡±

    Moreover, with the two brothers, as always, stood a man with big ears.

    They were the three brothers, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, who had gathered to try to revive fallen China.

    A smile bloomed on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face as he greeted them with a nod, and as if it was natural, they locked step behind him as well as they continued forward.

    Shhh.

    Two beings suddenly appeared on either side of Lee Jun-Kyeong as he walked forward, Hel and Hyeon-Mu.

    Although they had materialized without his permission, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t say anything as they continued walking.

    Before he knew it, his entourage was getting longer and longer.

    ¡°I was nning on going ahead.¡±

    Then, she appeared before his eyes.

    Ungnyeo looked a little tired, as if she hadn¡¯t slept at all.

    Ring.

    As she shook the bronze bell in her hand, her face visibly became refreshed.

    Woosh.

    The sound emanating from the bell enveloped everyone.

    ¡°How is it so refreshing?¡±

    The others were amazed as they felt the exhaustion wash from their bones. She came forward to stand next to Lee Jun-KYeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded in response. Eventually, they arrived at their destination.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was a long procession behind Lee Jun-Kyeong as there were countless people in front of him, all gazes pointed toward him.

    Zeus, Horus, Athena, and all of the countless Heroes and Hunters were there.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked beyond them, toward the blue veil.

    ¡°I will pierce through the veil.¡±

    Right now, at this very moment, their advance would begin.

    ¡°Saeynkaed,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to the former Ruler.

    She, too, was also following behind Lee Jun-Kyeong. The dragon came up and stood next to him.

    Ungnyeo nced over at her as she walked forward, but quickly turned her gaze back forward with a nk expression.

    ¡°Did you call for me?¡± she said in a polite tone of voice.

    ¡°You said you wanted something, right?¡±

    There had been something that she had asked him for. Saeynkaed listened to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question and nodded. After receiving her answer, the Hunter moved forward.

    Zeus and Horus didn¡¯t say a single word as he walked forward, just moving to the left and right to clear the path forward.

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself standing in front of the tent.

    It was now time for Saeynkaed¡¯s request.

    ¡°Saeynkaed,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called out to her again, his hand on the veil.

    Originally, opening the veil had taken several hours and involved an immense amount of agony.

    Sssss.

    However, now, with a single gesture, the veil had just disappeared.

    The swirling storm of mana entered Lee Jun-Kyeong through his fingertips and was captured and stored away.

    Then, before the veil had fully disappeared, showing what was hidden behind it, Lee Jun-Kyeong gave a singlemand.

    ¡°Burn it all.¡±

    1. For the first time, the princess is actually saying princess properly. ?

 Chapter 241. A Horrifying Battle.

    Chapter 241. A Horrifying Battle.

    A blue veil divided Seoul from Gyeonggi-Do.

    As the symbol of the cataclysm and the barrier that had imprisoned Seoul, which had be a living hell, was lifted, behind the veily an army of monsters as far as the eye could see.

    Tens of thousands of gazes were focused on the dissipating veil as Lee Jun-Kyeong gave a singlemand.

    ¡°Burn it all.¡±

    With hismand, Saeynkaed stepped forward.

    As the dragon began to make her move, the seemingly frozen army of monsters finally began to take their first steps.

    BOOM!

    Ogres, trolls, death knights, and chimeras stood in the front row as countless monsters with terrifying strength slowly elerated as they ran toward the dissipating veil.

    Saeynkaed was the only one who ran forward from within the borders of Gyeonggi-Do, alone in the charge with her fiery red hair flying in the wind.

    Her mouth began to curl up as sheughed freely.

    She had lived as a ve to the Sponsors for countless years, losing her sentience and intelligence as she had been controlled, forced into a mindless being thatmitted countless murders and horrifying deeds.

    It was truly the life of a ve.

    Her new owner had saved her from that life, but unlike the Sponsors, he allowed her to do what she wanted.

    He had given her a chance to fulfill what she had wanted to do.

    When the decisive battle began, Saeynkaed had wanted to be at the forefront.

    She wanted to be the beginning, to mark the war to punish the Sponsors who could never be forgiven.

    Saeynkaed had wanted to give rest to all of the pitiful beings like her with her own hands.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Complying with her wishes, her new owner had allowed it.

    An army of monsters and Saeynkaed were racing toward each other, seemingly nothing more than an act of suicide on her part. It was something too horrifying to watch for any of the observers.

    Crrrrack.

    However, with the sound of bones crunching and popping, Saeynkaed revealed her true form.

    ¨CROARRR!!!!

    She was a massive red dragon, and she was the lord of magic and the strongest being in her dimension. She was a dragon of destruction that had taken countless lives as a Ruler.

    p, p!

    A huge, red dragon rose into the sky and pped its wings. The surrounding mana transmuted into mes, which were thenunched from her wings.

    BOOM!

    The massive wave of fire fell directly onto the center of the charging army of monsters, creating an explosion.

    A cloud of smoke obscured the charge of the army of monsters for a moment, but after a moment, as the smoke dispelled, the sight of the army still standing could be seen.

    GROUGH!!!!

    No matter if the attacking dragon had been Saeynkaed, it was still too much for even her to cause an entire army of monsters numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands to fall apart.

    Moreover, these monsters didn¡¯t even have any intelligence. They were just running forward without any fear for their lives to carry out the orders they had been given.

    p, p!

    Then, Saeynkaed stopped in the air once again, pping her wings.

    Swish! Swish! Swish!

    Towards her floating body, the Death Knights threw their spears as the chimeras fired their thorns, and the harpies began to hurl stones.

    p!

    However, with a single p of her wings, all of the attacksing towards her lost their strength and fell from the sky.

    Jing!

    A clear resonance rang through the air as, at the same time, a bright light obscured everyone¡¯s vision. The sky behind Saeynkaed had been cloudy, the gloom hiding the sun.

    However, suddenly, the sun rose.

    Shine!!!

    A huge storm of mana gathered around Saeynkaed¡¯s mouth.

    ¨CI hope you find peace.

    Saeynkaed¡¯s slightly sad voice rang through the minds of everyone on the battlefield, and at the same time, the miniature sun that had finished condensing around her mouth shook, trembling with energy.

    Soon, the miniature sun broke apart and spewed out a huge light that could blind even the gazes of the Heroes.

    BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

    The return of everyone¡¯s vision coincided with an incredible noise as they were greeted with the sight of everything lit ame under the straight beam of fire.

    "Oh my god."

    Saeynkaed seemed to have used up all of her strength in that breath she had just released as she slowly began to plummet down. However, the dragon smiled as if she was satisfied.

    More than ten thousand monsters had died in one fell swoop.

    RUMBLE!

    However, the monster army itself was still alive as they continued to charge toward her as she sat on the ground. Saeynkaed''s appearance transformed back into her human form as she looked behind her.

    ¡°I have fulfilled yourmand.¡±

    Her role had been to be the vanguard, and she had only served to announce the beginning of the fierce battle.

    From now on, it was someone else¡¯s turn.

    Before anyone realized it, Lee Jun-Kyeong had appeared, standing next to Saeynkaed.

    ¡°You did well,¡± he said while raising a hand.

    At this moment, there wasn¡¯t even a single Hero standing next to him.

    ¨CJun-Kyeong, we¡¯ll be back.

    Instead, a massive white wolf and a vast white tiger were running forward, each bound shaking the ground as if there was an earthquake.

    ***

    "Oh my god¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang could only repeat that himself over and over as he looked at the scene before his eyes. Eventually, he came to his senses and looked around, noticing that everyone except for Lee Jun-Kyeong was still standing there.

    Moreover, all of them were quietly watching everything unfold with their mouths shut.

    ¡°...¡±

    He noticed somewhat haphazardly that they all would have been better off eximing like he did.

    Won-Hwa was looking nkly ahead as if possessed by something while some of the others were even clutching their chests, their faces pale as if they were suffocating.

    ¡®If it¡¯s this shocking for me, who¡¯s already gotten used to it¡­¡¯

    While traveling with Lee Jun-Kyeong, Jeong In-Chang had seen many things that could be called miracles. Things that seemed impossible for humans, or even any being, to do.

    However, once again, the same words came out.

    "Oh my god."

    The scene before his very eyes was worth such an exmation.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had opened the veil the previous time with a lot of difficulty, but he had just torn through the veil without any effort. On the other side, there was an army of monsters so massive it took their breath away.

    ¡°Saeynkaed will open the way.¡±

    Then, as they had spoken about prior, Saeynkaed ran out alone.

    Although Jeong In-Chang knew that she had been a Ruler and that she was a dragon, he was still anxiously watching her, who looked so frail and minuscule, run out alone toward the army of monsters.

    However, at that moment, the dragon appeared as if to say that his worries had been meaningless.

    Then, what happened next could only be described as one word: a massacre.

    ¨CROARR!!!!

    A wave of monsters were burning in a straight line, and the vanguard of the army of monsters was lit on fire with no end to the ze in sight.

    For a moment, he wondered.

    If he was there, on the side of the monsters, what would have happened?

    ¡®Just once¡­ I could have blocked that only once¡­¡¯

    However, that was all he could do. When the dragonnded on the ground and reverted to her human form, beings farrger than she began to invade the battlefield.

    RUMBLE!

    ¡°Princess¡­¡±

    The princess, who was hiding in Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms, pulled her head out and cooed in admiration.

    The monsters on the battlefield that Saeynkaed hadn¡¯t been able to handle were being trampled by the massive white wolf and white tiger.

    Neither the wolf nor the tiger howled. They simply silently swung their front paws and destroyed the battlefield with their quick movements.

    The camp of the army of monsters had already been destroyed by now, no longer a threat.

    Fenrir and Sangun still roamed the battlefield on all fours. The two divine beasts used neither mana nor magic, just destroying everything through their incredible bodies.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really be incredibly strong¡­¡±

    Fenrir had left with Ungnyeo and Sangun, who had been dead.

    Jeong In-Chang had heard roughly what had happened to them through the princess, who had found out after going to see Fenrir.

    ¡®They said that they had killed all of the Rulers¡­¡¯

    Apparently, Fenrir had ughtered all of the Rulers, almost as if he had been trying to release all of the anger that had festered after being captured by Odin. That was why people had called Ungnyeo, whom they had assumed to be the owner of the terrifying Fenrir, a witch.

    They thought she was the owner of the wolf.

    Then, they said that once several Rulers had entered Fenrir¡¯s stomach, Sangun had been resurrected.

    Jeong In-Chang paused.

    They had eaten Rulers.

    With that much power¡­

    BOOOOM!

    The ground struck by Fenrir¡¯s paw exploded, creating a thick cloud of dust.

    Inside the cloud was the fleshy outline of a monster that had exploded and scattered about.

    The camp of monsters copsed, but the signal that Lee Jun-Kyeong had mentioned hadn¡¯t yet appeared.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that the other side would have prepared just as they had, and without the sign, it meant that the other side still had something left from their preparations.

    Then, at that moment, they started to see something.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s!¡±

    Won-Hwa, who had been watching the massacre nkly with his mouth shut, pointed forward with wide eyes.

    ¡°...¡±

    Zeus, Horus, Athena, and those who had been watching the massacre while thinking about something were also shaken.

    Jeong In-Chang swallowed.

    ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary humans¡­¡±

    Behind the copsing army of monsters was a group of auras that they could all feel. Numerous ordinary humans were flocking to the battlefield.

    ***

    The battlefield that had been filled with only the sounds of explosions and the screams of monsters had a silence fall over it.

    Fenrir and Sangun, who had been running wild, returned, standing next to Lee Jun-Kyeong alongside Saeynkaed.

    Even though less than an hour had passed since the battlefield had opened, half of the army of monsters were dead.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    On the other hand, their side had suffered no damage, with only Saeynkaed panting slightly as if she was a little tired.

    Rather, Fenrir actually just had a happy expression on his face, as if he had just been taken out for a walk.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stroked Fenrir¡¯s head, who had shifted to the form of a small child, and looked ahead.

    ¡°Chwiiiik¡­¡±

    The monsters were making strange cries and moaning in pain, and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked toward the ce where the monsters were moving and opening a path.

    ¡°...¡±

    A bitter silence spread as Lee Jun-Kyeong also closed his mouth at the sight before his eyes.

    From the beginning, none of them had nned on messing about. This all had to end, and it was only just the beginning. The bastards before them had made their move just the way that they had expected.

    ¡°Move quickly!¡±

    A voice broke the silence, clearly belonging to a person speaking Korean.

    It was a sentiment clearly felt after the removal of the veil.

    Standing before them were Hunters. Many Hunters had remained in Korea, and they were people who should have originally moved to save Korea and its people.

    ¡°I said move!¡±

    However, they were herding ordinary people like livestock and putting them in the middle of the battlefield.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked away. The surviving monsters stood, forming a wall as the ordinary people rushed into their center.

    It was easy to tell.

    ¡®There are at least as many as those that had been brought by Ungnyeo.¡¯

    It was close to or even more than a million ordinary humans being whipped like cattle and showing up in a situation they had no part in.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled.

    Their purpose was simple¡ªlet the ordinary people take the lead to block their advance.

    ¡°Do you hear me? You can see this massive horde of ordinary humans, right?¡±

    Moreover, by taking the ordinary people hostage, they wanted to make them feel fear.

    ¡°Drop your weapons and surrender? There¡¯s no reason for us humans to get our hands dirty and fight one another!¡±

    They wanted to force Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others to surrender.

    The one who appeared to be their leader, the one who had shouted, was someone who Lee Jun-Kyeong recognized.

    He had been a Hero who belonged to Asgard and had been praised by the humans as an invincible Hero. Now, he was terrorizing Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others by taking ordinary people hostage.

    ¡°Lord Baldur doesn¡¯t want Hunters to die uselessly!¡±

    With strangely fluttering eyes, he continued to shout, using his mana as an amplifier.

    ¡°If you all cooperate, the world will be ours! You saw the monsters! Let''s not fight pointlessly! ¡°You guys won¡¯t be able to beat us anyway!¡±

    Moreover, throughout his entire speech, the lives of ordinary humans hadn¡¯t been mentioned, not even once. They were just hostages, just objects.

    No, those bastards had already crossed the river of no return. Lee Jun-Kyeong just stood still and didn¡¯t move as the Asgardian Hero shouted again at the top of his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to count to ten now!¡±

    It might have been because of his majestic mana, but his voice resonated throughout the entire battlefield.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t surrender even after counting to ten...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked behind him.

    He could see Jeong In-Chang¡¯s, Won-Hwa¡¯s, and Ungnyeo¡¯s agitated expressions, the expressionless faces of Zeus, Horus, and Athena, and even Merlin¡¯s and Arthur''s tightly closed lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all at once! It¡¯s a waste of my time to kill them one by one, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As he looked over at them, he continued to listen to the Asgardian.

    "One!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked ahead again.

    "Two!"

    At that time, hispanions, standing behind him, moved.

    ¡°Three!¡±

    They all split to the side, left and right.

    ¡°Four!¡±

    The army of monsters had moved aside for the ordinary humans

    ¡°Five!¡±

    Thepanions behind him had made a path.

    ¡°Six!"

    The bastard before them must have also noticed the change as his voice began to shake a little.

    ¡°Seven!¡±

    However, before he could continue, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s soft but somehow much louder voice echoed through the battlefield.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to count thest three numbers.¡±

    Jing!!!

    A blue gate suddenly appeared, along with a resonance that caused the entire world to feel like it vibrated, appearing in an instant.

    The man didn¡¯t even have the time to count to eight.

    ¡°Jormungandr.¡±

    Suddenly, he found himself face-to-face with the biggest snake in the world.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong''s voice resonated in the minds of ordinary humans.

    ¨CDo not worry.

 Chapter 242. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 2

    Chapter 242. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 2

    A blue gate had suddenly appeared before the Asgardian Hero could count to ten.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The Hunters standing opposite Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed surprised by the sudden scene as they were agitated and unable to keep their mouths shut.

    ¡°Puhahahaha!¡±

    However, the sound ofughter soon began to echo throughout the battlefield.

    Soon, one by one, theughing voices turned into sneers of ridicule.

    ¡°Pff¡­ pfft!¡±

    ¡°The hell is this? Nothing happened?!¡±

    ¡°And here I was, scared for no reason.¡±

    ¡°I thought you somehow controlled monsters like Lord Baldur or something.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it such a coincidence?¡±

    They allughed at the situation, amused by nothing happening.

    It was as they had said. Even though the gate had appeared right where the two factions had divided, nothing had changed. The surroundings were the same, and nothing appeared from within the doors.

    The Asgardian Hero who had shouted earlier could be seen with a sneer on his lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s ten! You son of a bitch!¡±

    Then, quickly running through the numbers he hadn¡¯t been able to finish earlier, he ordered his men to kill the ordinary humans, ¡°KILL THEM!¡±

    Shing!

    The loud shing sound of weapons being drawn was heard simultaneously as the ordinary humans began to scream at the sight of the Hunters with weapons in hand.

    ¡°Agh!!!!¡±

    ¡°P¡­please save me!¡±

    ¡°Please¡­!¡±

    As the Hunters moved to bring their weapons down on the ordinary humans with faces full of ridicule, the ground began to shake and tremble.

    BOOM!

    Unable to keep swinging their weapons, the Hunters suddenly stumbled from losing bnce due to the shaking ground.

    ¡°Wh¡­what is this?!¡±

    An unknown pressure had frozen them.

    ¡°This¡­ This is mana!¡± the Hero-Grade Hunters shouted at the sudden situation.

    ¡°This is impossible! In what world can you suppress this entire area with only mana?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ the Underdog¡­!¡±

    Moreover, they had realized that all of that mana was being exuded by Lee Jun-Kyeong alone.

    ¡°Ru¡­run away!¡± the Hunters began to shout with a pale face.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡¯

    They now knew that something unusual was about to happen.

    RUMBLE!

    The increasing rumbling was proof of their suspicions.

    However, none of them could flee as they couldn¡¯t move from the pressure of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana.

    It was only then that they had really started looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Although he stood still, doing nothing, by his side stood the white wolf who had shifted into the form of a child, the white tiger still in his massive form, and the woman who had transformed into the dragon that had created the sea of fire.

    The Asgardian Hero strengthened his eyes with mana and peered over at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face.

    ¡°We¡­we¡¯re going to die!¡±

    There wasn¡¯t even a hint of mercy on his expressionless face.

    Regardless of whatever was about to happen from this point on, the oue was inevitable.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to kill all of these bastards!¡±

    However, the Asgardian Hero still shouted, trying to grasp whatever lifeline he had left.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re trying to do¡­!¡±

    A smile spread across his lips once again.

    ¡°But we are standing among the ordinary humans! What, are you nning on killing us all?¡±

    It was as he said.

    Earlier, because the Hunter had counted to ten and his men had tried to kill the ordinary humans, they were all standing in one ce, intermixed with their prisoners.

    From their perspective, if Lee Jun-Kyeong were to try to kill them, the ordinary humans would also be swept away as coteral damage.

    ¡°If you surrender even now¡­!¡±

    The Asgardian Hero continued to bark threats in his current situation as he believed they would work.

    RUMBLE!!

    However, his voice was no longer heard by those around him as the noise of the cracking ground drowned out all voices.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM!

    A sound simr to an explosion struck everyone¡¯s ears as the Asgardian Hero looked ahead mid-shout.

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    Surprisingly, he found himself unable to see anything. Although he definitely had his eyes open, all he could see was darkness. A bright yellow eye appeared suddenly as he raised his gaze a little further.

    Click.

    It was overwhelminglyrge. The Hunter wondered, could something thatrge even be considered an eye at this point? That was hisst thought as he disappeared with the sound of something closing.

    CHOMP!

    Disappearing into the mouth of Jormungandr, the snake''s voice lingered in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    ¨CDon¡¯t worry, I will take care of these bastards.

    ¡°Agh!!!!¡±

    The screams of the Hunters, who hadn¡¯t been affected by the sudden disaster that had unfolded, rang out as what had appeared before them couldn¡¯t be called a snake. No, it was an indescribably giant serpent that had surrounded the ordinary humans and the Hunters. Then, the next sight that befell them all was terrifying as Jormungandr enveloped them all.

    ¡°It ate them!¡±

    ***

    Ordinary humans and Hunters alike entered Jormungandr¡¯s mouth.

    As it had eaten countless gates, strengthening its abilities, its stomach was no different from a dungeon. Using things it created within itself, it could protect ordinary humans while dealing with enemies.

    Thus, that was the current situation.

    Jormungandr had broken through the gate and consumed half of the enemy camp, among them a mix of monsters, ordinary humans, and Hunters.

    However, for the nearly a million ordinary humans that had only been enshrouded in fear, they could now say that they were safe.

    Just as it had in the beginning, it had created a massive blue gate once more with a tremendous explosion, sucking them all into its grasp.

    BOOM!

    The serpent locked eyes with Lee Jun-Kyeong and spoke.

    ¨CIt¡¯s quite difficult.

    Jormungandr¡¯s size had now grown to an indescribable size, bing a being that consumed the other dimensions they called gates and continued to live within one. Because of that, it was difficult for it to impose its incredible power outside of the gate¡¯s domain.

    ¡°Rest.¡±

    Even though only a part of its body had been dragged out of the gate, it seemed as though just moving alone had used half of its strength. Although the serpent had grown incredibly powerful, that strength had, in fact, be its weakness.

    ¡°You did good.¡±

    Still, it hadpleted what it had to do quite well, saving nearly a million ordinary humans and keeping them safe. Because of its actions, the biggest obstacle in their path had been fixed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked ahead.

    Not much time had passed since he had pierced through the veil¡ªabout an hour or two at most.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, that short time would have seemed as though it had been a millenia for their enemies. The monster army, which had seemed endless, had copsed, and more than half of them had disappeared.

    Saeynkaed¡¯s fire was still burning here and there as the footprints of Fenrir and Sangun were prominent in several areas of the enemy¡¯s camp.

    It wasn¡¯t just the monsters.

    ¡°We¡­we¡¯re going to die¡­!¡±

    Half of the Hunters that had taken the ordinary humans hostage had disappeared into the mouth of Jormungandr while the remaining half copsed onto the ground as if they couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened. Although there was no longer any mana keeping them bound down, they still stood in ce as if nails had been driven down into them.

    On the other hand, in the span of less than three hours in which the enemy forces had been utterly decimated, there was absolutely no change in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s camp.

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone just stood in ce and looked around at their surroundings.

    Shing.

    However, this was just the beginning. Lee Jun-Kyeong drew a spear. Testing its weight, it felt good in his hand, almost as if it suited him just as well as Muspel¡¯s Spear had.

    ¡®Is it the same?¡¯

    The spear in his hand was one that, by the hands of Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin, had consumed Mistilteinn and be perfect in the midst of its imperfect, unfinished growth. It had now abandoned the name of Muspel.

    Instead, it had consumed it.

    ng!

    A metallic sound rang from the spear''s tip as it grew an inch longer. This, too, was a new ability that it had obtained. With a new weapon came a new name.

    ¡°Surtr.¡±

    ng!

    Surtur embedded deeply into the ground as Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a massive mana flowing along the ley lines.

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    He let go of the shaft of the spear with a small sigh. At this very moment, he had just unlocked the massive amount of mana trapped within the ley lines, opening the bonds of the veins that had been sealed underground.

    Through Surtr, he conveyed the energy of fire into the store of mana.

    ROAR!

    The mana contained within the ley lines radiated through Surtr, causing soaring mes to erupt. mes spread further and further to the sides, beginning to form a magic circle as the Hunters found themselves unable to move, even after seeing the raging mes emerge around them.

    The moment they hade to their senses, all they saw around them was the searing mana mes that had entrapped them.

    ROAR!!!

    The battlefield was quite expansive, so much so that a million ordinary humans had been able to traverse around as legions of monsters rampaged around them. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had blocked that massive battlefield with mes throughout its entirety.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Surtr thrust into the ground for a moment.

    ¡°It''s now your turn, everyone,¡± he said in a small voice.

    At the same time, the voice of Jeong In-Chang, the person he trusted most in the world, rang in his ears, ¡°Leave it to us.¡±

    He, whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had been apart from for quite some time, stood right next to him.

    That wasn¡¯t all, either.

    Thud, thud, thud!

    Everyone passed by him and began to throw themselves through the mes.

    ¡°Run away!¡±

    Looking over at those on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side, their enemies thought that they, too, could escape the mes. However, it was just wishful thinking on their part.

    Drip. Drip.

    ¡°AGHHHHH!¡±

    Soon, desperate screams rang through the air as the sound of molten metal dripping echoed through the mes.

    ¡°Sorry, they¡¯re under my control.¡±

    There was no way the Hunters could escape the mes created by Lee Jun-Kyeong. The moment the mes escaped beyond the domain of the earth, they became under his thrall.

    Except for those who had obtained Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s permission, no one was allowed to cross, so the enemy Hunters were trapped in Hell.

    ***

    The monsters were ughtered. Although the Hunters resisted, the inescapable Hell had already descended upon them.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    ng!

    Whenever Jeong In-Chang swung his huge sword, an explosion burst forth. Among the flying debris, Lee Jun-Kyeong could see the enemy Hunters. Moreover, that wasn¡¯t all that he saw.

    BOOM! BOOM!

    He looked over at those beings that created such thunderous footsteps, which was a race that wasn¡¯t even human. The giants, who were not monsters, rampaged with all their might, destroying everything in their path.

    BOOM!

    Whenever blue mana burst out of their bodies, some of the enemy Hunters were vaporized into dust. There was nowhere to run.

    Drip.

    Those who threw themselves into the mes to flee only served to turn intova and flow onto the ground.

    The monsters, which had been their enemies at one point, but were now beings they depended on, were only letting out screams even more miserable than their own.

    There was nothing they could do, and it was only then that the Hunters realized.

    Those they were facing were elites that couldn¡¯t bepared to themselves.

    No.

    ¡°A¡­a Devil!¡±

    The man before them, the Underdog, was someone whose grasp of mes only fell short of the Demon King.

    He was a Devil.

    As their fleeting echoes lingered in the mes, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to move forward alongside Zeus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 243. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 3

    Chapter 243. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 3

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood with Zeus and looked back as the sounds of desperate screams buffeted them from within the walls of the mes.

    They could hear the sound of skin being torn and flesh exploding. As Lee Jun-Kyeong listened to the horrifying sound of hell, he looked away.

    Woosh!

    With the echoing of a wave, Surtr shot into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand. He had named this spear after the strongest technique that he had created. Even though it had been pulled out of the ground, the mes surrounding the Hunters didn¡¯t die down.

    From within it, he heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice in his head.

    ¨CGo.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice was filled with conviction.

    ¨CDo what you have to do. We¡¯ll take care of this here.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. The ones here were just bait, anyway. They were meant to hold onto his coattails, keeping him back even just for a moment.

    ¡®No, this was just for show.¡¯

    To be frank, all of this was meaningless¡ªfrom the legions of monsters to the Hunters, who were all Heroes. In fact, even ordinary humans were too.

    There was no way that the Demon King would think that they would have been able to hold Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others back. All of this had just been something that the Demon King had wanted to show him.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was something he could just ignore, which was why the others were helping him right now.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered.

    ¨CAlright.

    Jeong In-Chang had grown over the long period of time they had been together. He was truly now a Hunter worthy of the name Siegfried and had be his most trusted Hunter. Although the beginning of their fate together hadn¡¯t been great, Lee Jun-Kyeong was still thankful for the brotherhood that had emerged from then on.

    Thud.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward.

    Jeong In-Chang and Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s otherpanions would solve the problem here.

    ¡°We keep moving forward,¡± he said as those standing next to him nodded.

    ***

    ¡°You don¡¯t look good. Are you nervous?¡± Zeus said as they traveled.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had announced the start of the battle with an overwhelming disy of strength. It could be said that the situation was good, but Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression was still stiff.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t help but be nervous.¡±

    Everything really started from this point. What they would encounter from now on would bepletely different from what they had dealt with so far. At the end of it ally the Demon King.

    ¡°The Demon King¡­ Do I have any chance of winning at my current level?¡±

    Zeus, Merlin, and Arthur had also met the Demon King on the day that Ennd had sunk and disappeared from the map.

    Zeus responded without any hesitation, "No.¡±

    He asked instead, ¡°Would you be able to sink a great amount ofnd, like the entire ind of Ennd, with just one skill?¡±

    ¡°Can you subdue all of us without getting hurt?¡±

    His questions continued.

    ¡°Could you have caused all that had happened to Seoul?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong answered after Zeus¡¯st question, ¡°No.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t do it.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he had gotten stronger, so much so that he could be said to have be an entirely different species from what he had been in his original timeline. The same could be said even whenpared to how he had been when he had first returned to the past.

    He had grown every second, every day.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do those things.¡±

    Despite that, he couldn¡¯t do what the Demon King had done.

    Was sinking the ind of Ennd something a person could do?

    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think we don¡¯t have any chance of winning,¡± Zeus said, appealing to the immeasurable strength of the Demon King.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Still, Zeus smiled. ¡°We still have to try.¡±

    What he said was right.

    ¡°We have no choice but to try, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll put our trust in you.¡±

    Merlin and Arthur also spoke up.

    ¡°Dear Brother.¡±

    Even Horus called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You have more potential than you think. Although I know you are already incredibly strong¡­ I think you have the potential to grow even stronger, dear Brother.¡±

    Horus¡¯ voice was filled with conviction.

    ¡°I will put my trust in that possibility.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and looked at Athena.

    The bond between him and her wasn¡¯t that deep. Moreover, she was also said to be so cold-blooded that many often called her a robot. Although she was standing there without a single word, for some reason, her gaze that she cast over onto him was a little warm.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel her heart flutter through the look in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t any feelings of love or romance and was somethingpletely different from what he felt when he saw Ungnyeo looking over at him.

    Almost¡­ Almost like a warmth he was only receiving for the first time. Moreover, there was something else, as well.

    ¡®Longing¡­?¡¯

    It was something that even Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t understand.

    She was someone he would never be able to get close to due to what had happened in his original timeline, but even she nodded toward him without saying a word. Then, Athena looked over into the distance.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew what she was looking for.

    ¡®Seong-Gu Hyung¡­¡¯

    Heimdall was in Seoul. Lee Jun-Kyeong also looked into the distance with Athena as he stepped forward.

    Thud.

    After traveling like that for a while, everyone, as if they had nned it in advance, stopped in ce.

    Everyone here was among the strongest Hunters, Heroes among Heroes. They were beings that no one in the world could equal when it came to sensing the auras and mana of those around them. That was why they had stopped.

    ¡°The enemy.¡±

    Moreover, those enemies, whose presence was so strong that they had to stop, were soon approaching.

    ***

    The ce where the fierce battle had begun was between Guri and Mt. Acha. It had already been so devastated and destroyed that the army of monsters had been able to move about freely.

    However, this ce was different. Thend upon which Lee Jun-Kyeong was currently walking was near Ttukseom Ind, with a clear view of the river. The cityscape and society here remained intact.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions stood near Ttukseom Hangang Park. Towards them, footsteps approached.

    Thud. Thud.

    Each step was apanied by a strong aura of mana. Because they all were able to determine the figure of the other beings only using the emitted mana, they were all able to tell what those standing before them were.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Hunters.¡±

    ¡°Could there really be Hunters with this level of strength?¡±

    ¡°Not to mention that there are dozens of them.¡±

    They couldn''t help but wonder.

    From the feeling emitted by the mana, they could infer the enemies'' skills and the secret organization they were a part of.

    Surprisingly, they were all at the level of kings, which was the level of those standing with Lee Jun-Kyeong right now.

    ¡°It must have been some kind of trick,¡± Zeus said coldly.

    He knew information about hunters from all over the world, including the powerful secret Hunters that the secret organizations had wanted to keep hidden. He knew that there was absolutely no way that dozens of people of this level of strength were hiding.

    ¡°They must have been forcibly created.¡±

    Thus, those that had appeared before them so suddenly definitely were artificially raised to this level of strength. None of them could believe that such strength could just be created, but they also couldn¡¯t believe that dozens of such beings had existed without their knowledge.

    The approaching figures were getting closer and closer. Their steps felt leisurely, as if they all assumed a guaranteed victory.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke as he sensed their presence, his face frozen stiff.

    ¡°Rulers¡­¡± he said in a bewildered voice.

    Everyone¡¯s attention focused on those walking toward them.

    ¡°Rulers? No, that¡¯s not right,¡± Zeus responded. ¡°Those are definitely Hunters.¡±

    The external figures of Rulers, no matter how humanoid they were, would have a different appearance.

    Moreover, the mana emanating from within those approaching definitely had the signs of human mana. Therefore, Zeus was convinced that they were Hunters.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. But, those approaching were definitely Rulers.

    ¡°No, they are Hunters who have absorbed the powers of Rulers.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Saeynkaed standing next to him for a moment and then said, ¡°I am more sensitive to anything rted to Rulers than anyone else. Those are human Hunters, just as you said, Zeus. However, the power that they have¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s the power of Rulers,¡± Zeus interjected as if he was shocked.

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Zeus asked before immediately shaking his head.

    The question itself was meaningless.

    Regardless of whether they were Rulers or something else, not only did it not make any sense for Hunters to be artificially created like that, but they also already knew who was behind all of his madness. It was the man who had been able to sink the entire country of Ennd with naught but a single skill.

    ¡°If he was the one to do so, then I guess nothing is impossible.¡±

    Zeus, finally epting it, slowly drew his Thunderbolt. He had acquired a new title upon absorbing Chiwoo¡¯s power, Jupiter. With the unlocking of his true power, his Thunderbolt had also be stronger than before.

    ¡°Ungnyeo did say that the rulers of Korea had been weaker than expected and that their numbers were few.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about the number of Rulers in the other parts of the world, that didn¡¯t make sense, either,¡± Horus said in concert with Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that Horus had mentioned this before.

    In the region of the Middle East, that entirergend mass, the number of Rulers within the numerous veils had been unexpectedly small.

    ¡°The United States¡­¡±

    Moreover, Athena chimed in as well.

    ¡°It also had strangely few Rulers.¡±

    Her eyes looked over at Saeynkaed.

    ¡°If it was about the size of thend I was in, then as you said, there should have been a lot more Rulers. However¡­ It¡¯s true that the number of Rulers, including you, was smaller than expected,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while looking at Saeynkaed.

    ¡°Are you saying that they kidnapped the Rulers that were supposed to be around the world and used them as strengthening materials?¡±

    Zeus had judged the situation urately. They must have used the Rulers as strengthening materials for the Hunters.

    There had been too many candidates for the Demon King to choose from, as the number of Rulers had beencking in various parts of the world.

    ¡®Ennd.¡¯

    Ennd had been sunk under the water, but there were Rulers that should have appeared there, for example.

    If you included them with all the Rulers that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others hadn¡¯t uncovered¡­

    Then, could those Hunters that were approaching them at this moment really be all of the artificially produced Kings?

    ¡°Do you think those are all of them?¡±

    Everyone was silent at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question. None of them were able to answer with any certainty.

    ¡°Seon Gong Pil Seung,¡± said Zeus, who was standing next to Lee Jun-Kyeong.[1]

    However, when Lee Jun-Kyeong looked to the side, the Hunter had already disappeared. With but a single blink, a blue electric current drew a straight line in the air, so shingly bright that it was stinging to look at.

    ¡°A lightning bolt¡­¡±

    As Horus said, Zeus had be a single bolt of lightning thatunched toward the enemy camp.

    ***

    BOOM!

    The Ttukseom Hangang Park, which had still been in good condition before they had arrived, was in the midst of devastation. Naturally, in this situation, there weren¡¯t any idiots that woulde across and use the perpetrators of vandalism. As Ttukseom Station copsed, dust flew alongside the resulting explosion.

    BOOM!

    From the side came a shout, ¡°Freeze!¡±

    Merlin was freezing the water of the Han River and shooting it at the enemies. Possibly due to the cold winter weather, Merlin¡¯s ice seemed even stronger at the moment.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t made a move yet. At this point, it was only Zeus and Merlin who were dealing with the Hunters who had absorbed the powers of the Rulers.

    ¡°There will be no defeat.¡±

    As Arthur had just said, Lee Jun-Kyeong and hispanions were all sure of it.

    They wouldn¡¯t be defeated.

    1. ÏÈ¹¥±Ø„Ù is a Korean proverb that means the one to strike first is the one guaranteed victory. ?

 Chapter 244. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 4

    Chapter 244. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 4

    BOOM!

    An explosion ruptured close to Lee Jun-Kyeong and Arthur as an arrow fired by one of the Hunters who had absorbed the power of a Ruler fell in front of them.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong appeared leisurely, standing in the midst of it. He crossed his arms, not even taking a defensive stance.

    ¡°Oops.¡±

    A voice passed by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear so fast it was but a whisper.

    It was Zeus.

    Crackle!

    After Lee Jun-Kyeong heard his voice, a bright blue electric current hit the spot where the Hunter who had just fired the arrow was.

    BOOOM!

    As the currentnded on the ground, the explosion that followed was iparable to that of the arrow fired by the Hunter.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Screams quickly rang.

    ¡°...¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong listened to the screams, he was also observing the enemies. He knew they couldn¡¯t just leave them all to Zeus and Merlin and move on.

    ¡®More areing.¡¯

    Powerful Hunters with the strength of Rulers were approaching like a flood, and while he had no doubt that Zeus and Merlin could take care of them all, he wasn¡¯t sure Odin was. Moreover, there was also the missing Baldur.

    They had no idea if those two woulde here either. That wasn¡¯t the only reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t leave.

    ¡®Those bastards¡­¡¯

    He looked over at the Hunters, who had been strengthened by absorbing the powers of the Rulers.

    ¡°...¡±

    Saeynkaed was also looking over at them with a curiosity that was even greater than his own. Their existence in itself was contradictory, and they had to observe them carefully.

    ¡®While they can create Rulers¡­¡¯

    Instilling the powers of a Ruler within a Hunter¡­was something different.

    ¡°This was what Sponsors wanted the most,¡± Saeynkaed said.

    The Sponsors had always desperately desired to be able to rapidly strengthen the Hunters in a short period of time. Sponsorship from the Sponsors wasn¡¯t something that could be given all at once, and it was normal for Hunters only to be given what they could ept.

    ¡°These Hunters are exceeding the power that they should have.¡±

    By gaining the powers of a Ruler in an instant, they were able to receive rapid strengthening. How was something like that possible? What was their secret?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had one more question deep inside.

    ¡®Why do I feel such strange emotions when I see them?¡¯

    As soon as heid eyes upon them, his heart began to ache. He didn¡¯t know why or what that feeling could be. That was why he was still watching them.

    ¡°More areing,¡± Arthur said, breaking Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s train of thought. ¡°And they¡¯re even stronger.¡±

    Those that were approaching had mana levels much higher than the Hunters whom Zeus and Merlin were currently dealing with.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong properly observed the faces of those they were facing now.

    ¡®It seems that they are ordinary Hunters¡ªno, Hunters that had the potential to be Heroes that have epted the powers of the Rulers.¡¯

    After all, he could see among the people who were rumored to be Hero candidates.

    ¡°...¡±

    Arthur¡¯s stiff expression corroborated with what he thought. Zeus¡¯s and Merlin¡¯s victory, which they had already assumed would be guaranteed, might be difficult to bring to fruition.

    BOOM!

    As if there had been an earthquake, the ground cracked open, and explosions rocked the air.

    CLANG!

    Swords began to plummet down with a tremendous nging sound.

    ***

    The number of the Hunters who had appeared this time was quite small as there were only six of them. However, their skills were greater than all of the Hunters that Zeus and Merlin had been facingbined.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The enemies¡¯ weapons collided with Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt repeatedly, causing sparks of electricity to shoot in all directions.

    ¡®Those weapons should be melting right now.¡¯

    Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt was a divine weapon that emitted as much heat as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes. Thus, it was normal for any weapons struck by it to melt because they would be unable to ovee the force of the blow and the heat emitted. But these weapons were different.

    ¡°Is it because of their mana?¡±

    Intense mana was tightly imbued in their weapons, protecting them¡ªmana strong enough to block even Zeus¡¯ Thunderbolt.

    CLANG!

    Even with such mana imbued into their weapons, the Hunters¡¯ movement were still incredibly fast. To be able to imbue mana into their weapons and reinforce their bodies, all the while using skills, meant that their control of mana wasn¡¯t something that just anyone could do.

    ¡°As expected, they¡¯re Heroes,¡± Arthur said.

    All of thatbined revealed that these Hunters had been Heroes even before receiving the powers of the Rulers. Athena even seemed to recognize some of their faces.

    ¡°They were the elites of the Hexagon Guild, the number one guild in Korea.¡±

    Moreover, these Hunters also seemed to recognize Zeus, Athena, and the others.

    Even as Athena spoke, the battle continued.

    BOOM!

    Zeus took one step and soared high into the sky.

    Tak, tak, tak!

    As he rose into the air, the ground cracked into pieces and dozens of des emerged, intertwining amongst one another and forming a spear.

    CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!

    It soared through the air with a horrifying sound toward Zeus, who was floating in the air. Zeus stamped his foot once in the sky, standing on nothing as he quickly redirected himself.

    SCREECH!

    However, there was still more than one of the Hunters around him as an arrow flew towards him with a piercing sound. It was so big that it seemed incorrect to call it an arrow, resembling the Mistilteinn that Elfame had fired.

    CLANG!

    Zeus struck it down with Thunderbolt, but as if the giant arrow contained an enormous mana, Zeus lost his bnce for a moment after hitting the arrow and spun through the air.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    His gray hair flew freely through the air, but Zeus didn¡¯t let his guard down while trying to stabilize himself.

    At that moment, a cold and unfamiliar voice came from behind Zeus. ¡°Checkmate.¡±

    Although the Hunter that spoke had clearly been standing between the two that had just attacked him, he had moved behind Zeus¡¯ back at a speed so fast it was invisible to the naked eye. Zeus quickly turned around and raised Thunderbolt.

    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t avoid this, then.¡±

    However, the enemy¡¯s dagger had already made contact with the skin on Zeus¡¯ stomach.

    This surprised both Lee Jun-Kyeong and Arthur. Zeus'' skills weren¡¯tcking. Instead, the Hunter had moved in such a manner that none of them could even sense his presence.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯

    Still, neither Lee Jun-Kyeong nor anyone else moved.

    ¡°I guess you forgot,¡± said Zeus, feeling the cold touch.

    Before they knew it, the dagger had begun to pierce Zeus''s skin just a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m not alone here.¡±

    Thump!

    The sound of a blow was heard as the man who had stabbed the dagger toward Zeus''s stomach disappeared.

    Drip, drip, drip.

    In his ce, blood-red rain fell from the sky. Everyone looked over toward the side.

    ¡°It¡¯s just as he said. If you ignore me, things will be difficult for you,¡± Merlin said, having dealt with the Hunters who had appeared before the Heroes who had absorbed the powers of the Rulers.

    Having taken care of them, she rejoined Zeus and the others.

    ¡°It looks like he had put everything he had into concealment and speed,¡± Saeynkaed said.

    Merlin¡¯s attack had just been a small-scale spell that she had cast in the split second she had taken notice of Zeus¡¯ plight. It had just been a small magic cast to ward the Hunter off from stabbing Zeus, but the result was the Hunter turning into a bloody mess.

    ¡°Now I understand,¡± Arthur said.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also nodded.

    Although they hadn¡¯t understood all of their secrets, there was still one thing that they all knew.

    ¡°They¡¯re all unfinished.¡± Arthur''s cold voice rang through the air.

    He was right.

    ¡°All of their strength and potential had been transformed into one thing, the greatest ability the Ruler in question had.¡±

    It was clear that it was an important distinction to be had, as this meant that all of the pre-established abilities of the Hunters had been forcibly merged into one. In addition, because that power had been extremely strengthened in this manner, it had also achieved the same result as the rapid strengthening of the Hunters that the Sponsors had wanted.

    But they were unfinished products.

    "Hmph."

    Zeus snorted as if his pride had been hurt.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡± he said while looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°Yes, you can finish it.¡±

    Only then did a smile spread across Zeus''s lips. On the contrary, the expressions of the Hunters, who thought they had won against Zeus, turned harrowing and pale.

    ¡°Did you think I was being serious?¡±

    They had just realized that Zeus had been ying a trick on them all this time.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gotten all that we needed to know from you, we¡¯re done here.¡±

    All of that fake struggle had been just ying them to get information. However, that dagger seemed to have damaged his pride.

    ¡°I will kill you brutally.¡±

    Zeus unleashed his ferocious mana endlessly.

    ¡°And just take the rest of what we want from you from your bones.¡±

    Simultaneously, an electric current flowed from Zeus¡¯ entire body.

    CRACKLE!

    Thunderbolt was no longer visible in his hands.

    ¡®So that¡¯s the form of Jupiter¡­¡¯

    Just as Lee Jun-Kyeong had obtained the form of Surtr, Zeus had obtained his own form as well. No matter who came now, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t think they would be able to stop Zeus or even Merlin now.

    He looked toward the left.

    CRASH!

    Waves crashed all across the Han River, filled with mana. No one at this moment could forget who she was.

    ¡°Merlin, the Queen of the Lake.¡± Zeusmented, ¡°As expected, ourpatibility is the best,¡± Zeus said.

    WHOOSH!

    The river overflowed over the edge and torrented over the enemies. Within the tidal wave of the river, Merlin¡¯s figure could be seen assimting into the water.

    CRASH!

    She had also fully unleashed her mana and turned into water. That was the real thing.

    ¡°The Queen of the Lake...¡±

    Then, lightning crashed down upon the water-soaked enemies.

    BOOM!

    ***

    Crack!

    The ck charred object that Zeus stepped on broke and scattered in the wind.

    ¡°How disgusting.¡±

    It was the corpse of a Hunter who had held on with all of his might just moments before. Zeus'' face showed genuine fatigue.

    ¡°It really is¡­¡±

    As he said, they really had been beings for whom the word ¡®disgusting¡¯ was appropriate. While most of them had died instantly in the first attack that Zeus had struck them with after he had shown his full strength, two of them had still survived the aftermath.

    They all assumed that these two were those who had specialized in regeneration and defense because of how relentlessly they came back even after being hit hard enough to be killed. It was almost reminiscent of immortality.

    Eventually, the remaining two were left begging and begging to please be set free of their suffering. However, the only reason they had been put through such torture was just that it really had been that difficult to do so.

    ¡°These bastards aren¡¯t ones to show mercy to,¡± Zeus said after apparently seeing Lee Jun-Kyeong frown at the cruel sight. ¡°These bastards were famous for their evil deeds even before the world had gone to hell. You heard about that father-daughter murder case, right? It had been buried because this bastard was a promising Hunter.¡±

    He continued as he pointed at the ashes, ¡°It was these bastards over here. The others are simr too. All of those that I had recognized were criminals.¡±

    Thus, none of them worried about the cruelty after a moment.

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±

    Only then did Lee Jun-Kyeong smile slightly and nod.

    "By the way¡­¡± Merlin stood next to him while wiping the moisture off of her entire body. ¡°What else do you think could be left now?¡±

    They all looked in one direction toward Gangnam across the river.

    Everything that they had seen so far had been more than enough to be rming, but they couldn¡¯t get over the thought that there was still something left hidden.

    ¡°It must be the real stuff from this point on, right?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 245. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 5

    Chapter 245. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 5

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the ground he was currently standing on and the surroundings around him.

    Ttukseom Amusement Park, where the station was, had still been intact when he arrived. But now, it was no different from anywhere else.

    Whoosh.

    A breeze blew by, fueled by the mana in the air, as dust and debris flew everywhere. This ce was also in ruins now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not our fault,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    It was true that they had contributed to the destruction of the Ttukseom Amusement Park, which had still preserved its ties to civilization, but that was because of their enemies, not themselves.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we did this trying to point fingers about right or wrong,¡± Zeus said while shrugging. He smoothed out his long white hair that had be matted from battle.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be too long,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, taking a step forward. ¡°Until this ce returns to what it used to be.¡±

    When this battle was over, this would all end, one way or another. If they won, then the world would return to the way it had been before.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood in front of the Han River. As Merlin looked over at him, he nodded.

    Crack!!

    ¡°Let¡¯s cross.¡±

    The Han River began to freeze over with every rippling wave as the party moved, following Lee Jun-Kyeong in the lead.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp¡­¡±

    THUD!

    Contrary to the heavy breathing, the sound of the greatsword swinging cut through the air nonstop. The greatsword wreaked havoc wherever it swung. The enemies in its path were cloven in half and cut down before they were able to let out a scream.

    ¡°Gasp¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang took a shuddering breath as he swung his arm.

    Zzt.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM!

    An explosive stream of energy emanated from the greatsword and blew up everything in a straight line. It was the mana stream, the skill he had learned from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t as strong as Zeus or Merlin, but when it came to his ability to handle mana, he was more than on par with them.

    ¡°Gasp¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang swung his greatsword once more.

    Zeus and Merlin¡¯s ability to manipte mana was on par with those who were among the apex of the world. The only difference was the sheer amount of mana they had. However, Jeong In-Chang had found a way to bridge that gap.

    Squelch!

    Jeong In-Chang plunged his greatsword into the loose dirt.

    ¡°GRAM!!¡±

    The ground began to crack, splitting apart around Gram. The enemies that Jeong In-Chang and hispanions had defeated fell through the cracked ground.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    When he exhaled once again and drew Gram, the split earth fused back together again.

    ¡°Ah, I feel alive again.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''s face, which had looked exhausted, regained its color as he absorbed the remnant mana held within the corpses of his enemies. That was his method of restoring mana and his way of increasing the extent of his mana reserves.

    He stood and looked around. Thatsted only for a moment as he suddenly swung his greatsword in an instant and struck something.

    BANG!

    There was an intense pounding sound, followed by a screech, as the Hunters who had rushed toward Jeong In-Chang had been killed without being able to make a proper effort.

    BOOM!

    When he turned back again, a massive rupture sounded in his ears as fragments of what appeared to be humans scattered before him. In the epicenter of the impact, a cute little princess stood, looking over at him.

    ¡°Are you okay, In-Chang?¡±

    Unlike before, she no longer looked like an ogre. She now had a human-like appearance that was a little taller than Jeong In-Chang. However, looking at the blood flowing from her fist, it seemed as though her change in appearance hadn¡¯t affected her strength whatsoever.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a bitter smile. He looked around again.

    ¡°Agh!!!!¡±

    ¡°R-run away!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get pushed back, you bastards!¡±

    Hunters were shouting and screaming everywhere. In the end, they were acting the same as the ordinary people they had taken hostage.

    Flicker!

    Even if they wanted to flee from this havoc, the mes surrounding them still hadn¡¯t died down.

    BANG!

    Cornered and trapped like rats, they were slowly being wiped out.

    ¡°Are we done fighting?¡± the princess asked Jeong In-Chang, who stowed away his greatsword.

    Ssss.

    As Jeong In-Chang nodded, the princess¡¯ figure shifted as she returned to her doll-like appearance.

    Tap, tap, tap!

    The princess jumped into Jeong In-Chang¡¯s arms with the tiniest of steps. There was a strong smell of blood, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it wasing from him or the princess. Even if he could, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered.

    Swish!

    At that time, Jeong In-Chang lowered his head at the sound of small impacts ringing. It was clearly a sound that hade from something hitting him, but there was no pain.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Instead, Jeong In-Chang expressed his gratitude. Looking at him standing with the princess, covered in blood, Won-Hwa approached.

    ¡°It was nothing.¡±

    He had thrown some of his silver needles and restored Jeong In-Chang¡¯s natural state somewhat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest,¡± Won-Hwa said with a tired expression.

    Jeong In-Chang sat down in ce without saying a word. Although it was possible for him to replenish his mana through battle, the consumption of his stamina and mental strength was unavoidable.

    Their enemies were many, while they themselves were few.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Won-Hwa also sat down next to him. The serenity around them was so bizarre that it felt strange to say that there was a battle raging around them.

    ¡°It will be over soon.¡±

    The reason they were able to do so was because of the white wolf that was running around.

    ¨CHowl!!!!

    ***

    ¡°I think everything¡¯s been roughly sorted out, right?¡± Jeong In-Chang said while looking around.

    Thend around them had bepletely deste as piles of corpses were scattered everywhere. Every corpse was the body of a Hunter.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong had reduced their numbers significantly before he had left, the number of enemies that had remained after had still been considerable. And, all of those enemies had finally been in.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang turned away for a moment.

    No matter how much they were said to be enemies.

    No matter how great of sinners they were.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was still a terrible sight.

    In the past, before the advent of Hunters, there had been many wars in which people killed people. He wondered how different those horrors could have been from what he saw right now.

    ¡®No, this must be even crueler.¡¯

    Thinking that, heughed to himself bitterly.

    ¡°Whew¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to die,¡± said Heracles, who possessed immense stamina, as he stretched his arms.

    The enemies were strong and numerous. If it weren¡¯t for Fenrir and Sangun, the battle would have probably still been underway at this moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the other leaders had left, Jeong In-Chang had takenmand.

    ¡®Everyone, please follow Jeong In-Chang¡¯s instructions.¡¯

    It had been Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s request, so no one could refuse.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s rest a little.¡±

    Moreover, everyone followed as they all acknowledged Jeong In-Chang¡¯s strength.

    Heracles and Odysseus took their seats as the giants, Liu Bei, and his two brothers copsed on the spot, sighing from exhaustion.

    Woosh!

    Won-Hwa went around, treating each person.

    A blue wave of energy descended from the sky and boosted their stamina. It was Ungnyeo¡¯s influence, as she had been a part of the battle as well.

    While she healed the Hunters and giants with Won-Hwa, Jeong In-Chang exhaled and stood up.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    He seemed to be covered entirely in Won-Hwa¡¯s needles. Although he looked extremely exhausted, he had no injuries as he was getting used to controlling his Immortality Authority.

    ¡®It¡¯s not over yet.¡¯

    They had taken care of the Hunters they had been assigned, and the mes that Lee Jun-Kyeong had created were fading away.

    But it wasn¡¯t the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s what happens now that is the problem.¡±

    They all knew that things had begun for real. There was work left for them.

    ¡°You should get plenty of rest,¡± he said to everyone as those who were sitting shifted intoying down, taking deep breaths.

    What remained for them was a journey.

    ¡°We will be heading to Yeouido.¡±

    There should still be ordinary humans that were still alive.

    ¡°We have to save the rest of the ordinary humans.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others had gone to Gangnam, where the Association was located.

    Moreover, in either ce, there was the possibility that the Demon King might be there. Even if there was no Demon King, there had to have been someone there, guarding the ordinary humans.

    ¡°It looks like we might die¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered to himself while performing maintenance on his equipment.

    ***

    ¡°Do you think that the Demon King is in the Association?¡± Zeus asked.

    Currently, their forces were divided. No matter what anyone said, it was easy to see that their party was filled with their elite, while Jeong In-Chang and his group were somewhatcking inparison.

    That weaker group was supposed to be heading toward Yeouido and at the end of the path they were on, if¡­

    ¡°If the Demon King is in Yeouido, they might bepletely annihted,¡± Zeus said worriedly.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s party wasn¡¯t weak. However, it was still a foregone conclusion that if they met with the Demon King, they would still be annihted.

    ¡°If you have anything that you haven¡¯t said yet, please tell us.¡±

    Zeus was basically requesting Lee Jun-Kyeong to let them know if he had confirmed where the Demon King was.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s answer was different from expected.

    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that the Demon King is within the Association, but I¡¯m not certain about it.¡±

    Still, his location might not have been meaningful.

    ¡°Even if he¡¯s in Yeouido¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice was firm.

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang and his group won¡¯t be annihted.¡±

    ¡°Is there something you¡¯ve hidden or something?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed, as whenever he thought about that brat, he couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°Fenrir. Even if the opponent is the Demon King, he should be able to buy some time.¡±

    ¡°The wolf? He¡¯s definitely strong, but to consider him to that extent, well¡­¡±

    Although Zeus asked curiously, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t answer, rather moving forward with confidence in his gaze.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel the aura of the small fry anymore.¡±

    ¡°Most likely, the rest of them were sent to Yeouido.¡±

    ¡°Then that means¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°It means that there is a high probability of us facing someone here.¡±

    The forest of skyscrapers they stood in blocked the sunlight. It had been a while since they hade to Gangnam. Then, someone approached once again.

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    ¡°The real thing has appeared.¡±

    It was someonepletely different from the small fry they had dealt with so far. As the aura approached, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face hardened.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s not possible.¡±

    Then, something that sounded like Athena¡¯s screams rang out.

 Chapter 246. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 6

    Chapter 246. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 6

    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving soon,¡± said Jeong In-Chang

    A tall building in the distance marked their destination as everyone nodded.

    Yeouido.

    After a short rest, they had set off from where they hadst fought, soon arriving near the district.

    ¡°Everyone is gathered in one ce,¡± Heracles said.

    Just as he had pointed out, there were signs of the ordinary humans being gathered into one building. Having investigated, they realized the possibility that there was a trap set up to lure them in.

    Just as when the veil had been lifted and the Hunters took the ordinary humans hostage, the same could happen now.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Thrymr suddenly let out a small sigh as if something wasn¡¯t clear about the situation. However, Jeong In-Chang only moved faster in response.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    Even if there were a trap, they would have to go through it anyway, so it would be better to move quickly. Thus, Jeong In-Chang took the lead and walked forward.

    ¡°Huff.¡±

    However, Fenrir, in his human child form, also let out a small snort. Still, as Jeong In-Chang was the current leader, the party took his lead.

    Soon, they arrived at a golden building[1], the symbol of Yeouido.

    ¡°Mr. Lee should be doing okay, right?¡± Jeong In-Chang suddenly wondered. However, he immediately shook his head. If it was that group, they must be doing well.

    So, if that group was going to being back after solving their problems, Jeong In-Chang knew that they would have to finish their part too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± Jeong In-Chang urged the group once again.

    ***

    ¡°Thank you so much, thank you!¡±

    Inside the symbol of Yeouido that had stood tall despite the hell of the cataclysm was a cacophony of gratitude as families hugged each other and cried.

    ¡°Ungnyeo, please take care of them,¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a stoic expression.

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Although she had never stood at the forefront of the battle, Ungnyeo had always taken the lead in saving people. She motioned to a certain pair. They were Fenrir and Sangun, the two who could move this great amount of people. Moreover, to be able to protect them from harm, she also asked for aid from several Hunters.

    ¡°Please help those people as well.¡±

    An operation wasunched in order to rescue all of the people in the building as Jeong In-Chang asked the survivors about the situation as they moved. ¡°Is there anything you would like to tell us or the others?¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­thank you¡­¡±

    However, as they had been in pain for so long and were unable to maintain their sanity, none of them could give Jeong In-Chang the answers he wanted. All they had were gratitude, tears, and a desire to escape quickly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s scout the area.¡±

    Eventually, Jeong In-Chang just chose to reconnaissance, assuming that it was quicker for them to search on their own rather than asking people.

    Even after they entered the building, no enemies appeared. They had thought that there would have been a trap, but there seemed to be nothing that could stop them, as if the enemies had thought it to be a fruitless endeavor.

    There were only a few wandering monsters around, and they didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the army of monsters they had fought just after the veil. But that was why it all seemed even more ominous.

    Jeong In-Chang stated, ¡°We need to look closely.¡±

    Everyone agreed with him.

    Just what couldy in wait?

    ¡°There must be something here.¡±

    Was something waiting for them?

    Although there hadn¡¯t been anyone guarding the ordinary humans, they had been unable to leave the building. Even though it might have just been fear, Jeong In-Chang could see that something else was wrong.

    ¡®Their reactions are strange¡ªthey can¡¯t even answer properly.¡¯

    Eventually, they began their reconnaissance. First, their goal was to search through the inside of the building and rescue the ordinary humans who might have otherwise been left behind, while their second goal was to find the enemy.

    ****

    They had searched every nook and cranny of the building, saving many of the ordinary humans that had been lost or wandering around.

    However¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s no one here¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang muttered despondently. ¡°Not a single one of them is here.¡±

    He had used every method at his disposal, looking for any signs of the enemy. It wasn¡¯t just himself, either, but also all of the Hunters that hade with him. However, the building was full of only ordinary humans.

    ¡°There are no Hunters.¡±

    Not a single existence that could point to an enemy.

    ¨CThere aren¡¯t any issues outside, either.

    The voices of Thjazi and Thrymr could be heard.

    Due to the nature of the giants, they were unable to enter the building, leaving them to scout around the area, finding nothing.

    Thrymr¡¯s voice was heard again.

    ¨CI couldn¡¯t feel the aura of any Hunters in the first ce.

    When Thrymr had entered Yeouido, he had noticed something strange. Now, he realized that had probably been theck of any signs of Hunters. There was still one ce that they hadn¡¯t searched yet.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one ce left.¡±

    He was talking about the observation deck of the building. No one had gone up there yet. However, Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t tell why, but the ominous feeling still hadn¡¯t gone away.

    ¡°Everyone, stay alert.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t sense even the presence of a rat, let alone a human, when he released his mana to the utmost, but something was nagging him. It was almost like intuition.

    Ungnyeo, Fenrir, and Sangun were moving far away with the ordinary humans, so there was nothing for them to be worried about. The party slowly walked toward the observatory, going past the frozen elevator and up through the emergency exit slowly.

    Thud.

    Jeong In-Chang took a step forward, and the sound of the heavy weapons and armor clinking together echoed through the stairwell. When they opened the door to the observation deck, the ominous feeling reached its peak.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face had a stony expression.

    ¡°Ungnyeo, are you sure that there¡¯s nobody left in the building?¡± he asked, sending a message to Ungnyeo, far away, through mana.

    Then, in response, Ungnyeo¡¯s voice came clear as day.

    ¨CYes. There are no more ordinary humans left in the building.

    It was only then that Jeong In-Chang shouted loudly, his greatsword in hand.

    ¡°G-RAM!¡±

    Right in front of them, there he stood.

    ¡°You must be Siegfried.¡±

    ***

    Athena, who had stayed silent all this time, muttered in a flustered voice, ¡°N-no, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong and his group were frozen in ce. However, that onlysted for a moment as Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted happily.

    ¡°Hyung!!¡±

    A figure with a stylish face and shiny, bald head stood before them. It was Heimdall, who had headed for Seoul earlier.

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung!!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again. ¡°What happened? After you went to Seoul, we couldn¡¯t contact you anymore!¡±

    He had opened the veil and sent Heimdall, who had gone to Seoul to gather information, away. Soon after that, they had lost contact with him. But now, he stood before them.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly approached him with shaky steps.

    ¡°Most of the ordinary humans were rescued,¡± he said as he walked toward the figure. ¡°A lot has happened.¡±

    While Heimdall had been away, Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone to Anngr.

    ¡°I also got a lot of information about the Sponsors.

    He had found Saeynkaed and heard many of the tales from her.

    There was so much for them to talk about.

    ¡°What happened to you, Hyung? What about Odin¡­? And where is the Demon King?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a bright smile.

    Considering how long it had taken for Heimdall to reach them, there was no way that he hadn¡¯t gotten any information.

    ¡°Odin¡­¡±

    When Heimdall finally opened his mouth, Lee Jun-Kyeong was standing right before him. It was such a close distance that if either would extend an arm, they would be able to grab their opponent¡¯s neck.

    ¡°He¡¯s in Yeouido.¡±

    The faces of the party hardened at the answer that came from Heimdall¡¯s mouth, but Lee Jun-Kyeong still maintained a small smile and responded quietly, ¡°Fenrir is there. What a relief. We were worried it was going to be the Demon King.¡±

    This time, Heimdall didn¡¯t reply. The two men stood quietly. None of the other members of the party could rx a nerve.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, ¡°Hyung, it¡¯s not, right?¡±

    It was a simple question. It wasn¡¯t: ¡°What side are you on?¡± No, it was just Lee Jun-Kyeong asking him to say he wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, Heimdall stood silent.

    ***

    ¡°G-ram!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s reactions were quick.

    Someone was sitting at the observatory and the cafe there, looking over the panoramic view of Yeouido. As there was an eyepatch covering one of his eyes, it was clear that the man was Odin.

    WOOSH!

    At the same time that Jeong In-Chang cast Gram, merging with his greatsword, Gram itself shot towards Odin with a wave of destruction.

    BOOM!

    Intense waves of mana and wind swirled.

    RATTLE!

    The force was so intense that it even shook the extremely sturdy windows of the observatory.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good wee.¡±

    However, Odin¡¯s voice hade from behind him. Jeong In-Chang quickly turned around and settled into a defensive stance, holding Gram aloft. Unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t a subsequent attack that followed.

    It was only then that Jeong In-Chang took a look at his surroundings, seeing Won-Hwa, Heracles, Odysseus, and even Liu Bei and his brothers kneeling on the ground, weighed down by Odin¡¯s mana.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    However, they soon slowly stood back up, resisting the pressure of Odin¡¯s mana.

    ¡°You¡¯reter than I thought. Or was your perception just better than I thought?¡±

    Odin was wondering if they had subconsciously realized he was there at the observatory and unconsciously came upst. Jeong In-Chang stiffened in his defensive stance as hispanions were still struggling to ovee Odin¡¯s mana.

    Odin passed them and approached the window once again. Just moments ago, cracks had begun to appear in various parts of the pane due to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s blow.

    ¡°The end ising soon,¡± Odin said, looking out the window.

    ¡°Odin,¡± Jeong In-Chang said. ¡°What is your true purpose?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Siegfried. I never knew you could ask questions. And here I thought all you amounted to was the Underdog¡¯s puppet.¡±

    Despite Odin''s provocation, Jeong In-Chang just waited for an answer.

    Odin smiled kindly and looked out the window again. ¡°I wish for all of the Sponsors to die.¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    His answer was so simple. But that was why Jeong In-Chang couldn''t understand it.

    ¡°Then, are you saying that the Demon King¡¯s purpose is to kill the Sponsors, too?¡±

    ¡°Well, you could say that.¡±

    ¡°If I do?¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t you think this sort of situation wouldn¡¯t ever have happened?¡±

    ording to Odin, if the Demon King had protected Seoul and united the Hunters like he was supposed to have done originally, then he and Lee Jun-Kyeong would never have collided. Both of their purposes would have been to kill the Sponsors. That didn¡¯t mean that they would have had to be on opposite sides.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    However, all Jeong In-Chang heard was Odin¡¯s cold voice.

    ¡°Do you even understand this long and far-reaching story?¡±

    There was clearly mockery hidden in his voice.

    Jeong In-Changughed in response as Odin made a puzzled face.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked before quickly shaking his head.

    At that time, Jeong In-Chang also wiped away his smile and spoke coldly, ¡°From the very beginning¡­¡±

    He looked beyond Odin.

    ¡°I had no intention of trying to understand you.¡±

    It was only then that Odin had felt theing aura and turned around.

    ¡°...!¡±

    SCREECH!

    All the windows of the observatory broke as there was a loud noise, the rushing wind sucking them in like a tsunami in the ocean, opening its jaws to the depths of the ocean. There, a long chain shot through the sky, tearing through space.

    Ssssss!

    ¡°I found you,¡± Fenrir¡¯s voice came from the air.

    1. 63 Square, which is arguably the most famous skyscraper in Korea. ?

 Chapter 247. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 7

    Chapter 247. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 7

    ¡°It¡¯s not, right?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked the silent Yeo Seong-Gu again.

    Still, there was no answer.

    ¡°...¡±

    Footsteps could be heard from behind Lee Jun-Kyeong, but at the same time, he could hear Zeus speak out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t approach them.¡±

    Most likely, Athena had tried to approach. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t look back at her and continued to watch Yeo Seong-Gu as he asked once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, right?¡±

    This time, too, there was no answer.

    ¡°Why are you making that face?¡±

    All he could see was Yeo Seong-Gu looking at him with a very guilty expression.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled again.

    There was no way. There couldn¡¯t be any way. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any doubts. There were the memories of the past that Odin had shown him and so many other questions.

    So, it wasn¡¯t that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t doubt Heimdall. Just, still, he wanted to hear an answer from him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not, right?¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly began to take a step, the voices of Zeus and Heimdall could be heard at the same time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go forward.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te here.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped mid-step.

    Then, he responded in a cold voice, ¡°I already know.¡±

    The weing smile on his face was no longer there. Heimdall¡¯s face darkened a little when he noticed this.

    ¡°You, right here¡­¡±

    Soon, he, too, spoke in a cold voice.

    ¡°Me, right here¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, trying to interrupt.

    ¡°This is where we were meant to be from the beginning,¡± Heimdall finally dered.

    ***

    ng, ng, ng, ng!

    The chains flew toward Odin, apanied by the deafening sound of metal shing.

    CRACK!!!!

    In the tall building with 63 floors, the shattered windows were buffeted by a wind that raged around like the winds of a ck hole. The owner of the chains was floating outside the window with a chain wrapped around his left hand.

    Zzt!

    Then, looking up, they saw the eyes of the owner, cold as that of a grim reaper.

    ¡°Looks like he missed you, too.¡±

    A boy with white hair, Fenrir, spoke as if he was pronouncing Odin¡¯s death.

    Gleipnir was the name of the chain wrapped around Fenrir¡¯s hand and was the item infinitely close to that of a divine item that had been forged by Odin. Now, the pseudo-divine item that Odin had created by melting Hunters as the materials was constricting its own creator.

    ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t even recognize your own master,¡± Odin spat coldly before radiating waves of mana.

    tter!

    Gleipnir, which had been squeezing him so tightly, momentarily lost its strength and copsed to the floor as Odin¡¯s body disappeared.

    ¡°How dare this little mannerless brat?¡±

    He suddenly appeared behind Fenrir¡¯s back and, at the same time¨C

    BANG!

    With a violent explosion, Fenrir disappeared. Jeong In-Chang moved quickly, trying to catch the flying Fenrir.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Surprisingly, Fenrir suddenly was standing in front of Jeong In-Chang, unharmed.

    nk, nk.

    Although Fenrir had been struck by Odin, there was a clear ring as Gleipnir protected him.

    ¡°Gr¡­¡±

    Finding his bnce, Fenrir stood tall, his teeth bared. Odin was floating outside of the broken window, and their locations were switched from before.

    ¡°It seems my lessons back then werecking,¡± Odin¡¯s cold voice said, cutting through the wind. ¡°And here I thought that Gleipnir would have killed you¡­¡±

    His eyes shifted to the chain wrapped around Fenrir¡¯s arm. ¡®This is beyond my expectations.¡±

    Then, he smiled as a strange desire began to emerge across his face. Most likely, he found a twisted pleasure stemming from the curiosity that emerged from learning about something that he had created betraying him.

    ¡°Now, you¡¯ve rebelled enough;e back to me,¡± Odin said, extending a hand. ¡°My child.¡±

    Slink, slink.

    Then, the chains wrapped around Fenrir''s arms began to loosen.

    Odin looked pleased. ¡°Do not try to escape your Creator.¡±

    Gleipnir was a weapon that he had created, and as such, it wouldn¡¯t be able to escape his grasp¡ªor, at least, that was what he seemed to think.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Odin''s eyes widened. The chains that hade loose off of Fenrir¡¯s arms suddenly melted into a puddle and reformed. Then, just like that, a boy made of steel who looked just like Fenrir was ring at Odin as he spoke.

    ¨CNo.

    Odin looked at him with wide eyes, soon letting out a roar ofughter as a strange heat flickered in his eyes. A weapon that he himself had made¡ªit had betrayed him.

    ¡°Did you copy your host¡¯s body? How interesting! Now¡­!¡±

    ng!!!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you were able to copy its abilities as well.¡±

    Even at this very moment, Odin¡¯s curiosity brought him Madness.

    ***

    BANG!

    Smoke was emitted out of the top of the building, which served as the symbol of Yeouido.

    BANG!

    As the building shook amid the rushing chill of the harsh winds, explosions erupted one after the other. Green light, white light, and the sh of steel burst out once after another, embroidering the sky.

    ¡°In-Chang.

    A single drop of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Fenrir wiped it away as he spoke to the person by his side.

    ¡°Gasp¡­gasp¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked at Fenrir while holding Gram as a fierce battle had begun with Odin.

    ¡®He¡¯s a monster¡­¡¯

    Although it had onlysted a few minutes so far, Jeong In-Chang realized once again how powerful Odin really was.

    CLANG!

    Although Fenrir and Gleipnir, two people stronger than him, were attacking Odin one after the other, the older man was leisurely countering their attacks. In addition, Jeong In-Chang also joined the battle, attempting to take advantage of any opportunity he saw, but his entire body shook just from the aftereffects of the blows that urred.

    ¡°Get out of here,¡± Fenrir said.

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at him as if to say, ¡®What the hell are you saying?¡¯

    However, he could see it in Fenrir¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If you stay here¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had been with Fenrir for a long time. However, the boy in front of him was apletely different beast from the one he had known all this time. He felt goosebumps sprout all over as he involuntarily shrunk back. The bloodlust emanating from Fenrir¡¯s eyes was enough to scare even Jeong In-Chang after his incredible rise in strength.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be in the way.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at him angrily.

    ¡°Protect the princess, instead.¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    However, hearing Fenrir¡¯s sentences one after another, he had no choice but to swear.

    Fenrir was right. In this fight, he was nothing but a hindrance. It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t realized it, and he wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    His groaningpanions¡ªthey, too, were merely obstacles that hindered Fenrir in this battle. That was why Jeong In-Chang felt so resentful.

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    He wondered what the hell he had done all this time. When everyone else was growing and doing their best in their respective roles, he had to run away once again. Not only could he not help hispanions, but his very existence had also be a hindrance to them. A sense of self-deprecation and a deep hole of emptiness suddenly appeared within him.

    At that moment, Fenrir called out to him.

    ¡°In-Chang, you¡¯ve done enough,¡± he said.

    Crack!

    Jeong In-Chang looked over at Fenrir, who was still battling with Odin.

    ¡°We just have different roles.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang thought to himself, ¡®When did Fenrir be so good at speaking? When did Fenrir learn how tofort people?¡¯

    ¡°I am Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear.¡± A smile slowly appeared on the boy¡¯s lips. ¡°And you are Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shield.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Thud!

    Fenrir looked at Jeong In-Chang, who suddenly found himself unable to breathe. Something began to boil in his chest. Finally, Jeong In-Chang nodded.

    Bang!

    At the same time, he stomped on the floor and disappeared.

    Thepanions who had copsed on the floor and were groaning in pain were suddenly in his arms as Jeong In-Chang said one final thing without looking back, ¡°You have to win.¡±

    Fenrir was right. He was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear, while Jeong In-Chang¡­

    He was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shield. The duty of a shield was to do his best to protect the things that Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to protect. His own abilities were perfectly suited to doing so. Lee Jun-Kyeong probably knew that, too, and that was why he had been sent here.

    In addition, Fenrir had mentioned ¡°the Princess.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, In-Chang.¡±

    "Let''s go."

    Jeong In-Chang moved quickly, handing over hispanions, who were barely holding on, to the princess. The princess also looked back for a moment and spoke before disappearing.

    ¡°You have to win.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¨CIs it done now?

    It was their newest member, the one who had tried to kill Fenrir, who had used to be Odin¡¯s restraints, Gleipnir.

    Now, the boy was talking to Fenrir himself and was even taking on a simr form. The chain had no ego, just a will for revenge against Odin and the basic instincts of a bug. In fact, the ego of the chain was being fueled by something else.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best, Sangun.¡±

    It was Sangun¡¯s soul. Fenrir bared his teeth.

    Woosh!

    The cold wind of the winter day filled the observatory as Jeong In-Chang seemed to be quickly going down the emergency exit, disappearing. Now, it was the real beginning.

    Crack!

    The ground underneath Fenrir¡¯s foot was crushed miserably as his long white hair began to grow even longer. Before they knew it, the little boy had suddenly be a fully grown adult.

    ¡°I will kill you. Odin.¡±

    ***

    Creeean!

    The building with 63 floors was copsing as the building, a mark of civilization, began to lean awkwardly as it could no longer withstand the repeated explosions.

    CREAAAAK!

    The building fully copsed as explosions continued to wrack its walls. Within it, slightly different ruptures ruptured around everywhere.

    BANG!!

    What appeared was a young man with white hair, a boy with a body of steel, and finally, a single eye drenched in madness.

    ¡°How amazing! Really, how amazing!!¡±

    The three moved around, trying to kill each other. Every move was so fast that even the sharpest eye wouldn¡¯t be able to track any of them. This time, rather than the form of a wolf, Fenrir took on the appearance of a young man, one he had never shown before.

    Nevertheless, Fenrir¡¯s arms retained the strength of his wolf form. His legs moved even faster than when he was a wolf. It was a fight absent any fancy skills or magic. It was just a battle of the flesh¡ªto kill the enemy using one¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    Bang!

    Listening to Odin¡¯s roar, Fenrir joined forces with Gleipnir. During the time that Gleipnir had merged with him, the chain had evolved to obtain Fenrir¡¯s appearance and had even gained some of his abilities. With the addition of Sangun, they had gained the strength to fight Odon.

    Moreover, it was the same for Fenrir, too.

    Crack!!

    The goosebumps that had risen on Fenrir¡¯s body turned to steel and began to cover his skin.

    ¡®Me, too¡­¡¯

    Fenrir had also gained a lot from Gleipnir. Gleipnir and Fenrir made eye contact.

    Bang!

    They flew in opposite directions and stopped in ce.

    ¡°I guess I should begin to really try, then!¡± Odin shouted.

    ¨CNo.

    "No," the two spoke in cold voices.

    ¡°This time.¡±

    ¨CYou will die.

    The two wolves, baring their fangs¡ªno, the young man and the child threw themselves towards Odin at the same time.

 Chapter 248. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 8

    Chapter 248. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 8

    Bang, Bang, BANG!

    Alongside the explosions, Odin¡¯s gasps could be heard.

    ¡°...Ugh¡­¡±

    All of a sudden, Fenrir and Gleipnir¡¯s positions were switched. Although the two had circled around him, Odin had beenpletely unable to see their movements.

    At this moment, Odin wasn¡¯t holding anything back. But for him to be unable to follow their movements even after doing so could only mean one thing.

    ¡°Does this mean the two of you are faster than even my senses?¡±

    Odin took a second to look down at himself. A longceration circled around his body, digging deep into his chest and around to even his back. Still, due to the nature of Apex-grade Hunters, he was beginning to heal slowly.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¨COnly the start.

    However, as the two of them said, this was only the beginning of their true assault.

    Odin drove his mana one level higher. Although it was true that he wasn¡¯t holding anything back, that didn¡¯t mean that he had been able to unleash all of his mana output at once.[1]

    As if he was an engine warming up, the mana in his system gradually increased.

    sh!!!

    His senses became clearer, but before he knew it, his two opponents had switched positions once again.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    More intense pain than before made him tremble. Although he had concentrated his senses to the utmost degree and tried to counter their attack, he was only left with deepercerations for his efforts.

    Drip, drip.

    Moreover, the wound, its edges more clearly defined than the previous one, began to flow with blood.

    Odin realized it now.

    ¡®I¡¯m not even recovering anymore.¡¯

    It seemed as though Fenrir¡¯s and Gleipnir¡¯s attacks were imbued with a mana that reduced recovery.

    Odin looked over at them again who were standing expressionlessly. Even though they both looked like humans, the bloodlust that emanated from within those gazes were like they were from beasts, reminding him of starving wolves.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Odin exhaled again and raised his mana one level higher as mana flowed from him in a green hue.

    Crack!!!

    At that moment, as if they couldn¡¯t wait any longer, they moved.

    ng!

    However, after a single cracking sound, a series of metallic shes rang out.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Cough!!¡±

    Two moans of pain rang at the same time.

    One was Odin¡¯s.

    ¡°Gleipnir?! Are you okay?¡±

    The other belonged to the boy made of steel. Odin had hit him. It had only just been for a moment, but he had been able to see their attack.

    ¡°This¡­ this is bing dangerous.¡±

    Odin¡¯s expression became even more stony.

    He had thought that now that he had unleashed everyst drop of his power, he would be able to see their attack. In part, he had been right, as after being able to see Gleipnir¡¯s blow, he had even been able to counterattack. But, that was all he had been able to do.

    ¡®That brat¡­¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t see that silver-furred wolf in the appearance of a human teen, so it was dangerous. He could feel the true gravity of the situation.

    Woosh!

    A gust of wind began to stir. The green wind filled the air as a gale consumed the space where Odin stood and began heading towards Fenrir and Gleipnir as well.

    ¡°I admit it.¡±

    The two took a small step back, floating into the sky, as they felt as though they would be consumed by theing gale.

    ¡°You two are the ones in danger though.¡±

    Odin''s voice cut through the gust of wind.

    BANG!

    Soon after, the gale swirled and scattered along with an explosion of wind. Where it had been, Odin stood.

    ¡°¡­I never thought I would have to show you this.¡±

    Unlike before, when he had been wearing an ordinary coat, now, he was outfitted like a true warrior. Wearing a golden armor and holding a golden spear, there was not a single part of him left uncovered.

    Fenrir and Gleipnir moved, judging that they couldn¡¯t leave Odin toplete his transformation.

    ng! ng!

    However, the sound of metal shing came one after the other. But it wasn¡¯t Odin who was the one who had blocked the blows.

    ¡°...!¡±

    What stood in Fenrir and Gleipnir¡¯s path were other humans¡ªno, they looked too¡­cold to be called humans.

    ¡°Valkyries.¡±

    They were female warriors who looked as if they were forged weapons, like Gleipnir. They were covered entirely in bandages, and the wings that sprouted from their backs pped menacingly. But, what was even more surprising was that these so-called Valkyries were able to block an attack that had been strong enough to wound Odin.

    Odin winked.

    ¡°These Valkyries aren¡¯t meant to deal with you.¡±

    At the same time, the wings on the backs of the Valkyries pped hard, their figures disappearing.

    Squelch!

    Fenrir quickly tried to chase after them, but his eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his arm. Something had moved at a speed that even he didn¡¯t notice¡ªthe golden spear that Odin had been holding was pierced into his forearm. Nevertheless, he raised his head and chased after the Valkyries.

    ¡°No, In-Chang!¡±

    He knew they were going after Jeong In-Chang and hispanions. If they were weapons powerful enough to block his attacks, it would be dangerous for the others.

    ¡°How exciting,¡± Odin said.

    What he wanted was to put pressure on Fenrir and Gleipnir and make them impatient.

    ¡°If you want to save them, you¡¯ll have to defeat me faster.¡±

    Odin was a master of psychological warfare. As he smiled, a terrifying wave of mana was emitted.

    BOOM!

    ***

    ng!

    With a terrible screeching noise, Jeong In-Chang grit his teeth as hard as he could. A tremendous amount of power was coursing through Gram. Even though Won-Hwa and the others were helping him, he had no choice but to scream.

    ¡°AGHHHH!¡±

    That was how ruthless their attack was. The Valkyries looked like winged angels that were covered entirely in bandages, but their attacks were no different from those of the devil.

    Shhhing!

    They raised their swords and stabbed in his direction. Seven des struck at the same time.

    ¡°Gram¡­!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted, then somehow mustered up his strength to fend off the blow.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Several swords collided with Gram and bounced off.

    Ssssss!

    However, the rest phase shifted as if they were ghosts, passing through Gram to reach Jeong In-Chang. Just as they passed through his weapon, the swords also passed through Jeong In-Chang. While it seemed like nothing had happened, a terrible pain came over him.

    ¡°UGH!¡±

    The swords that had passed through Gram didn¡¯t tear flesh but cleaved mana, blocking the flow of the mana stream and causing immense pain.

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang!¡± Ungnyeo shouted, shaking the bell.

    Ring!

    With the ring of the bell, the Valkyries, who were swinging their ghost swords, retreated. It was only for a moment as they readjusted their stance once again and prepared to attack. All he could do was wait for the next attack.

    ¡®What can I do¡­¡¯

    Was that really it?

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to try to attack the Valkyries, but rather, the moment he stopped holding them back and pulled Gram out of the magic formation to swing it about, hispanions would suffer.

    Thepanions had exhausted their strength in battle with Odin, and they were also fighting the Valkyries by his side¡ªif he attacked the Valkyries himself, they would just p their wings, dodging to move towards hispanions.

    ¡®I am the shield.¡¯

    Fenrir had told him that he was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shield. But judging by what was going on around him, it was different.

    In the sky, Odin, Fenrir, and Gleipnir were fighting. Fenrir, who had been pushing Odin back, was facing a counterattack at the same moment the Valkyries appeared.

    ¡®His focus is split on us.¡¯

    Fenrir was a wolf, and Gleipnir, having taken on Fenrir¡¯s characteristics, was also a wolf. Wolves were beasts who chased down their prey and ughtered it.

    Unfortunately, at this moment, the situation was theplete opposite. Odin had made the wolves impatient by attacking Jeong In-Chang and the others, and as a result, the wolves had turned from the Hunters to the prey.

    Fenrir was the spear while Jeong In-Chang was the shield. However, a shield that kept a spear from being able to thrust forward properly was a useless piece of trash.

    Crack.

    Even though the Valkyries hadn¡¯t attacked yet, Jeong In-Chang bit down hard again. He felt resentful. Not only could he not even participate in the fight against Odin, but he also couldn¡¯t even handle the Hunter¡¯s creations properly.

    These bastards weren¡¯t weak. The Valkyries were, in fact, so powerful that he wondered just when in the hell Odin had even hidden something like this. Seeing these living weapons that were as strong as the Rulers made him think that if Odin hadn¡¯t joined the other side, Korea would have been alive and well.

    However, no matter what, right now, he had to stop them.

    Grit.

    He was the shield and that was something he couldn¡¯t forget. Even though he may not have been able to attack the enemy, he had to protect what needed to be protected.

    Split!

    When he had finally affirmed his convictions, there was a sound of clothes being torn as, at the same time, the Princess, who had been waiting for an opening within his bosom, disappeared.

    ¡°Princess?"

    Woosh!

    As if they had sensed something changing, the Valkyries quickly tore through space and approached. Jeong In-Chang tried to block them once again, raising Gram.

    ng!

    Now, that same metallic ng from before had be different now.

    BOOM!

    There was an explosion. Although he was sure that he had only tried to block the blow, he could see smoke rising from the first Valkyrie that attacked him. Moreover, at the same time, in both of his arms and from the Gram that was held in his hands, he could feel an incredible force.

    "This¡­¡±

    It was something that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. Almost as if it was his but, at the same time, someone else¡¯s.

    [<siegfried> blesses you.]</siegfried>

    His Sponsor.

    [The Princess has merged into you.]

    [Due to the excellent assimtion rate, the Princess¡¯ strength can be used.]

    [<siegfried> has awakened the true power of the Princess.]</siegfried>

    His Sponsor, who had been quiet until now, hade forward. His questions about the Sponsors and his doubts¡ªJeong In-Chang put them off. For now, he would only be faithful to his role as the shield.

    ¡°You will not pass!¡±

    ***

    Fenrir, who had knocked off Odin¡¯s spear, looked at the ground and said, ¡°In-Chang¡­?¡±

    The explosion that he had felt right now had definitely been a change that had helped to calm his impatience. On the contrary, it was something that instead made Odin¡¯s impatience grow.

    ¡°A Sponsor¡­?¡±

    Fenrir hurriedly looked at Gleipnir, making eye contact with the boy, who looked exhausted. Thinking that they had to take Odin down quickly to keep Jeong In-Chang from dying, they had overexerted themselves, causing them to take a lot of damage. But things were different now.

    Their gazes met as the wolf and the boy nodded their heads. They hadn¡¯t been together for that long, but the time that the two had spent together had been as one. Thatmunion grew even stronger with their singr desire to destroy Odin.

    ¡®We¡¯ll kill him.¡¯

    They were ready to kill the person who had caused Fenrir to suffer and who had created Gleipnir. They would do this to end him.

    ¨CLet¡¯s go.

    Now was their opportunity. Jeong In-Chang may have gained strength, but it was an iplete one. There was no more time; their only chance was now.

    Odin had felt it, too, as the mana emanating from him became explosive. He had also realized that Fenrir and Gleipnir had decided to end things.

    ¡°Asgard.¡±

    He took out thest card that he had as a brilliant golden light embroidered the sky: His Territory, the secret organization behind Korea.

    A golden castle began to appear in the air over Yeouido.

    1. There¡¯s a concept in Eastern philosophy that essentially boils down to your full power output actually only being 80%, where thest 20% is only essible when there is no going back or on the verge of death. ?

 Chapter 249. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 9

    Chapter 249. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 9

    Asgard was the evidence of the hellish Anngr that Odin had gone through, which was the darkest point in his life. However, it was also the source of his power.

    ¡®His Territory, Asgard, is special.¡¯

    Something that only Odin had¡ªthat was what anyone who had ever set foot in Asgard would say. Asgard had apletely different structure and use than the Territories of other Heroes. It was like Merlin¡¯s Territory, which was where the Round Table was hidden.

    The fundamental ability of a Territory was to strengthen the owner within its area and weaken any intruders. Yet, Asgard¡¯s fundamental ability was on a different levelpared to the others.

    There wasn¡¯t a single person who could exin exactly what was so different about it. The moment one set foot within it, they would realize that the Territory was unique. Asgard, which had reigned as the secret organization behind Korea, was the golden castle. Now, its true nature and secret were about to be revealed.

    RUMBLE!

    The golden castle appeared, tearing apart space and revealing its majesty. Of course, not all of Asgard was revealed as some parts of it materialized across the boundaries of space, flickering like an illusion.

    However, there was something different.

    RUMBLE!!

    After the golden castle appeared, the mana within the entire district of Yeouido greatly fluctuated.

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    As Fenrir and Gleipnir prepared to end things, Odin did the same.

    RUMBLE!

    After revealing itself, Asgard was forcibly distorting space.

    ¡°T-the structure of mana is changing!!¡±

    While space¡¯s material form didn¡¯t change, the flow of the countless streams of mana that encapsted Yeouido began to shift.

    Crack!

    Some began to burn.

    Crack, crack!

    While other streams broke off and began to join together at Odin¡¯s gesture. They seemed to be used as fuel for the golden castle¡¯s emergence.

    Odin raised his spear with his back to his Territory. No one hadunched an attack yet as the very aura of the power that each of them hadpiled began topete in the air. The first to gather all of their strength would move first.

    RUMBLE!

    The golden castle that twisted mana and shook space began to emit light.

    ¡°Wha¡­ What is that?¡±

    Something wasing into existence right now from within the space and mana that was being twisted.

    ¡°Is that another Asgard¡­?¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s¡­!¡±

    A ruined, pitch-ck castle was revealed, appearing almost as a blurry afterimage that seemed to split from one to two. Eventually, the dark as a shadow structure fully emerged.

    Jeong In-Chang muttered absently while blocking the Valkyries, ¡°Asgard¡­¡±

    The pitch-ck castle seemed exactly the same as the golden castle, and the only difference being that its walls were a dark ck, as if it had been destroyed. As they stared at it nkly, the Valkyries, who were covered in wounds from the battle with Jeong In-Chang, began to move, pping their wings.

    Ssss.

    They weren¡¯t trying to attack anymore, but rather, they were going back to the two vastly different Asgards. Jeong In-Chang was momentarily taken aback by the sight before soon groaning and falling to his knees.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Thud!

    He fell to his knees, leaving a deep crater in the ground as a loud rumble resounded. He had lost the power of his Sponsor, Siegfried, and his union with the Princess ended. That wasn¡¯t all. There was something else weighing him down now, something weighing them all down.

    ¡°Th¡­the mana!¡±

    It was an enormous amount of mana that was twisted and arranged ording to Odin¡¯s preferences.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­!¡±

    Opposing him, Fenrir emitted a terrifying mana, which weighed upon them, coteral to his battle. Jeong In-Chang kneeled in the dirt, his leg refusing to get up from underneath him.

    Thud!

    Still, he drew Gram and plunged it into the ground.

    Even at this moment, he would be their shield.

    ¡°I will protect them.¡±

    All of the mana that weighed upon hispanions began to siphon towards Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Ugh¨CAGHHHH!¡±

    He chewed his lip, blood dripping down his chin as he shouted at Fenrir.

    ¡°Hu¡­rry¡­. Up¡­!¡±

    The ck and gold Asgards began to copse as the light from the two castles began to converge on Odin¡¯s spear.

    ***

    The copsing Asgards were reduced to pure mana that gathered around his spear. Odin was filled with mana, so much so that he was shaking.

    Tremble.

    It was a force that could not be endured.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever used this power,¡± Odin said in a toneced with insanity.

    What he said was true. It was the first time since he had ever be a Hunter, a Hero, that he had used this power. He focused only on a single point and poured everything he had into it.

    Fenrir and Gleipnir were worth using this power on.

    Rumble.

    A swirling brilliance enveloped Odin''s spear as his Asgard was special. After all, Odin had received two territories all those years ago from Anngr: a golden castle and a pitch-ck castle.

    Asgard wasn¡¯t one, but two.

    ¡°That was thepensation for the pain I went through.¡±

    The Anngr that Odin had experienced had been special. It was different from what Chi-Woo, who had experienced it once through his own sponsorship and then again apanying Zeus¡¯ on his own.

    ¡®I went through the two Anngrs at the same time.¡¯

    Although the time they had spent was the same, the density of their struggles was different. Odin had been forced to live each second as if it were a minute. He had two Sponsors who had sponsored him at the same time, and those bastards had forced upon him two Anngrs.

    It was a double rain of enemies. For him, rest had been like an oasis in a desert, something almost impossible to find. But, after going through all of that, he had been granted two Sponsors and two Territories.

    One was the brilliantly shining city of light. Those who had set foot within it weren¡¯t able to see the shadow of the gold. Most probably hadn¡¯t realized that a part of their mana had been taken away by Asgard, stolen by the shadow of Asgard, the pitch-ck castle.

    It always existed within Asgard and was like a repository for storing the mana taken from the Hunters who set foot in Asgard. And, that repository that was always tightly closed had now opened.

    Tremble.

    An enormous amount of force that even he couldn¡¯t handle swept through the spear and throughout his entire body. It was a force that felt as if his bones would be crushed and his life would end if he weren¡¯t careful.

    ¡°Aaahhh.¡±

    However, Odin could feel an incredible fulfillment under its pressure.

    ¡°Aaahhh.¡±

    Moreover, in the mana that surrounded him, he got a glimpse into his inner self and the secrets he had been curious about.

    At least in this moment, he was a Sponsor. An afterimage appeared on his face as if his face had been oveid with another face.

    ¨CAre you satisfied?

    ¨CThis is the truth.

    ¨CThis is our sincerity.

    ¨CYou, to us.

    ¨CYou have taken one step closer.

    The voices he didn''t want to hear were ovepping in his head. That was another of his secrets that Odin had never told anyone. He could directly hear the voices of his Sponsors, which was something no one else had been able to do.

    However, the more they spoke, the more he struggled. Their voices were what he feared most.

    ¡®Nothingness.¡¯

    They led to an empty space where nothing, not a single existence, existed. It was a world where there were no targets for revenge and where there was nothing to wonder about.

    Thus, he continued to push the voices away. However, the reality was different.

    ¡°Khahahaha!¡±

    Odin, who was going insane¡ªhe knew.

    He knew that his Sponsors had targeted his body from time to time. Hearing these voices meant that the time hade for them toe and steal it away. That was why he struggled so¡ªin order not to have his body taken away. To avoid ending up without being able to get revenge.

    However, the mana that filled him at this moment made him think differently.

    ¡°I will soon be a Sponsor, and you two will serve at my feet.¡±

    Odin began to feel as though the voices that had been bothering him so much were beneath him, and the power of those who had tried to take everything from him had been stolen in return.

    Nothing could stop him anymore, and right now, at this very moment, he had seeded in his revenge! Although he hadn¡¯t achieved his end goal of killing the Sponsors, since he had taken away their powers, wasn¡¯t this also a great ending?!

    Odin, falling deeper into insanity, red forward with madness in his eyes. The adolescent and the child he saw before him, perhaps because of the twisted mana, appeared to ovep as one.

    He couldn¡¯tst much longer. He had to do it like this.

    ¡®Stab forward.¡¯

    He gathered all of his strength into a single point. He had gone beyond the power of the Rulers to reach the power of the Sponsors in order to destroy the two before him in a single blow. It would be an honor for them to be sacrificed to this power.

    Thus, Odin slowly lowered his spearpoint and aimed it at Fenrir.

    CRACKLE!

    Gleipnir was nothing more than a parasite. Killing its host, Fenrir, was the way to get rid of it.

    ¡°Gungnir.¡±

    A ray of light that seemed like the sun itself condensed and shot forward. Then, at that moment, all Odin saw was a massive steel tooth flying towards him.

    ¡®A tooth¡­?¡¯

    ***

    Darkness ruled the whole world, as all he saw was ck darkness. Odin found himself within the darkness, where not a single sh of light shone.

    ¡®Have I lost my mind?¡¯

    He knew that this ck darkness was the great power he wielded. He had lost his mind.

    ¡®What a shame.¡¯

    He felt regretful at the realization. With the enormous power he wielded, it was very disappointing that he didn¡¯t get to see the results it had.

    ¡®Well, he must be dead.¡¯

    Most likely reduced to shards of bones. No, that brat must have died without even leaving behind any dust.

    Not only him but also the entire Yeouido. No, everything in a straight line must have turned into dust and disappeared, the same way that the Demon King had sunk Ennd.

    Odin smirked,ughing. That Demon King with such overwhelming power¡ªhe felt as though he had that Demon King had be equals.

    Moreover, he had taken revenge. Instead of his body being stolen, he had actually confined the powers of his Sponsors within and used it for himself, putting the bastards who had always been targeting him under his control.

    ¡®This revenge is only the beginning.¡¯

    There were even greater possibilities as Odin saw even greater ambitions. If he continued to refine things like this and polish himself just a little, he wouldpletely absorb the power of his Sponsors. Moreover, as he had said earlier, he would then be a true Sponsor.

    If things would go that way, then the whole world¡­

    No, even beyond that.

    It could all be his.

    His ambition, which had been hidden behind revenge, was revealed.

    He could do it all. Even the Demon King could be defeated.

    If it was the powers of the Sponsors, then he could do it all.

    Odin couldn''t help butugh. He was happy.

    ¡®But why am I not waking up?¡¯

    Even though his mind was so clear, the world was still dark. It didn''t change as time passed. Almost¡­

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Almost like Anngr. Was he back in that damn hell?

    No. That couldn¡¯t be possible.

    No, the bacsh was onlysting this long simply because the force he had used had been so enormous, or so he thought as he waited. However, the darkness refused to dissipate.

    Odin gritted his teeth in nervousness as a quieting chill descended. It was then that he realized that there was a problem.

    ¡®Something is wrong.¡¯

    Odin struggled. However, mana didn¡¯t exist within him anymore, and now, he was just¡­ He was the same as an ordinary human, not a Hunter. The worrying chill grew thicker as nervousness took hold of him and wouldn¡¯t let go.

    Then, it was then that he saw it.

    ¡®Ha. Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡¯

    There were huge teeth that were enveloping him like a trap he could never escape from. It was only then that he had realized it.

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    He had failed.

    Crunch.

    An eerie cracking sound resounded non-stop.

    Crunch. Crunch.

 Chapter 250. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 10

    Chapter 250. A Horrifying Battle Pt. 10

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    With a heart-wrenching scream, Fenrir constantly vomited blood.

    ¡°Cough! Cough, cough!!¡±

    The blood never ended, and it was so thick that itpletely soaked him. Pieces of shattered organs began to emerge, mixed into the blood being vomited.

    ¡°Cough!!!¡±

    He writhed in pain as Ungnyeo and Won-Hwa urgently began to treat him.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    His condition was very serious. Fortunately, the blow had missed his head, but it had left a massive hole in his stomach. Although his body seemed to try to knit itself together and regenerate, it was only easy to say, not do.

    ¡°Hold it together!¡±

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    The two of the group that had healing abilities poured all of their strength and skills into him as a huge amount of mana flowed out like an ebb. Ungnyeo¡¯splexion rapidly deteriorated. However, the two still couldn¡¯t stop.

    Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

    Won-Hwa quickly inserted silver needles into Fenrir.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough, cough¡­¡±

    Fortunately, as if it had been effective, the amount of blood that Fenrir was vomiting decreased slightly. Ungnyeo poured out her mana without stopping as a blue light lingered over him.

    Gradually, their attempts were starting to work. Fenrir''s wounds were healing, albeit little by little. It was a miracle. Not only had he survived Odin¡¯s final blow, but he was also even healing.

    "What a relief! What a¡ª!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted, wiping away the tears streaming down his cheeks.

    It was dizzying to even think about what had just happened. The power that had gathered at the tip of Odin¡¯s spear¡ªwhen it had been shot at Fenrir, Jeong In-Chang had thought that everything would end.

    It wasn¡¯t just Fenrir and the others. That power had made it seem like the world itself would have been destroyed.

    ¡°Did¡­I¡­finish it¡­?¡±

    ¡°You did it!¡±

    ¡°You won!¡±

    However, Fenrir had done it. Not only did he block Odin''s attack, but he had also defeated the monster. Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t know what had happened, as the golden light had shone so brilliantly that it blinded all of them.

    When the fear that had wracked them all faded, Odin had disappeared. Although his wounds hadn¡¯t yet fully recovered, Fenrir stood up.

    ¡°Fenrir! What are you doing!"

    ¡°Gleipnir¡­ Gleipni¡­ Cough, cough!¡±

    Fenrir vomited blood, calling out Gleipnir''s name again and again.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, nothing or no one answered. When the attack was over, Odin had fallen, but Gleipnir was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    Fenrir bit his lip as if he realized something, causing thick, soaking blood to leak out. Still, he continued to move.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    Despite hispanions¡¯ protests, he continued. Because of his stony expression, none of them could bring themselves to stop him.

    Shing!

    All they could do was help, Ungnyeo using everyst bit of her power to heal him as Won-Hwa constantly pumped his silver needles with mana.[1]

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­help you.¡±

    Heracles and the others, who seemed to havee to their senses, began to channel their mana towards Fenrir. Although it itself may not have had any healing abilities, the needles pierced throughout Fenrir converted the mana into a form of recovery on their own.

    He moved as he received treatment, and the others followed. Finally, he stopped somewhere, looking at a piece of metal that seemed to have deteriorated into ck charcoal.

    ¡°Gleipnir¡­he¡­saved me¡­¡±

    Fenrir picked up something that seemed like a piece of a broken or charred weapon.

    ¡°Sangun¡­ Gleipnir¡­¡±

    He turned over to hispanions, soaked in his own blood. Fenrir was smiling, but his eyes told a different story.

    ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen Fenrir look like that.¡¯

    He looked so sad. Fenrir held onto the piece of metal tightly.

    ¡°They¡¯re all here. Odin¡­ Gleipnir¡­ Even Sangun¡­¡±

    Against the final attack that had beenunched by Odin, Gleipnir and Sangun sacrificed their lives to save Fenrir. Odin had been swallowed by the space that Fenrir had prepared with Gleipnir and Sangun.

    ¡°In Anngr¡­ Sangun and Gleipnir will dream happy dreams¡­¡±

    They had gone to the new Anngr created by Fenrir, which was a new dimension.

    ¡°While Odin will experience endless hell.¡±

    Sssss.

    Thud!

    The piece of metal that Fenrir was holding with all his might turned to powder and flew away. At the same time, he copsed in ce as if he had crumbled.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was silent.

    ¡®You, right here¡­ Me, right here¡­¡¯

    Heimdall had said that their arrival here had already been nned.

    ¡°From the beginning¡­¡±

    He was saying that it was all nned from the very beginning.

    ¡°Hyung¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, looking straight at Heimdall. ¡°You remember, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You had been the owner of a convenience store, Hyung. The memories of the timeline we have lived in. You remember it, right?¡±

    Heimdall stood silent again in response.

    ¡°Agh!!¡±

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong fell to his knees, screaming from the pain that was tearing through his chest.

    Boom!

    At the same time, Zeus flew like an arrow,nding in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, there wasn¡¯t any flow of mana as Heimdall wasn¡¯t the one who had attacked.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong!¡± Zeus called out.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong could only scream from the pain that threatened to tear its way out of his heart. Heimdall looked at his face with a pitiful expression as if he knew why Lee Jun-Kyeong was suffering so much.

    Slowly, ever so slowly¡­

    Shing.

    Heimdall drew his sword. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the brilliant rainbow sword through his spinning vision.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡±

    The pain he felt so suddenly was from Fenrir. It was clear that something had happened to his familiar. However, that didn¡¯t mean he could copse right now.

    Heimdall, Seong-Gu Hyung, whom he had relied so much on, had just dered that they were enemies. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to raise himself on one knee.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    However, the pain he felt in his heart didn''t seem to go away. Zeus supported Lee Jun-Kyeong while Heimdall didn¡¯t move his sword.

    ¡°Go,¡± Heimdall said.

    Zeus looked at him but was unable to say anything.

    ¡°Damn it. If you¡¯re going to make that kind of expression, why the hell are you doing this?¡±

    Heimdall¡¯s expression as he looked at himself and Lee Jun-Kyeong, that expression¡ªit seemed so sad.

    ¡°It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be helped. I have no choice but to swallow it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve reached the end. You can¡¯te all this way and change the ns now.¡±

    ¡°The n?¡± Zeus asked, ring at him.

    ¡°You and the Underdog pass by. This is myst role.¡± Heimdall''s solemn voice resonated throughout the hall as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s condition grew worse. He shook all over as his face turned blue as the pain was so intense it was palpable.

    ¡°However, only the Underdog can pass.¡±

    Heimdall had called Lee Jun-Kyeong the Underdog. It felt like a line had been crossed, unable to be taken back.

    ¡°The rest of you must stay here.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡± Arthur snorted. ¡°How arrogant.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very arrogant,¡± Horus and Arthur then said at the same time.

    Heimdall was clearly strong. Even within Asgard, the secret organization behind Korea, he had been a famous and powerful person. It was to the point where Odin and Heimdall had both been seen as targets to keep in check.

    However, things were different now. Although Heimdall also seemed as though he had grown and had a majestic mana, that was all there was to it.

    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to take all of us on?¡± Arthur said as if he was dumbfounded.

    Everyone here was gathered to deal with the Demon King. As such, they were the ones with the highest positions and the greatest powers. To think Heimdall alone had stood forward to stop them.

    ¡°Move if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°I do not wish to kill my dear brother¡¯s precious person.¡±

    Arthur and Horus scoffed as they took their positions, their eyes never straying from Lee Jun-Kyeong. They were worried as he had suddenly copsed from immense pain.

    ¡°...¡±

    Unlike them, Athena was standing still, stiff as a board, as Merlin was looking at Heimdall with clear eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡±

    Thud.

    From Merlin¡¯s single sentence, Arthur and Horus stopped moving. They knew it, too. However, their desire to pass by him to check on Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was precious to them, was also sincere.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    ¡°Put that away.¡±

    However, before they knew it, the aura of mana hung over their necks.

    ¡°I should have told you already, though,¡± Heimdall said.

    He truly had meant it.

    ¡°Only Zeus and the Underdog are allowed to pass through here.¡±

    The de-like aura he emitted attacked everyone.

    Shing!

    His rainbow-colored sword rang clearly, and at the same time, a cutting sound emerged.

    Squelch.

    ***

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Eventually, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to vomit red blood. Although he wasn¡¯t hurt anywhere, he was coughing up blood from the shock.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong!¡±

    Zeus, who had lifted him up, called out to him again. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t able to give a proper answer, only able to gasp for air. He couldn¡¯t evene to his senses. Lee Jun-Kyeongy limp like a corpse thrown over Zeus¡¯ back.

    Thud, thud.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    The sound of footsteps rang out as Lee Jun-Kyeong vomited blood once again. Zeus finally stopped andid him on the ground.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    At the same time, he extended his hand toward the Hunter. Zeus closed his eyes and unleashed his mana as a blue electric current crackled and raced over Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong shook in pain before rxing.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    He seemed to have calmed down a bit and began to breathe evenly. Zeus had forcibly paralyzed his sense of pain.

    Unfortunately, Zeus might have caused some damage to him, but this was the best he could do because he couldn¡¯t find the source of the pain.

    There was no time. After all, this was enemy territory. They had no idea when the Demon King would attack them. If Lee Jun-Kyeong stayed in this state, then he would die the moment he encountered him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally began toe to his senses.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Zeus suddenly turned his gaze away from Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Sparkle!

    Where he looked, a brilliant rainbow decorated the air.

    BOOM!

    Behind it followed an incredible explosion.

    Just like he had said, Heimdall really nned on dealing with everyone at once. It was clear that he was crazy. However, what was even more worrying was Athena.

    ¡°Athena¡­ Damn it!¡±

    The expression on her face as she watched Zeus and Lee Jun-Kyeong leave was distinct. It was an expression that seemed to affirm a conviction as if she had decided to do something.

    ¡®Are you nning on dying?¡¯

    It was the look that appeared in the eyes of a warrior prepared for death, who was unwilling to back down.

    ¡°Just what the hell is that supposed to be?¡±

    It was a strange look.

    1. Literally, with the power she used to suckle a teat. A Korean belief, where the strongest someone would ever exert themself is when they breastfeed as a newborn for the first time. ?

 Chapter 251. The Last Barrier

    Chapter 251. The Last Barrier

    ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­¡±

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to his senses. Even as he struggled for each breath, his eyes were clear as he looked over at Zeus.

    ¡°Where are¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Zeus asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly rose from his copsed state.

    ¡°...!¡±

    However, he stumbled even though he hade to his senses. The pain had notpletely subsided, and he shook.

    ¡°Rest for a moment,¡± Zeus said, grabbing a hold of him before he fell.

    ¡°I have to go!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    Although his thoughts had been momentarily interrupted by the excruciating pain that had hit him, he had realized it now.

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung¡­!¡±

    That he had met with Heimdall, that his hyung had dered him an enemy, and¡­

    ¡°The others, they¡­¡±

    The fact that Zeus was the only one by his side now.

    Zeus looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with disapproval.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably already over,¡± he said, bitterness seeping into his tone. ¡°It¡¯s toote to go back.¡±

    Zeus had moved forward quickly, trying to move Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was unable to fight, to somewhere safe.

    ¡°We also had told the others we¡¯d go first¡­¡±

    Even though he had moved out of the area as fast as he could, their battle would already have ended.

    ¡°He even called himself our enemy. In a situation like this, we can¡¯t be swayed by pity or fate.¡±

    Although his tone was a bit cold, Zeus spoke with a sour feeling in his mouth. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feelings. However, Heimdall had called himself their enemy, and they had no choice but to take him down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. Ourpanions will join us soon¡­¡±

    As Zeus tried to move forward while supporting Lee Jun-Kyeong, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted in a loud voice, ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡±

    This time, it was Zeus who was surprised. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Seong-Gu Hyung who¡¯s in danger!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    For a moment, Zeus almost burst outughing without realizing it. At the very least, the four of theirpanions were Athena, Merlin, Arthur, and Horu. The Apex of the world had gathered to deal with the Demon King.

    ¡°Are you saying that ourpanions are in danger?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to escape Zeus¡¯ hold and return to where they hade from before stumbling once more. With an impatient expression, Lee Jun-Kyeong paused, grasping at his temples.

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung¡­¡±

    It was difficult to determine whether his bluishplexion was due to pain or something else.

    ¡°He would never fight a battle he would lose.¡±

    ¡°But, the difference in power¡­¡±

    Zeus wasn¡¯t stupid.

    In order to understand Heimdall¡¯s abilities, by the time they had gotten face to face, he had already finished inspecting him. The mana inside the Hunter was threatening enough, but it wasn¡¯t to the point where he would worry about hisrades losing. Thus, Zeus looked confused.

    ¡°There must be something he¡¯s hiding. Moreover, that pain that I felt at the end¡­¡±

    Thrum.

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could finish his sentence, mana strong enough to make them shiver passed through them in an instant. All of the mana that was spread throughout space was beginning to gather into a single ce.

    ¡°A rainbow¡­¡±

    At the epicenter of the mana, a rainbow began to form from where they had just left.

    BOOOM!

    Then, the rainbow shining brilliantly exploded.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Zeus looked flustered as Lee Jun-Kyeong pushed him forward and spoke.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    ¡°If things continue in this manner, they¡¯re all going to die! You felt it just now! Hurry!¡±

    In the end, he nodded at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s pleas. Even if he hadn¡¯t said so, Zeus had also realized that what he had just felt was definitely dangerous.

    The rainbow was Heimdall''s symbol.

    ¡°Can you do it on your own?¡± Zeus asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to handle it quickly ande back,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong responded.

    Just as he saw Zeus nod, the Hunter had already disappeared.

    Thump.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell to the ground, looking over in the direction that Zeus had disappeared. Just now, he had pretended to be okay, but there was no way that he would have been fine.

    Sssss.

    Mana of all colors began to seep out of him, circting in and seeping out over and over again. It was a mana that even he couldn¡¯t handle. In fact, he couldn¡¯t even stand properly from the sheer amount of mana that had been suddenly injected into him.

    Sitting, he began to circte the mana stream in order to wrestle control over the relentless flow. The best he could do right now was spit out swears, unable to take a single step.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    ***

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been keeping a move hidden.¡±

    Arthur''s cold voice prated the battlefield as he red at Heimdall with his right arm barely dangling from his shoulder.

    Shine!!

    Soon after, the magic circle drawn by Merlin wrapped around his arm, healing the wound. Soon after, a second magic circle began to heal Horus¡¯ wounds as well.

    ¡®How amazing.¡¯

    Merlin was just filled with pure amazement. It turned out that Heimdall¡¯s confidence hadn¡¯t been false.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Horus was moaning in pain.

    That man was single-handedly holding them back. Not long after Zeus and the Underdog had left, he had already wounded Arthur¡¯s arm and plunged his fist through Horus¡¯ abdomen.

    ¡°Arthur,¡± Merlin called out.

    ¡°I know,¡± he responded nervously, drawing his sword.

    Shing!

    It was the battle between two wills, one side trying to stop them as the other tried to pass through.

    However, if there was one thing that continued to bother them, it was Athena. Even after the fight had begun, she didn¡¯t even move.

    Even when Arthur ran forward, and Horus was beaten, all she did was flinch with each blow. She just didn¡¯t take a move.

    ¡®Is she betraying us?¡¯

    No, they already knew why.

    ¡°Athena. We already know about your rtionship with Heimdall.¡±

    It was already widely known among the secret organizations that Athena and Heimdall had been lovers. But now was not the time for her to be thinking about it so much.

    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±

    Athena then came to her senses and looked ahead. With a bitter gaze, Heimdall also looked back at her.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t insist on passing through, there won¡¯t be any reason to fight.¡±

    There was a sincerity in his voice.

    ¡°So¡­¡± he said, trying to say something more.

    ¡°What bullshit,¡± Arthur interjected, cutting him off.

    ¡°So what, you''re telling us to just run away from here with our tails between our legs?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling us to send the Underdog, whom you had such a good rtionship with, to go and die like a dog alone?¡± Arthur continued with his thorny remarks. ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask us for something, make it reasonable. Don¡¯t try to convince us with such bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Will it help if you go?¡± Heimdall asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Heimdall smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°It¡¯s already out of our hands. No, from the beginning, everything was out of our hands.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and my positions had been decided from the very beginning. All of this, it¡­¡±

    He looked up at the sky, his eyes looking bitter with resentment. ¡°It was all nned.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking, what the hell kind of bullshit are you spouting right now?!¡± Arthur shouted.

    Horus¡¯s aura began to grow, possibly due to embarrassment from the senseless beating he had received earlier.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    The mana swirling around Horus was creating a storm.

    ¡°We are all just side characters. Even if you all go with him, there¡¯s nothing you can do there. Jun-Kyeong has to carry this burden all on his own¡­¡±

    ¡°Heimdall.¡± Finally, Athena, who had been silent, opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s not like you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    She slowly lifted a foot, taking a step forward. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Underdog dear to you? Do you¡­¡±

    She swallowed the words she wanted to say. ¡®Are you nning on throwing him away like you threw me away?¡¯

    Although Athena had kept silent, Heimdall seemed to have read her thoughts. Guilt¡ªno, a deluge ofplex emotions was revealed on his face.

    However, a lot of time had already passed, and Zeus should have been moving forward. Now that they were getting closer and closer to the Demon King, they couldn¡¯t afford to be stranded here. That was why Athena had finally steeled herself.

    ¡°I had a lot of things that I wanted to say,¡± Athena said, with a friendly tone that no one had ever heard before.

    Shing!!

    However, before anyone knew it, a sharp spear was held in her hands.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡± Heimdall exhaled.

    Arthur and Horus looked for an opening, but there was none to be found in sight. Heimdall slowly raised his sword, a rainbow-colored sword, and then he shouted out the name of his divine item, ¡°Bifrost!¡±

    WOOSH!

    Mana began to rise like a storm, and it was only then that Arthur and Horus realized it for sure¡ªthat Heimdall truly intended to keep them at bay.

    ¡®And, he has the power to do so.¡¯

    Although they may have beente to judge, their reaction was quick.

    sh!

    Moon Cleaving, which had been taught to Lee Jun-Kyeong, suddenly flew toward Heimdall.

    Glimmer!

    As the illusion of space being torn apart caught in everyone¡¯s vision, a brilliant rainbow erupted in the sky.

    BOOM!

    ***

    A little while after Zeus had returned to where they hade from and after Lee Jun-Kyeong had begun circting his mana stream, Lee Jun-Kyeong finally came to his senses. He stood up from the sitting position he had been in on the ground and opened and clenched his fists. His mana, which had been fluctuating earlier, suddenly settled.

    Throb, throb.

    Still, even after he had gotten in control of the mana, the forces that he couldn¡¯t fully absorb wracked him with pain.

    ¡°Fenrir¡­¡±

    It was only then that he realized what had happened in the time that he had been processing the mana stream.

    ¡°So you really did it.¡±

    Fenrir had seeded in defeating Odin. Moreover, he had even absorbed part of the power that Odin had tried to use, passing it onto Lee Jun-Kyeong. Because Fenrir was one of his Familiars, all of the power that the wolf hadn¡¯t been able to absorb was transferred to him. Although the pain felt as if it was tearing his whole body apart, his mind waspletely clear.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Despite that, he wished he was still dizzy and dreaming. Even though he had affirmed himself that it would never happen countless times, Heimdall, in the end, had stood against him.

    ¡®Seong-Gu Hyung.¡¯

    No, from the beginning, his hyung had been standing against him. Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had brought the memories of the past timeline to this era.That was why it was even more iprehensible.

    Just why?

    That question came to his mind countless times. He also wanted to apany Zeus and go back to meet Seong-Gu Hyung.

    ¡°I have to go on,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while clenching his open hand.

    He had to keep going. Whether it was because of the look that Seong-Gu Hyung had given him or because of hispanions who believed in him, he had to move on. Moreover, there was one other reason as well.

    ¡°Because the answer will be there in front of me anyway.¡±

    Far away, the Association building was visible.

 Chapter 252. The Last Barrier Pt. 2

    Chapter 252. The Last Barrier Pt. 2

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Horus, who had been knocked flying far into the distance due to the blow, forcefully stopped himself in mid-air. A piece of the bandage wrapped around his arm came loose and fluttered in the wind, simultaneously flying toward Heimdall like a whip.

    Woosh!

    In the moment that Arthur and Merlin jointly worked together to block an attack, the bandage that wrapped around Heimdall¡¯s arm began to burst into mes.

    Flicker!

    ¡°The Wrath of Ra.¡±

    Before the mes that rapidly surged from Horus reached Heimdall, the bald man struck the bandage with his iridescent sword.

    ng!

    At that moment, an opening emerged.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this,¡± Arthur said. ¡°Ha-a-eup!¡±

    He took a deep breath and swung his sword, and a de light of enormous power flew toward Heimdall¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Pierce him!¡±

    Arrows of light erupted from both of Merlin¡¯s hands and shot toward Heimdall¡¯s legs. It was an unavoidable attack, and it was a barrage that they were all sure no one on the could dodge.

    ¡°Defend me.¡±

    Woosh!

    Thus, Heimdall prepared himself. Just before Arthur¡¯s de and Merlin¡¯s magded, the rainbow floating high into the sky shone.

    CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!

    The green and purple lights from the rainbow glittered down upon the attacks, mutually destroying the de attack and the arrows. However, that didn¡¯t mean that the rainbow had be ruined, as the five-colored rainbow soon floated in the sky once again, restored to its original seven-color glory.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Arthur said in frustration, ¡°Merlin, is there really no way for us to get rid of that?¡±

    There was no one on the who was more knowledgeable about magic than Merlin. Skills that used mana were also a type of magic, and thus, they hoped that Merlin would have a way to deal with that rainbow.

    ¡°It¡¯s not magic,¡± Merlin responded firmly. ¡°It¡¯s an Authority¡­or something even greater.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t tried by now. The battle with Heimdall had begun, and, as expected, Heimdall wasn¡¯t strong enough to keep them all here by force. However, that didn¡¯t mean that they were able to take him down, either.

    ¡°That damned rainbow is canceling out all of our attacks!¡±

    The rainbow floating in the sky was protecting Heimdall like an iron dome.

    ¡®There¡¯s just too little information about him.¡¯

    Heimdall was a widely known Hero, but conversely, there was very little information about his abilities. While he was the leader of the League Guild, he had hidden his powers during their expeditions. No one had ever seen his full strength. They were only able to evaluate his skills based on the fact that he was an excellent swordsman and that he had never been defeated.

    ¡°But to think his strength was to this degree¡­¡±

    They had never imagined that he would be this talented. Above all, he also had a rainbow that could cancel out all attacks. Unfortunately, Merlin was worried about something else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that can only be used for defense.¡±

    Her fear was that the rainbow¡¯s only function wasn¡¯t just to protect Heimdall from harm but could switch between acting as a shield or a spear. It would be nice for it to have only been a concern, but when she looked at Heimdall''s rxed face, her doubt soon turned into dread. The rainbow could definitely be used for offense as well as defense.

    ¡°How ridiculous. You¡¯re saying he''s still rxed, right?¡± Arthur said as if chewing on each word. ¡°Then, let¡¯s see how long he can hold that demeanor for.¡±

    Finally, his sword began to change.

    Crackle.

    Soon, a thin and long longsword appeared, and it was the de that had lifted the curse of Merlin and Arthur. Zeus had brought it to them.

    ¡°Excalibur.¡±

    The brilliant holy sword finally broke away from its sealed state. Now a regal longsword, a wild power surged within Arthur. Heimdall wasn¡¯t the only one fighting in a rxed manner.

    ¡°I was nning on capturing him alive. But it seems we won¡¯t be able to.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s voice was full of cheer, and the aura of a king that radiated from him supported that confidence.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be fighting properly, too,¡± Horus said, standing behind him.

    Sss.

    The bandages all over his body began toe off. It had been the same for him, too.

    ¡°Dear brother.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who had done him a great favor, and he was also a noble person who sacrificed himself for humanity. Horus had been reluctant to kill Heimdall, who had also been like a brother to Lee Jun-Kyeong. But things were different now.

    ¡°Please forgive me for my sins.¡±

    Shing!!

    The bandages loosened, but still, no one was allowed to see Horus¡¯ true form. The fierce mes spewing out from him covered him and enveloped him like a cocoon. At the same time, wings of me rose out from behind him.

    p, p!

    ¡°Me, too.¡±

    Merlin¡¯s figure began to blur as she transformed into the appearance of the Queen of the Lake. Everyone was fighting seriously now.

    Smack!

    The sound of pping one''s cheek was heard in everyone''s ears as Athena pped both of her cheeks with her hands before drawing her weapon. Although she faltered for a moment, even with her weapon in hand, she turned her spear forward and settled into a perfect stance.

    Shing!!

    ¡°Settle yourself, Goddess of the Battlefield.¡±

    Her figure suited that title well. The hesitation in her eyes disappeared, reced by a fierce will that flickered into being.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you exin everything after we defeat you.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Heimdall said, looking at them all. ¡°Then I¡¯ll do my best to keep you here, too.¡±

    He pointed his rainbow-colored sword up to the sky. However, the others weren¡¯t there to just watch him as he readied himself.

    BANG!

    As Arthur dashed forward, attacks poured towards Heimdall from all sides. There were mes and water, and a sword and a spear.

    At that time, when every blow mixed together to create a strange, almost singing sound, a bright light emerged along with the sound of weapons being deflected.

    CLANG!!

    Woosh!!!

    Within that light stood Heimdall, fully armed in his golden armor with both hands on his sword.

    ¡°Bifrost.¡±

    ***

    Thud.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong focused on conserving his strength as he moved forward. He would soon arrive at his destination.

    ¡®Baldur¡­¡¯

    The one that the Demon King had created with all of his might and the Demon King himself, the cause of all of this hell, would be there. Since Odin had appeared where Fenrir was, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure that the Demon King would show himself before him. Thus, he moved forward little by little, taking advantage of this time to absorb the power that Fenrir had given him.

    Ssss.

    One step.

    Two step.

    With every step, everything changed around him. The enormous energy contained within him was gradually being brought into order as the dense mana spreading throughout the space around him began to press down.

    Ssss.

    When he took another step forward, things changed once again.

    BANG!

    Behind him, the sound of explosions that came from far away had stopped somewhere along the way, too.

    ¡°...¡±

    The fight probably hadn¡¯t ended yet. It was just that the dense mana spread throughout the space was probably isting this ce in a form simr to that of the veils.

    ¡®Seong-Gu Hyung¡­ I¡¯ll leave him to you.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t an easy situation to figure out, but he had no choice but to believe that hisrades would win.

    ¡®Seong-Gu Hyung¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t believe it. There was no way that Seong-Gu Hyung would have betrayed him.

    ¡°Concentrate!¡±

    He had no choice but to believe that Heimdall had a reason. Only then would he be able to focus on the fight ahead¡ªa fight where he didn¡¯t know if he could win.

    No, a fight where he would have to risk death. Everything was at stake in thising battle. If, if he were to lose¡­ The world itself would lose.

    It was an insane thought. To think he would represent the world. It really was ridiculous.

    He had been the dregs of humanity, living a life where he couldn¡¯t even be a Hunter and couldn¡¯t do anything because he couldn¡¯t be a Hunter.

    He had been someone who had been skeptical, assuming life wouldn¡¯t get better no matter how hard he tried, assuming that he would have spent his entire life working as a part-timer at a convenience store.[1]

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    To think of all people, he represented the world. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled for a moment before his face distorted. An invisible burden had fallen on him, weighing him down with a gravity of mana.

    His past had changed.

    No, what had changed was his life. Every part of him had changed.

    If what Seong-Gu Hyung had said was true, if the memories of his forgotten past that Odin had shown him were true¡­

    ¡®If everything had been nned from the beginning¡­¡¯

    Could the oue have also been predetermined? The further he walked, the more distracting thoughts he had. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to think anymore once the fight had started, so he was spending this time sorting out all of his random thoughts.

    What would be left when this fight was over?

    What if he won?

    What if he lost?

    Incessant questions continued to rise as he found himself constantly trying toe up with answers to them. However, there was only one thing that was certain.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else that¡¯s important.¡±

    There was nothing he could be sure of.

    ¡°I have to survive.¡±

    He had to win and survive. Only then would he be able toplete the dream he had in mind.

    ¡°Only then will I have the courage to see everyone.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know the Demon King¡¯s purpose. The man may have had a noble purpose, or maybe he was just a remnant of time that had gone mad. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know anything about his identity. Thus, all he could hold onto was his conviction that he had to win alone.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He took a deep breath, deep into his lungs, and exhaled. ¡°Whew¡­.¡±

    His preparation was over, and before he knew it, he had arrived at Gangnam and the Association building.

    ¡®There¡¯s no aura of anything around me.¡¯

    Hunters, monsters, ordinary humans¡ªhe couldn¡¯t feel anything. In the distance, he could sense one aura clearly.

    ¡°How amazing.¡±

    It was shining so brightly that it engulfed everything, including Odin. Even Zeus didn¡¯t have this much power. Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that it seemed almostparable to him now, who had received Odin¡¯s power from Fenrir.

    Moreover, the aura was terrifying because¡­because he knew this aura. It wasn¡¯t the Demon King.

    ¡°Baldur.¡±

    It was his aura. He had clearly reached the level of the Apex Heroes, standing on par with the Kings of the secret organizations. Baldur had even caught up with himself. The fact that all of this had been aplished by the Demon King¡ªLee Jun-Kyeong was terrified of it.

    While Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the Association building, he heard a voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    Thud.

    Stepping on the ground in front of the main gate of the Association building, touched by the beginnings of frost, a radiantly handsome man walked forward.

    ¡°Baldur.¡±

    1. Note that part-timer means something different in Korea than in most of the world. In Korea, a part-timer can also refer to someone who can¡¯t get a ¡°respectable sry¡± job and thus works a job that some people see as menialbor. ?

    <sub></sub>

 Chapter 253. The Last Barrier Pt. 3

    Chapter 253. The Last Barrier Pt. 3

    Swish!

    A powerful yet simple stab, one thrust without using any skills, rushed toward Arthur.

    Woosh!

    The sword, shining with seven colors, carried all of Heimdall¡¯s power.

    ng!

    When Arthur¡¯s and Heimdall¡¯s swords collided and sparks erupted, mes began to rise from beneath Heimdall¡¯s feet.

    ¡°O¡¯ sinner, burn in retribution.¡±

    Horus''s power was revealed. It was a me of the utmost heat that Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mes could neverpare to.

    ¡°Enemy.¡±

    Hiss.

    But with a single word from Heimdall, the me was quickly extinguished. Red light had descended from the rainbow in the sky and consumed the mes. At the same time, the light flew towards Merlin, who was preparing a spell. Merlin quickly blocked the iing mes with magic, which were bolstered as a mixture of the powers of Horus and Heimdall.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Merlin coughed as she swayed.

    ng, ng, ng!

    In the meantime, Arthur refused to let Heimdall breathe. Unlike Heimdall, who was using brilliant skills, he pressed forward using wless swordsmanship. Excalibur constantly shed forward, making Heimdall hesitate and retreat.

    sh, sh!

    Where Heimdall stood, the ground around him split apart.

    As Arthur¡¯s de spat out de light after de light, splitting the ground apart, at the same time, Athena¡¯s spear pierced toward Heimdall¡¯s back with imperceptible speed.

    ¡°...¡±

    Heimdall stamped on the ground, flustered, and an orange light shone down and blocked Athena¡¯s path. When her spear ran into the orange glow, it froze in ce.

    ¡°It¡¯s stuck¡­!¡±

    The moment Heimdall turned around and saw Athena, Arthur said from behind him, ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    Excalibur struck with a great ng.

    ¡°Moon Cleaving!¡±

    At that moment, Heimdall felt a mana that made his entire body feel cold. Along with the sound of theing wave, a green light shone down on his back.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    BANG!

    The green light deflected the enormous mana unleashed by Excalibur, scattering it like des of grass and blooming as they were razed.

    ¡°What sort of bullshit is this?¡±

    As the des of grass reached Heimdall, the Hunter¡¯splexion returned to the pristine state prior to the start of the battle.

    ¡°The mes¡­!¡±

    On the other hand, as the leaves scattered from the green light reached Horus, they instead began to grow by consuming the mana within his me. Before he knew it, several trees were wrapped around him.

    Flicker!

    Horus spewed out a dense me and burned the trees that stopped him from moving, finally dissipating the green light.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    However, the group¡¯splexions darkened.

    ¡°Is this even winnable?¡±

    The longer the fight continued, the more absurd it became.

    ¡°How can such an ability exist?¡±

    Heimdall had something that could nullify all attacks to nothing and even heal him. Combined with the abilities that haven¡¯t yet been revealed, it was honestly ridiculous.

    ¡°And all of that is just one ability for a single person.¡±

    It was impossible for them to push him back. In truth, they were the ones being pushed around. As Arthur prepared for his next attack with a nervous expression, the blue light of the rainbow in the sky made a move.

    ¡°It¡¯sing!¡±

    Finally, anticipating that Heimdall was about to actively go on the offensive, they took a defensive stance.

    Tap, tap, taptaptaptaptap.

    ¡°Rain?¡±

    However, all the blue light had done was cause raindrops to fall from the otherwise normal sky. The sky suddenly became dark as gloomy clouds appeared out of nowhere and started pouring down raindrops.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this better for us?¡± Arthur said, smiling at the opportunity given to them to strike back.

    It was water.

    ¡°Merlin!¡±

    The stage had set for Merlin to show her best as they could feel Merlin¡¯s mana amplify in the rain.

    However, instead, Merlin just shouted at Arthur, ¡°Dodge it!¡±

    It was only then that he felt the alien feeling in the air, a strange mana. The rainbow in the sky darkened as the light began to shift to an indigo shade.

    Crack. Crackle.

    ¡°What the fu¡­¡±

    The indigo light, the power it held within it¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s a current as strong as Zeus¡­¡±

    A tremendous amount of electricity crackled in the air. With the dark clouds in the air, now that their bodies were soaked¡ªwhat would happen if the indigo light fell upon them?

    ¡°This is the end,¡± Heimdall said.

    Arthur unleashed his mana, distorting the raindrops while Horus spewed out mes to evaporate them. But even so, they didn¡¯t think they would be able to stop theing lightning.

    Rumble!

    ¡°Just rest now,¡± Heimdall said as if sentencing them to their final slumber.

    Thud.

    He lowered his sword with both hands as a blue electric current covered their vision.

    CRACK!!!

    ***

    SLICE!!!!

    The blue bolt of lightning definitely should have struck Arthur and the others, but the only sound that could be heard was the sound of air being cleaved apart. The first to notice it was Merlin.

    ¡°The clouds¡­did you split them?¡±

    Arthur was standing at the front, frozen in the stance as he swung Excalibur. In the sky, not a hint of the clouds or the rain remained. Staring up, Heimdall also looked surprised.

    ¡°It was split¡­¡±

    The moment the lighting was about to hit them, Arthur had cleaved the sky. Thus, the lightning had disappeared, and they were saved.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Arthur got down on one knee. If that cloud had just been a regr one, then it wouldn¡¯t have taken this much of a toll on him. However, that was an artificial cloud created by Heimdall¡¯s mana, a culmination of his enormous reserves of mana.

    Considering it had been torn apart by force just before it had erupted, Arthur had taken a massive amount of bacsh. Merlin quickly tried to heal him, but was kept from moving forward due to the attack that appeared before she knew it.

    ng!

    ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s the expression I was waiting for¡­¡± Arthur said to Heimdall.

    Heimdall¡¯s rxed expression, the look in his eyes, which were covered in the golden helmet, had changed.

    ¡°Are you getting nervous? Don¡¯t forget who you¡¯re dealing with.¡±

    So far, they had been helpless. But now, things were different.

    ¡°Look over there,¡± Arthur said, slowly straightening his knees and pointing into the air. He was referring to where Heimdall¡¯s rainbow stood.

    ¡°The blue and indigo colors are gone¡­!¡±

    The rainbow had changed. What had been emitting endlessly brilliant light had shifted into something akin to that of a piano missing its keys. Although the light was still brilliant, there was something different about it now.

    ¡°Look at that bastard¡¯s face, too,¡± Arthur teased, motioning toward Heimdall¡¯s darkened expression.

    ¡°There will be no more rainbows now.¡±

    All of those things had told them that they had finally beaten him at his game. The rainbow would no longer regenerate. The blue and indigo colors had only just been used for the first time, but they had finally seen the limits of his abilities.

    ¡°The same will be for the other colors.¡±

    The momentum had shifted. Exhausted, Arthur firmly steadied his legs into the ground as Horus slowly raised his aura once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve underestimated you all too much,¡± Heimdall exhaled and said. ¡°Thus, I¡¯ll be fighting to defeat you seriously from now on.¡±

    They had been hesitant to take up arms against Heimdall, but it was the same for Heimdall in turn. He had been hesitant to battle them sincerely. Even though by using his rainbow and golden armor, he had exposed everything he had, he had never once attacked them wholeheartedly.

    ¡°This is the beginning.¡±

    Shing!!

    Another color from the rainbow in the sky descended upon them: yellow. As the yellow aura entered Heimdall, the sounding area began to copse as if under a huge gravitational force.

    BOOM!

    It was an enhancement of his mana.

    Shing!!!

    Then, the next color descended as the purple glow that had been used once before fell into Heimdall¡¯s hand. The purple aura bubbled and changed shape as the power that Arthur and the others felt belied an unbelievable mana, eventually settling in the form of a second sword.

    ¡°Dual swordsmanship?¡± Arthur said in a questioning voice. No one had ever heard of Heimdall using dual swords.

    ¡°Well, everything we¡¯ve seen has been things we¡¯ve never seen before.¡±

    Dual swordsmanship was something that was nearly impossible to learn. Moreover, no matter how strong the swords were, Arthur had never seen someone actually wield two two-handed swords using dual swordsmanship. The issue was with the reach and handleability of the swords.

    In general, dual swordsmanship uses two daggers or two one-handed swords of appropriate weight and length.[1]

    Still, he soon forgot about it as the man before him continued to belie expectations.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll see how it works soon,¡± Heimdall said before suddenly disappearing. He reappeared right in front of Arthur.

    CLANG!

    Arthur blocked Heimdall¡¯s dual swords with Excalibur, but it was as if he had been driven into the ground like a stake by an enormous force.

    BANG!

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only sword master here, Arthur.¡±

    ¡°This is impossible¡­¡±

    Arthur clearly felt Heimdall¡¯s years of experience in the attack just now. Swordsmanship was not something easy to learn as it was somethingpletely different from physical strength or power. Martial arts were only something possible to learn if someone spent copious years, collecting time and experience.

    ¡®That monster-like brat.¡¯

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong was so special. He had quickly learned all of Arthur¡¯s sword skills, almost as if he had been reading a book. That was something that just felt impossible and could only be said to be a cheat code.

    However, Heimdall¡¯s swordsmanship clearly felt different from Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s by-the-book style.

    ¡®He has an incredible amount of experience.¡¯

    There was an immeasurable experience inherent to his sophisticated swordsmanship, and it was something that felt as though it had been built up and honed in the Anngr.

    ¡®It¡¯s more than just that¡­¡¯

    Heimdall was someone who had only focused on the sword for countless eons. That was what Arthur noticed.

    The atmosphere had changed. Although Heimdall was just lightly pressing down upon him, Arthur couldn¡¯t break free. If it were just a matter of strength, Arthur would have escaped long ago. However, he couldn¡¯t escape for a different reason.

    ¡®There isn¡¯t a single gap.¡¯

    There was no opening for him to move anywhere, so Arthur was just left believing in hispanions.

    Flicker!

    Horus spewed out mes once again, attempting to attack Heimdall from behind.

    ¡°That¡¯s an incredible strength. However, if you don¡¯t have the appropriate experience wielding it¡­¡± Heimdallmented. ¡°It just bes too much power to control.¡±

    There was an eerie squelching sound as Arthur directly witnessed what had happened as he was standing before Heimdall. The red light from within the rainbow had turned into a sword and pierced Horus¡¯ stomach.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    Merlin used magic to cause the ground to copse, trying to force Heimdall to stumble in order to allow Arthur to move and use the opening to save Horus. However, the strange squelching sound was heard again.

    ¡°No! Merlin!!!¡±

    Squelch.

    Arthur looked up at the sky with a nk expression. The orange glow had disappeared.

    ¡°Ar¡­thur¡­¡± Merlin''s shuddering voice came from behind him.

    BANG!

    The sound of something tearing through the air rang by Arthur¡¯s ear. As he came to his senses, he could see a spear aimed at Heimdall¡¯s head from above him.

    WOOSH!

    The spear pierced forward as Athena stabbed towards Heimdall, truly intending to kill him. However, even that had stopped.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t because Athena had lost conviction. Instead, the green color of the rainbow had disappeared, too.

    ¡°Cough, cough.¡±

    Hot blood fell on Arthur¡¯s head as he could feel Athena copsing behind him through his senses.

    ¡°You¡­you bastard!!!¡±

    Arthur used all of his might to push Heimdall back, pressing the dual swords slowly down.

    Squelch!!

    However, Arthur, too, couldn¡¯t move any further, as a rainbow-colored sword had found its way stuck in his chest. It had only been just a moment. Heimdall had shown his sincerity, but everyone had fallen. Only an eerie silence surrounded the battlefield as Heimdall''s heavy face looked at the fallen Arthur.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    All he could do was to take a long breath. But then, he looked up at the sky.

    ¡°...!¡±

    The dark clouds that had clearly dissipated in the sky were gathering once more.

    Crackle. Crackle.

    A blue electric current sparked deep within them.

    1. Two-handed swords are weighted and sized for using two hands, so even with the incredible strength of the Hunters, it would be awkward to wield one-handedly. ?

 Chapter 254. The Last Barrier Pt. 4

    Chapter 254. The Last Barrier Pt. 4

    Crack. Crackle.

    Looking at the electricity gathering in the dark clouds, Heimdall shouted urgently, ¡°Bifrost!¡±

    However, a voice rang out as if God was speaking from the heavens.

    ¨CIt¡¯s toote.

    A sound as loud as thunder fell down.

    ¡°Zeus!¡±

    Zeus¡¯ voice descended upon the world. At the same time, a blue Thunderbolt fell down where Heimdall stood.

    BANG!

    It was a thick and giant bolt of lightning that couldn¡¯t bepared to any ordinary bolt as the world shone white as if it were blinking.

    CRACK, CRACK!

    When the unstoppable current seeped into the ground and dispersed, as the smoke caused by the lightning slowly disappeared, Zeus was standing in the crater that formed, his white hair flowing and his face expressionless.

    Ssss.

    ¡°...¡±

    The smoke dissipated further into the air, and only then did Heimdall also appear.

    Hiss.

    His golden armor was charred ck as he stood, his two swords held in a defensive stance.

    ng!

    His purple sword disappeared, shattering into the air.

    ¡°Did you do this?¡± Zeus coldly said. His gaze was on his fallenpanions. Heimdall kept his hand out as if still grasping the missing sword, waiting as a sword of a different color appeared in his hand.

    Ssss.

    Zeus slowly looked toward him.

    ***

    ¡°Baldur,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to the man approaching him.

    Baldur had been waiting for him inside the Association building, approaching him while crossing through the front door. He was a radiantly handsome man.

    ¡°You look so gloomy.¡±

    He was the Hero of Light, the One Who Always Smiles. He had been called by many such nicknames, but his appearance now made it impossible to tie any such names to him. He seemed¡­dark, as the shadows on his face seemed to make the world even darker.

    ¡°Underdog,¡± he said, approaching slowly. His voice had also changed. His powerful voice had been strong with conviction, but it was now somehow burning with ambition, an ambition as dark as the shadows on his face.

    ¡°What on earth has happened to you?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. They hadst met in Egypt, where Lee Jun-Kyeong had rescued Horus and fought Set.

    While Baldur had traveled there with him, due to Odin¡¯s disappearance, Baldur had returned first, after which they hadn¡¯t met again due to the cataclysm¡¯s advent. Moreover, news hade to him after that.

    ¡°I heard that you had be a Ruler¡­¡±

    Baldur had be the Ruler of Seoul, oppressing everyone with a power that went beyond that of humans.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    No, the rumors said that he had be a monster. Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong could see it, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a rumor but an actual fact. Baldur really had be a monster.

    ¡°Odin¡­no, did the Demon King make you like this?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. His change was nothing short of a fall as the one who used to shine has lost his luster. His eyes, which had always been chasing something, had lost their desire.

    "No," Baldur finally answered. ¡°It¡¯s what I wanted.¡±

    The corners of his mouth rose into a smirk. It was a strange sort of smile, but to Lee Jun-Kyeong, it was an actual scream. He was a figure writhing in pain.

    ¡°I wanted to gain power, Be Odin¡¯s¡­ I just wanted to be the sessor.¡±

    He looked at the Association building with a nk gaze, a ce where nothing could be felt any longer.

    ¡°I wanted that. And I got it.¡±

    He looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a deeper smile.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how to respond, just looking at him with a pitiful gaze.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°I got everything I wanted. Incredible strength. Odin¡¯s position,¡± Baldur said. Looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, instead of his smile deepening, it had all but disappeared. ¡°Don¡¯t pity me because it¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever wanted.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly nodded.

    Thud.

    Then, a small sound spread as before he knew it. Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had been on the ground, was soaring high into the sky.

    Crack, crack, crack!

    Thend on which Lee Jun-Kyeong had jumped off cracked and ruptured into pieces secondster. The force from which Lee Jun-Kyeong had jumped was so strong that it left a cavity in space, causing a rupture after the cavity copsed.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was floating in the sky as he looked down at Baldur.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me.¡±

    As he heard Baldur¡¯s voice, Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself.

    ¡®Quickly.¡¯

    He had to pass by this obstacle quickly. He had to deal with the Demon King, so he couldn¡¯t afford to spend much time or much power on Baldur. Thus, his hand grew enormously into a giant figure of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    BOOOM!

    It flew down, crushing the spot where Baldur stood.

    Crack.

    Underneath his palm, he definitely felt something, the distinct feeling of something being crushed in the Palm of Surtr.

    Flicker!

    At the same time, the Arm of Surtr, a pir of fire so unbelievablyrge, ruptured forth from the impact. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a sudden change in temperature, as if the seasons had changed.

    ***

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    Arthur stood up, clutching his chest. When he had been attacked by Heimdall, he had thought that he would die on the spot. Not only was he not healing, but it also felt as though he had lost all strength.

    ¡°As expected¡­¡± Zeus said, looking at the standing Arthur. ¡°It seems that if you get hit by a sword from that rainbow, you¡¯ll experience something simr to that of a magic seal.¡±

    Athena.

    Merlin.

    Horus.

    Arthur.

    The attacks that they had received from Heimdall would have been fatal for any ordinary Hunter. However, they were all of a caliber where it was impossible to defeat them with just a single fatal blow. Still, when Zeus had arrived, they had all fallen, unable to stand. It was only after Heimdall¡¯s purple sword had broken and another created that Arthur had been able to stand.

    ¡°It looks like we can only win by destroying that rainbow, then,¡± Zeus said as if things were that simple.

    There were three destroyed lights in the rainbow. If they were able to break the other four, it¡¯d be their victory

    Heimdall called out, ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­ Where is Jun-Kyeong?¡±

    Zeus had clearly gone with Lee Jun-Kyeong, and yet he had returned alone.

    ¡°Has he met Baldur?¡±

    Zeus just answered in a mocking tone, ¡°I¡¯ll give you an answer after you take back the rainbow from mypanions.¡±

    Heimdall slowly nodded, yet it wasn¡¯t an agreement to Zeus¡¯ request. He lifted his sword once more.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite.¡±

    Mana surged from Heimdall, and only then did Zeus¡¯ face harden. It was no fluke that Heimdall had defeated hispanions. It wasn¡¯t even a special ability or something he had held hidden.

    ¡®This is true strength.¡¯

    A force appeared that made the hairs on his entire body stand up. Heimdall was a true powerhouse.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking you down as well and getting my answer.¡±

    Woosh!

    Heimdall moved as fast as lightning.

    ¡°Then, I guess you won¡¯t be able to hear one.¡±

    However, Zeus had already arrived behind Heimdall as a flickering de of lightning hit the Hunter¡¯s back.

    BANG!

    Finally, a telling blow hadnded on Heimdall.

    ***

    Crackle.

    In the midst of the falling thunder, blood flew like water.

    Drip, drip.

    Totally devastated¡ªthere seemed to be no more appropriate word to describe their appearance. They were all in total disrepair. Everyone was covered in deep wounds, and one of Horus¡¯ arms was trembling as if it had been nearly cut off, barely holding on.

    Cough, cough!

    Merlin had fallen back far away as she had spent all of her mana while Arthur, perhaps because of the massive wound he had received in the beginning, was constantly coughing blood up throughout the battle.

    Athena looked just as miserable. Aegis, her divine weapon and the strongest shield in the world, was thrown to the floor with severe cracks. Her armor was also torn and shattered, unable to stop the blood flowing from her.

    Heimdall and Zeus were the same, too.

    ¡°How impressive.¡±

    Finally, there was no longer a rainbow left in the sky as thest remaining color was being held as a sword in Heimdall¡¯s hand. In order to destroy all remaining defenses that Heimdall had, in order to force him to that state, Zeus had put himself on the line, oveing crisis after crisis.

    Crack, crackle.

    Blood flowed from his neck as he put an electrified hand to the wound.

    Zzzt.

    The blood stemmed along with the smell of burning flesh. The wounds inflicted by Heimdall¡¯s rainbow were difficult to heal, even with the regenerative strength of someone stronger than a hero. Thus, this was the only way to stop the bleeding.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±

    Finally, there was only one shade of the rainbow remaining.

    ¡®Among us, the only one who can move is¡­¡¯

    Zeus realized he was it. Arthur had already been pushed to the limit, and so had Athena. Although she must have had many distracting and conflicting thoughts, she still had pushed Heimdall to the utmost. Whereas Heimdall still seemed to have more strength leftover than Zeus did.

    ¡®The rainbow is gone, though.¡¯

    Zeus thought quickly.

    There was definitely a way to defeat Heimdall. There was definitely a way to take him down. Then, the answer came surprisingly quickly.

    ¡°sma.¡±

    Everything would be included in this single move, and he would defeat him.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    At Zeus¡¯ transformation, Heimdall also settled into a stance with both swords held aloft. As Heimdall¡¯s mana rose, Zeus thought that the bald man¡¯s shift in power was simr to what he felt in Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°A mana stream¡­?¡±

    The mana stream that Lee Jun-Kyeong mentioned was the ability to control the flow of mana and mana itself directly. Thus, it can help one demonstrate more efficient and destructive abilities.

    Then, at that moment, Heimdall also looked surprised, too.

    ¡°...!¡±

    ¡°That? I learned it, too.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t perfect, which was why he hadn¡¯t been able to use it properly while fighting Heimdall. He had still learned the basics from Lee Jun-Kyeong, and he had made every effort to learn it in his own way.

    At this moment, he activated the mana stream, albeit imperfectly. One unstoppable force was going against another, and they were two forces that could destroy cities. They had gathered in one ce.

    ¡°Damn it!!!¡±

    Zeus could hear Arthur swearing.

    ¡°Avoid it on your own because I can¡¯t control it.¡±

    ¡°So that means he still has that much strength left¡­?! DAMN IT!¡±

    As if he was angry that he couldn¡¯t fight until the end, Arthur shouted, resentful of the fact that all he could do was flee. However, he was quickly moving away from the battlefield with Horus in one hand and Athena in the other.

    ¡°You better win!¡±

    When Arthur''s voice came from far away, a blue electric current and a brilliant rainbow mixed together.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start.¡±

    BOOOM!

    In the feast of colors mixing together, the sound of an explosion erupted. However, it wasn¡¯t an explosion they had caused¡ªit came from a little further away, where the Association was.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong.¡±

    A pir of fire rose in the air.

    Heimdall suddenly called out Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s name, the surprise shifting his stance. At that moment, the two uncontroble forces stopped mixing and began to push one another.

    BOOOOOOOOM!

    A magnificent explosion urred like a sh of light as the ground crumbled and the clouds faded away.

    ¡°...¡±

    Amid it all, a man wearing broken golden armor walked forward.

 Chapter 255. The Last Barrier Pt. 5

    Chapter 255. The Last Barrier Pt. 5

    A man donning a shattered golden suit of armor walked out of the hazy smoke.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    Arthur quickly raised his sword and tried to run forward. The owner of the shattered golden armor was Heimdall, and his emergence could have only meant one thing: Zeus had been defeated. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Heimdall would have been fine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Thinking now was his chance, Arthur kicked the ground and shot forward like an arrow as he pumped all of his mana into the dangling Excalibur. As he was just about to deliver the strongest blow he could manage, he heard a soft thump.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Heimdall had fallen forward, and behind his slumped back, Zeus appeared, electricity exuding with every breath. Zeus was also in a horrid state. Arge gaping wound was on his chest, and blood was flowing down his leg.

    ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and heal me, Merlin,¡± Zeus called out to Merlin.

    Thud!

    Arthur urgently halted himself and stopped mid-rush as Merlin and the others quickly went to Zeus.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Merlin said in disbelief. ¡°This means we¡¯ve won, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    They had won. Heimdall¡¯s strength had been shrouded in secrecy and was beyond that ofmon sense. In particr, the rainbow that he had used was more powerful and harder to handle than any other ability that they had ever faced. But now, that terrifyingly strong Hero was lying on the ground.

    They had defeated him.

    ¡°Ugh, now I feel like I¡¯m not going to die anymore.¡±

    Heimdall really had fallen, and Zeus¡¯ wounds were quickly recovering. The moment that all of them were able to move easily again, Zeus told them all to get ready.

    ¡°Prepare for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wake this bastard up.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Arthur asked with a puzzled look on his face.

    Zeus ignored him and continued. ¡°The Underdog has already begun his battle. I have to find out what¡¯s going on. So, I¡¯m going to wake him up, so get ready to restrain him.¡±

    Arthurined, ¡°Are you crazy? This bastard was serious about everything. We wouldn¡¯t be in the wrong if we just killed him like¡­¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zeus interrupted Arthur. ¡°When we had shed just now, his sword cleaved into my chest just half an inch to the side,¡± he said, pointing to his chest. ¡°He held back after he saw the pir of fire rise behind me.¡±

    ¡°And what the hell does that have to do¡­¡±

    ¡°Look at yourself, too. They¡¯re near fatal wounds, but they¡¯re only near fatal, right?¡±

    They nodded.

    ¡°This bastard never meant to kill us in the first ce. As for what he mentioned earlier¡­¡±

    Crackle.

    A blue flicker of electricity appeared in Zeus¡¯ hand, which he slowly applied to Heimdall. ¡°His only goal had been to hold us back. That¡¯s more than enough reason to listen to what he has to say.¡±

    Crackle!

    ¡°Either way, there¡¯s no point in us going to the Underdog right now. With injuries like this, even if we go to help him¡­¡±

    CRACK!

    Heimdall trembled as he was hit by the electric current.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just be his burden.¡±

    ***

    There had definitely been a feeling in his hand. Although the Arm of Surtr was a manifestation made of mes that were created through mana, Lee Jun-Kyeong could still feel sensation through it.

    He was sure of it. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯

    He had felt Baldur being crushed in his palm. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly raised his hand, and underneath it, all that remained was the ashes of Baldur.

    ¡°...¡±

    The fight had ended so easily, but¡­

    ¡°Things have be much different.¡±

    When he had reached Baldur, Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken a close look at the Hunter. He had clearly be incredibly strong. Nevertheless, he was still stronger.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong just stood there and muttered to himself as if he were bowing to Baldur. Baldur was a pitiful person and was someone who had worked hard to be recognized his whole life. However, the father who was supposed to give him the recognition he deserved had just betrayed him instead, throwing him to the wolves.

    He had lived a Hero¡¯s life, but his hands were stained with the blood of countless humans.

    ¡®I won.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had finished it with just a single move¡ªhe himself had grown just as much. No matter what anyone else said, his real enemy still awaited him.

    ¡°The Demon King.¡±

    The Association building was still intact despite the aftermath of the recent explosion. Lee Jun-Kyeong nced at its structure. He had honed this power to deal with the Demon King, and thus, he didn¡¯t have the time to wrestle with himself about morality or other concerns before meeting him. Or so he thought before he turned around and knocked aside something that flew toward him.

    Bang!

    ¡°Baldur¡­?¡±

    The object that had flown toward him had been a wave of mana in the shape of a fist formed from a condensation of light.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong looked forward, he saw the Hunter standing there, looking just the same as when he had walked out the front door of the Association building. The only difference was that now, he was standing there without any clothes on. Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it, he had definitely felt Baldur being crushed and saw the subsequent pile of ashes, a testament to his death.

    But¡­how??

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t die even if I wanted to,¡± Baldur said with a twisted smile.

    "Immortality?"

    That was the possible exnation.

    ¡°True Immortality? That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang also possessed the Immortality Authority, and Lee Jun-Kyeong himself did as well. Moreover, the Authority that they had artificially obtained from the Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone was more than worthy of being called immortal.

    ¡°There¡¯s no Immortality that would let someone survive even after their whole body was turned to dust!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted in astonishment.

    True Immortality did not exist in this world. It was a topic also discussed by the Demon King in his book. While the Immortality granted by the Sponsor could essentially be considered immortality whenpared to human standards, for those with higher levels of power, there was still a stark difference between the concept and the Authority. If there weren¡¯t any mana left to sustain one¡¯s life, they would die just like anything else.

    What Lee Jun-Kyeong had just done wasn¡¯t only to burn Baldur¡¯s body, but also the mana that he had. Everything that had made Baldur exist had been erased in an instant. However, Baldur had still survived.

    ¡°Just how?!¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again in shock, before he knew it, Baldur had appeared right in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong, kicking downwards.

    BANG!

    He had even be as fast as light.

    "I don''t know either." On the other hand, his voice drawled slowly, ¡°I¡­ I want to die, Underdog.¡±

    When his voice, which was almost like a scream, lingered in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear, Lee Jun-Kyeong responded as he dodged the blow, ¡°Your wish, I¡¯ll fulfill it.¡±

    He soared into the sky and cast the Arm of Surtur again.

    ¡®Mana.¡¯

    Regardless of how Baldur¡¯s immortality worked, it was still fundamentally based on mana.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just burn it all.¡±

    Where they stood, all of the mana in that area would be incinerated.

    BOOM!

    The arm of the me giant struck once more as the pir of fire that rose up swirled into one muchrger than before.

    ***

    The Arm of Surtr emitted the mes of Muspelheim. They constantly burned, consuming mana like air. The pir of fire swirled even greater in size, engulfing the surrounding mana as it multiplied in volume. At the center floated Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    He was still waiting right over where Baldur had stood, his arm firmly pressed into the ground.

    Although the mana in the area was disappearing in ebbs, he had to make sure to finish it. If he could end things like this, it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a loss.

    There was only one thing that worried him: The Demon King still hadn¡¯t shown up. Considering that a battle of this scale was happening right before him, if the Demon King truly were in the Association, then he would have had to show up.

    Moreover, if the Demon King really were nning on killing him, now would be a golden opportunity. However, the Demon King was nowhere to be seen. He couldn¡¯t feel the Demon King¡¯s aura, or anyone else¡¯s aura for that matter, in the Association building.

    ¡°HA!!¡±

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong put more and more effort into his skill, wanting to end what was before him and find the Demon King. Eventually, it all disappeared, as finally, all of the mana in the vicinity had been consumed. For an instant, it had even be a mana vacuum.

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong withdrew his arm, the pir of fire slowly began to shrink.

    ¡®That would have been impossible to survive even for a true immortal.¡¯

    All of the surrounding mana had been burned away. Even if Baldur were to have been revived in the midst of the absence of mana, the only result was for him to just burn again once more in the pir of fire. Baldur had to have died; Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

    ¡°...¡±

    But, his feet did not move. He felt as though he had to check it out. Because the mana had been incinerated, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no way to sense his presence. Then, when the pir of fire gradually subsided, Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    BANG!

    He knocked away the fist flying at him, a fist that had clearly flown out of the pir of fire. It was Baldur¡¯s fist of light.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to say a single word, just quietly staring at the clearly visible appearance of Baldur. He was still melting in the midst of the remnants of the pir of fire.

    ¡®He¡¯s regenerating.¡¯

    The horrible sight before him was so cruel that even Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had undergone all manners of atrocities, gagged. It was said that one of the greatest pains a human could experience was death by fire.

    ¡®If Baldur is an immortal, does that mean he can¡¯t feel pain?¡¯

    ¡°...¡±

    The sight of Baldur¡¯s melted face regenerating as he looked over at him seemed so jaded. It looked so sad.

    ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t die.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Have you woken up?¡±

    Heimdall woke up with various mana restraints binding him entirely. As he opened his eyes and looked down, thanks to Merlin¡¯s abilities, he saw dozens of magic circles surrounding him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think¡­this is a little much?¡±

    He had been ced in a transparent container that seemed to havee out of nowhere.

    Crack. Crackle.

    Water filled the space up to his chest as on top of it, Zeus stood, generating an electric current in his hand. Looking over to the side, Horus was setting up a barrier of fire while Athena aimed her spear at his head. Directly in front of him was Arthur, his Excalibur plunged deep into the container, pointed directly at Heimdall¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Try to move, even a little,¡± Arthur blustered.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only gone to this degree because of the abilities you showed.¡±

    There didn''t seem to be even a single opening he could use to escape.

    Heimdall chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯reughing?¡± Arthur spat sharply.

    ¡°It¡¯s just funny,¡± Heimdall leisurely answered in response. Although some of the gathered party were dissatisfied with his attitude, Zeus brushed it off and moved on.

    ¡°Drop it,¡± he said, continuing their earlier conversation. ¡°Where is the Demon King?¡±

    The questioning had begun.

    ¡°Why did you only let the Underdog go forward?¡± Zeus rapidly questioned him. ¡°Just what the hell is going on over there?¡±

    Finally, Zeus had gotten to hisst question. ¡°Tell me who you are and what your goal is. Heimdall, you were a Hero of Asgard. I knew you were strong, but¡­to think it was to this extent. I know you have many secrets like the Underdog does, but¡­¡±

    Zeus stopped speaking as Arthur took over, ¡°If you don¡¯t answer us, you¡¯re going to die right here. We don¡¯t have time to waste and have to go help the Underdog.¡±

    Heimdall shook his head as if he had no choice. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of dying. I¡¯m just afraid of you all going over there.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Everything is going ording to n. No matter what¡­everything has to end the way it has been nned.¡±

    Heimdall slowly turned and looked at everyone, his eyes clear and shimmering with conviction.

    ¡°That¡¯s the only way¡­¡± However, what was hidden behind the outeryer of conviction was a deep sadness. ¡°That¡¯s the only way the Demon King can die.¡±

 Chapter 256. The Last Barrier Pt. 6

    Chapter 256. The Last Barrier Pt. 6

    ¡°The only way the Demon King can die?¡± Arthur asked in a questioning voice. ¡°Are you saying that the Demon King¡¯s n is to die?¡±

    They couldn¡¯t understand.

    Not any of this entire chaos.

    Not any of what was going on.

    ¡°He did all of this just because he wanted to die?¡±

    Heimdall nodded slowly. ¡°However, Jun-Kyeong isn¡¯t strong enough yet.¡±

    There were no signs of deceit in Heimdall¡¯s voice, only a solid and strong conviction. It was one that contained only truth.

    ¡°Everything depends on that brat. Only if he can win over¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about Baldur?¡± Zeus asked.

    The hurdle that Lee Jun-Kyeong had to ovee and the opponent that Lee Jun-Kyeong was facing now.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Heimdall answered.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong has to defeat Baldur. Only then can he get closer to the Demon King¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Zeus said with a rxed face. ¡°The Underdog, Lee Jun-Kyeong, is strong. Since you left for Seoul, he has grown unbelievably. Stronger than all of us, stronger than even you. A nobody like Baldur, no matter how much he could have been strengthened by the Demon King, would have already been defeated and left behind.¡±

    Zeus¡¯ voice was full of confidence.

    ¡°No.¡± However, Heimdall had a subtle hint of doubt in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±

    ROAR!!!

    At that moment, a pir of fire erupted from the Association building again, even bigger than before. The heat emitted by it was more than enough to reach this ce.

    ¡°That bastard is the greatest masterpiece the Demon King has ever created. Even for Jun-Kyeong, he won¡¯t be someone easily defeated. That¡¯s why we can only approach the Demon King after defeating Baldur.¡±

    Zeus, who was looking at the pir of fire, asked Heimdall another question, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­¡±

    He believed in Lee Jun-Kyeong. Even though it would be difficult, Lee Jun-Kyeong would ovee it.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s only purpose is to die? Then you bastards¡ªare you saying that you, Odin, and the others who had sided with the Demon King to create this division between us only did so to help someone who wanted tomit suicide?¡±

    Heimdall shook his head, his tone bitter, ¡°No.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s purpose was more than that.

    ¡°His purpose is the same as yours.¡±

    ¡°Same as us?¡±

    What could he have meant by that? That the Demon King wanted to handle this situation and bring peace to Earth? In that case, he could just stop everything right now and surrender. But if that wasn¡¯t the case¡­

    ¡°To kill all of the Sponsors. That is the Demon King¡¯s purpose, and¡­¡± Heimdall spoke with a gaze that seemed to hide numerous secrets. ¡°Only then can the Demon King die.¡±

    ***

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±

    All of the mana in the vicinity had been incinerated. Moreover, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, it had been burned over and over again so that it would never regenerate. Lee Jun-Kyeong had bolstered the mes to the point where he had used up all of the strength he had been saving for the fierce battle with the Demon King.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? I found it fascinating too¡­¡±

    Nevertheless, Baldur was fine.

    ¡°I tried everything. Anything you can imagine,¡± Baldur said, his face full of shadows. ¡°However, nothing worked. That was when I made the decision.¡±

    The sincerity in his voice was evident. He had been exhausted by life, but now, he was showing his eagerness.

    ¡°After he made me into this, he told me to kill you. So, I¡¯ll kill you first, and then¡­¡±

    Baldur smiled. It was a sincere one, not that bitter facsimile he had before. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with those bastards that made me like this.¡±

    He would take down Odin and the Demon King.

    ¡°Odin is dead.¡± However, Lee Jun-Kyeong just responded in a calm tone. ¡°He was killed by Fenrir.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Baldur¡¯s expression froze, and after a while, a roar echoed through the air. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    Bang!

    At the same time, a ray of light reached Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ribs. Although he twisted himself in a split second¡¯s notice and allowed the light to flow right by him, he still felt the pain of the blow.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Dead? He¡¯s dead?¡± Baldur shouted. ¡°Who the hell are you to kill him?! No, wait, it wasn¡¯t even you¡­but by that damned wolfling?¡±

    Dozens of emotions shed across his face.

    ¡®He¡¯s gonepletely mad.¡¯

    Baldur covered his face with one hand and his stomach with the other. ¡°Fine¡­ fine¡­¡±

    Shing!

    As he was about to open his mouth once more as if he had thought of something, Lee Jun-Kyeong summoned Muspel¡¯s Spear before he could react. No, Lee Jun-Kyeong held up Surtr. It pierced through space as if it was eviscerating it.

    ¡°You did good. Because you did good, I¡¯ll have to give you a reward.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s spear couldn¡¯t reach Baldur as the Hunter disappeared along with a sh of light.

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around as he felt a sharp pain in his back.

    ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯

    Baldur was faster than anyone he¡¯s ever faced.

    ¡®Baldur¡¯s abilities¡­¡¯

    The Hunter¡¯s abilities used light as a base, allowing him to move at the same speed. However, now, it seemed as though those very abilities had been multiplied by a level, or even several levels. If Lee Jun-Kyeong had been able to sense his presence to avoid theing blow, it would have already been toote.

    BANG!

    He would have to avoid it before he could even sense it.

    ¡°This is sorta fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Baldur''s voice lingered in his ears as Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly stabbed toward the ce he heard ite from.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just kill you. You can die, right? So I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±

    Suddenly, Baldur was speaking to himself from a distance away.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I was deluding myself,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he finally prepared himself. To even consider saving his strength so he could deal with the Demon King¡ªthat in the first ce was a sign of his arrogance.

    Thrum.

    Red-hot, blood-like mes swirled from Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°I¡¯ll start taking this seriously.¡±

    Baldur was strong. He wasn¡¯t an opponent that could be beaten if Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to conserve his power. He would have to do his best to take him down.

    ¡°Oooh, how clever~¡± Baldur said to Lee Jun-Kyeong from where he hadnded. ¡°You enveloped your entire body in mes¡­then¡­¡±

    BANG!

    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t be able to get to you or something?¡±

    A fist grazed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s cheek, and for a split second, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw it. Baldur had thrust his fist through the wall of mes. Although the ultra-high heat melted Baldur¡¯s durable body, his regenerative power exceeded the rate of melting. Lee Jun-Kyeong stomped the ground and shifted his stance as Baldur¡¯s fist disappeared.

    ¡°Then, is it that you can¡¯t feel pain?¡±

    He had asked that as Baldur would attack indiscriminately, ignoring the pain as his body melted.

    However, Baldur just responded nonchntly and stretched out a fist again, ¡°Of course I can.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What do you mean that the Demon King can only die if he kills the Sponsors?¡± Merlin asked if she had finally understood something.

    However, Heimdall didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t have a good grasp of the situation,¡± Zeus said.

    Crackle.

    ¡°Ugh!!¡±

    An electric current passed through the water tank as Heimdall trembled from being electrocuted.

    ¡°That¡¯s not any regr water. It¡¯s Merlin¡¯s own concoction, which transmits electricity much better than normal water,¡± he continued as he sent a constant stream of electricity into the water. ¡°Besides, we have no intention of engaging in trivial talk with you.¡±

    Zeus'' voice was heard clearly in Heimdall''s trembling ears. ¡°We¡¯re of the mind to seriously force information out of you to the point where torture isn¡¯t off the table anymore.

    ¡°Gasp¡­gasp¡­¡±

    As Zeus stemmed the electric current, the atmosphere, which had rxed slightly, suddenly became cold.

    However, Heimdall responded clearly, even through his pain, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±

    Zeus winked at Arthur, motioning for him to push the sword that was touching Heimdall¡¯s chest a little further.

    ¡°At least not yet.¡±

    This made Arthur stop in his tracks, understanding what Heimdall was hinting at. He wasn¡¯t someone who would lie and also had already intended to fully cooperate with them. But, even with that intention, he still couldn¡¯t exin it.

    ¡°Is it a restriction?¡±

    It was clear that the Demon King had done something to him. Heimdall¡¯s continued silence was a response in and of itself.

    ¡°Then when can we talk?¡± Zeus asked.

    ¡°When Jun-Kyeong defeats Baldur. Then I can tell you everything.¡±

    ¡°Baldur¡­is he strong?¡±

    Only then did the party begin to take an interest in Baldur.

    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t know that he would be strong, it was just that they never thought that he could be on par with Lee Jun-Kyeong. Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone whose strength had been cultivated to take on the Demon King. They were confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose to Baldur or the like.

    ¡°He¡¯s strong.¡± However, even though he knew that fact, Heimdall¡¯s answer stayed the same. ¡°Moreover¡­he will be more persistent than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Persistent?¡±

    Heimdall¡¯s gaze shifted over to Zeus, who was sitting on the container. ¡°What do you know about True Immortality?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Not the same Immortality that Jeong In-Chang has. It¡¯s also different from the super regeneration that you all have.¡±

    Immortality.

    Zeus said tly, ¡°There¡¯s no way something like that exists.¡±

    It was already an impossibly terrifying Authority, let alone True Immortality, something that didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡®He had definitely said that one of them had died, too.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had said that there had been a Sponsor who had died because of him¡ªsomething about his Sponsor doing so? That meant that Sponsors could kill each other, meaning that True Immortality was something impossible for even Sponsors.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±

    ¡°No, it exists,¡± Heimdall said firmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡±

    Merlin seemed to have understood something and fell silent with a shocked expression. Herpanions looked over at her as she shook her head and slowly opened her mouth, ¡°The Demon King¡­¡±

    ¡°The Demon King?¡±

    ¡°Heimdall said that the reason the Demon King was doing all of this was to die.¡±

    The others agreed, having heard the same.

    ¡°He also said that the Demon King could only die if all of the Sponsors were dead.¡±

    Heimdall¡¯s face was calm as if Merlin¡¯s words were correct.

    ¡°So, what about that, Merlin?¡± Arthur said, impatient.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°And??¡±

    ¡°The Demon King is one very such True Immortal! An immortal whose condition for death is impossible: ¡°Kill all of the Sponsors!¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Only then did everyone understand.

    ¡°If the conditions can never be met, then isn¡¯t that True Immortality?¡±

    ¡°What on earth are you thinking¡­?¡± Zeus said as he red in response to Heimdall¡¯s words.

    ¡°How are we supposed to beat a bastard like that?! I thought that the Demon King wanted to die! Lee Jun-Kyeong. Isn¡¯t that brat supposed to win? All fighting an immortal like that would do is drain him of his strength!¡±

    He was angry, angry at the horrid n that existed from the very beginning.

    However, Heimdall answered sinctly, ¡°That¡¯s the reason why. Only if Lee Jun-Kyeong can kill that tenacious Baldur in the state that he is in now would he be able to kill the Demon King, who has even more difficult conditions for death.¡±

 Chapter 257. The Last Barrier Pt. 7

    Chapter 257. The Last Barrier Pt. 7

    ¡°Ughh.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong spat, causing a glob of blood to fly through the air.

    ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯

    Baldur was nothing but a hassle.

    ¡®This is not a good matchup.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was someone who crushed his opponent with powerful force. However, that was all but useless if his blows couldn¡¯t connect with an opponent who moved at such a high speed.

    Originally, it wasn¡¯t as if there was no way to deal with him. He could have attacked the path his opponent would take, or he could have forced him into a certain ce by attacking the entire surrounding area. Unfortunately, there was a factor that continued to be bothersome.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    All of the options that Lee Jun-Kyeong had were of no use against Baldur, who was close to being truly immortal. In other words, Baldur¡¯s entire existence negated all of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s strengths.

    ¡®I have to find a way.¡¯

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong racked his brains as he blocked.

    ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as true immortality.¡¯

    He was sure of that much. Whether it was the Twelve Heroes who founded Eden and called themselves Gods or even the Demon King, they had all reached near true immortality. But, even their immortality wasn¡¯tplete.

    Moreover, not even the Sponsors, who were beings at the top of the food chain or even equivalent to gods, could be considered to be true immortals.

    ¡°<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">.¡±</the>

    After all, that bastard had killed a Sponsor. While Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t actually received any notifications that stated a Sponsor had died, what had appeared at that time had clearly hinted at the Sponsor¡¯s death.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong whispered, ¡°Help me.¡±

    If it was <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">, then wouldn¡¯t it be able to circumvent the immortality of Baldur, whose existence was of a lower level than the Sponsors?</the>

    ¡°Pfft.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongughed humorlessly. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d find myself relying on a Sponsor.¡±

    All Sponsors were enemies. Although he thought that the Sky of the Apocalypse was special, he still couldn¡¯tpletely get rid of his doubts.

    ¡®After the battle began¡­¡¯

    Not a single Hunter had heard any notifications. There had to have been some Hunters who had felt some sort of changes during the battle. Furthermore, there was no way that they had lost the attention of the Sponsors during the cataclysm.

    ¡®But we haven¡¯t heard a single notification.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had two guesses. Either the Sponsors had stopped sponsoring them for a moment due to what was happening, or the sponsors were busy.

    It was a definite possibility that they were too busy doing something. In actuality, it didn¡¯t matter what the reason was. The important thing was that this wasn¡¯t a situation where he could ask the bastard for help.

    ¡°What are you muttering to yourself?¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong heard Baldur¡¯s whispering voice in the air, he turned around, preparing for the shock that would follow. At the same time, he shouted to someone he had called in advance, ¡°Hel!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t thought about any ways to deal with immortals.

    ¡°Grab him!¡±

    ***

    The Immortality Authority was absolutely rare to have. Siegfried was the only person with it recorded in the Book of the Demon King. Anyone else to have it, like the Heroes of Eden, was thought to have obtained it gradually over time. However, that was a story of the previous timeline.

    ¡®It¡¯s a lot different now.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had changed many things after he went back in time. One of the things was the growth of the Hunters. Apex Hunters like Zeus, Arthur, and Merlin had strengthened more than expected.

    ¡®I also gained an Authority close to that of Immortality.¡¯

    The Dragon¡¯s Bloodstone gave him immortality that was imperfect, just like Siegfried¡¯s. In fact, it was odd even to call it immortality, given that it was somewhat limited, but he had still achieved it.

    That was why he had thought that there might be other immortals. Lee Jun-Kyeong found it hard to believe that there could be any other immortals that could be his enemies, as any of the Hunters that had reached that level of strength should have already been on his side.

    Still, if there were someone who wasn¡¯t that had gained the Authority, they would definitely be a powerful enemy. That was why he had still prepared ways to deal with it. More than anyone else, he was worried about one person.

    ¡®The Demon King might also have the Immortality Authority.¡¯

    If that man hade back to the past like Lee Jun-Kyeong had and had memories of the previous timeline, then he would have already achieved it as the Authority that he would have most wanted to obtain would have been Immortality.

    ¡®Because he can¡¯t die if he wants to change the future.¡¯

    That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had prepared even more for how to deal with Authorities like Immortality.

    ¡°Hel!¡±

    Hel suddenly appeared and held out her hand.

    "This¡­!¡±

    Puzzled, Baldur looked down at his body. At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong summoned both of the Familiars who had been resting until now.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu!¡±

    Plop, plop.

    The sound of waves echoed through the air, and simultaneously, Baldur froze.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Trapped in water, he stayed still, unable to do anything, not even able to struggle to try to escape.

    ¡°Hold onto him tightly.¡±

    He was unable to because Hel had caught a hold of him. There was only one thing that could keep even someone like Baldur from moving.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold on for long¡­!¡± Hel was holding on to his soul. ¡°This isn¡¯t some normal level soul! This¡­!¡±

    Hel, who rarely felt flustered, shouted as if she was terrified, ¡°There are countless souls mixed in with his! Moreover, they¡¯re¡­!¡±

    ¡°They must be Ruler-level souls,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked at Baldur, who was ring at him from the water.

    The Hunter couldn¡¯t move due to Hel¡¯s soul restraints and Hyeon-Mu¡¯s abilities. In addition, Hyeon-Mu wasn¡¯t done yet.

    ¡°Freeze him.¡±

    ¡°I obey yourmands.¡±

    Hyeon-Mu froze the water that Baldur was trapped in. With a crackling sound, the water began to freeze from the outside in. Within the ice, Baldur struggled as if in pain.

    ¡°Mmm! MMM!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    Hel still hadn¡¯t released her restraints. However, as the souls of Rulers were mixed in with Baldur¡¯s, it wouldn¡¯t hold for long.

    ¡°Quickly! Freeze him!¡± Hel shouted.

    Still, before that, Baldur would still be trapped in a prison of ice where he would no longer be able to move. As the temperature dropped endlessly, he would lose energy and halt.

    ¡°...¡±

    As expected, the eyes of the Hunter within the ice began to rx a little. This was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s way of dealing with Immortality.

    ¡°I¡¯ll seal you.¡±

    He had chosen to seal Baldur, but it was a method he hadn¡¯t wanted to use because it was imperfect. He had originally discarded this idea, as it seemed unlikely to work against the Demon King.

    ¡®Because he is also the manifestation of fire.¡¯

    However, it was different if Baldur was his opponent. Baldur wasn¡¯t as threatening as the Demon King, nor did he have the Authority of Fire. All he had was speed. Thus, he could never break this ice seal.

    He couldn¡¯t be killed as he was an immortal, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be hindered. However, after this battle was over, Lee Jun-Kyeong swore to find a way to kill him.

    ¡°When this fight is over, I¡¯lle back and end your suffering.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt sorry for him. The Hunter was very different from him, so Lee Jun-Kyeong could vaguely empathize with what he must have been feeling. Furthermore, Baldur was an immortal.

    ¡°Atone for your sins by suffering within the ice until then.¡±

    Even if all of that ice froze, he wouldn¡¯t die, just stuck to feel the pain of his body continually being frozen. Lee Jun-Kyeong would find a way to kill Baldur and end his suffering after the uing battle, but the pain he would suffer until then would serve as atonement for the evil deeds he hadmitted.

    Crack!!!

    As he thought to himself, Lee Jun-Kyeong watched the ice freeze. Since it was Hyeon-Mu¡¯s magic and special ability, mana escaped from him just as when he had formed the Arm of Surtr.

    ¡°Master! I¡­ I can¡¯t hold on¡­!¡± Hel''s tired voice rang through the air.

    ¡°You can let go,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong replied.

    Hel could no longer restrain the souls.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s already over.

    Hyeon-Mu¡¯s process was about to end anyway. The ice, which had slowly been freezing, elerated and had reached Baldur.

    ¨CAgh!!!!

    They could see that Baldur¡¯s mouth was in the shape of a scream as the Hunter circted his powers and tried to struggle. The light emanating from him pierced through the ice like a prism, a rainbow illuminating in all directions. Despite that, there were no signs of the ice breaking, and when the bright light finally dimmed, the seal had beenpleted.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡± Hyeon-Mu was out of breath, as if he was exhausted.

    ¡°You really seem like a person now, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve finally obtained aplete body.¡±

    The Familiar that had used to be a skull was now no different from a person. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled wistfully at that sight. Hyeon-Mu bowed his head deeply, expressing his gratitude.

    ¡°Everything is thanks to you, master.¡±

    He had said that he wanted to be a man, and that wish hade true. Baldur had been taken down.

    ¡°Hel, and Hyeon-Mu, you guys¡­¡±

    ¡°We wish to follow you.¡±

    ¡°We will follow you.¡±

    Although the two forced themselves up and spoke, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped them.

    "No, rest. You¡¯ve already overdone it.¡±

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong had said, the two were extremely exhausted. They had to have been as they had just produced a seal that had been able to seal true immortality.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled. Baldur had been defeated, and now, there was only one thing left.

    ¡°Is it just the Demon King now?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the Association building. But then, light began to sh again.

    ¡°...!¡±

    "Master!"

    "Master!"

    Hel and Hyeon-Mu urgently shouted.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned around, and in his eyes, he could see Baldur ring at him with bloodshot eyes.

    ¨CYou bastard!!!

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    Baldur¡¯s light was heatless, so there was no way he should have been able to escape the seal. Or at least, that was the expectation. Moreover, the ice that had sealed him was strong enough to trap even Zeus.

    Crack!!

    However, before their eyes, it was cracking, making a sound as if the ice was reforming.

    ¡°What the f¡­¡±

    Only then did they see how he had managed to get free of the ice. Baldur¡¯s entire body was breaking down and regenerating, and the heat and mana created in the process were melting the ice of the special seal.

    "Master!"

    Hel restrained him again, but she didn''t seem to be able tost long.

    "Master!"

    Hyeon-Mu also tried to freeze the ice once more, but it was useless. Baldur would definitely break through the ice ande out. Lee Jun-Kyeong had to think through all of the things he had prepared to ovee True Immortality.

    The seal had failed. So then, how on earth could True Immortality be stopped? There was only one answer to his question, and it was the preparations he had made for the Demon King.

    ¡°Surtr.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong drew his spear. It was a new weapon created bybining Muspel¡¯s Spear with Mistilteinn. Even though it hadn¡¯t been gifted by a Sponsor and had been created by humans, it was a divine item.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly lifted Surtr with his right arm. There was still time before the ice broke.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    He held his breath and activated mana stream, using it to concentrate all of his techniques that manipte mana, including Galdr, into Surtr.

    ROAR!

    mes engulfed Surtr''s Spear. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t throw it yet.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    The way that Lee Jun-Kyeong had envisioned to defeat true immortality and the Demon King was simple.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use a force powerful enough to break evenws.¡±

    Both Baldur¡¯s Immortality and the Demon King would be suppressed by his power.

    ¡°Ha-a-eup!!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong let out the breath he had been holding and shouted as a huge force trembled. The battle finally began, and a message appeared for the first time.

    [Mistilteinn has been activated.]

 Chapter 258. The Last Barrier Pt. 8

    Chapter 258. The Last Barrier Pt. 8

    [Mistilteinn has been activated.]

    It was the first message he had heard after the battle had begun.

    ¡®Mistilteinn?¡¯

    The reason that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been flustered was more so the fact that Mistilteinn, not Surtr, had been activated. It was the branch of the world tree that Elfame had in his possession and had now be Surtr¡¯s Spear. It clearly had tremendous mana and an iprehensible strength.

    After bing one with Surtr, Lee Jun-Kyeong had assumed that its abilities had disappeared.

    ¡®Mistilteinn still has special abilities?¡¯i

    CRACK!!

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    As the ice cracked and Baldur¡¯s rage spread, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a small exmation. Surtr, surrounded by swirling mes, began to change.

    ¡°Master¡­ Is that?¡±

    Within those mes, inside the ultra-high heat that would melt anything, tree branches began to extend. The extending tree branches consumed the mes and stretched back into the body of the spear. As the spear became permeated with aura, it flowed back into Lee Jun-Kyeong once again.

    ¡°Agh!!¡±

    With it came the mana, strength and knowledge that Mistilteinn possessed. It was the incredible amount of knowledge contained within the World Tree. Unknowable and iprehensible things began to flow through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it, either. There was also an iprehensible power that felt familiar. Lee Jun-Kyeong stood there with a nk expression with his arm held forward.

    Crack!!!

    The ice was breaking further.

    "Master!"

    Hyeon-Mu shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to have lost his mind. Although he tried his best to maintain the ice, Baldur¡¯s resistance was too strong. Moreover, his mana was depleting as well.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on with Lee Jun-Kyeong right now, but because of it, the bond between the Familiars and the master had been broken, leaving him in a situation in which he was unable to receive the enormous amount of mana needed.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Although Hyeon-Mu tried to do the best he could with every fiber of his being, when Lee Jun-Kyeong eximed again, finally, the ice at the top of the seal broke, and Baldur shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, you dog bastard!¡±

    Perhaps because of the pain that he had undergone in the ice, he screamed with bloodshot eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all! I¡¯ll kill you all! You! The world! I¡¯ll kill you all!!¡±

    Baldur shrieked as if it was thest thing he would ever do and finally pulled his arm out of the seal. Hyeon-Mu couldn''t hold on any longer and fell down.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡±

    Hel, who still had some strength left, tried to restrain the Hunter as Lee Jun-Kyeong let out another exmation and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Oh. Oh!¡±

    "Master!"

    "Master!"

    When Hel and Hyeon-Mu shouted at the same time, a storm of heat erupted.

    WOOOSH!

    ***

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An unusual situation was unfolding at a ce far away from the Association building.

    ¡°...¡±

    The party stood, holding their breath while watching over their prisoner. Heimdall had said that he couldn¡¯t speak about anything until the fight between Baldur and Lee Jun-Kyeong had ended. It was a restriction imposed on him by the Demon King.

    As a result, everyone was holding their breath and watching.

    ¡°Can you see the situation, Merlin?¡±

    The battle was at a ce too far away to be seen. They could only guess what was going on from the changes in the mana. However, they had asked Merlin as they assumed she would be able to see over there.

    Merlin replied, ¡°There¡¯s a veil, Arthur. It¡¯s blocking all external gazes.¡±

    ¡°For now¡­ The Underdog has the upper hand, right?¡±

    A brightly shining veil blocked their gazes, but their senses were still able to uncover a certain amount of information about the situation there. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana was overwhelming Baldur.

    ¡°He¡¯s even pulled out Hel and Hyeon-Mu¡­ It looks like things aren¡¯t going well.¡±

    Considering he had even received help from his Familiars, they wondered if that meant that the situation wasn¡¯t as good as they thought. But it couldn¡¯t be.

    ¡°Immortality¡­ He must just be looking for a solution.¡±

    Heimdall had said that Baldur had also gained an Authority close to that of True Immortality. Lee Jun-Kyeong was most likely looking for a solution.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­¡± Zeus said. ¡°He considered many ways to deal with Immortals.¡±

    They had discussed it together: methods to kill those who couldn¡¯t die.

    ¡°If he¡¯s brought out Hyeon-Mu and Hel, he must be trying a seal.¡±

    Zeus remembered that one of those methods that Lee Jun-Kyeong had brought up had been how to freeze and seal their enemies.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had practiced that very sealing power on Zeus. It was an ice seal that was created through endless agony and experiments. Even though it had only been once, Zeus had experienced it properly. It was impossible to stop, and in a way, it really was a true form of sealing. Lee Jun-Kyeong would seal Baldur and move on.

    ¡°His mana is increasing.¡±

    The mana of the area increased.

    ¡°The sealing must have begun.¡±

    The group looked nervous as their senses were expanded to the max. They couldn¡¯t miss what was to happen. They hadn¡¯t even encountered the Demon King yet, so Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t be tied down by Baldur.

    Sensing the mana explode and soar suddenly, Horus alsomented, ¡°It must be over now.¡±

    There was a huge amount of mana. From where they stood, they saw what seemed to be thebined mana of three beings pouring into one. Even if Baldur couldn¡¯t die, they could at least seal him.

    However, Heimdall only said something cryptic with a worried gaze, "Indeed¡­¡±

    The group tried to ignore him and concentrated.

    Finally, the mana stabilized. It was over. The resonance of the remaining mana belonged to the Underdog.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sess.¡±

    It was clear that Baldur had been sessfully sealed. Merlin sighed as Arthur and Horus looked as though they had already expected this result. On the other hand, Athena had aplex expression. There was only one person who looked concerned.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression?¡± Zeus asked.

    Only Heimdall was looking toward the Association with concern, a face full of questions.

    ¡°Baldur is finished, so tell us everything.¡±

    Now that Baldur had fallen, Zeus had assumed that he could hear everything.

    ¡°Yet¡­ Not yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Merlin suddenly shouted urgently, ¡°The mana is soaring again! I¡¯m starting to sense Baldur¡¯s mana!¡±

    "Just how¡­!!¡±

    Not only could they feel the mana of Baldur that had previously disappeared, but his mana was also rapidly rising as well. Zeus looked urgently at Heimdall.

    "What happened?! What sort of trap is this?!¡±

    He knew what the ice seal meant because he had experienced it himself. It was the sort of thing that could never be escaped. However, Heimdall still seemed so calm.

    ¡°So you still don¡¯t understand the meaning of True Immortality. Death to them isn¡¯t something that¡¯s possible even if they wish for it¡­¡± Heimdall said in a somewhat lonely tone. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go, even if it¡¯ste,¡± Zeus said.

    The man who had stopped the others from heading towards the Underdog was about to step forward after fully recovering.

    ¡°Please take care of Heimdall.¡±

    He would save the Underdog and handle Baldur. Lee Jun-Kyeong had to move on.

    However, Heimdall called out, ¡°Stop.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Zeus looked at Heimdall with eyes full of fire. Before long, he read the emotions in Heimdall¡¯s gaze. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t worry about the Underdog.

    ¡°Trust in him. Jun-Kyeong will handle it.¡±

    It was just that he trusted Lee Jun-Kyeong. This situation was stressful and frustrating.

    ¡°This¡­!¡± Arthur shouted.

    A storm of heat blew over the sky.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Heimdall said amidst the palpable heat. It was a hot and searing wind. ¡°So he woke it. That power.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, that brat, had done it.

    ¡°That power¡­?¡± Zeus tried to ask Heimdall a question.

    ¡°Barrier!¡± Merlin shouted urgently.

    Soon, everyone unleashed their mana with all of their might as the approaching storm turned into a typhoon.

    ***

    The storm turned into a typhoon as Lee Jun-Kyeong stood in the eye, standing still with Surtr still extended forward.

    "Master!"

    "Master!"

    Hel and Hyeon-Mu called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong and tried to approach him.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Unfortunately, the storm of heat emitted by Lee Jun-Kyeong refused to allow them to approach.

    ¡°Wait for me.¡±

    As the storm grew, they heard Lee Jun-Kyeong and stopped struggling to reach him. Then, they got down on one knee and epted the wave of heat.

    ¡°We pledge to the master.¡±

    The wave of heat was so hot that it seemed as though it was about to melt them, but it soon became a warm breeze.

    ¡°AGHHHH!¡±

    However, it was only a warm breeze for them as painful screams continued to reach them from a distance. Baldur had finally broken the ice seal and was shrieking.

    Thud.

    He took one step forward even though he was melting in the heat. Unfortunately, that was all he could do, as soon, two legs and two arms melted. Then, his lower body and upper body followed.

    He shouted and began to regenerate once more, ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t die!¡±

    It was a terrifying vitality¡ªno, an Immortality Authority. As the Hunter looked up at the sky, screaming and yelling, he tried to run forward.

    Bang!

    Using his Authority of Light, he first and foremost tried to escape the storm of heat as quickly as possible.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    With Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice like the messenger of death, Baldur was thrown to the ground.

    BAM!!

    He tried to stand up but wasn¡¯t able to.

    ¡°I¡¯LL KILL YOU! KILL YOU!¡±

    Thud.

    Spitting words of evil, Baldur suppressed his screams of pain and took another step forward.

    BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

    Unable to ovee the storm, Baldur flew up into the air and plummeted back down dozens of times. All Lee Jun-Kyeong had done was extend Surtr forward. That was it.

    ¡°It¡¯s of no use. It¡¯s all useless. I can¡¯t die!¡± Baldur roared as he stretched out his fist. All of the mana he had at his disposal was concentrated into one point.

    BANG, BANG, BANG!

    It collided with the hot air and created an explosion. Light mixed into swirls, confusing everyone who was watching.

    ¡°This is impossible¡­¡±

    Then, Baldur¡¯s voice cut through the gale. Suddenly, the light he was emitting disappeared, his appearance revealed.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m dying¡­?¡±

    His entire body was flowing onto the ground, but it had stopped regenerating. He turned his head toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, his body motionless in the heat as his melted hair stuck to his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­¡±

    At some point, he had stopped regenerating. He couldn¡¯t do it anymore.

    ¡°I can¡¯t survive anymore¡­¡± Baldur muttered in a low voice. ¡°No!¡±

    However, he immediately stretched out his melted fists as a light that couldn¡¯t bepared to anything from before enveloped all directions. He tried to push his way through the typhoon of mes, but his footsteps couldn¡¯t be heard.

    ¡°I refuse to die! I haven¡¯t been able to do anything yet! Please! Please!!!¡±

    The man who had said he wanted to die was now begging for his life. Despite his pleas, the typhoon didn¡¯t stop.

    Thud.

    Finally, he fell to his knees.

    "I¡¯m going to die¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t escape the feeling of death. He couldn¡¯t regenerate. Now, it was the death he had been waiting for for so long.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was futile. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t tell if what was falling from Baldur¡¯s eyes were tears or melted flesh as he finally fell to the ground.

    Thud.

    Afterward, Baldur¡¯s voice was transmitted to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¨CThank you.

    The roaring typhoon of mes gradually died down as Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was standing in the eye of the storm, stood with his eyes closed. As he stood silently, a system message popped up.

    [Your level has increased.]

    ¡®Finally.¡¯

    [You have reached level 100.]

    [You have achieved an incredible feat.]

    He had reached level 100. Lee Jun-Kyeong still had his eyes closed.

    [You have awakened the powers of the source.]

    The notifications didn¡¯t end there either.

    [<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse=""> has sponsored you¡­]</the>

    It was what he had been waiting for.

    [A title.]

 Chapter 259. Ragnarok

    Chapter 259. Ragnarok

    Merlin always spoke calmly, but now she shouted out of shock, "That¡¯s impossible!"

    Blowing aside the fading storm of heat, Arthur also shouted, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    The storm of heat had been caused by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana. Their previously suppressed senses had begun to be able to feel what had happened in the distance again.

    ¡°Baldur is dead¡­¡±

    Baldur had been a being with nearplete True Immortality, but he had died. His aura hadn¡¯t just been hidden by a seal but had beenpletely erased. It was aplete end, the death of a True Immortal. However, that wasn¡¯t why they were so surprised.

    ¡°This¡­is it even possible for a human to have this much mana?¡±

    ¡°The Underdog¡­his mana is magnifying.¡±

    It continued to magnify to the point where the rapid increase created a sonic boom that could be heard over a long distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s still growing!¡± Arthur said in horror.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already passed the threshold of human power, which was something that they had all already expected. The fact that it was to this degree meant he was neither Human-level nor Ruler-level.

    ¡°He¡¯s like a Sponsor¡­¡±

    He had reached the power of the Sponsor that had only been conveyed through their messages¡ªno, the power that they had imagined those beings controlled.

    ¡°It¡¯s still¡­¡±

    Nevertheless, his mana continued to increase without stopping. They all wondered whether it was even possible to grow to this extent in an instant. Outside of sponsorship, it was an absurd idea.

    Unless¡­unless one was sponsored by a Sponsor in its entirety.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­could a Sponsor be taking over the Underdog¡¯s body?¡± Arthur shouted in panic. That was the only answer he could think of. He thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong had finally surpassed his growth limit and was being encroached on by a Sponsor.

    While he was worried about the possibility, Zeus shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    What was unfolding before them was different from that. He couldn¡¯t understand how or why he was feeling this way, but something was different.

    Zeus said to Heimdall, ¡°Heimdall. You know, right?¡±

    Even in this chaos, all the bald Hunter did was look a little surprised. Furthermore, now that the restriction should have been lifted, he should have been able to tell them what he hadn¡¯t been able to before.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    Crack!!

    Slowly, he opened his mouth as the water container containing him broke open. Flustered, Athena and Arthur tried to stab forward with their spear and sword. However, a rainbow light suddenly appeared and blocked them.

    ¡°A rainbow¡­does that mean he¡¯s already fully recovered his strength?¡±

    They quickly tried to settle into a fighting stance.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I only nned on making sure you didn¡¯t pass here. That was it.¡±

    They could only swallow their saliva as they looked at Heimdall¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t have any hint of hostility at all. It looked more like he just wanted to talk.

    ¡°My role has ended. I kept you all from leaving this ce and¡­¡± As he spoke, Heimdall looked toward the Association again. ¡°Jun-Kyeong seeded.¡±

    ¡°Seeded?¡±

    Heimdall slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, the power that he had from the very beginning¡­¡±

    Crack!!!

    Even though nothing stood before them, the sound of something breaking rang through the air.

    ¡°The powers of the source have been awakened.¡±

    What awakened Heimdall was the mana that had filled the air¡ªthe invisible veil that it had created.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Moreover, the things that had been revealed in the midst of it all were incredible.

    ***

    ¡°Fenrir! You can rest first!¡± Despite Ungnyeo¡¯s cries, Fenrir just continued forward.

    "I''m going¡­¡± Fenrir said in a weary tone. He wasn¡¯t in a normal state as the injuries he had sustained during the fierce battle with Odin weren¡¯t healing at all. It was all he could do to stay standing. Despite that, he was carrying everyone on his back in that kind of condition, heading towards the ce where the Association stood and where Lee Jun-Kyeong would be.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    Those who could move carried those who couldn¡¯t as they ran forward. Fortunately, the ordinary humans had already been evacuated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be of any help, but we have to at least be by his side!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted, urging the group on.

    His ce was right next to Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, he had to save the ordinary humans, and he had been left with no choice but to leave and carry out his mission. Now that he had seeded, he wanted to hurry back to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    ¡°We¡¯reing!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was fighting, and it never crossed Jeong In-Chang¡¯s mind that any of them would be able to aid the Hunter in theing battles.

    ¡°You¡¯re not alone!¡±

    Regardless, he wanted Lee Jun-Kyeong to know that he wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡®Since when has it been like this for me? No, it¡¯s been like this since the beginning.¡¯

    He had felt this way even during the very first day he had met Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter had a lonely face. He had always seemed bright and polite, but there was a loneliness hidden behind his expression. It was almost as if he couldn¡¯t get along with anyone.

    ¡®Mr. Lee was alone even in the timeline he hade from.¡¯

    Jeong In-Chang had heard, at least roughly, about the timeline that Lee Jun-Kyeong had lived through. It was a story of a strong man, a caring man, being alone. It was a life that was all about spending his days going through painful moments andmenting.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t even his timeline.¡¯

    Such a pained and tormented man had returned to the past, and that was how he had gotten his strength. However, even if those events in his memories never existed in this timeline, that didn¡¯t mean that the pain never existed as well. It was almost as if he had been exiled from the timeline he should have been in.

    ¡®He carries too much weight on his shoulders.¡¯

    With the power that he had gained, he could have just spent this timeline in peace. Although the cataclysm and unavoidable disasters existed, he would have still been able to survive and enjoy wealth. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was different. He had returned to the past and held up the burden of changing the future, never stopping in his goal.

    ¡®He¡¯s too strong.¡¯

    In fact, he had even be too strong and was continuing to get stronger still. There was no one who could properly stand next to him.

    ¡®Even I¡­¡¯

    Jeong In-Chang had walked through the battlefield with him. Although it had always seemed that Lee Jun-Kyeong had help from himself and his colleagues, that was only what it looked like on the surface.

    ¡°Honestly, I already knew that you didn¡¯t need us.¡±

    But in truth, Lee Jun-Kyeong had solved everything alone. Jeong In-Chang knew that even if they hadn¡¯t been there in the first ce, he would have resolved everything just fine. Lee Jun-Kyeong was the man who had saved him from being tainted by the evil of the Northern Army Guild.

    That was why he needed to be by his side now. Jeong In-Chang increased his speed.

    ¡°The rest of you cane slowly!¡±

    Even if there were no one else left on Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side, Jeong In-Chang would be there. He had to be. However, soon, mana began to rush in, buffeting them.

    WOOSH!

    ¡°Is this a heat storm?¡±

    A hot wind pummeled him.

    ¡°Block it!¡± said someone from behind.

    At the same time, Jeong In-Chang could feel mana unfolding, deployed in the form of a shield.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong! This way!¡± Won-Hwa shouted at Jeong In-Chang in the growing heat storm. The heat and mana in the storm became stronger. It stung as it tore through his flesh. Although he hadn¡¯t known that it would have gotten so much stronger, he knew who was responsible for this heat storm.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang knew why the heat storm had arisen. He was fighting. Fighting alone. Thus, he had to move forward.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong! Don¡¯t be reckless!¡±

    Still, Jeong In-Chang kept moving, ignoring Won-Hwa¡¯s worried shouts. The heat storm grew stronger.

    ¨CIn-Chang.

    The princess¡¯ voice emerged from deep within Jeong In-Chang¡¯s heart.

    -It¡¯s dangerous.

    The heat storm was searing, hot enough to burn through even Jeong In-Chang¡¯s strengthened body. The princess was separated from him as she was by Fenrir¡¯s side.

    "I¡¯m sorry."

    Jeong In-Chang ran forward, blocking the princess¡¯ voice. His whole body became red-hot as if it was about to melt.

    ''Immortality.''

    However, he wouldn¡¯t die from this. Still, there was one issue.

    ¡°AGHHH!¡±

    The Authority Immortality didn¡¯t have the ability to prevent pain. In truth, it made one feel pain that one didn¡¯t need to feel, pain that would have normally caused someone to die, fading away into nothing. His eyeballs felt as though they were burning.

    ¡°Gram!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang ran while summoning. He wondered how far he had run while enduring that hell. But then, the heat storm faded, ending. He waste again.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang had stopped running while his melted body regenerated and called out to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°You¡¯ve be stronger.¡±

    He could feel his friend bing more lonely.

    ***

    [You have reached level 100.]

    The level that had been stagnant for a long time had risen. It felt like time had stopped.

    [You have achieved an unbel¡­]

    He heard notifications one after another that he didn''t care about. But, at the end of it all was a notification that couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    [You have awakened the Powers of the Source.]

    The massive amount of mana that had been consumed in the fight with Baldur began to be restored.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually rising.¡¯

    His mana was increasing without end, breaking the limits from before. The same went for his stamina and vitality. As his level increased, his stamina and mana had always recovered slightly.

    ¡°But this is aplete recovery¡­¡±

    Not only that, but he was also being granted an indescribable strength. It wasn¡¯t from any of the notifications that he had ignored. Instead, it was from the Powers of the Source. Apparently he had awakened it, and the crazy rise in strength had to have been because of it.

    Moreover, the notificationsing in hadn¡¯t ended.

    [<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">...]</the>

    This was something he had been waiting and hoping for a long, long time.

    [...has sponsored you a Title.]

    A title was what every Hunter dreamed of and something every Hero had. However, he was different. Even though he was a Hunter, he hadn¡¯t been able to reach it, and even though he was a Hero, he hadn¡¯t achieved it.

    It was only given now that Baldur had been killed. He wondered why it had happened now. Was it due to reaching level 100? Or maybe from the experience he had gained due to Baldur¡¯s death?

    Or, maybe¡­

    ¡®The Powers of the Source.¡¯

    Now that it had awakened, could it be sponsoring his title?

    In actuality, it didn¡¯t matter why. What was important now was that he had gotten his title right here and now.

    [Your title is¡­]

    He heard another message.

    [Loki.]

    He pronounced his title out loud, ¡°Loki?¡±

    However, at that moment, an unknown sense of difort came over him.

    Zzzt.

    [An¡­im¡­an¡­im¡­]

    With a crackling voice, the notification kept repeating as if it were an error.

    [An impossible¡­unbelievable¡­unfathomable¡­]

    The voice just repeated the same thing whenever it tried to talk about his achievement. The system that had been created by the Sponsors seemed almost¡­afraid?

    No, this was it being destroyed. The system was breaking apart.

    [You will be given a second title.]

    Then, as if a tape was being rewound, a notification was spoken in the same voice as before when the first tile had been given. It was gentle, calm, yet¡­hateful.

    The system said it again.

    [Your title is¡­]

    ZZZT.

    [Ragnarok.]

    Space began to break apart.

    [You have been sponsored a title.]

 Chapter 260. Ragnarok Pt. 2

    Chapter 260. Ragnarok Pt. 2

    ¡°Ragnarok¡­¡±

    That was his title.

    Gurgle.

    There were no more notifications, but a boiling power flowed out uncontrobly from deep within him. The strength he had lost after dealing with Baldur had been recovered, but the power that flowed from within him wasn¡¯t just limited to restoring the power that he had earlier.

    No, it was an even more incredible power. Even now, at this very moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mana was increasing, and his body was changing.

    Crack.

    His skin began to crack like the dead bark of a tree, with new skin sprouting underneath, seemingly pushing aside a dried shell.

    Crack.

    His breathing, his eyesight, and even his bones were changing. Everything about him was transforming.

    ¡®Hunters who obtain a title grow all of a sudden.¡¯

    He recalled Jeong In-Chang¡¯s rapid growth after being bestowed the title Siegfried, which was so fast that it was unimaginable. However, the changes that were going on within him weren¡¯t simply growth.

    He looked at his spread-out hands in disbelief. This wasn¡¯t about his power suddenly growing and making him a Hero. Moreover, this change wasn¡¯t possible with just a title alone.

    ¡®World Tree.¡¯

    Mistilteinn was the branch of the World Tree that Elfame possessed. It had supernatural abilities that even the elf hadn¡¯t known about.

    In fact, even the Park siblings, who had forged it together with Surtr or Lee Jun-Kyeong himself, didn¡¯t know much about it. It wasn¡¯t until now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had even found out. Mistilteinn wasn¡¯t a branch of the World Tree.

    ¡°World Tree¡­¡±

    It was the entire thing, Elfame¡¯s entire world. When Alfheimr had been destroyed, Elfame, the king of Alfheimr, had picked up a branch of the World Tree and became a Ruler. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that in the invasion of the Sponsors, in Alfheimr¡¯s cataclysm, the World Tree hadn¡¯t actually been destroyed.

    Everything had instead been condensed into Mistilteinn, and another World Tree had been born. Furthermore, there was another important thing.

    ¡°To think that there would be a fragment of the powers of the source¡­¡±

    In Mistilteinn, the World Tree itself, the powers of the source were hidden.

    ¡®That thing that was supposed to be inside of me¡­¡¯

    But it had also been hidden in Mistilteinn. Even after hearing what Saeynkaed had to say, he had no idea what the powers of the source were supposed to be. However, now that he had gained the power hidden in Mistilteinn, he was able to understand what it entailed.

    ¡°Life¡­¡±

    It was the power of life, which was the essential factor that caused it to exist. That was how he had been able to defeat Baldur, who was infinitely near a true immortal.

    Crack.

    His transformation wasing to an end. His body didn¡¯t seem to have changed. It simply felt like it had gained more strength and became more powerful. It felt almost like a transformation into aplete being.

    RRRIPPP!

    Within those changes, he saw a rift in space. Due to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s awakening and Baldur¡¯s death, the indescribable mana that had been encroaching on space was disappearing. Then, at that point, he saw it.

    "This¡­¡±

    ***

    Thud.

    Jeong In-Chang fell forward.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡± he muttered nkly with a nk expression. ¡°I don¡¯t have any strength in my body¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t had a proper rest since the battle had started.

    Not only was there the encounter with Odin, but he had also helped the ordinary humans retreat, protecting them. In doing so, Jeong In-Chang had used all of his strength with no way or time to recover.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    He had even braved the heat storm in order to advance toward Lee Jun-Kyeong, and the thing he did in order to break through it had stripped all of the mana from him. Although he hadn¡¯t died, he fell still and was unable to move.

    ¡°Is recovery not possible or¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang said while clutching at the dirt.

    He felt so pathetic, looking down at himself lying there like that. He had known from the very beginning that it was impossible, and that the smart thing would have been to stand by hispanions, not forcing himself through the heat storm.

    ¡°How am I supposed to sit still at a time like this¡­¡±

    He wanted to stand by Lee Jun-Kyeong. Regretfully, he seemed only to be able to reach this point.

    Shhh.

    But then, the mana in the air slowly started to flow toward him, and his empty mana reserves began to fill up again. It began to feel like it was overflowing.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    When he stood with a puzzled expression on his face, he suddenly felt gazes upon him.

    ¡°Lord Zeus! Lady Athena! King Arthur! Lady Merlin! Lord Horus!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted, greeting each face he saw in order.

    ¡°Heimdall¡­sir¡­¡±

    Finally, his gaze fell upon a familiar yet ufortable face. Heimdall wasn¡¯t tied up but, in fact, looked rather fine and was also heavily armed.

    ¡°As expected¡­ I knew you didn¡¯t betray us!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    ng!

    A metallic sound rang out.

    ¡°Why is your head so hard?¡±

    Zeus had hit Jeong In-Chang while Jeong In-Chang frowned and shook his head as if his head hurt after the blow.

    ¡°We fought. With Heimdall.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all a littleplicated.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s expression also hardened. It was clear that something had also happened here when he and the others were returning from Yeouido.

    ¡°What about the others?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    ¡°Were you trying to get through the heat storm to reach Jun-Kyeong?¡± Heimdall asked, having been quiet until now. ¡°How impressive.¡±

    As it wasn¡¯t clear whether or not he was a traitor, Jeong In-Chang looked like he didn¡¯t know what to do. At that moment, voices came from behind.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡±

    It was the people he had left behind, and it seemed as though they were running toward this ce.

    "Hmm."

    However, Zeus still seemed slightly gloomy even though their otherpanions wereing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked.

    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t see because you were on the ground,¡± Zeus responded while taking a step aside.

    ¡°That¡­!¡±

    Only then did Jeong In-Chang catch sight of it¡ªa dark and ck gate. A huge gate had formed where the Association building had once stood.

    ¡°How did I not see that?¡± Jeong In-Chang said in embarrassment.

    With a gate like that, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t have felt the mana that the gate gave off. However, even though he was looking at it directly, inspecting it here and there, he couldn¡¯t feel any mana emanating from it.

    ¡°Is it an illusion?¡±

    Considering they were facing the Demon King, it seemed possible that he might have done something like that.

    ¡°No.¡± Zeus¡¯ response was firm. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any mana either. But, that¡¯s still definitely a gate.¡±

    Turning away from thepanions running to them from behind, Zeus looked at the ck gate. It had a form and size that they were seeing for the first time.

    ¡°Most likely¡­¡± Zeus began to specte. ¡°The mana emitted from the gate is too familiar to us, or it might even be emitting mana so enormous that we can¡¯t feel it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Zeus squeezed and opened his hand. ¡°It means that the mana of this world and everything it contains is connected to that. Have you ever felt the air you breathe?¡±

    There was a fear deep within Zeus'' voice that even Jeong In-Chang could sense. ¡°Something ridiculous has appeared.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang''s lips slowly parted. Little by little, he moved his lips which were dried and cracked due to the heat storm. He called out its name, ¡°Gehenna¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Okay. So Fenrir defeated Odin, right?¡±

    ¡°I told you, he ughtered him,¡± Heracles said excitedly.

    Finally, everyone but Lee Jun-Kyeong had gathered in one ce, talking and sharing what had happened with each other.

    Thud.

    However, even as they spoke, their feet didn¡¯t stop moving. They moved forward at a speed that was neither fast nor slow as they spoke to one another.

    ¡°First of all, it seems like most of the ordinary humans in Korea have been saved. Of course, that doesn¡¯t include all of those that hid.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems like there have been quite a few of those who survived around the world,¡± Odysseus reported to those from Olympus.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong! Why would you run forward with such little care for your life?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡±

    On the other hand, Jeong In-Chang was meekly listening to Won-Hwa and Ungnyeo¡¯s scolding.

    BANG!

    In addition, with every word, there was someone hitting Jeong In-Chang on the head.

    ¡°Ow, ow, ow¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Princess.¡±

    The princess sat on his shoulders, hitting him again. Because she had been by Fenrir¡¯s side, she hadn¡¯t been able to stop Jeong In-Chang from advancing. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Still¡­there¡¯s nothing we can do about it now, right?¡±

    As she looked at Jeong In-Chang pleading with her with a smile on her face, the princess snorted and turned around.

    ¡°Get scolded.¡±

    ¡°It looks like the princess is very upset?¡± Won-Hwa said jokingly as Jeong In-Chang onlyughed softly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to be good to her once everything is over.¡±

    ¡®When everything is over¡­¡¯

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong were to win and defeat the Demon King, if all of the Sponsors were to die, then what would happen to the princess? What would happen to all of the Familiars?

    "Princess¡­¡± No, Jeong In-Chang didn¡¯t want to imagine anything of that sort. ¡°Princess!¡±

    He would just be faithful to the present. Jeong In-Chang, who was calling out to the princess, suddenly stopped. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Did you all experience that, too?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Won-Hwa asked with a puzzled look.

    He rified, ¡°When the heat storm ended, that sudden influx of mana.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Won-Hwa nodded. ¡°Yes. We were all exhausted from trying to block the heat storm, but all of a sudden, our mana reserves were instantly filled.¡±

    The others also experienced it. But it wasn''t easy to understand. That level of recovery could only be achieved with the support of the Sponsors. However, none of them had heard any messages of such support, nor were there any hints of it. They couldn¡¯t even begin to guess where that sudden recovery had stemmed from.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jeong In-Chang thought for a moment and hugged the princess.

    ¡®Wait for us.¡¯

    Soon, they would meet with Lee Jun-Kyeong, a man who carried it all alone. Jeong In-Chang wanted to show him how everyone was gathered together. The end may be approaching, and there may still be the most difficult mission left, but everyone had worked hard to get this far.

    ¡°Guild Leader! When everything is over, let¡¯s have a bout!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can win?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll lose! But still, I want to see how much I¡¯ve grown!¡±

    Everyone wasughing out loud, with a few awkwardughs here and there. They all spoke louder, relieving the tension. However, there was only one person who didn¡¯t join in.

    ¡®Mr. Yeo.¡¯

    Yeo Seong-Gu.

    ¡®Athena¡­¡¯

    Heimdall had a nervous look on his face as walking next to him was Athena. The two were walking in silence. Jeong In-Chang had heard the gist of what had urred between them, but it was too difficult for him to be able to tell anything just from that story.

    Jeong In-Chang turned away from them and shouted vigorously, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    However, Zeus¡¯ughing voice quickly quipped back, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be necessary, though?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was walking toward them.

 Chapter 261. Ragnarok Pt. 3

    Chapter 261. Ragnarok Pt. 3

    Thud.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Right as Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step toward the group, Odysseus, who already had smaller mana reserves, Liu Bei and his brothers, and Won-Hwa clutched their chests in pain. The others responded simrly, albeit to different degrees.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Zeus, Horus, and Merlin frowned as Athena lifted and then lowered her shield, Aegis.

    "Why are you¡­?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyung with a surprised gaze. However, they soon saw Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly take a step back, flustered.

    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Realizing this, Zeus spoke as he looked at him. ¡°You can¡¯t control your strength.¡±

    Everyone could feel that the Hunter had grown ridiculously after defeating Baldur.

    ¡°So it¡¯s to a point where you can¡¯t control it whatsoever¡­¡± Zeus took a slow step forward. Flustered, Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to take a step back in turn.

    ¡°What are you going to do if you can¡¯t even control that much?¡± He stopped at Zeus'' cold words and soon nodded. Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes, his mana fluctuating and surging.

    Thrum!!!

    Within an illusion of a storm, Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The mana that seemed to pierce their bodies didn¡¯t go away, but at least now, it wasn¡¯t to the point where they were all frozen in ce like before.

    ***

    ¡°My growth was so rapid that it¡¯s difficult to control,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he was concerned with how to proceed.

    Both his body and mana had grown very rapidly, but his senses and control didn¡¯t seem to grow in turn. Although he had tried to hold back, the mana that leaked out had been enough to almost kill Won-Hwa and the others. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face was wracked with guilt.

    ¡°Still, didn¡¯t you manage to control it to this degree?¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if to cheer him up. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him and smiled, after which he slowly approached the Hunter.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°Your thoughts and support were conveyed well.¡± He had defeated Baldur, gained a title, and grown close to a form of evolution. ¡°I am always grateful for you.¡±

    But even through all of that, he could always tell that Jeong In-Chang would continue walking toward him. Jeong In-Chang had still tried toe to his side even through overwhelming pain.

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked. With the power he suddenly gained, he had healed those who came into contact with his senses, restoring their mana.

    ¡®Restoration.¡¯

    He had healed them with the powers of the source that he had both awakened within himself and obtained from Mistilteinn.

    ¡°As expected, it was you who had done it, Mr. Lee.¡± Jeong In-Chang nodded. ¡°You really are¡­ quite impressive now¡­¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was right; it hadn¡¯t been just his own body. Lee Jun-Kyeong had restored the mana of Fenrir and all of the otherpanions while also healing them. More than anything, it was amazing that even the apex Hunters, including Zeus, had been able to recover in an instant.

    "Hmm." And still, he had almost killed them with just the remnant power flowing out of him when he approached them. ¡°Are you no longer human¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered. ¡°However, what I do know is that you will always be my strongest shield, Mr. Jeong.¡±

    When he had returned to the past and became a Hunter, Lee Jun-Kyeong had picked a weapon for the first time during the training program called the Tutorial. He had chosen a spear and a shield then. But, at some point, Lee Jun-Kyeong had stopped using the shield. It must have urred after meeting Jeong In-Chang. Since Jeong In-Chang would always throw himself to block any attacks aimed at him, all Lee Jun-Kyeong had to do was focus on attacking.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    When Jeong In-Chang looked up at Lee Jun-Kyeong with tearful eyes, Lee Jun-Kyeong spoke again while looking behind him, ¡°Thank you, Fenrir.¡±

    Covered in blood, the boy who had recovered somewhere along the line came to his senses. Even though Lee Jun-Kyeong had helped him recover, the small boy remained in Ungnyeo¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    In truth, he had never fully recovered.

    ¡°You have to ovee it.¡±

    Even with Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s abilities, he was unable to erase the power of Odin trapped within the boy. Odin had truly been persistent, but he would no longer be a threat to Fenrir.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly looked away. ¡°Everyone¡­¡±

    In every direction, there were hispanions who had sessfullypleted the missions that they had each been given.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    They had defeated Odin, saved the people, and struck down Baldur.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    The most important thing still remained. Lee Jun-Kyeong turned his head, looking at the ck gate. The others couldn¡¯t even feel the mana that the gate was emitting.

    ¡®It¡¯s an astonishing power.¡¯

    However, it was different for Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had reached level 100 and received a title. His whole body was shaking. Even though he had gained such enormous power, he was scared.

    ¡°The Demon King remains.¡±

    The thing before them was Gehenna, and the Demon King, who had never appeared, would be there.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to go alone?¡±

    ¡°We will go with you.¡±

    ¡°We will follow you, Mr. Lee!¡±

    Each one of them said something different, but each of them dered their intentions to go to Gehenna alongside Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Have a safe trip,¡± Ungnyeo said while holding Fenrir in her arms, a stark difference from the others. ¡°That¡¯s not a ce we can go anyway. It¡¯s a little shameless, but we¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    She seemed calm, yet sad. ¡°So, please make sure you return.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong listened to her and slowly nodded. ¡°I will go alone as nned. Everyone, please wait for me.¡±

    That was all he could say to them.

    However, a man who stood awkwardly, unable to say anything even after meeting him again, piped up, ¡°Before you go¡­¡±

    Heimdall approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. "Let''s talk."

    ***

    "I¡­¡± Heimdall slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Although I just wanted to talk to Jun-Kyeong, the two of us¡­¡±

    Gazes, sharp and narrow, were focused on Heimdall.

    Zeus asked, ¡°How do you expect us to let you talk to him alone?¡±

    ¡°It is still too early topletely trust you, Heimdall,¡± Jeong In-Chang continued.

    ¡°No matter what happens, the Underdog is our student. We have no choice but to intervene in our pupil¡¯s affairs,¡± Arthur and Merlin chipped in.

    Even Horus spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a matter between brothers.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Athena, do you want to hear it too?¡± Even Athena stood there with her arms crossed.

    On the other hand, Ungnyeo didn¡¯t follow along. Staying with Fenrir and the otherpanions, she sent Lee Jun-Kyeong away without another word, letting him speak with Heimdall.

    ¡®Quicklye back.¡¯

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Heimdall looked at the gathered people and exhaled. He had wanted to speak with Lee Jun-Kyeong alone, but there were more eyes and ears listening in than he had wanted.

    ¡°If you have something to say to me, you can say it to everyone here.¡±

    Now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had even chimed in, Heimdall had no choice but to acquiesce, ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    With aplicated gaze, he nced at everyone again before opening his mouth, ¡°What I¡¯m about to say from now on is something everyone has been curious about¡­ Jun-Kyeong, in particr, you¡¯ve been wanting to hear about this.¡±

    Heimdall was going to tell them everything that he, as both Heimdall and Yeo Seong-Gu, knew.

    ¡°Although, I know that because you can¡¯t trust me, it might be hard to believe¡­¡±

    Although Yeo Seong-Gu spoke weakly, Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected before he could even finish speaking, ¡°I trust you.¡±

    Heimdall was rather taken aback by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s firm answer.

    ¡°I mean¡­ You definitely had a reason for it all.¡±

    ¡°Because even though you had more than ample opportunity to kill us, you didn¡¯t,¡± Arthur and Zeus added.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me the reason now?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong continued. ¡°The reason why you had no choice but to deceive me, Hyung¡­ The reason why you had to fight with Zeus, Merlin, and the others.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong paused and then finished, ¡°And about what had happened in the previous timeline.

    ¡°Was it Odin¡­?¡±

    Heimdall was convinced now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had regained memories of the past. It was definitely the signs of Odin¡¯s involvement, his abilities evident.

    ¡°Good, then," Heimdall said as if he had decided. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you everything, as we still have some time.¡±

    He looked toward Gehenna.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start¡­ But let me make one thing clear.¡± Heimdall¡¯s gaze was clear and serious as it aimed at Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°After hearing what I have to say, whatever choice you make, I will follow you.¡±

    His heavy voice rang in everyone''s ears. ¡°Even if you abandon this world.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Even if I abandon this world? Are you saying that there¡¯s a chance I might not enter Gehenna?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t sure of what Heimdall had to say, but it was clear that at the end of his tale, he was expecting Lee Jun-Kyeong to have to make a decision again. ¡°Are you trying to say that I might not be sure of my decisions anymore?¡±

    Whether he would enter Gehenna and confront the Demon King supposedly would be decided by this tale.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Heimdall confirmed.

    Slowly, his lips parted, ¡°You heard her story, right?¡±

    ¡°Her?¡±

    Heimdall pointed to Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side.

    Ssss.

    Somewhere in the midst of their conversation, Saeynkaed, who had gone to take a rest, had returned to stand next to the Hunter. Since she had been the one to unleash her power and herald the start of the battle, she had taken this time to hide near the back and just follow, trying to recuperate.

    Of course, after defeating Baldur, Lee Jun-Kyeong had healed her, allowing her to stand tall among them again.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his pupils dting as if he was surprised. ¡°You already knew about my talk with Saeynkaed?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to Zeus and the others. They were the only ones to have made contact with Heimdall. Thus, if Heimdall knew Saeynkaed¡¯s story, then they would have been the only ones who could have told him.

    However, Zeus shook his head in response. ¡°No.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t said anything about Saeynkaed, Gehenna, or even the Sponsors.

    ¡°All we did was ask questions, not tell him about anything.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to look at Heimdall again.

    ¡°Saeynkaed already knows about it all. She had been a puppet of the Sponsors¡­ The king of dragons that came into contact with a fragment of the powers of the source.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Even though they had never said anything about her to Heimdall, he had still known exactly who she was.

    Gulp.

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong knew what Heimdall wanted to tell them would have been unbelievable, he had a hunch that the scale would be bigger than he thought.

    ¡°You always needed a Sponsor and someone to tell you the secrets of this world. And, every time, she was the right being for the job,¡± Heimdall said.

    There was too much information that could be inferred from that.

    ''Always. Every time.¡¯

    That meant¡­

    "Wait¡­¡±

    "That¡¯s right."

    Heimdall read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve returned to the past.¡±

    A truth he had never imagined would now be revealed.

 Chapter 262. Ragnarok Pt. 4

    Chapter 262. Ragnarok Pt. 4

    ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong himself seemed shocked and was left speechless, let alone the others.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time?¡± Zeus said on behalf of the dazed Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a little different if we¡¯re being precise. A Jun-Kyeong, but not exactly this Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    Zeus also seemed to be stimted, his voice rising. ¡°What on earth do you mean?¡±

    Understanding their confusion, Heimdall continued with an expression of understanding, ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s not the first time people with memories of the future havee to defeat the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­let¡¯s continue with the assumption that what you¡¯re saying is true. Then what did you mean that Jun-Kyeong isn¡¯t this Jun-Kyeong?¡±

    Heimdall looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I have a guess,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, having finally gotten over his shock. ¡°The Book of the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m not the only one who owns that book, right?¡±

    Heimdall slowly nodded.

    ¡°In the past, the Demon King failed and then created books containing his power to correct the failed past. They were left to the future generations so that qualified people could return to the past and correct history,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. His eyes were calm and his face was full of determination as he then continued, ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Heimdall refuted firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The reason I said that you were Jun-Kyeong but also not exactly Jun-Kyeong was¡­¡± Heimdall slowly looked at Gehenna before continuing, ¡°All the books only have one owner. You. However, when you go back to the past, your names always change. The name Lee Jun-Kyeong isn¡¯t even your real name right now, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Like you said, the Demon King had his own intentions for leaving the books behind,¡± Heimdall said in a charged manner. ¡°However, that book was only meant for one person.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath. Something¡­something felt wrong. He intuitively felt as though he shouldn¡¯t be listening to this.

    Fortunately, Heimdall considered his feelings and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Like Jun-Kyeong said, the Demon King is, by nature, a Hunter like us. Someone who lived in the same era as we did.¡±

    Everyone paid attention as Heimdall began his tale.

    ¡°Although he may not have been in the public eye, he had unrivaled strength and was someone who sacrificed everything, more so than anyone else, to save humanity.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°As he grew stronger, the world found more and more stability. His actions during the cataclysm saved many people¡¯s lives.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang interrupted Heimdall. ¡°That sounds like Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Heimdall nodded. ¡°Jun-Kyeong is following a path simr to the first path that the Demon King had taken. He values humanity and sacrifices himself to save people.¡±

    Heimdall¡¯s eyes shifted over to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Of course he would.¡±

    Heimdall took a moment to catch his breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural as Jun-Kyeong is no different from the Demon King.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone held their breath, but none of them reacted with any rm or surprise. They already had their suspicions.

    ¡®I thought that was the case.¡¯

    ¡®It really was suspicious.¡¯

    ¡®I did think that was possible.¡¯

    The stories about the Demon King that they had briefly heard from Lee Jun-Kyeong had made them think that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the Demon King were simr. That hadn¡¯t changed over time.

    Additionally, he was the owner of that special item called the Book of the Demon King. Considering they both possessed inexplicable powers, it was reasonable that the two of them might be the same person.

    ¡°Because we have never met the Demon King¡­ If Mr. Lee and the Demon King really werepletely separate entities, that we would have met him as an ally rather than as an enemy,¡± Merlin said.

    ¡°That itself is also a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    ¡°Although Jun-Kyeong and the Demon King are the same type of person, in this timeline, the Demon King is a different type of being.¡±

    ¡°What on earth are you talking about?!¡±

    Everything that Heimdall said just became more and more iprehensible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything one by one. The Demon King failed in his first timeline. He risked everything to save humanity, but Gehenna still destroyed the Earth.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Wait, Jun-Kyeong, isn¡¯t that different from the history you know?¡±

    ¡°Yes. From what I understand, Gehenna had been taken down, and Eden was erected.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m trying to exin it all right now.¡± Heimdall raised his head. ¡°The Demon King had more special abilities than anyone else. Abilities that even he, let alone anyone else, knew about.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong knew what Heimdall was referring to. ¡°Time regression¡­¡±

    It was the ability to go back in time. Moreover, the trigger condition was most likely his failure or death.

    ¡°He probably went back in time after failing in his first timeline. After doing so, he would have worked harder and harder to seed then.¡±

    Heimdall nodded and said, ¡°However, despite his first regression, the Demon King still failed. There was a second, a third¡­ His regressions continued over and over again. But, he just kept failing.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Merlin gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. ¡°How could someone repeat the same thing, over and over again, for such a long time? And with just the sole purpose of saving the world?¡±

    Just three regressions would have been over sixty years. That wasn¡¯t all.

    ¡°Has he also gone to Anngr?¡±

    Heimdall nodded.

    ¡°With just three regressions, that would have been at least a hundred years¡­¡± Arthur also said in astonishment.

    If that time would have been days of peace, that might have been okay. However, every second of that time was filled with death and destruction. He had to live that era, where people constantly needed to be saved and where there were countless casualties, over and over again.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked slowly. ¡°How many times did he have to regress to seed?¡±

    The Demon King must have eventually seeded in order to create the timeline that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew. How long had it taken until then?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, either. But¡­¡± Heimdall said as if he was reminiscing. ¡°At first nce, it seemed it had taken about three thousand years for his first sess.¡±

    ¡°Three thousand years¡­¡±

    As everyone was paying attention to the time frame of three thousand years, Lee Jun-Kyeong was focused on Heimdall¡¯s word choice.

    ¡°First sess¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Heimdall¡¯s response changed Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s doubts into confidence. ¡°Even after his first sess, there were many problems.¡±

    ¡°That would be¡­¡±

    Heimdall nodded. ¡°The era after his first sess. That¡¯s the era that you know. It was the era of Eden, where the Sponsors had taken the bodies of the humans to be resurrected.¡±

    It was the time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had read about in the book of the Demon King.

    ***

    ¡®Finally, I¡­¡¯

    It had been a long, long time. Over three thousand years to be exact. Three thousand years of going for a single goal.

    There were times when he had given up and times when he had just surrendered himself to his fate. However, he inevitably returned to his original purpose. If he had been alone, he might have even been able to survive in that chaos, even in the midst of such absolute destruction. However, the others couldn¡¯t.

    In the timeline he had given up and had left himself to fate, everyone else had died a terrible death. That was true for those who were precious to him, those who had betrayed him, and even those whom he had nothing to do with.

    He had been so lonely after everyone had died. If he could have just ovee that loneliness, then he wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer anymore. But he couldn¡¯t do it, and so he once again threw himself into his goal of saving the world.

    This urred for three thousand years.

    ¡®Humans are weak.¡¯

    Humanity could never ovee the aggression of their Sponsors. If it weren¡¯t for his ability to regress back in time, then he would have also just been another human being lost in a world that had already perished. However, he had that ability.

    ¡®It was long, and longer still.¡¯

    He had found a way to make full use of his ability.

    Although he had tried to ovee it all by himself, when he had reached the age of a thousand, he gave up. He couldn¡¯t do anything on his own.

    ¡®The others have to be stronger.¡¯

    He now believed that hispanions had to be stronger. He studied and studied his ability of time regression. Eventually, he was able to understand it.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to use my powers on others. Their memories aren¡¯t passed down. But there is one weak power that can be.¡¯

    It was an ability that he had gained by chance during one of his regressions: the powers of the source. That could be passed down, regardless of the time or the regression. So, he used it to strengthen himself and hispanions. They had been weak at first, but, as time went by and his regressions repeated, hispanions became stronger.

    Then, once hispanions and himself had all be extremely powerful, he had achieved his purpose. He had reached Gehenna, faced and ughtered the hellish monsters that had emerged from the transcendental-graded gate, and cleared it.

    Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t alone.

    ''Everyone¡­¡¯

    He had done it with hispanions.

    They had ovee Gehenna, and he had assumed that they had reached the end. It was over. But, at that moment, Zeus began to groan.

    ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯

    Thud.

    Athena fell.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    Horus lost consciousness.

    ¡®Please!¡¯

    Heimdall screamed.

    This was the first time he had reached the end of Gehenna, and he found himself unable to stayposed due to the sudden situation. Even his mind, which had been trained for three thousand years, couldn¡¯t ept what was going on. Then, a voice came to him.

    [ept me.]

    His Sponsor¡ªit was definitely its voice.

    ''What?''

    In that moment he had taken to enjoy the joy of his victory, a terrible pain overtook him.

    ¡®UGH!¡¯

    ¡®No! Please¡­!¡¯

    The screams of hispanions continued. Everyone was experiencing the same thing. There was a feeling of helplessness where all of the mana and vitality of their bodies were disappearing. There was a strange sensation of something creeping in and excruciating pain was taking over them.

    [You yed your role properly.]

    The voice that was only supposed to be within his ears was searing directly into his brain.

    [To think you could use my abilities so well. None of the others were able to withstand any of the pain thates with time and destroyed themselves.]

    ¡®Don''t¡­treat us humans like objects!¡¯

    [You are terrific. Unlike the other failures, you were able to lead everyone to this point.]

    He tried to get away, but he couldn¡¯t escape.

    [There is no use in resisting. The more you regress, and the stronger you be, the more you ept of me.]

    Crack.

    His body stopped.

    [You are already mine.]

    The pain stopped. His mind went nk.

    ¡®Fuck¡­off¡­¡¯

    There was something his Sponsor didn¡¯t know. It had said that its powers had umted within him through repeated time regressions.

    ¡®Do you think things will just end like this?!¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t just its powers that had umted within him over those long years.

    His willpower.

    The terrible loneliness.

    The experience of losing his loved ones.

    Even the tenacity to ovee the things that made him want to give up.

    ¡®I am not yours!¡¯

    He already had the power to escape.

    [Th¡­this is impossible! How could such an insignificant¡­!]

    When a panicked voice rang in his head, bloody tears flowed from his eyes.

    ¡®The one to be consumed is you.¡¯

    He had regained control of his mind and body. Instead of being overtaken, he had trapped it inside of his body, fusing the Sponsor into him.

    The Sponsor¡¯s voice then disappeared. He couldn¡¯t believe it. That bastard, the Sponsor, hispanion, who had been with him for all of those years, had actually been a thief who had been targeting his body. When he opened his eyes, all of hispanions had disappeared.

    ¡®...¡¯

    All he could see was the wide-open exit of Gehenna.

    ***

    Heimdall said, ¡°That was his second beginning.¡±

 Chapter 263. Ragnarok Pt. 6

    Chapter 263. Ragnarok Pt. 6

    ¡°Although he had thought that the end had finallye, it was just another beginning,¡± Heimdall said.

    His voice was filled with deep despair and sadness. The group was immersed in Heimdall''s story. It was almost like a fairy tale¡ªno, like they were hearing a great tragedy.

    ¡°They had cleared Gehenna, but that had just opened another gate to another hell.¡±

    Although they had heard about what had happened from Saeynkaed, all of them had had their doubts at the time.

    ¡°Three thousand years. That¡¯s not a short time at all. During that time, he must have met many Rulers and may have even encountered Saeynkaed.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered whether the Demon King could have encountered Saeynkaed. After all, he himself had found out the secrets of the Sponsors in one lifetime. On the other hand, the Demon King had lived for three thousand years. Could it really be possible that the Demon King hadn¡¯t gathered any information at all during that time?

    ¡°It makes sense you¡¯re curious about it,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°But it seems like there¡¯s something you still don¡¯t realize.¡±

    Heimdall looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a bitter gaze.

    ¡°The Demon King and you are different. You¡­you received more help than anyone else and grew in a better environment than anyone else.¡±

    They were different, but Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered just how. The Demon King also had hispanions, too.

    ¡°The Sky of the Apocalypse¡­and¡­¡± Realizing this, Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly said, ¡°The Book of the Demon King.¡±

    Heimdall affirmed, ¡°Yes. Your life path wasn¡¯t something you had chosen for yourself. Everything you¡¯ve ever done is with his help. The reason Saeynkaed and you were able to meet was a part of that.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he finally understood.

    ¡°In the first ce, the Demon King wasn¡¯t able tomunicate with Saeynkaed or any of the other Rulers because his Sponsor¡ªno, all of the Sponsors of the world interfered,¡± Heimdall said.

    ¡°That means¡­¡±

    ¡°You, now, have no such interference. That was why you were able to get so much of the information you currently have.¡±

    Merlin also seemed to have noticed something and fell silent. The secret was being revealed.

    ¡°Anyway, he cleared Gehenna without knowing the circumstances. Hispanions all lost their bodies to the Sponsors while¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°He seeded in resisting.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Even his Sponsor never expected it. During the span of so many time regressions, the Demon King had already grown into something that couldn¡¯t be called an ordinary human or even an ordinary being of this ne.¡±

    He had resisted his Sponsor and even won. Just thinking about it gave them goosebumps. How many painful times did the Demon King have to go through until he had been able to reach this point?

    However, like Heimdall had said, even that was another beginning. The tale had now circled back to where they were now.

    Heimdall continued slowly while reading Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression, ¡°The era of Eden hade, which was a world brought about by the Sponsors who stole human bodies.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°While he was resisting his Sponsor, the Demon King had been mortally wounded and imprisoned in Gehenna. When he hade to his senses¡­¡± Heimdall said, gritting his teeth. ¡°A long time had already passed.¡±

    ***

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    He thought he had saved them all. He thought everything was over. But, when he came to his senses and exited Gehenna, the world had already changed.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    It was now a world called Eden. People believed that the Rulers of Eden, who called themselves Gods, were Hunters who had been Heroes. However, their true selves were somethingpletely different.

    ¡®We waited for you.¡¯

    He had been together with hispanions for three thousand years and had continued forward alongside them even after seeing their deaths dozens of times over. They were precious to him.

    ¡®You scum-like human. Your abilities may be high¡­but we will take care of everything.¡¯

    They were now pointing their swords at him. The changed future had brought him an even more dire reality. What he had to fight now wasn¡¯t a monster, but hispanions.

    ¡®Gasp, gasp¡­¡¯

    At first, he wasn''t confident about dealing with them. He ran away as he had been unconscious for a long time, and in the process of defeating his Sponsor, he had lost a lot of strength. The chase was relentless as he barely survived by suppressing his presence. Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to avoid the gazes of the fully resurrected Sponsors forever since they had risen to be the masters of the world.

    ¡®Die.¡¯

    Thus, that was how the battle began.

    ¡®Gasp, gasp¡­¡¯

    Although he had be the strongest Hunter through his three thousand-year journey, he was left helpless as he was stabbed by their swords in despair. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t a match for them.

    ¡®Is this what it means to be a god?¡¯

    As they said themselves, they held power close to that of gods.

    The Sponsors spoke as they looked down at the fallen Demon King.

    ¡®Because you killed your Sponsor, that damned ability won¡¯t work anymore.¡¯

    The face of the one smiling and cursing at him was one of his treasuredpanions.

    ¡®Go. This is all thanks to you.¡¯

    Even this one, who spat on him while looking down, was also apanion.

    ¡®Now die.¡¯

    Those whom he had saved ended up killing him. That was how it had ended. What he had been pursuing for three thousand years wasn¡¯t the salvation of mankind. No, it was an even more desperate defeat. Total destruction.

    ¡®What did I¡­for so long, what did¡­¡¯

    Squelch.

    Laughing at himself, he died. Even though he had a near-immortal vitality, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the des of those who had reached the level of gods. Thus, he had died, thinking it was the end.

    ¡°But like I said, that was just the beginning,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°The Sponsors were mistaken in thinking that the Demon King had killed his Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°He hadn¡¯t killed his Sponsor.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered whether Heimdall knew the sorrow of the Demon King. Was he there? No, anyone who heard this story would make the same expression.

    Heimdall continued with a look of despondency, ¡°He had absorbed his Sponsor. Now, the Demon King had possessed the ability to regress back in time himself, a power that he had stripped from his Sponsor.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However.¡± Heimdall looked up at the sky. ¡°He didn''t have the ability to control that power. If he could, then he would have stopped the regression and given up then.¡±

    But fate had not let him go.

    ¡°His regressions continued¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±

    ¡°Again and again, he returned to the start. Everything was the same. Humans under siege while he had returned to hispanions, who, at that point, hadn¡¯t yet been taken by the Sponsors.¡±

    That must have been hell worse than Anngr.

    ¡°When he had first regressed after seeding for the first time, he had wanted to end it all. He destroyed the world with his own hands.¡±

    Everyone wondered if they had the right to curse him. Was there anyone among them who could truly understand his despair?

    ¡°When he first destroyed the world, even then¡­¡±

    ¡°He regressed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a hell he could have escaped from, even if he wanted to.

    ¡°In his next life, he said he didn¡¯t do a single thing. He didn¡¯t destroy the world, nor did he make any moves to save it.¡±

    ¡°A bystander¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, a bystander. He watched everything go by, living hidden from the world without making any contact with hispanions or encountering humans.¡±

    However, the end was destined to be the same.

    ¡°Yet, he regressed again. Again and again, over and over. He spent more than a hundred years like that, unable to escape despair.¡±

    Who among them could me him? Who among them could fully understand him?

    ¡®If it were me¡­.¡¯

    ¡®No, if it were any of us¡­¡¯

    Could any of them have survived through three thousand years of that hell? It was absolute darkness, surviving through an endless hellscape.

    ¡°Eventually, he realized¡ªthat he had to end it all.¡±

    There was no other solution. It wasn¡¯t because of any grandstanding or achievement, wanting to save the world. No, he just wanted to escape and had a singr desire to escape from this hell.

    ¡°He tried to do everything on his own, fueled by a desire to get it over with. He didn¡¯t even find hispanions, putting everything he knew into his own growth.¡±

    ¡°Then, what happened?¡±

    ¡°He seeded. He cleared Gehenna on his own.¡±

    They had reached it: the climax.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath. This was what he had been waiting for.

    ¡®He had cleared Gehenna with just his own strength.¡¯

    The Demon King hadn¡¯t led any of his otherpanions to Gehenna.

    ¡®Just like what I¡¯m trying to do.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wouldn¡¯t go to Gehenna with hispanions; he would raid it alone. But now, he was hearing that the Demon King had done that too.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    ¡°In the end, he failed.¡±

    As expected, it was another failure.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I had assumed,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, walking forward and leaving behind hispanions, who were silent in shock. ¡°Because the Demon King still exists.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s presence served as proof of the oue. Because he had failed, history was repeating itself once again.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He cleared Gehenna alone, and his body wasn¡¯t stolen by his Sponsor, who had already disappeared by now¡­¡±

    Despair appeared on Heimdall''s face again.

    ¡°But, when he emerged, the other Sponsors had already taken away the bodies of the powerful Hunters.¡±

    ***

    ''It''s over.''

    His gaze was empty as if the long years had eroded away his soul. He had won, but he wasn¡¯t happy. All he could think about was that he could finally rest now. He looked at the monsters he had defeated. There weren¡¯t any bodies for the Sponsors to take away alongside him. If he left here now, then it would all be over.

    But, it was right when that thought had crossed his mind.

    [How pointless.]

    No. This¡­this was a voice he shouldn¡¯t be hearing as it was a voice that couldn¡¯t be heard. His Sponsor¡¯s voice was ringing in his head.

    ¡®H¡­how¡­!¡¯

    In the midst of his panic, the voices in his head faded as he shouted. Had it just been a hallucination? He stood still for a while before slowly moving and exiting Gehenna. Waiting for him were hispanions.

    ¡®Thank you. To think we could be resurrected like this thanks to your actions¡­¡¯

    Hispanions, who had been getting stronger and stronger with every passing regression, hadn¡¯t entered Gehenna with him.

    ¡®I¡¯ll make sure you die as painlessly as possible.¡¯

    But, the Sponsors had already taken their bodies outside of the gate.

    ¡®Ha¡­¡¯

    Only then did he realize that Gehenna was just a window. The moment it opened, the oue was already decided. The end result wasn¡¯t something he could change. Rather, trying to do so simply made it easier for the Sponsors to take over.

    ¡®Ha¡­¡¯

    He sighed. He couldn¡¯t change anything. No matter how much he regressed, he couldn¡¯t change it. There was only one thing that could actually change anything.

    ¡®What¡­!¡¯

    He needed to put an end to all of those bastards they called Sponsors. He needed to ughter them all.

    ¡®Only then would it be over.¡¯

    With a nk expression, he, with a broken soul, began to make his move.

    ¡®Hehehe.¡¯

    Although the hostility of the Sponsors was fierce, he himself had already gone insane. The Demon King, who had been worn out to the point of falling apart, tore them to pieces, ignoring the pain horrid enough to be felt in one¡¯s bones. There was something that the Sponsors had gotten wrong.

    ¡®Hehehe¡­¡¯

    The Demon King had already been through a long series of regressions, and he had already consumed even his own Sponsor.

    ¡®Things will end now¡­¡¯

    Even the Sponsors who had taken over human bodies and were reborn weren¡¯t able to handle him. But, the problem was that it was also just another beginning. The Demon King, after defeating them all, still existed in an endless hell.

    He was surviving in an endless tragedy.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­¡±

    It was a tale that would sap the spirit of even those who heard it, let alone someone who had to live it. The real story of the Demon King was utterly different from what Lee Jun-Kyeong had read in the book.

    If he were topare what he was hearing from Heimdall with what was written in the book, the Book of the Demon King, thetter was just a fairy tale.

 Chapter 264. Ragnarok Pt. 6

    Chapter 264. Ragnarok Pt. 6

    ¡°The Demon King had reached a level that even the Sponsors couldn¡¯t withstand. He killed all of the Sponsors that had taken over.¡±

    They wondered how painful it must have been.

    ¡®Maybe he couldn¡¯t feel the pain anymore.¡¯

    His experience was different from others. Even if others died, he woulde back to life. It was an endless hell, so long that he may have be dulled to existence.

    ¡°He really thought that at that point, it would have been the end.¡±

    He really, truly, had been waiting for this.

    ¡°When he had defeated the Sponsors, he had made it so that Hunters didn¡¯t exist anymore¡­¡±

    It was a result he had wanted.

    ¡°There were no more monsters, nor anything that shouldn¡¯t belong, but there was nothing left at that point.¡±

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°The battle with the Sponsors was devastating. The Sponsors who had resurrected, and the strength that they had restored after their resurrection¡­¡±

    All of them froze. It couldn¡¯t be.

    ¡°It was enough to destroy the Earth.¡±

    ¡°How could that¡­¡±

    ¡°If he didn¡¯t kill the Sponsors, then the future would repeat itself. But if he killed the Sponsors, then the Earth would be destroyed.¡±

    In ast-ditch effort, before they died, the Sponsors had destroyed his home so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find rest.

    ¡°Just like that, he regressed once again. He tried to change the oue over and over again. But, the result was always the same.¡±

    He was, once again, trapped in a hell.

    ¡°The deaths of the Sponsors weren¡¯t enough to free him.¡±

    ¡°Just how far¡­what more could he have done?¡± Jeong In-Chang said, his hands clenched tight from the rising anger.

    Rage toward those devil-like bastards overcame him. They hadpletely ruined a person¡¯s life and had even made it impossible for his soul to be saved.

    ¡°He tried to give up on everything again. But then, he found a possible way out.¡±

    The story was reaching its end.

    ¡°The powers of the source had begun to awaken within him, who had repeatedly regressed and hunted down the Rulers and Sponsors alike.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Even though he had awakened the powers of the source, nothing had changed. No matter how strong he got, the problem stayed the same. Unless he were to obtain all of the powers of the source, nothing would change.¡±

    If he were able to fully awaken the powers of creation that had created the universe, then he would have been able to reach the fate that he had wanted.

    ¡°But finding theplete powers of the source was too difficult. That wasn¡¯t something that could be done on a single. He had to go through the broken dimensions. It would have only been possible if he searched through them all.¡±

    ¡°But if he wasted his time like that¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. His search for the powers of the source led to the destruction of the Earth.¡±

    They felt like they couldn¡¯t breathe, mired in an inexhaustible hell from which there was no escape.

    ¡®How¡­just how¡­¡¯

    That question was the only thing that engulfed his mind.

    ¡°But he found a way.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Raising sessors,¡± Heimdall stated.

    ¡°But even if he raised sessors, that doesn¡¯t seem like they would be of much help.

    It was a reasonable prediction. Even if he were to find someone who could inherit his power, the Earth would still be destroyed. It would have been useless.

    ¡°That was where his abilities shined through. The powers of the source, and¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected, ¡°Time regression.¡±

    "Exactly." Heimdall nodded and continued, ¡°The Book of the Demon King is the culmination of those two powers. He had inserted himself into a gap between space and time and sealed his abilities into a book so that the book would continue to exist within the world where the Sponsors had resurrected.¡±

    The secret behind the Book of the Demon King had been revealed.

    ¡°Moreover, he hid himself among the Sponsors just in case that they guarded themselves against him and destroyed the world preemptively. This was all in order for the world to be maintained so that his sessor may one day emerge.¡±

    To think he had to stay with those who hadpletely ruined his fate. The Demon King had been unable to escape that hell, even for a moment.

    ¡°He waited, waited for an opportunity to deal with the Sponsors in one fell swoop. Moreover, once he was thest one standing¨C¡±

    ¡°He needed someone to kill him.¡±

    The ability, time regression¡ªeven if it had been bestowed onto the Book of the Demon King, it would have only been a one-time thing. Its true essence would remain with the Demon King and force him to undergo endless regression.

    Even if he were to prevent the destruction of Earth, one day, he might be forced to prevent the destruction of Earth once again. Thus, when everything was over, he needed someone to end his exhausted life.

    ¡°And I am that person¡­¡±

    Thus, the person he had found was Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had acquired the Book of the Demon King, had gone back in time, gained the powers of the source, and had gained strengthparable to that of the Demon King. With what he had aplished, he had to defeat the Demon King, a being withplete immortality¡ªno, a being that was a true immortal.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t know how much longer he had to continue after that moment. All he knew was that this was the moment he had been waiting for so long¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong interrupted, ¡°Have you met the Demon King?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°He told me that he had drawn a perfect picture that would end his long journey.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    "But!¡± Merlin shouted. ¡°This is too much to believe¡­¡±

    Merlin couldn¡¯t forget a single word she had heard. Moreover, she could tell that this was the truth. She couldn¡¯t feel any lies from Heimdall.

    In addition, it wasn¡¯t just a hunch. His eyes had no hint of dishonesty, and his mana was calm.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    All of that pointed to everything the Hunter was saying to be true.

    ¡°That¡¯s everything,¡± Heimdall said.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? What sort of bullshit,¡± Zeus quipped back. ¡°I understand that the Demon King¡¯s goal is to die and that he needs the Underdog as he can¡¯t do it alone.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But was there any reason for him to cause any of the tragedies up until now?¡±

    He had sunk Britain and had prevented them from saving people who could have been saved.

    ¡°Even if the Underdog seeds, Earth¡¯s civilization will regress. The number of surviving humans is too small. How could you say that¡¯s saving the Earth¡­¡±

    ¡°Think of his title,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong interjected before Zeus was able to finish. ¡°He has truly be a Demon King.

    Zeus frowned. "What?"

    ¡°Whatever reason he had, whatever desires he did all this for.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up with a firm voice. ¡°He must have been emotionally worn down over thousands of years. He even mingled among the Sponsors just for the sake of a single goal.¡±

    That was what it meant to be a Demon King. None of them could ask for any more humanity from him. None of them could impose any morality or justice on him.

    ¡®He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to annihte the Earth for his goals at this point.¡¯

    He was a true Demon King.

    ¡°When you enter Gehenna, many things will change. If you fail, then history would just repeat itself again,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°Even if you win¡­ It¡¯ll be difficult for you toe back alive.¡±

    Heimdall had said that at the end of the story, Lee Jun-Kyeong would have to choose again whether he would go to Gehenna or not.

    ¡°Gehenna is a cosmic-level space.[1] Moreover, if you include having to fight the Demon King¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. ¡°Even if I were to win, it would be difficult for me toe back because of my injuries.¡±

    At that time, Jeong In-Chang raised his hand. ¡°Then we will go with him¡­!¡±

    If that was the Demon King¡¯s purpose, then wouldn¡¯t it be possible for them to just enter as observers and rescue Lee Jun-Kyeong when the time came? However, it was clear that the Demon King had done something to Gehenna.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. None of you would be able to survive whatsoever. The same goes for Zeus and the others. Maybe if it was the original Gehenna, but¡­only Jun-Kyeong can enter Gehenna.¡±

    Gehenna, the gargantuan ck gate, was shaking as if beckoning towards him.

    ***

    ¡°Either way¡­¡±

    It was a result that had already been decided.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered to himself as he stood in front of Gehenna, ¡°If I run away¡­there would only be destruction.¡±

    He wondered why Heimdall, Seong-Gu Hyung, had asked such a question. After all, it had already been decided. He couldn''t run away.

    ¡®I have to go in.¡¯

    Either he was killed within Gehenna, or he died after fulfilling his purpose. It was something that couldn¡¯t be helped. Jeong In-Chang approached as he mused to himself.

    ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression changed as he looked at the Hunter. As the corners of his mouth were about to curl up, Jeong In-Chang said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I know. That if you run away, the end results would be horrid. But you still have the right to choose, Mr. Lee. I won¡¯t me you even if we face destruction. It¡¯s just another battle in the end,¡± said Jeong In-Chang sincerely.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong lowered his head for a moment. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We feel the same.¡±

    Zeus.

    Merlin, Arthur, Horus, Ungnyeo, and all of the others.

    Before he knew it, everyone was standing before him. They all had the same expression. None of them could erase the shock that they had received after hearing the true story of the Demon King.

    ¡°If you want to fight together, we will fight.¡±

    Their faces were all full of determination. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked behind them, toward Seong-Gu Hyung. The man was looking at him with a guilty expression.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay,¡¯ Lee Jun-Kyeong mouthed at him.

    Seong-Gu Hyung, Heimdall, had said something to him. ¡®I haven¡¯t told you the whole story.¡¯

    How did he know all of this? How had he regressed like he did? Why was he now helping the Demon King?

    There were many things that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to ask. But the Hunter didn¡¯t tell him.

    His eyes just seemed to say, ¡®Come back alive. Then, I¡¯ll tell you everything once again.¡¯

    If he was curious, then he needed to do his best toe back alive somehow. Only then would he tell him.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already made my decision. Nothing has changed.¡±

    All that had happened was that he had simply discovered that the fairy tale that he had known was actually just a part of someone¡¯s horrifying tragedy.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong called.

    Jeong In-Chang nodded with a stern expression.

    ¡°As my shield, please protect anyone. Until you determine if Ie¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped before continuing, ¡°Until I return.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­epted your orders,¡± Jeong In-Chang answered like one of his Familiars.

    Thud.

    Heimdall approached Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°You obtained a title, right?¡±

    It was the only thing that hadn¡¯t been said yet. Everyone started listening again to Heimdall as Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly nodded. It was the title that he had been waiting for so long.

    ¡°Ragnarok.¡±

    ¡°Ragnarok¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my title.¡±

    Heimdall said with a small smile. ¡°Then, pleasee back safe, Ragnarok.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly turned around.

    The Underdog¡ªno, Ragnarok.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± he said as he stepped past the threshold of the ck gate, Gehenna.

    1. The author forgot that he called it a Transcendental-graded gate earlier and is now calling it cosmic-level. ?

 Chapter 265. The End of a Tragedy

    Chapter 265. The End of a Tragedy

    Right as Lee Jun-Kyeong stood in front of Gehenna and was about to enter, Heimdall tried to say something, ¡°Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    Crunch!

    However, Gehenna¡¯s actions were quick. The gate began to move in a practiced manner as if it had been waiting. It was almost as if it were a living creature.

    Crunch!!

    The ck void of the gate bulged out and took on the shape of teeth.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted urgently, surprised.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his hand to stop him.

    He mouthed to the others, ¡®I¡¯ll be back.¡¯

    Before they knew it, he was fading away, surrounded by the ck teeth.

    ¡°What a ridiculous gate¡­¡± Zeus muttered.

    ¡°Can that thing really be called a gate¡­¡± Merlin asked.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already disappeared as the gate exuded a huge aura that suppressed them.

    ¡°He¡¯spletely disappeared from this world.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t feel the Hunter anymore. Normally, entering another gate didn¡¯t erase all traces of a Hunter, as a Hunter¡¯s mana would flow out, little by little, through the entrance to the gate. However, Gehenna was different. Like aplete abyss, it consumed Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Now, there¡¯s only one thing we can do,¡± Arthur said as Horus finished for him.

    ¡°Wait,¡± the Hunter said, kneeling down on one knee before the gate. ¡°Brother, I will wait for you.¡±

    The King of Egypt and the Nile was prostrating himself, which was something that had never been seen before by anyone except his god.

    ¡°Lord Ra, please protect my brother,¡± Horus prayed.

    Gehenna was clearly a world of the Sponsors, their realm and domain. If so, then Ra might also be there. If the actions that it had shown them were true to its nature, then, maybe, hopefully, it would protect Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡®Please. Please save the one who had to throw away his fate to end this great tragedy.¡¯

    Everyone stood still as they looked at Gehenna with determination on their faces, waiting for the end.

    ¡°Heimdall.¡±

    Amid them, a voice called out to Heimdall. Even when Heimdall had told them everything, she had just listened quietly. Through it all, she had looked at him with more questions hidden in her gaze than anyone else.

    "Athena."

    She spoke in a low voice to Heimdall, surrounding the two of them with mana and making sure no one else could hear their conversation. After being satisfied by the protections she had made, she asked him, ¡°Please answer honestly.¡±

    Her face was too gaunt to be considered a goddess of the battlefield.

    ¡°I¡­and the Underdog¡­no, what does Lee Jun-Kyeong have to do with me?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Tell me. Something felt strange from the moment that I had first met him. It was a familiar feeling. No¡­almost like¡­I¡¯ve been longing for him for¡­¡±

    Tears were already falling from Athena''s eyes, but she didn''t seem to know why she was crying. Heimdall hugged her as she cried endlessly.

    ¡°He is¡­¡±

    Then, he slowly began to tell the girl the unspoken secrets.

    ***

    He couldn¡¯t count the number of times he had thrown himself into a gate. Moreover, he also had the experience of returning to the past and had even gone gate clearing without any stopping. Despite that, none of them were like Gehenna.

    ¡®It¡¯s painful.¡¯

    No, there was no simrity at all. He was sure of it.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t a gate.¡¯

    It felt like he was sinking into a deep sea. He had to struggle toe to his senses. If he lost his mind¡­

    ¡®I¡¯ll be swallowed.¡¯

    He felt a deep fear as if he would be devoured by this abyss. Lee Jun-Kyeong took a deep breath and surrendered himself to the waves. However, he still kept his head cool.

    ¡®What I heard from Hyung¡­¡¯

    While he was being sucked in, Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered Heimdall¡¯s story. The story of the Demon King that he had read had just been a portion of the time that the Hunter had experienced. Compared to that being¡¯s true tragedy, that story was like a fairy tale.

    ¡®I am¡­¡¯

    That being wasn¡¯t the Demon King that he had respected and aspired to be. No, the one who had gone through that hell was a True Demon King. He was someone who was mired in evil and wasn¡¯t afraid of destruction.

    ¡®But, he¡¯s still my idol.¡¯

    Nothing had changed. Even though that being was now a monster with emotions worn to pieces, what he had done hadn¡¯t disappeared. Although there would be nothing materially left in history, they still knew.

    In Heimdall''s story, Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt his dedication and sacrifice. Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel the aura of mana enveloping him.

    Ssss.

    Little by little, his senses were awakening as the abyss that had sucked him in was preparing to spit him out.

    ¡®Hyung. Seong-Gu Hyung.¡¯

    He still had stuff he wanted to ask Heimdall about. That was why he would go back.

    ¡°You have to tell everyone when I get back.¡±

    Tap.

    Light as a feather, Lee Jun-Kyeongnded on the ground.

    Thud, thud.

    At that moment, he almost lost his bnce and fell. The floor was different from what he had thought. It wasn¡¯t solid, and there was something squishy pulling at his feet. He slowly lowered his head.

    ¡°...tsk.¡±

    The first thing he saw upon entering Gehenna was a sight that had made even someone like him nauseous.

    He muttered, ¡°It¡¯s all¡­corpses¡­¡±

    There were piles of corpses all over the ground, making it impossible to see even a hint of the ground. There were cracked, torn, and crushed corpses, and they all were corpses of monsters he had never seen before.

    ¡®The monsters of Gehenna.¡¯

    They must have been what was written about in the Book of the Demon King.

    ¡°The Legion of Demons.¡±

    However, their majesty and ferocity couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere as their dead bodies were just lying on the ground like weak, helpless people. None of them even showed any signs of resistance.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong soon realized all of this had to have been the work of the Demon King.

    ***

    Squelch.

    His feet continued to be sucked in.

    Squelch.

    All he could make out were shapes in the pitch-ck darkness. There were endless rows of corpses. No matter where he stepped, all his feet touched were the dead.

    ¡°How amazing¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but admire them after examining the ones who still had their bodies intact. These strange corpses truly deserved to be called the strongest of the monsters, as not even any of the other gates¡¯ boss monsters seemed to be as strong as they were.

    In addition, once he felt their mana, the difference became even more stark. The mana possessed by the dead monsters stung. It stretched out, grazing Lee Jun-Kyeong. It was as sharp as needles, different from any mana that he knew.

    He then intentionally withdrew the mana that protected him, wanting to know what sort of ce he was in.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    However, the air was full of poison. Most poisons couldn¡¯t prate into him, even without a shroud of mana. However, Gehenna''s miasma was different. It was almost like a living thing trying to find an opening to break into him.

    He looked up at the sky, but there was no light. He soon noticed that the further he went, the more a faint light began to shine.

    ¡°Is that a moon¡­?¡±

    A pale, red, moon-shaped object was emitting a very pale light. It was clearly floating in the sky. The further he went, the brighter it became.

    Squelch.

    As he trudged forward, the mountains of corpses grew taller. He hadn¡¯t met the Demon King yet, or any other living thing for that matter.

    Boom!

    He exuded a burst of mana, trying to use it to get a look around.

    Zzt.

    Unfortunately, the moment he did so, the mana around him attacked him back, seemingly warning him not to look around in this ce carelessly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly went forward. There was no need to hurry since he hade all the way here anyway.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    If there was no Demon King, then he would have had to enter Gehenna on his own and confront those creatures. No, if he had to enter here with hispanions¡­ He tried to think about the uncountable number of corpses he saw.

    ¡°Could we have been able to do this?¡±

    Everything around him was miserable and terrible. Even though it was only the deaths of monsters, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt pity for them. There were no signs of resistance. This had been a massacre. The Demon King had ughtered all of them, even those who couldn¡¯t resist.

    But if it weren¡¯t for the Demon King¡¯s actions, then these monsters would have rushed forward to take him and the other¡¯s lives. Despite that, everything around him was still so horrendous that he felt pity for them.

    This was it.

    ¡®The path that the Demon King walked, a path of tragedy.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had once said, ¡®I will be the Devil.¡¯

    It was something he had said with the determination to change the world. ording to the Book of the Demon King, the Demon King had ultimately failed. The world was a mess, and ordinary humans had to live a hellish existence.

    That was why he had decided to surpass him, stating that he would seed through changing the history of the Demon King¡¯s failures. That was why he had said he would be the Devil, the Demon God.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    It was now that Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized how embarrassing that thought had been. He couldn¡¯t understand even half of the path that the Demon King had taken. But to think that he had said he would be the new Demon King, a Devil.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked, going forward amid endless corpses and the light of the blood-red moon.

    Gurgle.

    Then, he started hearing sounds emerge from somewhere. The moment he heard the sound, there was an explosion.

    BANG!

    Standing right in front of him was a monster that looked exactly like one of the other corpses.

    ¡°Gur¡­gurg¡­¡±

    Thud.

    Choking on its own blood, it fell into a heap, with a huge hole in its chest. The moment it had rushed toward him, Lee Jun-Kyeong had pierced its chest.

    ¡°Whew,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled.

    He had killed the monster easily, but he hadn¡¯t been mistaken.

    ¡®They¡¯re strong.¡¯

    If all of them hade at him, then he would have had a hard time. Still, he didn¡¯t feel as though he was going to lose.

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    The name ¡°Devil¡± might not have been suitable, as he couldn¡¯t even understand the depth of the one who had be the Demon King, let alone bing the God of Demons.

    ¡°I¡¯ve still be stronger.¡±

    What the Demon King had hoped for, what he had wished for by creating the path for session, was to create someone strong enough to kill him. At least that much just might be a sess.

    Squelch.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong took another step forward. Because he wasn¡¯t circting his mana, the miasma invaded him, and the mana pierced his lungs.

    It was painful. Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t push them away. At this moment, he was moving towards the Demon King, and what he was feeling right now was nothing but a mere blippared to the tragic time undergone by the Demon King.

    ¡®I will try to understand your pain even for a slight moment.¡¯

    That could be said to be his courtesy to the Hero he admired so much. The stabbing pain gradually dulled. It wasn¡¯t because he had used any mana.

    ¡°Is this for real¡­¡±

    Rather, it could be said to have been a change more fittingly called an evolution. These were changes that urred after gaining a title and reaching level 100.

    His body began to adapt to the environment of Gehenna. His vision became clearer. Even though the amount of light was the same, he had adapted to create a clear view, even with just the slightest bit of light.

    Squelch.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved on a little faster than before. His suffering was but a fleeting moment as he adjusted to Gehenna. Then, as he walked for some time and then walked some more, the scenery finally changed.

    ¡°...¡±

    The ground was no longer full of the corpses of monsters. Instead of the corpses of monsters, there were giants.

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    The corpses of giants were of an indescribable size.

 Chapter 266. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 2

    Chapter 266. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 2

    The corpses of giants formed a mountain before him. In fact, that wasn¡¯t entirely correct. Actually, it was just the single corpse of a giant.

    ¡°That massive mountain¡­¡±

    Thjazi and Thrymr, the frost giants of Utgard that he had met in China, couldn¡¯tpare whatsoever with them. The giants before them were true giants.

    ¡°Just¡­what am I supposed to say here?¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to call the corpses lying in front of him giants. Each of them was colossal beyondmon sense. Just their size alone conveyed tremendous pressure.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even though the colossal giant before him was dead, it still gave off an extremely intimidating feeling. It waspletely different from the corpses of monsters he had stepped on when he had entered first Gehenna. If the mana of the monsters could be considered needles, then the mana of these were tree trunks.

    No, it was beyond that.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    It was like massive pirs.

    Ssss.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had tried not to use any mana, but now he had no choice but to begin circting his mana. He had to sit down on the spot, his breath catching.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    Each breath was a burden. Even though he had circted his mana, it was still too difficult to breathe. The corpses of the giants had that effect.

    ¡°Are these the monsters of Gehenna¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked as he slowly came to his senses. Then he became sure that was wrong. They definitely weren¡¯t. Their levels of existence were different. They were beings of a much higher ss than the monsters. They were beings that could put enormous pressure on him just with their corpses alone.

    ¡°Just how¡­¡±

    What would have happened if they were alive? Just looking at the corpses made Lee Jun-Kyeong feel as though his soul was being consumed. It wasn¡¯t until muchter that he was able to move again.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at them again, taking a deep breath. He was vaguely able to guess the identities of these colossal giants.

    ¡°Sponsors¡­¡±

    They were Sponsors.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s feet moved forward. Now, there weren¡¯t any corpses that squished under his feet. Instead, what caught at him were the solid corpses of giants.

    The giants of Gehenna were iparable to monsters and radiated a terrifying presence even when dead. It was clear that they had to be Sponsors. After all, if these corpses that could make one vomit just by looking at them weren¡¯t the corpses of Sponsors, then what were they? However, this was still something that was unexpected.

    ¡°But when did the Sponsors have bodies?¡±

    He had thought of them as just consciousnesses. However, the corpses before him clearly proved their physical existence. Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped, and at the same time, he touched one of the giants¡¯ corpses.

    Tap.

    ¡°Bleargh!¡±

    As soon as he poured mana into the corpse, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to vomit.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    Only after vomiting for a long time was he able to catch his breath. The moment he had injected his mana into the giant¡¯s body, he saw a huge abyss, which sucked him in. It was a situation where he could have been consumed.

    ¡°I need to be more careful.¡±

    He had almost forgotten about it because there weren¡¯t any threats. He had forgotten that this wasn¡¯t the outside world and that Gehnna was a more dangerous ce than any other ce.

    Woosh!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong reached out again, prepared to cut off the flow of mana at any time as he injected a very small amount of mana.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Fortunately, he wasn''t sucked into the abyss this time. He slowly moved his mana and examined the giant¡¯s body. Its mana was overflowing even when dead. The will within the creature was astounding. As he slowly examined it, Lee Jun-Kyeong soon began to adapt.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    He began to put in a little more mana than he had initially done. Little by little, the mana grew. As he did so, the identity of the giant and the power that it possessed began to be clear.

    ¡°This is a Sponsor.¡±

    He was sure of it. Lee Jun-Kyeong took his hand away and looked around. He had to be more careful the next time he wanted to inspect something. He picked a direction and started walking, stopping in front of a small giant.

    He stood in front of the corpse with the least amount of mana. He ced a hand on the corpse again, resolving himself not to let his mana go to waste. He would find out more clearly who these beings were and what had happened here.

    He needed to do so through any means possible.

    Ssss.

    He was going to use his awakened powers of the source.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    His understanding of the power that the Sponsors were aiming for wasn¡¯t very high, nor could his grasp of that power be said to beplete. However, now that the powers of the source had been awakened within him, Lee Jun-Kyeong could at least clearly feel it.

    ¡®What I have within me is only a part of it.¡¯

    Using that power, he examined the giant before him. The powers of the source dealt with the essence of life. It was a feeling that cannot be described in words, and that was what he was searching for within the Sponsors.

    The result of his inspection was¡­

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    It was horrifying.

    The long eras that the Sponsors had lived through, the gruesome ughter theymitted¡­

    The history of their defeat, their lives spent hidden where they trampled upon hundreds of millions of lives¡­

    He saw it all and felt it all.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    It was another abyss of its own. Although he hadn¡¯t consumed it all to the point of losing his being, for a split second, Lee Jun-Kyeong had felt as though he had be a Sponsor. A simple glimpse of their history and the soul that was left behind in the corpse left him devastated.

    ¡°The Sponsors¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up straight, holding up his body, which seemed as though it was on the verge of copse. He could also understand why they had be like this.

    ¡®How long have you waited?¡¯

    Compared to the giants, it could be said that humanity was naught but ants. Whenpared to the power that they had, that person would never be defeated. No, he had more power than that.

    It was a pure ughter. The giants who had ravaged countless living creatures for so long had been butchered. They, who had dug a trap and tried to steal their bodies, had been cut down before they could reach their goal.

    The Sponsors were immortal: beings that couldn¡¯t be killed because they had no form.

    ¡°At least here, it¡¯s possible¡­¡±

    In Gehenna, in the space that they had created to take away the bodies of the Incarnations, they had also be living beings. If, by chance, they had been unlucky enough to have been defeated by a different Incarnation, then they would have revived. However, because the one who had defeated them had been the Demon King, none of them coulde back.

    The powers of the source were powers that held the essence of life. In turn, they were powers that could kill even immortal beings.

    ¡°Whew¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head and came to his senses. It was time to move on again.

    Rumble.

    Then, suddenly, the ground began to tremble.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly kicked off the ground and soared into the air. Right where he had just been, a giant¡¯s hand had suddenly tightly clenched the air.

    ¡°It came back to life?!¡±

    The power that he had injected into it to inspect it had somehow granted temporary life to the giant. The giant slowly opened its eyes as its body, ravaged by the fierce battle with the Demon King, began toe together.

    However, it wasn¡¯t restored perfectly, its arm was the arm of someone else. Its legs couldn¡¯t even hold its body up properly.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t flustered. He had seen their essence. He had seen their lives.

    BOOM!

    And he had also seen their deaths. Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand slowly changed shape, growing bigger, bigger, and bigger. It was as if it also belonged to a giant.

    ¡°The Arms of Surtr.¡±

    An arm of me covered the pale red moon and became the sun.

    ROAR!!!

    When the giant tried to stand up, shaking on one leg, Lee Jun-Kyeong mmed the Arms of Surtr directly onto the giant¡¯s face.

    BANG!!

    A huge shock came through the mes, catching alight on the giant. For just a split second, Gehenna was lit brightly by a me.

    BOOM!

    The giant, who had barely stood up, fell over.

    ¡°...¡±

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong sat down on the ground and mused to himself. He had just taken out a Sponsor. Of course, the Sponsor hadn¡¯t beenplete. It was a reanimated corpse, no different from a skeleton.

    Clench.

    Nevertheless, he had defeated one. The satisfaction of having defeated a Sponsor filled his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯ve really be stronger.¡±

    He finally understood what he had earned with the title Ragnarok.

    ***

    ¡°Now that it¡¯s just the two of us like this¡­¡±

    ¡°I just had something I wanted to ask you.¡±

    Heimdall looked a little ecstatic while, on the contrary, Athena was extremely cold.

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t tell us everything. Everyone knows that there¡¯s something you¡¯re hiding,¡± Athena said, directly getting to the point. ¡°Everyone knows that you¡¯re hiding something, but you didn¡¯t say anything because the Underdog¡­No, Ragnarok hadn¡¯t said anything.¡±

    Heimdall lowered his head for a moment.

    Athena continued, ¡°We understand that the Demon King wants to end his tragedy by raising a sessor.¡±

    She was asking about the truth.

    ¡°At first nce, the Book of the Demon King is Ragnarok¡¯s, something that he alone had. Moreover, you had said that Ragnarok had never been alone, not even once.¡±

    There was a restlessness on both Athena¡¯s and Heimdall¡¯s faces.

    ¡°Then, what were the criteria for determining the Demon King¡¯s session?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Moreover.¡± Athena refused to give him a chance to respond, seeming like she wanted to ask everything all at once and get all of the answers at the same time. ¡°I never spoke much with Ragnarok. I even tried not to speak with him as much as possible.¡±

    It was the truth. Even whenever Zeus was friendly with him, even when Lee Jun-Kyeong had saved her, all she had said was thank you and exchanged as few words as possible when necessary.

    Athena had¡ªno, even Lee Jun-Kyeong had avoided mixing words with her whenever possible.

    ¡°It was the same when I first met him,¡± she said. ¡°When I first met him, in his eyes, there was anger, hatred¡­¡±

    There were many harsh emotions.

    ¡°And, there was longing.¡±

    However, the problem was what hade after.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to know why he looked at me with those eyes, and it was the same for me as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you felt that way too?¡±

    "No." Athena shook her head firmly. ¡°I felt pity, remorse, and¡­¡±

    She struggled to continue before finally speaking, ¡°I felt like crying. I always felt like crying every time I saw him. Why? Although I tried so hard to find an answer to that question, I couldn¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    Athena, who had always remained silent, was now firing questions at Heimdall without stopping. Speaking about all of her feelings was evidence that her emotions had been aggravated.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s Sessor. The recipient of the Book of the Demon King, Ragnarok. Those are things that only he could be. But who the hell is he? Was he a child left behind by the Demon King? Or¡­¡±

    The question left unsaid was whether or not it had something to do with Heimdall. A silence filled the air as Athena had said everything she had wanted to say. Now, all that was left was for her to wait for the answer.

    However, Heimdall found it difficult to open his mouth. Then, at that moment, he finally lifted his head slowly and said, ¡°He is¡­that brat¡­ Jun-Kyeong¡­¡±

    ¡°Heracles! Odysseus!¡± But at that moment, Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice overwhelmed Heimdall¡¯s. His voice continued to wrack the air. ¡°Come to your senses!¡±

    Had they been attacked? No. They couldn¡¯t feel the auras of any enemies.

    Instead, it was something else.

    ¡°Their mana¡­disappeared?¡± Athena muttered nkly.

    The people that Jeong In-Chang had cried out for, Heracles and Odysseus, their manas had disappeared. However, that didn¡¯t mean that they had died. Only their mana had disappeared. Their vitality was still clearly present.

    While Athena was flustered, Heimdall could be heard muttering to himself, ¡°Has it begun?¡±

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had arrived at thergest giant. There was someone sitting on it. It was now a corpse, seeming to have just been killed. That person was the size of an antpared to the giant.

    However, whenpared to Lee Jun-Kyeong, that person was just as big as he was. He was a human. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the man as he looked down on Lee Jun-Kyeong, almost as if it was natural for him to be on top.

    The man quietly moved his lips.

    ¨CSo you¡¯ve arrived, Son of Heimdall and Athena.

 Chapter 267. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 3

    Chapter 267. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 3

    Lee Jun-Kyeong walked forward, stepping on the corpses of giants. Gehenna was vast. But, for some reason, he seemed to know where to go. It was as if he was attracted to something.

    In the meantime, Lee Jun-Kyeong calmly walked forward, step by step.

    ¡°The pressure is slowly disappearing.¡±

    It had originally been difficult for him even to breathe due to the mana emanating from the corpses of the Sponsors. However, from some point on, Lee Jun-Kyeong had begun to feel the pressure disappear. Upon inspection with his mana, there didn¡¯t seem to be any changes to the mana emanating from the giants¡¯ corpses.

    That meant something else must have changed.

    ¡®Is it me?¡¯

    The resulting change seemed truly worthy of the word evolution. His evolved body seemed to have adapted to Gehenna''s harsh environment. Because of that, Lee Jun-Kyeong was bing stronger.

    Thrum.

    Since it was such a quick and drastic change, he wondered if it was because of a power he had gained after bing Ragnarok. It was either that, or he might have been growing by epting the energy of Gehenna.

    ¡°Is this also what the Demon King wanted?¡±

    He felt as though even this was what the Demon King had wanted and nned. It was as if each moment was a stepping stone for his growth. Goosebumps covered Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms. No, right now, he just had to focus on growing by using the ns that he had made.

    Soon he would meet him. It was his intuition. The further he went, the more corpses of giants there were.

    As he walked forward, he realized that there were more Sponsors than he had thought and that each Sponsor had different powers. Moreover, it seemed as though their size was proportional to their powers.

    No matter how far he went forward, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t see anything but the Sponsors.

    ¡®This power¡­¡¯

    With each Sponsor, he tried to understand their powers. He tried to understand their true essence using the powers of the source, seeing if he could make use of them. Thus, he continued to go forward as he inspected each and every Sponsor.

    It didn¡¯t even seem as though a day had passed. However, time likely passed just as slowly in Gehenna as the time he had experienced in Anngr.

    Every step was filled with tension. Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped. Before him was the corpse of a Sponsor who seemed to have died not long ago. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the corpse, with blood dripping from its eyes and its chest cloven open. Hot blood was flowing from the dead giant.

    BOOM!

    When the giant fell, the ground shook as if there had been an earthquake. Before his eyes, right as the giant before him fell, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw a groaning giant standing there.

    ¨CGroughhh¡­

    It was still alive. Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly drew Surtr¡¯s Spear in hand. However, the giant standing before him seemed to be in even worse condition than the giant that had just fallen. Its skull was crushed, its head dented, the corners of its mouth were torn apart, and both of its arms were missing.

    The moment Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to thrust Surtr forward, he heard a voice.

    ¨CIt¡¯s already dead.

    It was a cold, steely voice, a voice that made his entire body freeze.

    Because he heard the voice directly in his head, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to find where the voice hade instantly from the new radiating mana.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    It seemed as though his mana would explode instantly on contact with the mana of the voice. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sky. Or, to be exact, at the chopped-off head of the giant. There, a figure sat.

    ¡°...¡±

    Even with his evolved eyesight, he couldn¡¯t see the figure clearly. Even with his mana, he could only feel their outline.

    ¨CSo you¡¯ve arrived.

    He heard his voice again. With every word, the figure¡¯s appearance became clearer. It was someone who was clearly different from that of the giants, almost like an ant inparison. Just like he was.

    The figure was clearly human. However, if Lee Jun-Kyeong just looked at the figure¡¯s aura alone, it could be assumed that he was more than a human, more than a Sponsor. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t be mistaken. He knew who he was.

    The voice spoke again to him.

    ¨CSon of Heimdall and Athena.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who heard what he said, looked straight at him with a moment of disbelief. The figure¡¯s face was now clearly visible. It was a face simr to his own. A voice rang in his ears, apanying the gaze that was looking directly at him.

    A system notification.

    [<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse=""> gazes upon you.]</the>

    ***

    ¡°No! The mana¡­! The mana!!¡±

    ¡°My mana has disappeared¡­¡±

    Heracles screamed while Odysseus¡¯ voice was weak and feeble.

    It was just the beginning.

    ¡°Cough, cough!!¡±

    ¡°Hyung! AGHK¡­!¡±

    Liu Bei screamed and fell down from sudden exhaustion as his mana disappeared, and as Zhang Fei tried to support him, he, too, suddenly lost his mana. One by one, screams began to be heard.

    "Just what¡­¡±

    Athena burst into confusion at the sudden change in the situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s begun,¡± Heimdall said as he followed her forward. ¡°The Demon King¡¯s ying of the Sponsors.¡±

    ¡°ying of the Sponsors?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Heimdall looked at everyone with a bitter gaze as he continued, ¡°He¡¯s going to kill all of the Sponsors. Only then would his tragedye to an end.¡±

    ¡°Is that even¡­¡±

    They were all stunned. Was it even possible to kill a Sponsor this easily? However, the scene they saw before their eyes was proof enough. The Sponsors were dying, even at this very moment.

    ¡°Seeing that even the Sponsors of those who had helped Jun-Kyeong are being dealt with, I guess most of them have already died.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You said that there were Hunters in Japan? Most of them had probably lost their powers.¡±

    Some of the Hunters were beginning to lose their strength. But there was another problem.

    ¡°We have to go now, then!¡±

    There would have been Hunters who hadn¡¯t lost their strength yet. But, if they hadn¡¯t lost their strength yet, there was a possibility that they would have gone mad in fear of losing their powers.

    However, Heimdall said in a calm tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, isn¡¯t Jormungandr there?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The Hunters continued to scream as they fell. Finally, even Won-Hwa lost his mana and copsed.

    ¡°Won-Hwa!!¡±

    Heimdall said quietly with his eyes closed, ¡°It looks like Jun-Kyeong and the Demon King have already encountered each other. Now that they¡¯ve reached the end¡­¡±

    He looked over at Gehenna. ¡°We just have to wait.¡±

    Athena''s pupils widened even more as, at the same time, she suddenly caught Heimdall as he fell.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Even Heimdall¡¯s mana was starting to drain from him.

    ***

    ¡®<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse=""> gazes upon me¡­?¡¯</the>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong momentarily forgot about the Demon King¡¯s words because of the system notification he had just heard. That had to have been¡­

    ¡®Was that an ident¡­?¡¯

    No, he couldn¡¯t deny it. This had clearly been hidden in Heimdall¡¯s tale, and he himself had even expected it.

    ¨CThat¡¯s right.

    The voice was heard again.

    -I am your Sponsor.

    His gaze was clear, and his voice steady.

    ¨CI am <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">.</the>

    It was clearly the voice of the Demon King.

    ¡°The Sky of the Apocalypse is¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered nkly.

    He had expected it, to be honest. Heimdall had said it.

    ¡®He hid himself among the Sponsors. He gained even more power by absorbing the Sponsors.¡¯

    This was the reason why he had no choice but to keep going back through time.

    ¡®He had wanted to raise a sessor.¡¯

    A sessor was almost like an Incarnation¡­ The unspoken answer to Heimdall¡¯s tale had always been in front of him. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it was always apparent just from the actions of the Sky of the Apocalypse.

    It, no, he had shown actions that could be said to bepletely different from the other Sponsors. He had been hostile to the Sponsors and had even killed them.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t received much support.

    In addition, the sponsorship that he had received almost felt as though he had just found things that he had lost. Rather than growing into something from nothing, his growth was more like finding parts of himself that had been lost. Even the Familiars that were said to be the children of the Sky of the Apocalypse were the monsters that the Demon King had used as Familiars in the past.

    ¡°So that was why.¡±

    But they, too, had be unique beings under the influence of the Demon King¡¯s repeated regressions. The Familiars of the Demon King were the true faces of Fenrir and even Jormungandr.

    This wasn¡¯t something that Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t known. But, part of him always had that doubt.

    [<the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse=""> gazes upon you.]</the>

    However, seeing it in person, none of it made sense. That person, who had been a human, was now no different from the Sponsors.

    ¨CHow intelligent you are, Son of Heimdall.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly came to his senses again. ¡°Just what¡­what the hell does that mean¡­¡±

    It was the first encounter with the Demon King that he had longed so much for, but Lee Jun-Kyeong waspletely unable to properly process anything because of the endless questions that filled his mind.

    A smile appeared on the lips of the Demon King, who was seated on the giant¡¯s head.

    ¨CWait for a moment.

    The Demon King spoke, stretching out his hand.

    ¨CThe Hunt isn¡¯t over yet.

    In a split second, searing mes began to spread out in a straight line.

    ¡°The First me¡­¡±

    It was the skill that had been described as the Demon King¡¯s signature skill. That was the very skill that he had imitated, which was currently spewing out from the Demon King¡¯s hand. The light of mes pierced forward, exploding off somewhere.

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that one of the huge manas that he hadn¡¯t even noticed had disappeared in a moment. It was a Sponsor that had been hiding somewhere from the de of the Demon King, and it had just died.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt his breathing be more and more difficult, burdened by the pressure of the destructive power of the First me unleashed by the Demon King and the further bacsh of the mana of the Sponsor as it was destroyed. He had to calm down.

    ¡®What a monster¡­¡¯

    At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a glimpse of fear without even realizing it.

    ¨CSo it seems you¡¯re not fullyplete yet.

    A voice came to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Thud.

    He heard footsteps approach right next to him.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    The Demon King, who had been sitting on the giant¡¯s head,nded next to Lee Jun-Kyeong in the blink of an eye.

    It wasn¡¯t some form of teleportation using mana. No, it was clear that speed was just his physical ability.

    ¡°Would you like to go hunting together?¡± The Demon King¡¯s voice drifted into his ear as if the man was whispering. ¡°If things continue like this, you¡¯ll die without having done anything.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know it was possible, but he suddenly got goosebumps all over his body. It sounded so much like his own voice.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go forth together, little nephew.¡±

    BOOM!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the ground shake. When he looked to the side, the Demon King had already disappeared. He then looked up at the sky.

    ROAR!

    The second he did, the pale, blood-red moon disappeared, and before he knew it, a fiery sun was zing, illuminating all of Gehenna.

    In the midst of the ze, the footsteps of giants echoed.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

 Chapter 268. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 4

    Chapter 268. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 4

    It was only after some time passed that Lee Jun-Kyeong hade to his senses. By that point, the Demon King had already disappeared.

    He had been so flustered because of what the Demon King had said.

    ¡®You¡¯ve arrived, Son of Heimdall and Athena.¡¯

    ¡®Little nephew.¡¯

    ¡°I¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong muttered nkly. ¡°I¡¯m Hyung¡¯s son?¡±

    That was something that he had never once imagined. To think the Demon King would say that he was Heimdall¡¯s son. It took him quite a while to ept it, and by the time he had, the only person who could exin anything had already disappeared.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Demon King had disappeared quite some time ago, saying that he was going to go hunting for the Sponsors.

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shook himself out of his musing as he saw mes rising from far away and heard the explosions.

    ¡°I have to go.¡±

    He had to go to the Demon King. It wasn¡¯t because he had any intention of following his words like a dog. No, he had to take him down.

    Furthermore, he had to hear his story.

    Bang!

    Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also bounding through the air.

    ***

    ¡°Heimdall!¡± Athena called out.

    The Hunter¡¯s mana was disappearing at a rapid rate. However, maybe because of his vast reserves of mana, or possibly because of some special reason or another, he seemed to be losing his mana at a slower rate than the others.

    ¡°Agh¡­did I pass out?¡±

    Heimdall came to his senses at the sound of Athena''s voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make that expression. It¡¯s just some mana,¡± Heimdall said with a faint smile.

    Only then did Athena''s expression rx a little. Soon, she realized her own situation and shook her head.

    ¡°It looks like not everyone has lost their mana yet¡­¡± Heimdall said, looking around.

    Hunters were falling while the Hunters standing next to them, caring for them, looked even more out of ce. Not everyone had lost their mana yet.

    "Athena,¡± Heimdall said while being held in Athena''s arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I just stay like this for a little while? I can¡¯t move.¡±

    Thud.

    Despite his request, Athena abandoned him, dropping him to the ground. As Heimdall fell, he smiled and shifted so that he was sitting down. However, it seemed as though his words weren¡¯t lies, as his entire body was shaking.

    ¡°You asked about Jun-Kyeong¡¯s identity.¡± Heimdall began to speak, his expression nk. ¡°You¡¯re right. Not just anyone can be the Demon King''s sessor. That person had to be qualified and had to have the power to inherit the Book of the Demon King because not just anyone would be able to handle it and possess the power contained within it.¡±

    As Heimdall spoke, Athena continued to look at him. It seemed as though Zeus hadn¡¯t lost his mana yet.

    ¡°However, finding a child who fit that criteria was tricky. Even the Demon King, who wandered through eternity, felt as though there wasn¡¯t a single child who met those conditions.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So, he made one.¡±

    Athena raised her eyes after hearing that.

    ¡°He decided to create a child with the most potential.¡±

    ¡°Then, is Lee Jun-Kyeong¡­is he the Demon King¡¯s child?¡±

    Heimdall shook his head with a bitter smile in response to Athena''s question.

    "No."

    "Then¡­?¡±

    Thump. Thump.

    Athena felt her heart begin to beat violently.

    ¡°Even if that child were to be born, if that child didn¡¯t grow properly, then everything would be in vain. Moreover, he needed someone who could properly raise that child.¡± Heimdall, on the other hand, didn¡¯t answer Athena¡¯s question right away. ¡°Especially after the Paradise of Eden was established in his absence. He needed parents who would protect and nurture the child.¡±

    Heimdallughed even more bitterly. ¡°He chose me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ept it. Moreover, my refusal wasn¡¯t because of my rtionship with him or an issue with his cause, morality, or even sacrifice.¡±

    Athena''s heart beat even harder.

    ¡°It was because I realized that the Demon King has already gone beyond humanity and righteousness. He was no longer the person I used to know.¡±

    "So what¡­so what¡­! Speak up, Heimdall!¡±

    ¡°At one point, he told me.¡±

    Anger shed in Heimdall''s eyes, the aura exuding from him too sinister to be thought of asing from an ordinary human who had lost their mana.

    ¡°Before Eden was erected. Before he entered Gehenna¡­¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Before the final fight began!¡± Heimdall raised his voice, ¡°The Demon King handed me a child in a sack.¡±

    Clench.

    Athena clenched her hands.

    ¡°He told me that it was Athena¡¯s child.¡±

    ¡°W¡­what?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, he gave me some of his abilities, too. So that I could raise the child for eons until he seeded.¡±

    He looked up at the sky.

    Drip.

    Tears were flowing from his eyes.

    ¡°There was a timeline where you and I were together.¡± He continued to speak slowly, ¡°The world might have been horrid, but you and I were happy. But, in that timeline, we were able to discover it.¡±

    Thud.

    Athena fell to the ground.

    ¡°That we¡¯ve be unable to have children.¡±

    ¡°S¡­stop¡­¡±

    ¡°The Demon King told you what happened to us during that timeline, and there, you made your choice.¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡±

    ¡°You made a contract so that you could bear our child, and the Demon King would raise that child as his sessor.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible!¡± Athena rushed out and grabbed Heimdall by the cor. "I! I¡­!¡±

    Her face was covered in tears. ¡°No matter how I was, how I could be, I would never¡­ I would never have subjected my child to this life.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Heimdall said calmly while Athena was shaking him by the cor. ¡°He tricked you. Everything had ended in that timeline, and you would have been able to hold that child in your arms without any worries.¡±

    ¡°But¡­to think that I would¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? He tricked you.¡± Heimdallughed, but the sorrow hidden within it was sadder than anything else. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that you had epted his bargain. The Demon King¡ªhe just arbitrarily stole your ovum and created a child through the powers of the source.¡±

    Athena trembled, her hand gripping the cor.

    ¡°We were just caught up in something he had no choice over.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I remember every timeline. Because of the powers that the Demon King gave me.¡± Heimdall pursed his lips. ¡°I remember every single time our child died.¡±

    ***

    Crack!

    The Arm of Surtr grabbed the giant¡¯s heart and pulled it out as the empty cavity left behind began to burn.

    The giant struggled in pain, its huge hand trying to crush Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was engulfed in mes.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t use the powers of the source, it won¡¯t die.¡±

    A sharp voice rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ear, and it was only then that he came to his senses and dodged. As he looked at the Sponsor¡¯s body, he could see that the burning body was regenerating faster than it could burn. Lee Jun-Kyeong spun, and as he was spinning like a top, he came into contact with the giant.

    ¡°...!¡±

    He could see the giant¡¯s shocked pupils.

    ¡°Good, good. That¡¯s how you do it.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s voice could be heard again. As Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses, an earthquake happened.

    BOOM!

    While floating in the air, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked nkly at the fallen giant.

    ¡°I¡­a Sponsor¡­¡±

    He had taken one down. It wasn¡¯t a dead corpse or one that had been forcibly brought back to life by the powers of the source. He had just taken down aplete Sponsor.

    ¡°You did well. Your understanding of the powers of the source is higher than I thought.¡±

    When he heard the voice again, Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his senses once again and looked around his vicinity.

    ¡°...¡±

    Three of the giants that were around them had already fallen as the Demon King disappeared once again.

    BANG!

    Another explosion urred in the distance as by the time Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken one down, the Demon King had defeated the other giants and moved on. Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself forward without any further dy. Moving quickly, he quickly approached the Demon King and the giants¡ªno, the Sponsors.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes slowly turned blood red.

    ¡®The Sponsors¡­¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t realized when they were dead¡ªthat there was this intense anger hidden inside of him.

    ¡°The Sponsors!¡± However, his anger had awakened just as he had knocked down a Sponsor. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you bastards¡­!¡±

    Although he hade to Gehenna to defeat the Demon King, the Sponsors were the true cause of this chaos. Saeynkaed had told him. It was all part of a long, long game that the Sponsors had been ying. They were the cause of the eternity of pain that the Demon King had to go through.

    ¡°AGH!!!¡±

    Furthermore, these culprits, who had plunged his world into this chaos, were now before his eyes. On top of it all, he had the power to take revenge on them.

    ¡°Good! Blow them up even more!¡± the Demon King said.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as he transformed his arms into Surtr¡¯s.

    ¡°You have realized the true nature of your transformation. The body of a giant is a symbol of power. It is a vessel that can fully ept your terrifying strength.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s voice buzzed in his ears. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong ignored him and moved on.

    Squelch!

    Another body split before him.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not enough. If you continue as is, you¡¯ll just die. Don¡¯t underestimate your power.¡±

    The giants fell, one by one.

    ¡°You are alreadyplete.¡±

    ¡°AGH!!!!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong began to ignite as his body began to swell. With a colossal body, he ran wild as if he had gone insane.

    ¡°Have you ever wondered why you¡¯re Heimdall¡¯s child?¡± The Demon King¡¯s voice became more and more like a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s because I decided it to be.¡±

    ¡°AGH!!!!!!!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong waved his arms as if he hadpletely lost his senses. With every swing of his arm, an explosion urred as if volcanoes were erupting.

    BOOM!!!!

    Within the chaos, the colossal me giant began to rampage as if it would destroy everything.

    ***

    ¡°I resisted at first,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°I tried to run away with the child.¡±

    His voice sounded sad.

    ¡°There was a time when I thought I could live in hiding for the rest of my life,¡± he said, the tears running down his face, never stopping. ¡°However, it was all to no avail.¡±

    He looked directly at Athena.

    ¡°No matter what path I chose, you would always be taken over by your Sponsor ande chasing after me and the child.¡±

    Athena covered her mouth.

    ¡°Moreover, the Demon King refused to allow the child to grow properly.¡± Heimdall continued, ¡°When I had tried to run away from the fate that he had set for us, he showed me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t fulfill my role, the child would still have to return to the past and perform his assigned role.¡± Heimdall clenched his fists. ¡°Thus, the unprepared child would always return to the past and soon die.¡±

    ¡°Then, why not¡­when he returned to the past¡­why not escape¡­¡±

    ¡°If we did that, the Demon King woulde and tear us apart.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I only realized it after a while,¡± Heimdall said weakly.

    ¡°All I could do was prepare my child properly,¡± he sobbed, tears flooding from his eyes.

    Before she knew it, Athena was also crying as if she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    ¡°But this time, it will all end because Jun-Kyeong is alreadyplete.

    He felt ashamed. He was ashamed because there was nothing he could do for his child. All he could do was watch the child fulfill his own destiny. There was only one single thing he could be grateful for.

    ¡®At least you and Jun-Kyeong don¡¯t remember any of it.¡¯

 Chapter 269. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 5

    Chapter 269. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 5

    The Sponsors were split apart with every gesture from the giant. It wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t fighting back. They viciously used every ability and resisted Lee Jun-Kyeong and the Demon King with all their might.

    ¡°AGHHH!¡±

    However, nothing they did could prevent their deaths. A blue de cleaved toward them with red-hot mes engulfing its edge.

    ROAR!!

    When the enormous mana of the Sponsors was turned onto them, instead of harming them, the mes rather consumed it.

    ROAR!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had be a me giant, devoured it all.

    WOOSH!

    He burned even hotter as his body swelled even more. Before he knew it, he was in theplete form of a me giant.

    BOOM!

    With every swing, the Sponsors blew up.

    ¡°Make them explode even more,¡± the Demon King''s voice rang out. ¡°That isn¡¯t the limit to your abilities.¡±

    There was a strange eagerness on his face.

    ¡°The reason why <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse="">, I was so reluctant to grant you sponsorship was¡­¡±</the>

    He was also moving while killing the Sponsors. Nevertheless, his voice was calm and calm, ¡°Because I have already given you all the sponsorship I can.¡±

    He took a step back.

    BOOM!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arm had pierced right into the spot where he had just been a moment ago. In a split second, one of his arms had morphed into a figure that was too strange to call an arm anymore. It had be a spear. The arm was shaped like a long ming spear, piercing through a Sponsor as if skewering it.

    ¡°The yer special ability was just simply your process of rediscovering what I had given you.¡± The eagerness on the Demon King''s face became even deeper.

    ¡°You already have everything you can,¡± his voice whispered. ¡°You¡¯ve already be stronger than the Sponsors. Understand what you have be. Realize what power you have.¡±

    It was as if his voice was now echoing directly in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head.

    -Use more of the powers of the source.

    His tone was like an order.

    ¡°AGH!!!!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong screamed and ran wild even further, feeling like he had be a monster with no reason anymore. His mes began to burn everything¡ªfrom the scattered corpses of the Sponsors to the monsters of Gehenna that littered everywhere he stepped. Everything was igniting.

    ¨COnly then will you be able to do it.

    When he heard the Demon King¡¯s final words, a small resonance began within him.

    Thrum.

    The mes burning on him seemed to bepressed for but an instant before quickly expanding and emitting even more intense mes.

    BOOM!!!!!

    ***

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop,¡± Zeus said as he approached Heimdall and Athena.

    Athena hurriedly wiped her tears as Heimdall stood up.

    ¡°I still have my mana,¡± Zeus said sheepishly, scratching his cheek.

    He wasn''t the only one.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There were eyes directed at them. It was from everyone who hadn¡¯t lost their mana yet had heard their story. Although they had tried not to listen, they couldn¡¯t help it as their hearing, enhanced by mana, didn¡¯t allow them to miss the sound of Heimdall and Athena conversing.

    ¡°...¡±

    Athena lowered her head in embarrassment. Because Heimdall had copsed suddenly and had gone unconscious for a moment, they had spoken without ever casting a mana barrier.

    ¡°No, I already knew you were listening.¡± However, Heimdall reacted differently. ¡°I told it to you all because I wanted you to hear it too.¡±

    Zeus quietly nodded after hearing that.

    ¡°This is a story¡­that¡¯s almost¡­not as hard to believe as the story of the Demon King¡­¡± he said. ¡°Assuming the Demon King¡¯s story is true, then your story roughly makes sense. Whether it¡¯s the reactions you showed¡­or even considering the kindness you showed Ragnarok.¡±

    The secret organizations had done a lot of research into the rtionships between Heimdall and the Underdog. Because the Underdog had been a rookie with such a sudden rise, they had been worried about the strength of the organization behind him, Asgard.

    However, when they looked closely behind the scenes, the circumstances were a little different from what they had imagined. Heimdall had been the one to make everything happen.

    ¡°At first, the appearance of the Underdog had been shocking in its own way. I thought that it was the birth of a new rookie. However, there had been no reason for Asgard to make such moves in such a hurry,¡± Zeus exined calmly. ¡°But I know that you were the one who was involved behind the scenes. Moreover, during the situation in Ennd.¡±

    Zeus looked over at the fallen Hercules and Athena. ¡°You even used the Bifrost to save the Underdog. That wasn¡¯t normal.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I had been suspicious that there was some sort of unknown rtionship between you and the Underdog.¡± Zeus scratched his cheek. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think it would have been something like this.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Heimdall just stared at him, his mouth shut tightly before finally asking, ¡°What is it that you want to say?¡±

    He knew that there was no way that this was all Zeus would have wanted to say after hearing his story.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Zeus said, nodding as if Heimdall¡¯s intuition was right. ¡°I keep having some doubts.¡±

    ¡°What sort of doubts?¡±

    ¡°Although it¡¯s hard to believe that story that you told me about the Demon King, let alone your own, in the end, I know that it¡¯s the truth.¡±

    The circumstances spoke for themselves.

    ¡°But.¡± However, Zeus¡¯ face hardened. ¡°Can you really be sure that the Demon King wants to die?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°You said that he suffered for eons? Yeah, I get that. He probably wants to die. I mean, haven¡¯t all of us experienced Anngr?¡±

    There, they had wanted to die every day. His experience had just been ten years, which was an insignificant amount of timepared to the Demon King¡¯s.

    ¡°Do you really think he would be the same as us? What do you think would happen if his goal was something else?¡±

    ¡°What¡­what is it that you want to¡­¡±

    Heimdall''s eyes also wavered as if he was anxious.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve already noticed,¡± Zeus said as he changed his posture and squatted down. ¡°Don¡¯t we know of other beings who have suffered for eons like the Demon King?¡±

    Zeus continued when Heimdall raised his eyes and was about to open his mouth, ¡°The Sponsors.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Khahahaha! ¡°It¡¯s a masterpiece!¡±

    The Demon King¡¯sugh roared through Gehenna, mes flickering in his eyes. Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly grown to a size that almost reached the moon within Gehenna. A me giant danced in the reflection of his pupils.

    BOOM! BANG!!

    The sound of explosions continued relentlessly as all the Sponsors around him had already been killed a while ago. Even within all of Gehenna, the number of surviving Sponsors would have been small.

    ¡°You killed them all~!¡±

    The Demon King only had to get involved a couple of times, as the rest were handled by Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had gone on a rampage.

    ¡°Khahahaha!¡±

    The Demon Kingughed loudly again as Lee Jun-Kyeong was still screaming and destroying the surroundings.

    ¡°Feel the powers of the source! Let it course through you!!¡±

    The powers of the source were powers that dealt with the essence of life. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t understand the full extent of what that meant. He may have simply thought that the powers of the source were just limited to bringing about life, but he couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth.

    ¡°This is the real powers of the source!¡±

    An endless power of destruction was also a part of the powers of the source. Destruction and creation, the duality of existence, was contained within as the powers contained everything. Lee Jun-Kyeong had gone on a rampage after awakening the power of destruction.

    ¡°Come here!¡±

    The Demon King led Lee Jun-Kyeong, now nearly a mindless force of destruction, by provoking him. They went out to find the other Sponsors, already knowing where they were. It was obvious where the Sponsors would go.

    ¡°Revenge! We are getting our revenge!¡± the Demon King shouted. ¡°Revenge for your life! Get revenge on the Sponsors who ruined your world!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong moved, guided by his light.

    BOOM!

    Even with just a single step, the entirety of Gehenna seemed to shake as he continued to get bigger.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s deal with these foolish hypocrites, my dear nephew!¡± the Demon King said as he flew away like a cannonball. ¡°Now, it will alle to an end!¡±

    His shout rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears.

    "Revenge¡­¡± The giant opened his fiery mouth and said, "Re¡­venge!!!!!"

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice reverberated through the mes.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    His feet moved quickly and before he knew it, he heard the Demon King¡¯s voice again.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± he said. ¡°Those are thest remaining Sponsors. The hypocrites.¡±

    In Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s blurry vision, he could see a group of giants through the mes that burned before his eyes. These giants were special. Unlike the others whom they had attacked who weren¡¯t properly armed, the ones before him had proper forms and were fully outfitted.

    ROAR!!!

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn¡¯t sentient enough at this point to notice their specialness. They were just something for him to destroy.

    ¡°REVENGE!¡±

    Thus, his gigantic arm crashed into the ground. Thend of Gehenna divided as heat and fire surged within the cracks. Magma was approaching the group of giants along the cracked ground.

    ¡°Kill them! Kill them!!¡±

    BOOM!

    As the Demon King¡¯s roar echoed through the earth and sky, there was a crashing sound as the air filled with pale smoke.

    Woosh!

    As Lee Jun-Kyeong cut the smoke with his other arm, a sound that he had never heard before rang out.

    CLANG!!

    The wind caused by the collision of his arm and what was before him pushed back the smoke and revealed the situation.

    ¡°Come to your senses, my child.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a voice speak to him, a voice that wasn¡¯t the Demon King¡¯s or his own.

    ¡°Ra¡­ in¡­ bow¡­¡±

    The one who had opened its mouth was a giant wearing rainbow-colored armor all over its body.

    ***

    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted. He also hadn¡¯t lost his strength and had also heard their conversation. ¡°That means¡­! Are you trying to say that the Demon King¡¯s goals aren¡¯t what we imagined?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­!¡± It seemed as though Jeong In-Chang had already passed the point of hearing Zeus.

    ¡°The Demon King¡­! If he has a different purpose¡­!!! That means that Mr. Lee is in danger!¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted as he stomped off the ground.

    His eyes and his body were directed toward Gehenna, racing toward that ck gate. Zeus and others did not stop him.

    Thud.

    As he ran toward Gehenna, suddenly, he just copsed, falling helplessly to the ground and rolling about several times. Small scratches were visible on his face and body.

    ¡°The cuts¡­¡±

    They weren¡¯t recovering. Wounds of this magnitude should have recovered the moment that he blinked. However, he wasn¡¯t healing.

    ¡°Who on Earth do you think you¡¯re going to help in that condition?¡± Zeus said. ¡°You¡¯ve also lost your mana.¡±

    A huge sense of helplessness weighed down Jeong In-Chang.

    "AGHHHHHH!!!!¡±

    It was a scream full of agony, but it wasn¡¯t from any pain of the flesh.

 Chapter 270. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 6

    Chapter 270. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 6

    ¡°Do you n on entering Gehenna like that?¡± Zeus'' cold voice rang in Jeong In-Chang''s ears. ¡°Would you even be considered a burden? No, you don¡¯t even amount to that much. You¡¯ll die as soon as you enter.¡±

    The reason he spoke so harshly was because the Hunter was worried that Jeong In-Chang would make the wrong choice. Who among them didn¡¯t understand his heart? The anxiety that had begun to sprout made them all tremble.

    ¡°Heimdall,¡± Zeus called out to the man. ¡°Answer me. You, of all people here, know the most about the Demon King.¡±

    He asked the man, ¡°Can you really say that he doesn¡¯t want the same things as the Sponsors?¡±

    Zeus¡¯ question was so poignant that it shook Heimdall¡¯s brain. Until now, he had only thought that the Demon King had wanted to die. He thought that the Demon King had wanted to break the eternal curse and disappear after saving the world.

    What if the Demon King was actually trying to create a new vessel? What if he had justpleted his cycle of eternal regression and wanted to live a new life again?

    ¡®There may be something I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    Many things could have gone wrong in the first ce, and the information he knew may not have been true. If everything was ying out in the Demon King¡¯s hands¡­

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Heimdall knew that he was already in the Demon King¡¯s grasp. Moreover, there was no guarantee that the Demon King wouldn¡¯t have manipted his memories. Everything about his existence was in chaos.

    ¡°There is a possibility,¡± Heimdall concluded. Everyone''s faces became serious.

    Then, Jeong In-Chang spoke in an exhausted voice, ¡°Mr. Lee¡­ he¡¯s in danger¡­¡±

    ¡°Entering Gehenna was dangerous in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing will change if we go in,¡± Zeus said, clenching a fist.

    Even at that moment, his mind was racing non-stop, trying to find a way to help Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°A way¡­¡±

    ¡°There is one!¡±

    Merlin and Saeynkaed¡¯s voices came one after another. The two women looked at each other and nodded. While everyone was thinking about Heimdall''s story, they seemed to be contemting something else.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way to help him?¡± Arthur asked in surprise.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t there still some questions that haven¡¯t been answered?¡± Saeynkaed said.

    ¡°The Sponsors!¡±

    "Huh?"

    Merlin exined as she walked towards the confused people, ¡°There was a mission to kill Mr. Lee.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°However, there were Sponsors who took his side.¡±

    They were sure of it. At least the Sponsors of Merlin, Arthur, and Horus had given them a mission to help Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because they were on the same side as the Sky of the Apocalypse¡­¡±

    ¡°Then it was because they wanted to save Lee Jun-Kyeong,¡± Zeus shouted as if he had noticed something. ¡°There must be a way!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Come to your senses, my child,¡± said the giant in the rainbow armor.

    BANG!

    A me burned brightly before him again, forcing him to take a step back due to the burning heat.

    ¡°The Guardian of the Rainbow[1]. Did you reim all of your sponsorship?¡± The Demon King''s voice rang coldly. ¡°You disgusting brutes.¡±

    The giant answered the Demon King¡¯s insults, ¡°It was an inevitable result if we wanted to block your advance.¡±

    When the smoke cleared again, other giants appeared behind him. Each one was properly armed and in perfectbat readiness.

    ¡°Did you think we wouldn¡¯t know about your time regression ability?¡± said a giant who radiated light as bright as the sun. ¡°I know you gave some of it away to strengthen yourpanions.¡±

    A giant whose entire body was as fluid as water added, ¡°Moreover, that affected us too.¡±

    ¡°We were waiting for the opportunity to stop you.¡± This time, it was a solid, stone-like giant standing next to the giant as fluid as water while holding a huge sword.

    BANG!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s fist came down again.

    "So?" the Demon King¡¯s voice asked from behind Lee Jun-Kyeong. ¡°It¡¯s already toote.¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen.¡±

    The giant called the Guardian of the Rainbow stretched out his hand as the rainbow began to split and entangle the me giant.

    ¡°Do you think it will go as you wish?¡± said the rainbow giant in a cold voice to the Demon King.

    ¡°Come to your senses, my child,¡± he said while blocking Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless. He can¡¯t hear anyone¡¯s voice while he¡¯s on a rampage.¡± As the Demon Kingughed at the rainbow giant, there was a sh as if space and time were being sliced.

    Swish!

    RIIP!

    However, before they knew it, the Demon King was flying above Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s head again, his form intact.

    ¡°Do you, who doesn¡¯t possess the powers of the source, deign to try to kill me?¡± At the mocking voice of the Demon King, they saw ck mes flickering in his hands. ¡°I already knew that you were affected by my power. Isn¡¯t that why you all knew my ns but weren¡¯t able to get involved?¡±

    The mes that contained the powers of the source grew within his hands. ¡°You can¡¯t kill me, but I can kill you.¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Right at this moment, as the enraged sr giant raised his fist, the sound of the cavitation of space tore through the air again.

    RIIP!

    This¡­!¡±

    The Guardian of the Rainbow burst out in confusion as he took a step back. The rainbow that was supposed to be restraining Lee Jun-Kyeong had shattered, and was forced to return to him.

    ¡°This brat is already nearingpletion,¡± the Demon King said again. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you bastardsmit suicide in gratitude for my generosity in tolerating you?¡±

    Although the Demon King¡¯s cold, mocking voice felt like a death sentence, the giants were unfazed and settled into stances as they raised their respective weapons.

    RUMBLE!

    They were Sponsors, monsters among monsters that had lived from the beginning of existence until now. Their true power began to gather and spread.

    RUMBLE!!!

    There was such a shock that the entirety of Gehenna trembled and felt as though it would copse.

    ¡°Come to your senses!¡±

    As the Guardian of the Rainbow shouted again and jumped forward towards Lee Jun-Kyeong, Lee Jun-Kyeong, whose essence had been consumed by the me giant, shouted, ¡°AGH!!!!¡±

    Even thicker mes swirled around his right arm, which formed into a spear.

    "Goodbye, you idiots.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    As the Demon King¡¯s voice was heard, as if controlling Lee Jun-Kyeong, the Guardian of the Rainbow¡¯s pupils, as big as the moon, shook.

    ***

    Jeong In-Chang barely got up and shouted to Zeus, ¡°What sort of method are you...!¡±

    ¡°If we could only save Mr Lee¡­¡± he said, biting his lip.

    He had no mana left. Even though it was clear that he was having difficulty even breathing from the immense feeling of exhaustion, he still stood straight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sacrifice my life.¡±

    Zeus scratched his cheek in response. ¡°It¡¯s no different from gambling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡±

    ¡°What if things go wrong¡­¡± Zeus said while looking straight at Jeong In-Chang. ¡°Honestly, it might put Jun-Kyeong in even more danger.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Only then did Jeong In-Chang close his mouth.

    ¡°The Demon King¡¯s purpose isn¡¯t even clear. However, I¡­ for some reason, I¡¯m convinced that the Demon King¡¯s goal isn¡¯t to be killed by Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hands,¡± Zeus said.

    ¡°This is gambling. We¡­¡±

    They all wondered what he was about to say.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to enter Gehenna.¡±

    ¡°...you mean¡­?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang made a puzzled face.

    ¡°So that¡¯s your n,¡± Heimdall said, nodding as if he understood what Zeus was nning. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to put our trust in them, then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Now, wait a minute. I don¡¯t get it at all,¡± Jeong In-Chang interjected, shaking his head.

    Heimdall and Zeus looked at him and spoke at the same time.

    ¡°The n is to go to the Sponsors.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to go to the Sponsors.

    Zeus began to exin, ¡°Some of the Sponsors have clearly taken Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s side. At first, we thought it was some sort of friendship with the Sky of the Apocalypse or something, but now, maybe¡­ No, that probably isn¡¯t the case.

    Zeus shook his head. He seemed to gain more confidence as he organized his thoughts. ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong was most likely right when he said that the Sponsors had taken sides. But on the other hand, the goal of <the sky="" of="" the="" apocalypse=""> is the annihtion of all Sponsors. Regardless of what his reason was, then, those Sponsors wouldn¡¯t have taken The Sky of the Apocalypse¡¯s, no, the Demon King¡¯s side.¡±</the>

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°They were trying to save Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Jeong In-Chang finally seemed to have noticed.

    ¡°It¡¯s certain that Lee Jun-Kyeong is an important key to stopping the Demon King. The power he holds is real.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The Sponsors are trying to use him to stop the Demon King,¡± Zeus said with more confidence.

    ¡°If we go into Gehenna, we¡¯ll be meeting our Sponsors, face to face. If our Sponsors have already died, then we¡¯d just be dying like dogs. But¡­ If they¡¯re okay¡­¡± Zeus clenched his fist. ¡°We¡¯ll be meeting our Sponsors.¡±

    ¡°And then we¡¯d get our bodies taken,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    The concept of their bodies being stolen by the Sponsors was something he had been so scared of, but his voice was still calm.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If our bodies are properly given over to the Sponsors, then they will definitely be stronger. So, if we sacrifice ourselves, our Sponsors¡­¡±

    ¡°They would join forces with Mr. Lee to defeat the Demon King, is that right?¡±

    Zeus nodded. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a gamble. Our Sponsors may not agree with us or cooperate whatsoever.¡±

    It was a gamble that risked the survival of the world. If even a single point of logic was wrong, then the worst oue would unfold. This was something that required them to risk their very beings.

    "I''ll do it,¡± Jeong In-Chang said without further ado. ¡°Although my Sponsor might already be dead¡­ Because I already lost my mana, I¡¯ll still go.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang had already turned away from them.

    ¡°Because Mr. Lee will be waiting for us.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What the hell is¡­¡±

    The swirling spear of the me giant had pierced through the Demon King¡¯s right arm. It happened in such a fleeting moment, as the spear that seemed so certain to be attacking the Sponsors had turned and been aimed at the Demon King.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had pierced into the Demon King¡¯s arm as if he had blipped through space. It had happened in a split second, so fast that not even the Demon King had been able to sense it. However, his attack wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ROAR!!!!!

    The massive mes that made up the me giant began to seep into the pierced arm of the Demon King, reforming into a chain and binding him. As the giant¡¯s mes surged over to the Demon King, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to be smaller and smaller.

    ¡°Now!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, his voice reaching the giants for the first time. ¡°Attack him now!¡±

    His voice was still tinged with rage.

    ¡°Attack the Demon King!¡± he shouted to the Guardian of the Rainbow and the other Sponsors.

    1. Heimdall¡¯s Sponsor was previously named the King of the Rainbow. The Author has changed it to Guardian now. ?

 Chapter 271. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 7

    Chapter 271. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 7

    ¡°Attack the Demon King!¡±

    Now that the Demon King had been trapped, this was their opportunity. Their opponent had been bound in chains of me, unable to move. Moreover, they were chains of me that contained the powers of the source.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve used all of the power you¡¯ve umted so far¡­¡± the Demon King muttered.

    The enormous power that had seemed to be running rampant while they were dealing with the Sponsors had actually turned against him, forming a chain to bind him. The Demon King seemed genuinely surprised.

    ¡°Are you saying that the natural instinct for destruction of the powers of the source didn¡¯t work on you?¡± He spoke calmly even though the chains of me were melting his skin. ¡°To think¡­ Your understanding of the powers of the source was that great.¡±

    He seemed more impressed by the fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong had deceived him than by the fact that he had been deceived.

    ¡®He expected it.¡¯

    It was true that Lee Jun-Kyeong had tricked him, doing so because of the countless unexinable parts of the Demon King¡¯s actions. There was something that made him doubt the Demon King the most.

    ¡®Son of Heimdall and Athena.¡¯

    ¡®My dear nephew.¡¯

    The Demon King had told him that he was Heimdall¡¯s son. Almost as if possessed by something, Lee Jun-Kyeong had searched Gehenna to find the Demon King. However, the moment he heard those words, he hade to his senses.

    ¡°If, by chance, I really am Hyung¡¯s son¡­¡±

    The me giant that had expanded had suddenly be smaller. Lee Jun-Kyeong was abandoning the transformation that the Demon King had spoken of, abandoning the form of the Sponsors. All of the power that had fueled that form was used to bind the Demon King.

    Plop. Plop. Plop.

    mes dripped off of him like a peeling shell as Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s appearance was gradually revealed.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason¡­¡±

    Although the mes flickered, searing, tears were clearly falling from the corners of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°For you to be involved in our family matters,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said.

    The Demon King had told Lee Jun-Kyeong that he was Heimdall¡¯s son.

    ¡®Hyung would never have let me be forced down this path.¡¯

    He would have at least said something, anything, in the previous timeline. If Heimdall remembered everything even after returning to the past, then instead of letting him fight, he would have made him run away. The Heimdall that he knew would never have left his son to this life.

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the Demon King¡¯s ims about his parentage weren¡¯t lies. The Demon King had no reason to lie. Thus, that only meant one thing.

    He snarled, ¡°You forced everything to be this way.¡±

    The only answer was that the Demon King had forcefully made the situation like this, and he, Heimdall¡¯s son, was made to be used for his selfish wishes. He was a monster that would repeat the timeline for eternity. Thus, with his strength, this was entirely possible.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how the Demon King had done it, but he knew that the process would have been hell. It would have been horrifying for Heimdall.

    ¡°You¡¯re quick to notice,¡± the Demon King said.

    The chains of mes constricting him were burning thicker and hotter.

    ¡°At least until now, you¡¯ve never noticed that fact,¡± he mused,ughing.

    There was something else too. Lee Jun-Kyeong had thought of it during the time he had spent waiting to enter Gehenna and meet the Demon King.

    ¡®What about the Sponsors who took my side?¡¯

    Earlier, there had been a mission initiated to kill him by the Sponsors. Nevertheless, there were some of the sponsors who hadn¡¯t created any missions or had even given missions to save him. Moreover, there were even the Sponsors who seemed to be on good terms with the Sky of the Apocalypse, ording to the notifications that he had gotten.

    Those questions swirled around in his mind, and they were questions that he had thought would have been answered when he met the Demon King.

    ¡°There was no one by your side.¡±

    However, when he had met the Demon King, there had been no one by his side. Moreover, the Demon King had wanted to kill all of the Sponsors, actually killing most of them, too. There weren¡¯t any Sponsors by his side that stood by him or even seemed to have a cordial rtionship with him.

    Thus, another question had arisen.

    ¡®Were the Sponsors helping the Demon King?¡¯

    The assumptions that Lee Jun-Kyeong had taken for granted had turned into doubts. If they weren¡¯t helping the Demon King, then that meant they were helping him instead.

    But why?

    In fact, there were still many things that could have been the answer. If he really thought about it, there were countless other questions that caused him to doubt. No, the reason he truly suspected the Demon King was simple.

    ¡°If wanting to die is truly your goal¡­¡±

    Everything that had happened once he had met the Demon King had been suspicious. The Demon King had imed that he had done all of this because he wanted to die. However, after meeting him, Lee Jun-Kyeong found his behavior strange.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could understand hunting down the Sponsors. It was something that had to be done. However, the Demon King was deliberately trying to force him to go on a rampage and lose himself.

    ¡®There¡¯s something else he wants from me.¡¯

    The Demon King kept making him draw on the powers of the source and stoke his rage. Looking at what he had saidpared to how he was acting, Lee Jun-Kyeong had begun to feel a chill run down his spine. He wondered if death wasn¡¯t what the Demon King actually wanted, and that was why he had tricked him.

    ¡®Mistilteinn.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t seem as though the Demon King had nned for him to obtain Mistilteinn, the World Tree that he had obtained after battling Elfame, or the knowledge and powers of the source from it either.

    ¡®If he did, then he would have known that my understanding of that power would have been high.¡¯

    If the Demon King had nned it, then the Demon King would have already known about his high level of understanding regarding the powers of the source. However, the Demon King hadn¡¯t known, or at least hadn¡¯t noticed that he was faking going on a rampage.

    Complicated thoughts raced through Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mind to the point that he had almost gone crazy. However, there was a simple answer to all of his questions.

    The Demon King had said that he wanted to die. Then, he just needed to die. All Lee Jun-Kyeong had to do was realize that goal. If, by chance, the Demon King fought back¨Cno, if he didn¡¯t wee his death, then it would be clear that he had a different purpose.

    ¡°That¡¯s a chain made using the powers of the source. You¡¯ll be able to have the death you so desperately desire.¡±

    Moreover, he shouted at the others, the Sponsors who served as proof of his suspicion and had tried to wake him up as they faced the Demon King.

    ¡°Hurry up and attack!¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you in the middle of talking?¡±

    As he heard the loud voice of a giant, the sound of mana resonating followed soon after.

    THRUM!!!

    A huge amount of energy swirled behind him, shooting toward the chains of mes.

    BOOM!

    A rainbow-colored beam of light shot forward, apanied by a round sphere that emitted a higher temperature than even the chains of me created by Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    SLASH!

    Right behind was a sh that seemed to cut through everything, including space.

    BOOM!

    ¡°HA!!!¡±

    Water magic and a fist light sted forward, apanied by a loud shout. Everything was aimed right where the Demon King was bound.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong also concentrated, so the chains that bound the Demon King were temporarily being infused with even greater strength. He had filled them with the power that the Demon King had souded: the power of destruction. The various powers focused on the Demon Kingpressed into one point as space warped.

    RIIIP!

    BANG!!!!

    Everyone was blinded as an intense sh of light spread that seemed to devour all of Gehenna.

    ***

    Crack.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to crack his knuckles, but there was no feeling in his fingers. It wasn¡¯t just his fingers, as no part of his body seemed to be able to move properly.

    ¡°...ugh.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t even able to speak properly. His head was fuzzy, and there was a constant ringing sound in his ears. It felt like static on a broken television.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong struggled to move. What the hell had just happened? He had gathered all of his strength to bind the Demon King and kill him. Furthermore, the Guardian of the Rainbow and the other surviving Sponsors all attacked their opponent too.

    Slowly, his memories began to emerge. He had bound the Demon King with all of the powers he had gathered and had turned to the Sponsors for help.

    ¡®Attack him now!¡¯

    A volley of attacks had beenunched against the Demon King.

    Tremble.

    When that scene came to mind, he trembled despite being numb. The incredible force that had condensed seemed like a fantasy.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had gauged the extent of the powers that had gathered¡ªit wasn¡¯t a power made to simply kill a living being. It was powerful enough to obliterate a or even part of the universe.

    As the condensed force tore itself apart and created a sh of light¡­

    ¡®And then¡­¡¯

    ¡°...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes shook. He finally remembered what had happened after that.

    ¡°We failed¡­¡±

    His n to kill the Demon King in a single blow had failed. Even after being hit directly by a force strong enough to have destroyed part of the universe, the Demon King had survived.

    ¡®How impressive. You really are impressive.¡¯

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if he had emerged unscathed. The Demon King¡¯s right arm, which had initially been pierced and then cut off by Lee Jun-Kyeong, hadn¡¯t regenerated. Moreover, he had been hit with thatbined force and had suffered injuries all over his body.

    His entire body had be warped and melted. Within those gaps, the powers of the Sponsors and the powers of the source had condensed and eroded him. As he tore off the melted portions of his face, the Demon King hadughed.

    ¡®You really, really are impressive.¡¯

    ¡®Attack him¡­ !¡¯

    They attacked him once again at that point. However, this time, the chains of mes that had bound him were no longer there.

    Woosh.

    As the Guardian of the Rainbow rushed towards him, the Demon King had already disappeared long ago. Suddenly, his figure appeared right next to where the giant, as fluid as water, stood. A loud noise erupted. All of a sudden, the energy of one of the giants had disappeared.

    ¡®It died¡­?¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had shouted at that moment.

    ¡®Just how¡­! How much of a monster is he supposed to be?¡¯

    The injuries on the Demon King had been so severe that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising for him to fall over and die immediately. Furthermore, their attack had been one filled with the powers of the source, aimed to destroy a True Immortal. It had been a perfect trap, an attack using a power that could disintegrate entires.

    The Demon King should have died. Moreover, it should have been a gruesome death. However, the sessive bursts of sound following had seemed to point to it all being a lie.

    BOOM!

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had chased after the Demon King while holding Surtr in one hand, his eyes trembling.

    ¡®As expected¡­you really didn¡¯t want to die.¡¯

    It was then that Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡¯

    He had realized how the Demon King was able to exert so much power at that moment. The Demon King was disintegrating his own body, using the power of the beginning to break apart his own body and pressure the giants using the destructive power it generated.

    It seemed as though the Demon King had intended to kill himself, as if he assumed he would regress anyway, even if he died like this.

    ¡®I want to live. I just want to escape this damned curse first.¡¯

    However, his gaze didn''t belong to someone who would soon die.

    ¡®I¡¯ll get a new body soon. A body so perfect it¡¯s incredible. A body that will free me from this curse while being able to contain all of me.¡¯

    As the Demon King¡¯s eyes sparkled with madness, Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard an explosion.

    BOOM!

    That was hisst memory.

    Thud.

    Before Lee Jun-Kyeong could move, he heard footsteps. It wasn¡¯t the earthquake-causing footsteps of a giant but rather the footsteps of a person. Lee Jun-Kyeong raised his head.

    ¡°And you are my vessel.¡±

    It was a figure whose entire body had melted, too horrifying to look at directly.

    Zzt. Zzt.

    Because the figure had used the powers of the source to disintegrate his own body, his body was splitting apart anding together over and over again.

    ¡°It looks like we don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The Demon King grabbed Lee Jun-Kyeong by the cor and lifted him up.

    ¡°You really are impressive, my nephew.¡±

    The Demon King lifted up Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to be suffocating, unable to breathe properly. His expression was unreadable because his entire body had melted, even up to his face.

    ¡°You will finally break my curse.¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it. The Demon King¡¯s mouth was smiling. He then looked beyond the Demon King.

    ¡°...¡±

    The Sponsors who had fought alongside him, even if it was only for a short while, were all dead.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 272. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 8

    Chapter 272. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 8

    ¡°I already knew that those idiots had a n and weaseled their way into those around me,¡± said the Demon King,ughing as he held Lee Jun-Kyeong by the cor. ¡°It¡¯sughable. To think they wanted to stop me¡­¡±

    The corners of his mouth twitched even more. Even with his face melted off, the corners of his mouth were visible, curling up. There were even strangely fluttering balls of light that served as eyes.

    ¡°To think I would help the humans.¡±

    It was at this moment that Lee Jun-Kyeong was certain.

    ¡®The Demon King I thought I knew¡­¡¯

    The Demon King that he had read about in the book. The Demon King he had once admired.

    ¡®...doesn¡¯t exist.¡¯

    Now, there was only the Demon King, who had truly be a monster. Lee Jun-Kyeong closed his eyes tightly.

    Cough, cough.

    His entire body ached as if he had needles piercing him all over. It was a side effect of driving all of his powers of the source at once. He had no other choice, as he had been in a situation where even pouring all of his powers of the source into the binding hadn¡¯t been enough. He had been forced to drive all of his mana into it as well without any ability to save some aside for his physical condition.

    His body couldn¡¯t bear what he had done.

    Crack.

    His fingers had slowly begun to regain feeling. However, that was the extent of his recovery.

    ¡°You really are impressive,¡± the Demon King said, looking straight into Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°N¡­o¡­¡±

    From the Demon King¡¯s hand, mana began to flow into Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I never thought that such a masterpiece would be born. It was worth holding on for eons.¡±

    His mana swept throughout Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s entire body. Although he tried to resist somehow by activating the mana stream, the Demon King just became colder.

    ¡°Did you forget? I¡¯m the one who created that,¡± he said in an even more mocking tone. ¡°There have been many of you who¡¯ve reached Gehenna before.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s mana began to circte forcefully through Lee Jun-Kyeong. Although he was in excruciating pain, the Demon King didn¡¯t even allow him to scream.

    ¡°However, there has never been one that knew so much of the truth¡­¡± The Demon Kingughed. ¡°There has never been a you who wielded the powers of the source to this degree.¡±

    His voice buzzed in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears. ¡°You¡¯re perfect. A perfect being, born to use as my vessel.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± gasped Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°That damned curse of eternal regression. I¡¯ll throw it away.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to say something else, but it was as if he was talking to a brick wall.

    ¡°With your body¡­ I will recreate everything. I will be the perfect God. The only God.¡±

    Light continued to emanate from the Demon King¡¯s eyes as his body began to sag, little by little.

    ¡°EEEUAGHHHHHHH!¡±

    On the other hand, Lee Jun-Kyeong let out a guttural scream. A feeling of immense helplessness engulfed him. It was useless trying to resist.

    ¨CThank you, my dear nephew.

    ***

    ¡°Gasp¡­gasp¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong sucked in the air as hard as he could.

    ¨CYour resistance is quite strong. It looks like even your willpower is incredible.

    The Demon King¡¯s voice buzzing in his head made it feel as though his skull was splitting in half. As Lee Jun-Kyeong tore at his head with his hands, he shouted, ¡°GET OUT!¡±

    However, no matter what he did, the Demon King¡¯s voice grew louder and clearer.

    ¨CIt¡¯s useless.

    It was the voice that he had heard when he had returned to the past.

    ¨CThis is a contract.

    The voice that said the contract would be fulfilled. As the voice of the Sky of the Apocalypse burrowed directly into his brain, Lee Jun-Kyeong sat down and got on his knees. He tried to fight back by drawing on his powers of the source.

    ¨CIt¡¯s useless.

    However, the Demon King matched him in turn. No, the Demon King¡¯s reserves of the powers of the source were iparably stronger than that of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s. Moreover, his understanding was greater.

    ¡®There¡¯s not a single¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was no match for him.

    ¨CHave you noticed it now?

    "Just how¡­how have you¡­¡±

    ¨CDon''t worry, dear nephew.

    He could hear peals ofughter intermixed with the Demon King¡¯s words.

    ¨CI will take your body and be a God that will correct every wrong.

    It was a strong yet crazy voice.

    ¨CI will erase the entire world and recreate it for you. The fair world you so longed for.

    The Demon King whispered sweetly as the feeling throughout Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body gradually disappeared.

    ¨COf course, Heimdall and Athena will be resurrected.

    This wasn¡¯t a side effect of his overuse of the powers of the source. The Demon King was devouring him. However, there was still a small part of the Demon King that held onto his own flesh. Because they were still connected, he could still cut the connection off.

    ¨CDidn¡¯t I say that it was useless?

    However, the Demon King¡¯s mocking voice refused to give him even the slightest of hope.

    ¨CWhy are you resisting like this? Didn¡¯t I say that I would make everything you wantede true? You will be one with me and be the one true God.

    ¡°Fuck¡­off¡­¡±

    ¨CThere¡¯s no need to rebel. When you be one with me, you will no longer have to feel the sting of rejection or loneliness.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped for a moment.

    ¨CDidn¡¯t you feel it, too? The loneliness of the absolute ones.

    Suddenly, the Demon King¡¯s voice sounded sweeter.

    ¨CWhat do you think would change if I died? The world is already close to extinction. Did you think someone would praise you for killing me and holding the world within your palm?

    Every word sounded more enticing than thest.

    ¨CThe world will call you a demon. They will call you a Demon King. That is the loneliness thates with what it means to be an absolute one.

    He knew it, too, and he had felt it as well. He was someone who had returned to the past and quickly became stronger. However, the people around him couldn¡¯t keep up with his growth rate. So, he was always alone. Even when he and the others had been together, he had felt alone.

    He was lonely.

    ¡®He¡¯s right¡­¡¯

    As the Demon King had said, it was loneliness. Furthermore, it was a loneliness that wouldn¡¯t get better. Instead, it was a loneliness that would be even more severe after defeating the monster called the Demon King. Nothing would change just because hispanions would be alive. They, too, would reject him someday.

    An absolutely powerful person with the whims and will of a human would be a monster that everyone would fear.

    ¡®Just by looking at you¡­¡¯

    That idea became even more clear when he looked at the Demon King. The Demon King had also initially made every move to save the world with a pure sense of justice and sacrificial spirit. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered, had the Demon King¡¯s will been less powerful than his own?

    No.

    The Demon King had been a Hero greater than he himself was. However, even that heroic Demon King had fallen like this.

    ¨CSo, ept me.

    When the Demon King¡¯s voice had finally reached its peak, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡±

    At the same time, a huge explosion racked his ears.

    BANG!!

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes. Before him was a blurry illusion, almost as if it were dancing. Fire, water, ice, and even lightning flickered before him. There was a sword and a spear. He could see the world on fire.

    ¡®Is this a dream?¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swayed.

    ¡®I¡¯m¡­¡¯

    His body had clearly been taken by the Demon King. The sensation he had felt at thest moment hadn¡¯t been a lie, which was a vast feeling of fullness that filled him entirely. In addition, Lee Jun-Kyeong clearly remembered the feeling of helplessness.

    ¡®I¡¯m¡­¡¯

    He had been taken over. He had failed. The illusions in front of him began to run wild even more. What was that?

    ¡®Is this the path that the Demon King walked¡­¡¯

    He wondered if the Demon King was showing him what he was seeing right now. That was how vivid and lifelike the image that Lee Jun-Kyeong could see was. There were explosions among explosions, destruction and devastation.

    He could feel the pain and the screams in the air. Even though he couldn¡¯t see it all clearly, the things were so vivid that it nearly made him sick, and they kept shing before his eyes. Lee Jun-Kyeong stumbled.

    ¡®Just what¡­¡¯

    He wondered what had happened to the others. When the Demon King had been taking over his body, Lee Jun-Kyeong had clearly felt it. Everything the Demon King had said was sincere. He had nned to take over Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body and be a God.

    With the powers of the source that he had given Lee Jun-Kyeongbined with the powers of the source that the Demon King had possessed himself, a force that no one would be able to stop would be born.

    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t as if there were any Sponsors or Hunters left to stop him. All of the Sponsors were dead, and whatever Hunters still breathed¡­

    ¡®They wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what he was seeing right now.

    ¡®...no¡­¡¯

    Could it be that he had lost his body to the Demon King and was now seeing the massacre that had been carried out by the Demon King? Could that have been Jeong In-Chang exploding into light over there? Or maybe Zeus was dying over there alongside the bolt of lightning?

    It seemed like everything was over. A huge sense of helplessness washed over him, like a puppet that had lost its strings.

    Thud.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong fell forward. He didn¡¯t want to do anything.

    Nothing¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m tired¡­¡¯

    No matter what he did, nothing would change. Even if he were to oust the Demon King from his body, the world had already been destroyed. The only thing that awaited him were his deadpanions.

    Hadn¡¯t the Demon King asked him?

    If he was lonely? If he would continue to be lonely?

    The Demon King had been right.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    However, the strength that Lee Jun-Kyeong had used in those final moments to push away the Demon King hade from hispanions. Yes, he was lonely. That wasn¡¯t a lie. However, he had been able toe this far because of them.

    Although hispanions had been the source of his loneliness, at the same time, they had given him constant motivation. They would have all died helplessly.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    Revenge.

    He had to take revenge.

    But how?

    ¡®How¡­ How would I do that¡­¡¯

    There were questions but no answers. Just for a moment, he wanted to rest and then think again.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    Right as Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to lose consciousness, he heard an incredible voice.

    ¡°Mr. Lee! Wake up! If this continues, we¡¯re going to die!¡±

    It was Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong¡­?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly lifted his head from his copsed state.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    Right over there, Jeong In-Chang¡­ Jeong In-Chang was definitely standing there. However, although it was Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice, his appearance was different.

    ¡°...!¡±

    His body was bumpy, filled with swollen muscles, and his eyes glowed red.

    From everything about him, even down to his bright-red skin, the figure with Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t human. Right as Lee Jun-Kyeong was bewildered, he heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice again, ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to exin! Just look ahead!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong raised himself slightly and looked at where Jeong In-Chang was indicating.

    BANG!

    After doing so, he started hearing noises that he hadn¡¯t noticed until now.

    ¡°He¡¯s already lost a lot of vitality! Hold on with whatever means possible!¡±

    ¡°We have to hold on until the Underdog wakes up!¡±

    As he heard the sounds of explosions alongside the familiar voices of hispanions, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted again, ¡°Just how¡­!¡±

    The scene before his eyes, which had only just be clear, became blurry once again. No, it was only that it seemed blurry.

    ¡°How¡­!¡±

    The tears flowing down his face had made it difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to distinguish the figures. The ones he saw briefly, or at least those that were fighting, were clearly not human. However, he was sure of it.

    ¡°Why¡­! Why did youe?!¡±

    Those figures were hispanions.

    sh!

    ¡°We came to save you.¡±

    With a sh of light, a gigantic figure who was wrapped entirely in sparking bolts of electricity appeared before his eyes.

    ¡°Because we thought that you¡¯d bezing about alone.¡±

    ¡°Zeus¡­!¡±

    Although his appearance was different, Lee Jun-Kyeong was convinced just by the sound and tone of his voice. It was Zeus.

    "How¡­!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as Zeus became a current of electricity once again and headed off somewhere.

    BOOM!

    With more explosions, Lee Jun-Kyeong heard another voice.

    ¡°Stand up.¡±

    Before him was a massive, solid back that was d in an enormous rainbow-colored armor.

    ¡°Only you can take the Demon King down.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know what to call him. Should he call him the same as he did before? Or something else?

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    In his confusion, Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t decide on what to say yet. After all of this was over, he would talk to him, and only then did he feel like he would be able to decide what to say.

    ¡®Hyung, no¡­¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally stood up, wiping his eyes with his hand as the whole view of what was before him became clear.

    ¡°Everyone.¡±

    They were hispanions. Thepanions who should have been waiting for him outside of Gehenna were here. Looking up, the red moon in the sky served as proof that they were still in Gehenna. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how it had happened.

    ¡°You bastards¡­!¡±

    However, the Demon King, with his melted, deformed body, was fighting hispanions.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong finally continued with what he had wanted to say, ¡°It¡¯s time for revenge.¡±

    A long spear appeared in his hand. Surtr had now be a spear that would pierce the Demon King.

    Flicker.

    mes enveloped Surtr. However, they weren¡¯t red, blue, white, or even ck. The mes on the spear couldn¡¯t be expressed in color, now truly having be the spark of genesis.

 Chapter 273. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 9

    Chapter 273. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 9

    Flicker!

    A fierce me burned. It was a me of unknown color that burned as if it was going to consume all of Gehenna¡ªno, devour the entire world. It was impossible to guess where the mes started and ended, almost as if the tips of the sparks were touching the pale, red moon.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡±

    Taking a deep breath, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around. It was difficult for him to distinguish any figures due to the iridescent colors of the mes of Genesis.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    He could hear Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice call to him. Lee Jun-Kyeong moved forward through the mes. There, he saw a figure who had copsed.

    ¡°...Mr. Jeong!!!¡±

    However, the figure wasn¡¯t the Jeong In-Chang he knew. His appearance was that of one of the Sponsors, resembling arge ogre. The battle¡­ It had ended.

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as he grabbed the massive figure.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay¡­¡± the ogre said. ¡°I was lucky.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice became a little more rxed. ¡°My Sponsor was already dead. Not long after you entered Gehenna, my mana disappeared, too¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jeong!¡±

    ¡°We had a n to enter Gehenna and merge with the Sponsors¡­but it was too much for me as my Sponsor had disappeared. His huge pupils looked straight at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°But the princess¡­ The princess helped me.¡± Heughed. ¡°It seemed as though the Sponsor had transferred some of its power to the princess as it died. After entering Gehenna, I merged with my dead Sponsor¡­ The Prince¡­¡±

    He smiled slightly. ¡°I merged with the cooled corpse of <ogre prince="" siegfried=""> and was able to aid you, Mr. Lee.¡±</ogre>

    ¡°Mr. Jeong¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m satisfied.¡± Jeong In-Chang¡¯s voice gradually became softer. It wasn¡¯t the booming voice that came naturally with a giant¡¯s figure, but a quiet one, reminiscent of that when he was human. ¡°I just wanted to be able to stand by your side, just once¡­¡±

    ¡°Jeong In-Chang!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡± Jeong In-Chang was speaking in a calm tone. ¡°Go. You have to end this.¡±

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was dying. He had used his body to shield Lee Jun-Kyeong and give him time for the Hunter to wake up. His entire lower body had already melted away and disappeared, mes still flickering.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up from the ground. Although the battle had already ended, Jeong In-Chang had died.

    ¡°The end¡­it¡¯s not over yet¡­¡±

    With an empty gaze, Lee Jun-Kyeong stumbled forward. He walked through the mes, corpses everywhere.

    ¡°Hyung¡­¡±

    He could see Heimdall¡¯s corpse before him. Heimdall had merged with the Guardian of the Rainbow, but his dead body had already cooled off and was being burnt away by the me of Genesis. Even if Lee Jun-Kyeong were to ask him a question, he wouldn¡¯t get any answers.

    Heimdall was just the beginning.

    ¡°Everyone¡­¡±

    Merlin.

    Arthur.

    Horus.

    Everyone had died. The Demon King, whom he had put on the verge of death, had killed all of them. Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong stopped before something.

    ¡°...¡±

    Athena.

    He could see her body. Even though she had merged with a giant, her Sponsor still retained her beauty.

    ¡®Get up!¡¯

    He remembered she had shouted at him to live, over and over again as she had taken over Jeong In-Chang¡¯s role of being a shield. Even though she had been pierced through and was burning, she had refused to move away. Thus, their fates had ended without ever having a proper conversation.

    ¡°Not even a single word¡­¡±

    No matter how much he stood before her, she didn¡¯t move whatsoever.

    ¡°Just¡­¡±

    All Lee Jun-Kyeong could do was sigh. He wanted to copse. Right here. As he sat among them, all he wanted to do was burn alongside their corpses.

    ¡°I have to¡­¡±

    However, he had to finish it. It wasn¡¯t over yet. Lee Jun-Kyeong stumbled again and moved forward. He wondered when he had lost one of his legs. He couldn¡¯t feel the pain of the missing limb whatsoever as the pain burning in his chest was consuming everything else.

    Flicker.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong once again walked forward into the iridescent mes.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡±

    There he saw him, lying there.

    ***

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    As hey there, he continued to vomit up blood. His face was covered in blood, and both arms were missing. Plunged in his chest was an iridescent me that even burned Gehenna. The mes of Genesis incinerated him. Nevertheless, he was still alive.

    ¡°Cough! Cough, cough!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He truly had an incredible vitality. If Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t used all of his strength to restrain him, if the Sponsors, his enemies, hadn¡¯t fought against him, then the Demon King wouldn¡¯t have fallen even after Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯spanions had joined the battle.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong approached him.

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡±

    Even though the Demon King was looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, he couldn¡¯t speak properly. Red-hot intestines gushed out alongside his blood into the soil.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Finally, with much effort, he was able to speak weakly. ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    His expression was filled with disbelief.

    ¡°I just¡­thought that¡­thosepanions¡­would have been burdens¡­¡±

    He, who had regressed for eons, had abandoned hispanions somewhere down the line through the endless passage of time. They had be nothing but a means to achieve his goal. He had even gone as far to turn the son of his most precious and supportivepanions into a vessel.

    ¡°I¡­¡± The Demon King changed his subject. ¡°Why¡­¡±

    A self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I beat you¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°Why! Why¡­did I fail?¡±

    He, who had lived the same time over and over, was worthy of the title the strongest no matter what anyone said. Moreover, he had the brains and ambition to back that power. Everything had been held in his hands. Lee Jun-Kyeong, Heimdall¡ªno, the entire world. Even the Sponsors had yed into his hands.

    Still, he had failed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please¡­answer me¡­¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood quietly, not responding to his pleading voice.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­the powers of the source¡­ Why wasn¡¯t I able to obtain it like¡­just why¡­¡±

    At thatst moment, when Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯spanions had appeared, the Demon King had seemed genuinely surprised. Moreover, that me of indescribable color that had burned him, the mes of Genesis, was a power that even he hadn¡¯t been able to wield.

    He had held mastery over everything else, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had been ahead of him when it came to the powers of the source.

    Finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong began to speak, ¡°I had truly admired you.¡±

    It was a calm voice that contrasted with the voice filled with rage and anger of the Demon King.

    ¡°You¡­ I thought that as long as you were alive, you would have been able to save me.¡±

    However, it had all been an illusion. The Demon King had made him feel like that.

    ¡°Although the root of all of our problems had been the Sponsors, you¡¯re the reason we all are like this.¡±

    At least with the Earth, the Demon King had been the one to destroy it. It wasn¡¯t as though Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t understand him. He had been someone who had lost the same thing, over and over again, for a long time. It would have been impossible for such a person not to go crazy. No matter how strong his strength of will would have been, the endless repetition of hell would have been enough to turn even him into a monster.

    ¡°Despite knowing that, I refuse to try to understand you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t want to understand him.

    ¡°Your¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fists, Surtr suddenly appearing once more. ¡°Your sins are too great to do so.¡±

    He held Surtr up, burning with the mes of Genesis. Lee Jun-Kyeong held Surtr with both hands and aimed it at the Demon King¡¯s chest.

    ¡°This is the end.¡±

    Now, it was time to give the Demon King his final end.

    ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡±

    The Demon King let out a small exmation, as a deep smile spread from the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°This¡­¡± he said, slowly closing his eyes. ¡°So this is just another ending of mine.¡±

    sh!

    As the smile on his lips grew even deeper, he opened his eyes and red at Lee Jun-Kyeong. Even as he was dying, his eyes flickered full of rage like a ghost from hell.

    ¡°I will just begin all over again. I can¡¯t die in the first ce. The curse of regression. It¡¯s a stigma that¡¯s been engraved in my flesh. In the first ce¡­you could never kill me.¡±

    There was a sneer in his voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re aiming for something that isn¡¯t feasible in the first ce. There is no way for anyone to kill me. Thus, you still have a chance¡­¡± the Demon King said, gathering his strength.

    ¡°Hand yourself over to me. Then, there will no longer be any regressions. Hasn¡¯t your world already been destroyed? Look around!¡± he shouted. ¡°All of your preciouspanions are dead! Do you think it¡¯ll be any different outside?! Gehenna is connected to Earth!¡±

    This wasn¡¯t any fake struggle, Lee Jun-Kyeong could feel it too. Gehenna was connected to Earth. Now, the mes of Genesis were incinerating all of Gehenna, on the verge of destroying it.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be any different than here. The outside will be burning too. Because of that spark of yours.¡±

    The Demon King¡¯s smile turned crazy.

    ¡°I will change it for you! You have only awakened the power of destruction! You don¡¯t know how to use regeneration or creation! If you kill me right now, everything will end!¡±

    The Demon King was right. If Lee Jun-Kyeong killed him like this, then everything in this world would end. There would be nothing left, and nopanions either.

    That was true even for the people he had saved. There would be nothing left. If he were to kill him, it would all be over. His world was ending.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°Either I kill you or get my body stolen by you. Either way, my world is gone.¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s voice was filled with sorrow. ¡°And¡­¡±

    For a moment, he looked up at the sky. Before he knew it, the mes of Genesis had reached the red moon and had begun to consume it too.

    ¡°You can¡¯t regress anymore.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t even have the strength to inspect your own body, Demon King,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a calm tone. ¡°Regression is, as you said, a stigma attached to your flesh. However¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve be one with me, if only for a moment.¡±

    The Demon King had momentarily taken possession of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s body.

    ¡°During then, I transferred that power to myself. Using the powers of the source, a power that I understand better than you.¡±

    ¡°Ah ha¡­¡±

    The madness disappeared from the Demon King''s face. Instead, there was a smile that seemed more human than anything else.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Squelch!

    Surtr, which had been plunged into his chest, began to emit light.

    Flicker!

    A light more fierce than any of the mes devouring Gehenna encroached over the world. Some said that there had been a huge explosion, a big bang, when the universe had been first born. He wondered if what had happened right now was what that bang must have been like.

    The Demon King disappeared as the space of Gehenna was erased. The bodies of hispanions were no longer visible. It was truly the end.

    ¡°So it¡¯s over,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he let go of Surtr.

    What the Demon King had said, and what he had said to the Demon King in turn, weren¡¯t lies. The Demon King could no longer regress, so his tragedy was over.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Instead, Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself regressing. The unpleasant feeling that squeezed at his chest was clearly the power of regression. When he had be one with the Demon King, the powers of the source that existed within him had stripped the Demon King of the stigma of regression.

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed. He could see hispanions again. However, soon, his face sank as if it were falling.

    ¡°...¡±

    He would have to repeat it all again. The ending was fixed: the Demon King¡¯s defeat and the destruction of the world.

    ¡°Although the Demon King¡¯s tragedy has ended¡­¡±

    What was left for Lee Jun-Kyeong?

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s the beginning of another tragedy.¡±

    In the midst of the curse of endless regressions, he would have to do whatever it took to ovee it. There was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t end up like the Demon King in the endless battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what he should do.

    The sight before his eyes was already daunting. The end of a tragedy was only but the beginning of another.

    Thud.

    Within the disappearing Gehenna, Lee Jun-Kyeong copsed. This was the end.

    Crack¡­! Crack!!!

    Or at least, that was what he thought.

 Chapter 274. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 10

    Chapter 274. The End of a Tragedy Pt. 10

    ¡°Just how¡­¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong could only mutter to himself with a nk expression.

    A blue current of electricity was shing before his eyes. It was a current that clearly belonged to Zeus. Then, he remembered.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t see Zeus¡¯ body¡­!¡¯

    He had seen the others, but he hadn¡¯t seen Zeus¡¯. He couldn¡¯t find any sign of the Hunter who had fought with him alongside the Demon King and made it possible for him to deliver the penultimate blow.

    ¡°Zeus!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted. He could still see the current flowing around him.

    ¡°...¡±

    In addition, the surroundingndscape caught his eye. The mes of Genesis that burned as if they wanted to consume the world¡­

    ¡°It stopped¡­?¡±

    The mes had still been burning fiercely earlier, but they just¡­literally stopped?

    ¡°No, time has stopped.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong stood up with a nk expression. A strange change had urred just when he had been about to give up on everything.

    ¡°Time has stopped¡­¡±

    It was inevitable that he would be flustered. Although he controlled the powers of the source, he wasn¡¯t able to stop time. If he had been able to, then hispanions wouldn¡¯t have been sacrificed in such a manner.

    This was a power close to that of the powers of the source

    ¡®No, is it on an even higher level?¡¯

    His mind was racing as the current of electricity in front of him continued to gather and flicker in the midst of the stopped time.

    ZZZZT!

    A sh of light blinded him. When Lee Jun-Kyeong blinked, he saw someone standing before him.

    ¡°Zeus!¡±

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a sense of difort and took a step back.

    ¡°...¡±

    It was definitely Zeus, but it also wasn¡¯t. Zeus wasn¡¯t in the form of the giant that he had used when fighting the Demon King.

    Thinking about it, Lee Jun-Kyeong realized there was something strange going on. There hadn¡¯t been any time to talk due to the urgent situation and the ensuing battle. However, there had definitely been something strange about Zeus.

    ¡®His Sponsor hadn¡¯t been here in the first ce.¡¯

    When Zeus had fully awakened after absorbing Chi-Woo¡¯s power, his Sponsor had supposedly been long gone. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t seen his Sponsor in Gehenna.

    ¡°What the hell was that¡­?¡±

    Just how? What was with his figure, and why was Zeus now standing before him in his human form? Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly tried to lift Surtr even as his entire body felt as though it would fall apart.

    ¡®Do I have to fight¡­?¡¯

    The Demon King had died, and the world was disintegrating. He himself would die, and only then would everything return to its original form. Therefore, there was no reason to fight the figure in front of him. He just needed to die.

    However, there was the ability to stop time and the secret that Zeus seemed intertwined with that he had no answer to.

    ¡°And you are¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t quit like this, not now.

    ¡°Whoa, Bessie, whoa,¡± said Zeus.

    Although it was definitely Zeus¡¯ voice, it only conveyed an awkward feeling now.

    ¡°Calm down and put your weapon away,¡± the figure continued. ¡°Because I am not your enemy.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong asked while still being vignt.

    Zeus had always been handsome, but at this moment, his appearance looked so noble that Lee Jun-Kyeong almost mistook him for a god of beauty.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t Zeus.¡¯

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was confident that something had borrowed Zeus¡¯s body.

    ¡°My name is Jupiter.¡±

    ¡°Jupiter¡­!¡±

    That was the new title that Zeus had obtained after absorbing Chi-Woo¡¯s power. It was the one who had reced his dead Sponsor, and the one who had appeared to him in his dreams and had told the Hunter to help Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You can consider me¡­the God of this world.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Thud.

    Jupiter approached with long strides and spoke while standing directly in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Would you like to make a deal with me, Candidate for Godhood?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. A sort of transaction.¡± The figureughed. ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill any one of your requests. Thus, let¡¯s have a simple transaction, and you also fulfill something that I want. What do you think?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t sense any dishonesty or deceit from the yfully speaking figure.

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong found himself lost in thought for a moment.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time. Even for me, it¡¯s impossible to keep time frozen for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me what you can do for me and what you require from me.¡± When Lee Jun-Kyeong heard what the figure had to say, his tone became more polite.

    ¡®After all, he said that he¡¯s God.¡¯

    The figure had called himself God, and the ability that he was showing right now was by no means a farce. Thus, Lee Jun-Kyoeng decided that it was okay for them to at least speak first.

    ¡°Good,¡± the figure said, waving his hand. ¡°If you agree to the deal, I¡¯ll freeze you in this state and preserve your powers.¡±

    ¡°Freeze me¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep your current form the way it is¡­¡± Jupiterughed. ¡°While you turn time back to your regression point.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible¡­?¡±

    His smile grew even deeper. ¡°I mean, of course, it¡¯s not possible for me. However, as I said, regression is your ability. All I can do is freeze you in this state.¡±

    ¡°However, that¡¯s not enough.¡±

    It still wouldn¡¯t have been enough. Zeus, or rather, Jupiter, who had borrowed Zeus¡¯ body,ughed even harder when he heard those words.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Sponsors?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll freeze them in this state too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    It was an unbelievable statement. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong tried to express how ridiculous it sounded, Jupiter continued even faster, ¡°These brats aren¡¯t Gods or anything. They¡¯re just mortals like you are. Just mortals who gained a little power.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if anyone else would have been able to exin Sponsors like this.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understandter. It might just be confusing right now because you haven¡¯t fully awakened yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s one more thing left.¡± Jupiter pointed at something with his finger, gesturing to the great burning pir of the mes of Genesis that had formed. ¡°What did you call him? The Demon King?¡±

    It was where the Demon Kingy.

    ¡°I can freeze him too.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already drained him of all of his power. I¡¯m not referring to mana or anything like that. What did you call it? The powers of the source? Yeah, that.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong felt his entire body drain of strength.

    ¡°How is everything so easily¡­¡± he said as if everything he had done was in vain.

    ¡°Easy?¡± Jupiter seemed rather bewildered. ¡°You¡¯re talking crazy talk now.¡±

    His cold voice rang in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s ears. ¡°What you did¡­that is not something that should be belittled.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°All I have to do is preserve things at a certain point, like I froze time. But something like that is useless without the power that you hold.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked straight at Jupiter as the God continued, ¡°The powers of the source that you possess are the essence of this universe and the dimension in which you exist. If you hadn¡¯t taken it from that brat¡­¡±

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t?¡±

    Jupiter shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It was thanks to you that I was able to involve myself with this brat you call Zeus. You did everything. I¡¯m just helping you a little.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong clenched his fists at the sound of Jupiter¡¯s smirking tone. Now, he had figured out what the God could do. Then, there was only one thing left.

    ¡°What¡¯s the price? What do you want in return?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Jupiter responded slowly, smiling at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s question. ¡°It should be something that you want as well, so why don¡¯t you do it for me?¡±

    ***

    The stretched tape became taut again as the things that had already passed returned to where they had been. Time rewound itself. Behind a pale curtain, he watched everything reverse backward with the figure named Jupiter, who had borrowed the body of Zeus.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    Everything was going back to where it had been, and Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that he most likely should have had to go through that reversal as well. However, he found himself remaining the same as he watched everything.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do thister, too,¡± the figure replied simply.

    The mes of Gehenna extinguished as his fallenpanions began to move, retreating toward the outside world through Gehenna¡¯s gate with screaming and shouting expressions.

    ¡°If the Sponsors disappear¡­then what would happen?¡±

    His regression point was clear: the day he had been saved by the League Guild from the gate where the goblins had appeared. He would be going back to that gate, back to where he had appeared after his first regression.

    He wondered, without the Sponsors, wouldn¡¯t everything be in vain?

    ¡°Your regression isn¡¯t a perfect ability,¡± Jupiter said. ¡°The Sponsors will disappear. However, what they have done would be imprinted on the dimension and be carried out simrly.¡±

    Jupiter¡¯s face looked a little serious. ¡°There will be mana and gates. The people you know will already have powers, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized it would all be the same. Even though the Sponsors would disappear, the monsters and the gates would not. It was almost like a scar that the Sponsors had inflicted on the world over a long period of time. Since it couldn¡¯t be erased, he would have to handle it himself.

    ¡°And the memories of mypanions¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure about that. If their willpower is strong¡­¡± Jupiterughed again. ¡°If it¡¯s strong, then they¡¯ll remember you. However, if your impression on them wascking, then you¡¯ll have to build that bond again.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to ask, ask it now,¡± Jupiter said. ¡°When all of this is over, I¡¯ll disappear. I can¡¯t exist like this for long.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and began to ask, ¡°About the regression¡­what would happen to it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, you shouldn¡¯t have anything killing you, but regression isn¡¯t as perfect of an ability as you think. If you can fully awaken your abilities, then you¡¯ll be able to erase it.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong then thought of another question. The Demon King had been stronger than he was. However, even he hadn¡¯t been able to escape the regression. Then why did Jupiter think that he could do it?

    ¡°I told you. It¡¯s because of your powers of the source. That brat you called the Demon King was unable to obtain theplete essence of it. However, you were able to obtain the biggest piece.¡±

    Before he knew it, the scenery had changed. They had left Gehenna, and before them was a destroyed Gangnam.

    ¡°All of the powers will now slowlye to you. You¡¯ll be a God. You can also consider it as you bing the entire dimension, too.¡±

    It was difficult, too difficult for him toprehend.

    ¡°If it¡¯s too hard right now, there¡¯s no need to try to understand it right away,¡± Jupiter said with a smile. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that you won¡¯t have to suffer like you do now any longer.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. He couldn¡¯t rely on the god any further. He had made a deal with him. Jupiter had restored his world to its original state and had taught him many things while he, himself¡ªhe would pay the price he had offered.

    ¡°You will return my favor one day.¡±

    "Really¡­ Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The price that Jupiter had wanted was simple.

    ¡°And all you want¡­ is my memories?¡±

    However, Jupiter didn¡¯t want to take his memories away. Instead, he wanted a copy. Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t want to ask how copying memories was even possible.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bigger favor than you think,¡± Jupiter exined. ¡°Your memories are a history of struggle. A record of the will to fight without sumbing to great power.¡±

    ¡°A history of struggle¡­¡±

    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s a record of the damage inflicted on a world by an absolute being who had gone crazy.¡±

    ¡°Why would you need that?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face stiffed a little.

    ¡°The real God of our world was a human, just like you. Well¡­it¡¯s a little difficult to exin it like that, but just know that brat was simr to you.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Jupiter curiously.

    ¡°That brat also worries the same way that you do. You know, the fear that the world could be led to destruction if you can¡¯t handle your power and go crazy,¡± the God exined. ¡°He wanted to warn himself not to lose his heart and mind. He wanted to reminisce back through his life by watching your memories.¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t understand it much, he still nodded.

    ¡°There¡¯s something that he said. That the absolute ones must not be beings of fear.¡± Jupiterughed. ¡°It means you have to be the strength of humanity.¡±

    Before he knew it, Gangnam had returned. Not only was it not destroyed anymore, but it had also returned to how it used to be. However, there were some things that also looked a little different.

    ¡°It¡¯s over now. I have to leave. Pay the price.¡±

    When Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and held out his hand, he felt something stir within himself for a moment.

    ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±

    However, that was it. That was all he had to do in return for such an impossible task.

    ¡°Just who¡­?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, looking at a face that held so many of his questions.

    Jupiter just responded with a smile, ¡°Just think of it this way.¡±

    His form began to blur. For a moment, it felt as though Lee Jun-Kyeong could see his real face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just here, helping a brat who is just about to be a God so that he doesn¡¯t get ruined¡­¡± Heughed. ¡°Like a tutorial guide. That¡¯s one of my jobs, too.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him with a confused expression.

    Thud.

    Zeus copsed after Jupiter disappeared, but he, too, soon faded and disappeared. Most likely, he had returned back to where he should have been in this timeline.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled. The God of this world who had helped him had disappeared, and now, it was time for him to stand up on his own.

    ¡°At the end of the tragedy¡­¡±

    He had thought that at the end of a tragedy, there was naught but another tragedy. But, it was different now.

    ¡°There is hope.¡±

    Shing!!

    A light that illuminated the world began to exude from him.

 Chapter 275. Epilogue

    <h4>Chapter 275. Epilogue</h4>

    A long sh of light filled his eyes. It was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of for a long time.

    <i>¡®I can feel it.¡¯</i>

    Everything was changing. Lee Jun-Kyeong focused on his senses. It was warm.

    <i>¡®It¡¯sfortable.¡¯</i>

    For the first time, Lee Jun-Kyeong felt like he was experiencing rest. He didn¡¯t know how long the sh wouldst, but at this moment, he hoped it wouldst forever. Soon, the feeling changed, and the warm sh of light became colder and colder before it soon disappeared. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt the air dampen around him as he carefully opened his eyes.

    ¡°This ce...¡±

    His vision was blurred because of the sh he had watched for so long. However, as it slowly returned, he could see clear outlines. He found himself in a damp and dark ce.

    ¡°This is the gate where the goblins emerged...¡±

    He was right where he had appeared when he had regressed the first time.

    ¡°Ha...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeongughed as a smile spread on his lips. ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    A smallugh, filled with a feeling of absurdity, echoed through the cave. For a long while, Lee Jun-Kyeong sat where he had woken up.

    ¡°It¡¯s real... I¡¯ve returned.¡±

    He had regressed to the very moment he had started. Dazed, he sat there and closed his eyes, just wanting to feel all of the sensations around him: the damp, the dark, and the feeling of this cave.

    ¡°Hup.¡±

    Only after some time had passed did he stand up. The water falling from the stctites formed puddles.

    ¡°Everything is the same.¡±

    Nothing had changed in the reflection he saw in a puddle. He wasn¡¯t referring to how he had looked when he had first returned. Instead, he looked exactly the same as he did from the battle with the Demon King, even down to the blood covering him and scorched clothes.

    ¡°Surtr...¡±

    As soon as the word escaped Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s mouth, a spear appeared in his right hand as if it had been sucked right into his palm.

    ¡°So you¡¯vee, too.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Surtr and smiled. He hade back.

    ¡°I really... I really came back.¡±

    He still couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Mana filled him and as it circted, he found something condensed in his chest. The powers of the source that he could feel in his chest were a little different now than what he remembered. It still felt like it was something that circted through his body like mana did, but there was something else.

    ¡°Did it condense into something?¡±

    The powers of the source seemed to have condensed into a single form, taking on the appearance of a crystal. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t see it, it felt almost like another heart in his chest.

    ¡°Ha...¡±

    There were so many things he wanted to inspect, one by one. At that moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but smile even more brightly.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    There were footsteps approaching him. Although they were inside the gate, the creatures were walking without any caution.

    "Keruk."

    They were goblins. When he had first returned, he had been attacked by goblins. At that time, they had been the most terrifying enemy, and he had no choice but to fight with everything he had. However, everything was different now.

    He could feel everything in its entirety. Everything down to the minute amount of mana the goblins possessed. Lee Jun-Kyeong could even predict where they would move. The number of approaching monsters wasn¡¯t small.

    ¡°So this is how you hid and approached me then, huh.¡±

    The day that he had first returned, after ying a goblin, another one would take its ce. He had thought that it was the noise of the battles that caused goblins to approach him, but instead, they had already surrounded him from the very beginning.

    ¡°You intelligent little tykes,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a smile.

    They had been the most terrifying enemies in his past, but now, they were just incredibly cute. Lee Jun-Kyeong held Surtr¡¯s Spear up for a moment.

    ¡°Go back for now.¡±

    The spear returned to his inventory as Lee Jun-Kyeong stood tall with bare hands, the same as the first day.

    ¡°AGH!!!!!!¡±

    Just like then, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted as he had the first time, feeling the approaching goblins cover their ears and fall down.

    ***

    There were beings kneeling in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°You...¡±

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten them, but he hadn¡¯t asked Jupiter about them as he had known that they were safe.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu. Hel.¡±

    The two figures knelt down before Lee Jun-Kyeong. They were his Familiars and the old Familiars of the Demon King.

    ¡°I apologize...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    They both shouted at the same time.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to be of any help...¡±

    They hadn¡¯t participated in the final battle. No, they hadn¡¯t even been able to enter Gehenna in the first ce because the Demon King hadn¡¯t allowed it.

    <i>¡®The Demon King...¡¯</i>

    It seemed as though he had really thought about them, and he probably had not wanted to kill them with his own hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay.¡±

    Despite Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s words, the two still knelt before him.

    <i>Pat, pat!</i>

    At that time, a cheerful sound was heard, bouncing on the floor.

    ¡°Fenrir!¡±

    He saw another of his Familiars, the one who never answered whenever he called.

    ¡°What happened to you?!¡±

    Moreover, Fenrir was approaching him in the form of a fluffy white puppy.

    ¡°I have no strength.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t recovered yet. I want to sleep,¡± the puppy said before immediately falling asleep.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled slightly at the absurdity.

    ¨CI¡¯m fine too, master.

    He heard Jormungandr¡¯s voice next.

    ¨CHowever, all of the people you assigned me to protect have disappeared.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already expected that.

    ¡°Where the hell are you?¡±

    Jormungandr actually lived within the space between dimensions. Now that everything had changed due to the regression, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know where the massive serpent would be.

    <i>Slither.</i>

    Then, something crawled out of Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s arms: a small white snake.

    "You...!¡±

    This snake was Jormungandr, and he had been hiding within his arms at such a tiny size.

    ¨CI also have no strength. Since we¡¯ve returned to the past, my body was forced to be smaller. I need time.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeongughed as the snake said the same thing as the puppy and went to sleep. Whatever happened, no matter what his Familiars looked like, they were alive and well.

    ¡°This is amazing...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to everyone. He suddenly picked up the snake and the puppy, but his mood was so good that it felt as though he was flying.

    ¡°What do you think about those...¡± he asked.

    Hel stood up and looked over at the goblins, half of whom had already died.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    The other half trembled with their heads between their knees.

    ¡°Hyeon-Mu, what about your troops?¡±

    ¡°All of them have disappeared.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.

    ¡°Then how about we start with those?¡±

    Hel and Hyeon-Mu looked at each other. Soon, they shouted in an excited voice.

    ¡°We obey your orders!¡±

    ¡°With the strongest soldiers...!¡±

    ¡°We will make them into troops that even Jormungandr can¡¯t ignore!¡±

    For some reason, the two of them suddenly radiated tremendous will. Lee Jun-Kyeong then gestured to the two, with both of them quickly nodding and disappearing alongside the goblins nearby.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He heard footsteps once again. They weren¡¯t goblins this time, but figures who slightly adjusted every step in order to silence the sound of their footsteps as much as possible. They were Hunters, and there was no way that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know who they were.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong called out once more, ¡°Hel!¡±

    Just as Hel appeared and was about to kneel down, he entrusted Fenrir and Jormungandr to her.

    ¡°Take them too!¡±

    Hel nodded and disappeared as the footsteps were gradually approaching.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    It was so difficult for Lee Jun-Kyeong to suppress theughter that bloomed from his chest. It was only after he continuouslyughed to himself for a while that he was able to lie down on the cold floor.

    <i>¡®Just like the first time.¡¯</i>

    Back then, he had lost consciousness due to the goblins¡¯ attack, and the League Guild had saved him then. He would be able to meet those he had wanted to see for so long. Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly began to fall asleep, believing that there was no being that could harm him. All he had to do was sleep and wake up. There was only one thing that he worried about.

    <i>¡®If you made a mark on their lives, they¡¯ll remember you.¡¯</i>

    Would everyone remember him?

    Lee Jun-Kyeong quickly shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter whether they remembered him or not. As Jupiter had said, all he had to do was build new bonds.

    He closed his eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.

    ***

    ¡°...!¡±

    He wondered how long it had been. Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he had slept this deeply. He felt refreshed like he had a great dream. The only reason he had woken up was because of the voices that rang in his ears.

    ¡°...Lee...!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly prepared to open his mouth. He had thought a lot about what to say first, but had decided that it would be nice to say the same thing he had the first time.

    ¡°A hospital...?¡±

    He first opened his mouth to speak, and only after saying his well-curated ¡°first words¡± did he open his eyes. The light from the incandescent bulb stung his eyes.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Then, he heardughter, the sound of suppressedughter.

    ¡°Puhahahaha!¡±

    Soon, it broke out into raucousughter as if it couldn¡¯t be held back.

    ¡°Mr. Lee!¡±

    A voice called out to him as Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly turned his head. There, he saw Jeong In-Chang standing there.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, this is a hospital!¡±

    Although he definitely looked different than before, it was definitely Jeong In-Chang. Moreover, there was also Won-Hwa, and...

    ¡°Ungnyeo...?¡±

    Even Ungnyeo, who was supposed to currently be leading Heaven Lake Vige on Mt. Baekdu. Lee Jun-Kyeong opened his eyes nkly, not knowing what was going on. It wasn¡¯t just them.

    ¡°Heracles... Odysseus...!¡±

    All around him were happy faces.

    ¡°Merlin, Arthur! Horus!!¡±

    Happy faces filled up the hospital room. Even Liu Bei, his brothers, and the others were also here. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt his vision go hazy. Everyone was here.

    Finally, he saw them.

    ¡°Wee back.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Heimdall and Athena. Lee Jun-Kyeong wiped his tears and looked at Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°How on earth...¡±

    He couldn¡¯t understand it. How could they all be here in one ce? All of them looked slightly different as their faces and bodies were not exactly like what he remembered from before.

    <i>¡®Wait, could it be...¡¯</i>

    ¡°Did I fail...?¡±

    Had he failed to return to the past? Had he died in battle with the Demon King, and was all of this nothing but a dream? Just imagining it made him begin to feel a terrible pain in his chest.

    ¡°No,¡± Jeong In-Chang replied calmly. ¡°Although your regression point may have been here... we¡¯ve already awakened our memories of you from the past timeline.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    <i>Clench!</i>

    No sooner had Jeong In-Chang finished speaking when Lee Jun-Kyeong felt a strong body wrapping around him

    ¡°Wee back.¡±

    When he tried to say something, all he heard was a warm voice ringing in his ears.

    ¡°Son.¡±

    It was Heimdall. He was hugging him warmly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s shoulders began to get wet.

    [The End.]

 Chapter 276. Side Story - Change

    <h4>Chapter 276. Side Story - Change</h4>

    <i>Gurgle, gurgle.</i>

    The sound of a bubbling stew echoed throughout the house.

    <i>Hiss.</i>

    <i>Crack, crack, crack.</i>

    Meat sizzled on the frying pan as salt and pepper were sprinkled over the meat¡ªa fragrant scent wafted throughout the house.

    ¡°It smells delicious,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said while scratching his arm. His hair was a mess.

    ¡°So you¡¯re unemployed, then.¡±

    The pajamas he was wearing and his messy hair were a perfect vision of unemployment.

    ¡°That¡¯s a little harsh, don¡¯t you think?¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I should have some time to rest, too?¡±

    ¡°Who said you couldn¡¯t? I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re unemployed,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu responded to Lee Jun-Kyeong with a sly smile.

    The kitchen fluorescent lights made his head sparkle.

    <i>Hiss.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong asked, ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu put down the frying pan. ¡°Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong thought hard, almost as if he really didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°People areing over.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    It had already been a month since the fight with the Demon King ended, and it had already been a month since Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed to where it all started and was able to enjoy a peaceful life.

    ¡°Hmm...is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°Just sit. For the Hero who saved the world, just sitting over there and resting is enough.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just because the food I cook is inedible...¡±

    ¡°If you already know the answer, then stop asking and just go watch TV,¡± Yeo Seong-Gu retorted. Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded and headed to the living room, settling down on thefortable sofa. It felt like heaven.

    The sound of the TV turning on clicked.

    ¨CBreaking News. The Olympus Guild visits Korea.

    As soon as he turned on the TV, big letters reading <i>¡®BREAKING NEWS¡¯</i> appeared. The news screen suddenly changed to an anchor.

    ¨CCurrent News. The Olympus Guild visits Korea. It has been confirmed that all major executives, including Olympus Guild Leader Zeus, have entered the country. The purpose of their visit to Korea is...

    Lee Jun-Kyeong changed the channel.

    ¨CBreaking News.

    Bold letters appeared on the screen again.

    ¨CEgypt, the Nile Guild visits Korea, the Chinese Association president visits Korea.

    With every second, the current news changed over and over.

    ¨CThe British Royal Family visits Korea.

    Breaking News appeared over and over as if the words had no intention of leaving the screen. Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head and changed the channel again.

    ¨CSuperpowers from each country are arriving in Korea one after another. Due to their sudden visits to Korea...

    ¨CThe same thing happened a month ago.

    ¨CCould an unprecedented gate be expected to appear?

    ¨CGuild Leaders refused to meet with the president.

    ¨CEach leader left the airport, stating personal business that they had to attend.

    Series of news stories were on every channel, specting the reason for their visit. In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned off the TV.

    <i>Click.</i>

    ¡°I just wanted to watch some variety shows...¡±

    It seemed as though all of the variety shows that he had wanted to see had been canceled due to the deluge of breaking news.

    <i>Gurgle, gurgle.</i>

    Unlike the buzzing of the news, the noise of the bubbling doenjang jjigae[1]ing from the kitchen sounded pleasant. Lee Jun-Kyeong sank onto the sofa and quietly closed his eyes.

    <i>Ding dong.</i>

    But right as he was gettingfortable, the doorbell rang.

    ¡°Go get the door,¡± Heimdall said from the kitchen.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong got up from the sofa with a deep smile on his face, his smile bing even brighter as he stood in front of the inte. Loud voices came from beyond the front door as he pressed the open button without saying a word.

    ***

    ¡°I mean, you guys have so much money. Why is your house like this?¡±ined a grumbling voice. It was the sound of Jeong In-Chang speaking immediately after chewing and swallowing the meat in his mouth.

    ¡°Oh ho, and you must live in such a huge mansion then, right? How impressive,¡± responded Heimdall sarcastically.

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered, Heimdall and Jeong In-Chang¡¯s rtionship hadn¡¯t been this close.

    <i>¡®Everyone did say that their memories had returned well in advance,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong thought to himself as he ate the stew. When he had regressed and returned to where it had all begun, hispanions had been waiting for him. Although he didn¡¯t know how it had happened, hispanions had said that they had regained their memories long before he had actually returned.

    <i>¡®Although it was different for everyone...¡¯</i>

    Their memories had generally returned when they faced a great change. Most of them had said that their memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned the minute they had met a monster. After their memories returned, they looked for each other and waited for him to return someday.

    They had found each other and formed bonds, which was what led to the banter he saw before him right now.

    ¡°Bald Uncle! Please give me more food!¡± shouted Heracles casually.

    Odysseus tried to stop him. ¡°Heracles! I know you¡¯re hungry, but how could you say that to Lord Heimdall...!¡±

    ¡°Your cooking skills have improved,¡± Arthur said quietly as he continued to eat without stopping.

    ¡°Mhm.¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t speak, Merlin¡¯s chopsticks were moving just as fast. Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that the reason these foreigners were able to eat such a spicy doenjang jjigae and use chopsticks so naturally wasn¡¯t just simply because they were Hunters. No, while he had been away, they had already met each other multiple times.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so cramped it¡¯s killing me,¡± Zeus¡¯ voice interjected. ¡°Siegfried is right. What do you think about moving? I can¡¯t believe I have toe to a house like this for our monthly meetings. Besides anything else, it¡¯s just too small.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong definitely felt it as well. They were in an apartment in Seoul, which definitely wasn¡¯t cheap. However, it still wasn¡¯t enough to amodate them all.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    ¡°Heracles! I told you to be careful with your head! I know it doesn¡¯t hurt, but...¡±

    ¡°How much of a nuisance do you think it would be if the ceiling copsed?!¡±

    The most important part was that the ceiling was too low to amodate people withrger statues like Heracles.

    ¡°Whew...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong exhaled without saying a word and lifted his spoon. He still loved this. It made him feel like he had really returned. Although he hade back a month ago, things had been a little different back then. He hadn¡¯t been able to shake off the endless battle yet.

    He had thought everything would have been over with his regression, but his senses, heightened by the endless lighting, had refused to return to their original state. Hispanions could do nothing but look on pitifully at his sharp, de-like appearance that jumped at every sound.

    However, that had been a month ago. Now, he could say that most of the hardened edge had fallen off.

    ¡°Mmm...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked away while munching on his meat.

    ¡°...¡±

    Two quiet and elegant women were talking to each other in low voices.

    ¡°Athena...¡± Ungnyeo began. ¡°When are you and Heimdall nning to start dating properly?¡±

    She had spoken in a very quiet voice. It was so soft that it should have been difficult to hear in Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house, which was full of noise.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    However, everyone still most likely heard it seeing from Heimdall¡¯s reaction, who spat out the stew in his mouth.

    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s eat quickly and leave,¡± Zeus said, quickly changing the subject.

    ***

    Not everyone had gathered at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Heimdall¡¯s house. Although, as Jeong In-Chang had said, their house was too small, Horus and the others apparently hadn¡¯t been able to attend due to some international responsibilities.

    ¡°It looks like Lord Horus is busy,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°Well, it makes sense considering his position.¡±

    Horus, Liu Bei, and his brothers were in a slightly more special position than the otherpanions.

    ¡°Because of their responsibilities as leaders, they probably won¡¯t be able to meet us until tomorrow.¡±

    The Nile and Utgard had be representative guilds rather than secret organizations. As the leaders, Horus, Liu Bei, and his brothers became in charge of entire countries. Liu Bei had seeded his father as General Secretary, while Horus became the Secretary General of Egypt¡ªor rather, the League of Arab States. Their otherpanions would have been in the same position as well.

    ¡°Because our levels of responsibility would be different.¡±

    It was just as Zeus said, and that was why the others would arrive after attending official events.

    ¡°So, what do we n on doing today?¡± Arthur asked, his eyes shining.

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    Heimdall looked around. They were standing in a street full of people in the middle of a busy city. Despite that, people seemed to be passing by without any concern, even though world-famous people were standing right next to them. Of course, this was all due to Merlin¡¯s mind-retention spell enveloping their group.

    ¡°What do you think would be fun?¡±

    ¡°Did you not make ns beforehand?¡±

    ¡°No, because there are too many things we could do.¡±

    Heimdall, Arthur, and Zeus yfully squabbled as Lee Jun-Kyeong looked elsewhere.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s peaceful.¡¯</i>

    He turned to gaze at the street. People walked by on the street at night, which was a level of peace hard to find even before the cataclysm had erupted in the previous timeline. It truly waspletely different.

    <i>¡®It really is peaceful.¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t feel any anxiety or fearing from the humans. Hunters existed, and that meant that gates and monsters would also exist. Thus, people should have been somewhat afraid at all times, even in the midst of their ordinary daily lives.

    However, things were different now. There was no fear whatsoever within any of them.

    ¡°Karaoke...!¡± At that time, Ungnyeo, who had been walking quietly, interjected. ¡°Let¡¯s go to karaoke!¡±

    ¡°Sounds great.¡±

    ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Several people looked flustered by her suggestion, but because of Athena¡¯s agreement and Merlin¡¯s silent approval, they all realized that their destination had already been decided.

    ***

    ¡°AgHHHhHhhhHHH!¡±

    A sound that made one think a cow was being ughtered echoed in the room.

    Fortunately, Merlin¡¯s mind-retention spell didn¡¯t just prevent people from recognizing their appearances but could even change their voices.

    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t this song really good?¡±

    ¡°Is he a singer?¡±

    While the most important point was that it made it nearly impossible for people to recognize them, the side effect was that the singing that sounded like a cow writhing in pain seemed like a sweet bad to others.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong swallowed hisughter and left the room as the group seemed excited for the first time in a long time after arriving at karaoke. Who could have imagined it? The people who were stered all over the news just by visiting Korea were actually gathering at a karaoke downtown and making such loud <i>noises.</i>

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong left the karaoke room and sat down on the street. Just looking at the people passing by made him feel peaceful. The tension and vignce had long since subsided. There was no longer any reason for him to have to fight to the death or fight with anything on the line.

    This was true peace. Stability hade not just for himself but for everyone on the.

    ¡°Mr. Lee, why did youe out here?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sat next to Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he had followed him. A lot had also changed for Jeong In-Chang as well. He had been used as a tool by the Northern Army Guild in the past.

    <i>¡®Northern Army Guild Leader.¡¯</i>

    But now, he was the Guild Leader of the Northern Army Guild, also known as one of Korea¡¯s three major guilds. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him with a nk expression and just replied, ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡±

    It was such an unprompted remark, but Jeong In-Chang just turned his head to look at the street quietly alongside him in response.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    1. A stew vored primarily with fermented soybean paste ?

 Chapter 277. Side Story - Change Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 277. Side Story - Change Pt. 2</h4>

    <i>RUMBLE! RUMBLE!</i>

    The sound of snoring made the entire house shake.

    ¡°He really is impressive,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he looked at Heracles and shook his head softly.

    If he hadn¡¯t erected a soundproofing spell in the house, it really would have been a nightmare. Maybe from the apartment above and the apartment below¡ªno, someone might have opened their balcony door from the building across the street and shouted at them. Heracles'' snoring was that serious.

    However, everyone still seemed to be sleeping with peaceful expressions.

    ¡°Just what...¡±

    It seemed as though they all must have blocked their ears with mana or used a soundproofing spell. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at everyone with a nk expression. Everyone had gathered together at his home.

    The master bedroom was upied by the women of the group, while the rest of the guests were sprawled throughout the living room and the other two bedrooms.

    ¡°This was something I couldn¡¯t have imagined in the past,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong mused to himself as he smiled slightly.

    Every day had been a continuous battle. It was a life where he never knew where an enemy would appear. There hadn¡¯t been a single ce where he had peace. However, things were different now.

    All of them were able to truly let their tension go and sleep. Whether it was worries about gate breaks or fears that someone would attempt to assassinate them, everything had disappeared. It was a true peace.

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the sprawled group once more before heading toward the balcony. Jeong In-Chang had asked why they were living in such a small apartment when they had so much money.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±

    It was because Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted it. There was a clear view of the Han River and its lights from the balcony. He could see it in its entirety from this apartment.

    <i>¡®I also don¡¯t want to have to try to grasp any and everything just yet.¡¯</i>

    The reason Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t wanted to move to a better house or even buy a big house, car, or amass great wealth, was simple.

    <i>¡®I just want to live with the flow.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to stay away from all of that for now. Lee Jun-Kyeong stepped onto the balcony and exhaled

    <i>¡®How long do you think I¡¯ll have to live?¡¯</i>

    Even at this moment of stillness, the powers of the source and mana within him were growing. Most likely, as Jupiter had said, his body would continue to grow on its own. Something like lifespan was meaningless to someone who held such great power.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how long his life would be, and he felt as though if he went through everything in a rush and enjoyed all that life would have to offer, he wouldn¡¯t have anything to feel in the future.

    So, he would take his time and let life flow to him.

    ¡°It really has changed,¡± he said to himself as he looked down at the Han River.

    He had regressed, and the entire world had changed. Although the cause of the change in the world started with him, he himself wasn¡¯t the only driving factor behind the new world. It was all thanks to hispanions, who were currently sleeping behind him.

    <i>¡®Everyone worked hard.¡¯</i>

    They had all regained their memories before he had regressed and had worked tirelessly from the moment they remembered. They had honed their strength all for the world that Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted, to bring about a peaceful world.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong may have regressed with all of his powers intact, but they were different. They had only regained their memories.

    <i>¡®There weren''t even any Anngrs anymore.¡¯</i>

    How much effort had it taken for them to regain all of their strength? Of course, they had their memories from the future, so their growth would have progressed at a rapid pace as they all already knew what it felt like to be at the apex. Nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    ¡°The world...you all changed it.¡±

    With the power they had obtained with such hardship, they had changed the world. Olympus, Merlin and Arthur¡¯s Round Table had joined hands, handling anyrge-scale events that had urred in Europe.

    Unlike before, no one feared or avoided Olympus anymore. They were true Heroes. The same was true for the Round Table. They, who had hidden themselves from view and only focused on plights that arose in Ennd, revealed themselves and became active.

    <i>¡®They had a connection to the British Royal Family, too, didn¡¯t they.¡¯</i>

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know it, it was said that Merlin was the heir to the British Royal Family, which was why and how the Round Table had joined together with the royal family. Their influence,bined with that of Olympus, covered all of Europe. Under their care, Europe remained at peace.

    ¡°Liu Bei...¡±

    They had only been able to speak for a moment, but it had turned out that Liu Bei had be the General Secretary. Although Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t been told in detail what had led to that appointment, in the end, it seemed as though China had essentially be a dictatorship.

    <i>¡®He was probably dissatisfied with the current situation in China.¡¯</i>

    Liu Bei hadn¡¯t been happy with the current situation in his country. It was difficult to protect their citizens in the structure they had been in. This had led him to his ultimate decisions.

    He had inherited the position of General Secretary while simultaneously serving as the president of the Chinese Association. Although the world had been shocked by the young General Secretary, no one was able to look down upon him.

    <i>¡®I will step down as soon as China stabilizes.¡¯</i>

    Before the regression, China had be a frozennd due to the influence of the Gates. Now, without the Sponsors or any gate that could emit such influence, the Chinese citizens were able to lead their normal lives. If there was one thing that he hadn¡¯t expected, it was that Thjazi and Thrymr had also returned to China.

    ¡°I miss them, haha.¡±

    History had been changed, so he had been concerned about the giants of Utgard. If the Sponsors had disappeared and the Disaster-Grade Gates never appeared, wouldn¡¯t they also disappear?

    He thought that he might not be able to see them again after the regression. However, things were different from what he had expected. Utgard had still appeared¡ªthis time in the form of a Gate.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong tapped the balcony window as he mused. An S-Grade Gate had appeared in China. However, while everyone was shaking with fear, Liu Bei happily entered it. There, he had been able to meet Thjazi and Thrymr, who had regained their memories.

    ¡°They said they had emerged in China.¡±

    They had left the Gate and settled in China, prospering. The two giants had also wanted toe to the meeting but hadn¡¯t been able to do so due to various circumstances.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go see themter,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said before turning around.

    <i>RUMBLE! RUMBLE!</i>

    Heracles was still snoring while the others were still sleeping. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled before lying down on the sofa and closing his eyes. Now, it was time for him to go to sleep, too.

    ***

    Dawn arose on the next day as Arthur spoke, his face gaunt.

    ¡°Well, unfortunately, this is where we go,¡± he said, hungover.

    Although it was impossible for alcohol to actually take any effect on him, it was clear that the alcohol hadn¡¯t been detoxified on purpose.

    ¡°Merlin and I have urgent business to go to. Let¡¯s meet again next time.¡±

    Everyone had promised toe together and enjoy themselves once a month. Arthur and Merlin, who had kept their promise, were going to leave now.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Heimdall sighed with regret as Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Arthur.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to spend an unfathomable amount of time together from this point anyway. Put aside your regrets,¡± the knight said.

    ¡°I look forward to the next time,¡± Merlin also said, bowing their goodbyes with Arthur.

    <i>Ssss.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong could already feel a presence outside. They hadn''te alone.

    ¡°Next time, Gawain...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said. ¡°I hope he and Lancelot join us, too.¡±

    Even the previously dead Lancelot hade back. Neither of the Knights had any memory of Lee Jun-Kyeong, thinking that he was just special enough for the world¡¯s most powerful people to pay attention to.

    ¡°Hmm. Come to Ennd,¡± Arthur said while shrugging.

    They passed through the front door and left the apartment. It was a luxury apartment that boasted one of the best security levels in Korea, but it hadn¡¯t seemed to stop the Knights of the Round Table.

    As they left, Zeus also said, ¡°I guess we should go now, too.¡±

    Odysseus lifted Heracles.

    ¡°Ugk.¡±

    <i>¡®Just how much did he drink?¡¯</i>

    Heracles was still snoring away. Although Athena asked Zeus if she should <i>handle</i> it, Zeus threw up his hands and said no.

    ¡°Heracles has a hard time, too. He¡¯s the busiest person in Olympus,¡± he said as if that served as an excuse for the colossal man.

    ¡°Would you like to stay for a few more days?¡± Heimdall asked.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    However, Zeus justughed, and at the same time, his eyes turned to Athena. Athena''s cheeks turned red.

    "No! It¡¯s not like that!¡± Heimdall said urgently.

    Athena belonged to Olympus, and that was why he mainly lived in Europe.

    ¡°Well...we¡¯re off, then.¡±

    Despite Heimdall¡¯s pleas, Zeus left the house. They could feel it from the outside. There was already a group of people who hade to apany the Olympians home.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get some more sleep,¡± Jeong In-Chang said after the guests left.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, why don¡¯t you just move in then,¡± Heimdall grumbled as Jeong In-Chang fell right to sleep on the sofa.

    ¡°...¡±

    Now, the only person left was Ungnyeo, who looked at him with her hair still wet as if she had just washed it.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Heimdall cleared his throat and turned around.

    ¡°Go out and separate the recybles,¡± he said as he pointed toward the massive pile of trash.

    In the aftermath of their party, an incredible amount of trash had been produced and shoved into a corner of the apartment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Ungnyeo said as she started to gather the trash.

    ***

    Originally, North Korea had copsed from the influence of the Disaster-Grade Gate created in China, bing a barren and istednd. Ungnyeo had been the head of Heaven Lake Vige, where all the survivors had been gathered.

    In this timeline, everything changed when Lee Jun-Kyeong regressed. China was fine, and North Korea hadpletely changed.

    ¡°I was surprised.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a barrennd anymore but a ce full of life.

    ¡°You¡¯re the new representative of North Korea?¡±

    It had be a pristine symbol of nature.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    In the original timeline, North Korea¡¯s destruction had already urred by this point. The actual copse of North Korea hadn¡¯t only been from the side effects of the Disaster-Grade Gate but because of their own circumstances as well.

    However, now that they had regressed, things were different. Ungnyeo hade forth as a leader because the people in power were already all gone.

    Due to the nuclear weapons that had been dropped on North Korea, all of their leadership had disappeared. So, as soon as Ungnyeo had awakened her memories, she took action. She began to lead everyone in ce of the disappeared ruling ss.

    Thend had be uninhabitable due to radiation, but Sangun and Ungnyeo were purifying it through their powers as they grew stronger and stronger.

    ¡°That was why Sangun hadn¡¯t been able toe. He asked me to send my apologies. Of course, he also asked for you toe visit at least once.¡±

    Thus, the North Korean citizens were able to remain in their homnd. Unlike in the past, when they were faced with bitter despair, they were able to find a path to life.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of unification talks with South Korea.¡±

    ¡°Unification talks...wait, <i>you¡¯re</i> in the middle of them?¡±

    Ungnyeo was the representative in those talks as well.

    "Yes. It¡¯s taking some time to coordinate the details.¡±

    ¡°O...oh.¡±

    ¡°I mean, it is the integration of two countries. As the representative of North Korea, I can¡¯t let us unify while only taking losses. I feel as though I still need to create an environment in which the North Koreans can thrive at the very least.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong silently separated the stics after hearing that.

    ¡°Where are Hyeon-Mu and Hel?¡± Ungnyeo asked.

    The two Familiars weren¡¯t at yesterday¡¯s party, either. Nor were they seen today.

    ¡°There¡¯s a mission I entrusted to them. They¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as he continued to separate out the recybles.

    There was a moment of silence before the two heard a voice.

    ¡°Oh dear. Is that a young couple sorting the stics?¡±[1]

    ¡°Did you say the representative of North Korea? Are you talking about that Iron Blood Witch or something?¡±

    "There¡¯s no way. Her face ispletely different.¡±

    ¡°I mean, before that. Do you really think that someone like that would be sorting trash in a ce like this?¡±

    The neighborhood aunties hade over and started gossiping as if they had heard their conversation. Ungnyeo lowered her head as if she was embarrassed, while Lee Jun-Kyeong nonchntly responded to the aunties with a mischievous smile, ¡°But she really is the Iron Blood Witch.¡±

    ¡°Hohoho, this young man is quite entertaining.¡±

    Of course, Lee Jun-Kyeong was also left lowering his head in embarrassment at the words that soon followed.

    ¡°Are you newlyweds?¡±

    1. One of the stereotypes in Korea is that the younger generation doesn¡¯t care enough about recycling. ?

 Chapter 278. Side Story - Change Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 278. Side Story - Change Pt. 3</h4>

    The cold, iced chocte went down his throat while leaving a subtle sweetness in his mouth. Lee Jun-Kyeong put the straw in his mouth again and gulped it down, continuing to drink his beverage. As he did so, his eyes were focused outside his window.

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    He took another sip of iced chocte. Lee Jun-Kyeong was in the middle of Gangnam. Maybe it was because it was where the association''s headquarters was located.

    ¡°Hungteodeuri a lot,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a muffled voice as his mouth filled with the iced chocte again.

    People passed by outside of the window. They all seemed slightly off in some way, different from that of ordinary humans. They were Hunters, armed with weapons to hunt monsters, each one¡¯s appearance unique from the next.

    <i>nk. nk. nk.</i>

    They casually walked down the street, their armor nking with every step. This was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen before.

    <i>¡®But it doesn¡¯t feel ufortable anymore.¡¯</i>

    The people truly epted these Hunters, which was different from in the past. Before he had regressed, the Hunters were either praised or despised. They were thought of as either Heroes sacrificing themselves to save humanity or perceived as enemies who threatened ordinary humans with their incredible strength.

    Things were different now.

    ¡°They¡¯re the same as the humans.¡±

    People saw the Hunters as just the same as they were. Thus, even with their unusual behavior or appearances, the regr humans didn¡¯t pay any attention to them. Instead, while Lee Jun-Kyeong saw some looks of admiration, he couldn¡¯t see any looks of disdain.

    The same was true for the Hunters. In the past, the Hunters had a tendency to look down on ordinary humans. With their superior strength, they tended to think of themselves as a new form of humanity.

    They ignored the ordinary humans who didn¡¯t have the power of Hunters or the support of a Sponsor, assuming them to be the unchosen, the root of all internal conflicts within humanity.

    However, it was different now because the Sponsors had disappeared.

    Ungnyeo had already finished her iced chocte. She spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong while resting her chin in her hand.

    ¡°You no longer need to be sponsored to be a Hunter.¡±

    The Sponsors had all disappeared, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed while preserving a point in time after the Demon King had already killed all of the Sponsors. The Sponsors no longer existed, but there were still Hunters.

    ¡°Now, you can be a Hunter through effort.¡±

    No one needed to risk their lives and gamble anymore by entering a gate to try to prove oneself. There was no need to bank on being chosen by a Sponsor and do something that would result in death unless one was chosen.

    In this world, being a Hunter was something anyone could do if they wanted to. A sprout of mana had sprouted within every human being, and it could be developed through one¡¯s own efforts. Once their mana exceeded a certain level, one would gain strong power.

    <i>¡®In other words, level up.¡¯</i>

    It was exactly like it sounded. In a world where the Sponsors had disappeared, the Hunters still existed. All of them had be yers.

    Each one was now able to level up and be stronger with effort. The world had be a ce where anyone could develop themselves with effort.

    ¡°This is the world you created. Jun-Kyeong,¡± Ungnyeo said, sweeping her long, ck hair to the side.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, for some reason, all Lee Jun-Kyeong could focus on was Ungnyeo¡¯s thin neck.

    ***

    The Sponsors had disappeared, but the Hunters had not. Hunters, who were born and would have be stronger thanks to the support of the Sponsors, had somehow appeared in a world without Sponsors.

    Even more surprisingly, they all had obtained the yer ability that Lee Jun-Kyeong had. It was the power to pioneer oneself through one¡¯s own strength and be stronger through effort. The power to not be fooled by the tricks of a Sponsor.

    Everyone had that kind of power, and the same was true for Zeus or even Jeong In-Chang. They were no longer tied to Sponsors.

    <i>¡®Hunters still exist, and so do ¡®the Gates.¡¯</i>

    If only Hunters still existed, then the situation could still have been dangerous. Strength without direction created chaos. However, just as before he had regressed, both Hunters and Gates still existed in this world. The Gates and monsters were things that Sponsors had used to train and shape their vessels.

    Now it was different.

    ¡°Could they be considered scraps?¡±

    It was true that the Sponsors were dead. It was a fact that the Demon King had disappeared. He had regressed after those two things had been decided and preserved. However, the problems that the Sponsors had created after millennia of existence were still not resolved.

    The extinction of countless dimensions and the remnants that were created as a result were still present. The monsters appeared in the world just as they had originally. The others were still investigating the Gates, but they still had a general understanding.

    The numerous dimensions and monsters left behind by the Sponsors appeared without stopping.

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably continue endlessly.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t know how many dimensions of monsters existed, nor did he know how much longer humanity would have to face them in the future.

    ¡®<i>If I got involved, I might be able to handle it, but...¡¯</i>

    If he were to be a more perfect <i>God</i> than he was now, then he most likely would have been able to destroy the root of the Gates. However, he had no intention of doing that.

    <i>¡®After all, gates don¡¯t pose a major threat to humanity.¡¯</i>

    There was only one reason why the Gates had been feared in the previous timeline: no one knew when a Gate might copse and unleash a monster tide. Monster tides were things that even the ordinary humans who had no interaction with the lives of Hunters could get caught up in. Hence, the people were forced to live in fear of monster tides at any time.

    However, things were different now.

    <i>¡®Gates don¡¯t copse anymore.¡¯</i>

    Gate breaks never happened, as Gates wouldn¡¯t copse unless they were cleared.

    No matter how powerful a Gate was, no matter how powerful the monsters contained within could be, they could never be enemies of ordinary humans. The Gates had just developed into a form that served as driving forces for the growth of Hunters while not threatening humanity in any way.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had his suspicions as to why.

    <i>¡®It might be because the very existence of the Sponsors, the greatest threat to humanity, had disappeared.¡¯</i>

    ¡°This really is a peaceful world.¡±

    Regardless of the reason, it was peaceful. It was just a world that developed simply by goals and purposes. No longer were there any enemies.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky for a moment. He had nothing to do every single day. Like Zeus, Ungnyeo also left the cafe.

    ¡°I have an appointment with the President...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong burst outughing at Ungnyeo¡¯s changed appearance. Hispanions were busy. They continued to change the world and maintain peace, always growing in order to do so. There was no longer anything like Anngr for them to experience, and thus, they had to build up their strength again.

    They grew, hunted, and made every effort without stopping. To be frank, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the fact that they had evene to see him, even if it was only once a month, was something he should be thankful for.

    ¡°Horus said he would bete...and Liu Bei said the same, right?¡±

    Although Lee Jun-Kyeong missed thepanions he hadn¡¯t seen yet, it was understandable because they were so busy.

    <i>Beep, beep.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong entered the door lock code and opened the door. There was one thing that he liked the most about such a peaceful world; it was that he had a home to return to at any time.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    ***

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as he stood with a nk expression on his face. Jeong In-Chang was lounging around Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s house with nothing but a pair of athletic boxer briefs on.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my house was too small?¡±

    It was as if the Hunter had thought Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s home was his own.

    ¡°It only felt small because there were so many people. But looking at it now, it¡¯s quitefortable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jeong In-Chang responded.

    He then looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and continued, ¡°Moreover, that¡¯s beside the point. Has your date already ended??!¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked a little flustered. ¡°A date?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sat, scratching at his crotch as he said, ¡°I mean I even left early because Ungnyeo came back after such a long time so you two could spend some time together.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You two don¡¯t get to meet often because you¡¯re so busy, right? How did you mess up such an opportunity...¡±

    ¡°Whatever...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, cupping his face in his hands and shaking his head as if he was tired.

    <i>¡®Why did he change into this...¡¯</i>

    If he had to go back and pick hispanion with thergest amount of growth, it would be Jeong In-Chang. The Hunter had used to be such a loyal and hardworking person. However, the Jeong In-Chang he saw before him...

    ¡°When did you be such an uncle??!¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t that old, thosezy little eyes, the hand scratching at his crotch, even the bed head... What on Earth had happened to him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hurt,¡± Jeong In-Chang replied. ¡°This is my real appearance!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we in peaceful times?! It¡¯s good to rx and have a little fun.¡±

    ¨CWhoa!!!

    As he said so, Jeong In-Chang turned on a music broadcast show featuring female idols dancing.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. You should learn a thing or two from him.¡± At that time, Heimdall also opened the door and entered. ¡°It¡¯s necessary to enjoy peace.¡±

    Heimdall was dressed neatly.

    ¡°A way to enjoy peace...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered what Heimdall said. It had been one month since his regression, and no battles had broken out. He hadn¡¯t entered any Gates, encountered any monsters, or gotten into any trouble with any Hunters.

    It was peaceful. He, too, should be enjoying it, but...

    ¡°Am I not enjoying it properly...¡±

    ¡°Yes. You still have your walls up,¡± Heimdall said. ¡°You still have nightmares, don¡¯t you? You still live with barriers up everywhere, and you haven¡¯t stopped watching your surroundings everywhere you go.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    He <i>had</i> to. No matter how peaceful a time may be, at least that much was...

    ¡°Nothing can threaten you anymore,¡± said Heimdall firmly. He had read Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s expression urately. ¡°Just rest. There are no more enemies. Go watch music shows and go date someone like other kids your age do, even if it¡¯s not going to be Ungnyeo.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head. Heimdall might be right. He may not actually be enjoying the peace.

    <i>¡®Was it because of a lifetime of struggle?¡¯</i>

    Even then, during the era of Eden, before he got the name Lee Jun-Kyeong, it had always been a struggle there, too. In order to survive, he had to hold his breath while watching the Hunters¡¯ every move. He had to hide as much as possible as he didn¡¯t know when he would die.

    Immediately following that, he had returned to the past and lived as Lee Jun-Kyeong, a life of even further struggle. He had to struggle in order to live, save the world, and change the world. He had lived without rest.

    <i>¡®I...¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong realized he may not know how to rest. It was time for him to change that.

    "Where are you going?" Jeong In-Chang asked Heimdall. The Hunter was dressed smartly, and Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that Heimdall was wearing a suit for the first time in a long time.

    ¡°To the Association. Do you want to go, too? Also, didn¡¯t you say you had something to do, In-Chang?¡±

    ¡°Ah... I¡¯ll goter.¡±

    For some reason, Jeong In-Chang looked a little ufortable as Heimdall¡¯s gaze focused on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°The Association...¡±

    In the past, it was Odin and Baldur¡¯s home and the headquarters of the secret organization Asgard. He had roughly heard the story of what was going on there, but he hadn¡¯t yet set foot in its halls yet.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even registered as a Hunter yet, right? Let¡¯s go do that right now. You never know when you¡¯re going to need a Hunter Registration. You don¡¯t think you canze around at home forever, do you?¡±

    ¡°Are you making fun of me because I¡¯m unemployed?¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Heimdall said, smiling slightly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded cautiously. ¡°All right.¡±

    For the first time since he had regressed back to the past, he would head to the Association today¡ªthe ce where <i>he</i> still held domain as President in this timeline.

    <i>¡®Odin...¡¯</i>

 Chapter 279. Side Story - Change Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 279. Side Story - Change Pt. 4</h4>

    Before his regression, the Korean Association had been powerful and had a secret organization hidden behind the scenes led by Odin. Back then, the Korean Association couldn¡¯t be ignored by anyone in the world andpeted for world supremacy.

    Even now, after he had regressed, things were no different from the past.

    ¡°Well, it looks the same.¡±

    The new form of Hunters, the yers, had abilities just like those of characters in games. It was said that the Koreans quickly adapted to such changes because Koreans were on another level when it came to games.[1]

    Before his original regression, it was said that the advent of the Gates had urred about two years before Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed. However, history had changed when he regressed after the death of the Sponsors and the disappearance of the Demon King.

    When he returned the second time, the advent of the Gates had urred fifteen years earlier. Therefore, hispanions had been able to umte great power even without Anngr.

    <i>¡®There were others, too.¡¯</i>

    Over seventeen years had passed since the Gates had appeared, and more powerful people had appeared than in the past. Currently, secret organizations no longer existed. Instead, they were in the form of guilds rather than working secretly behind the scenes.

    However, the guilds had maintained just as much, if not more, power than what they had in the past. Their power had been umted continuously over a longer period of time. Korea was still the country with the highest level of skill in the world of Hunters, and the owner of the Association that held the focus of that power was still Odin.

    ¡°Odin...¡±

    ¡°Did you want to meet Odin?¡± Heimdall asked carefully.

    From what Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard, Odin seemed a little different from what he remembered.

    <i>¡®They probably would have taken care of him already if they thought he was dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Hispanions would have already taken Odin down if he had been a concern, but Odin was still alive and still held power. That meant that he wasn¡¯t as dangerous as before.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Nevertheless, Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t want to meet Odin just yet. There was no particr reason; he just felt a little ufortable.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Heimdall nodded in agreement.

    <i>Crreaak.</i>

    Suddenly, the car stopped. As soon as the luxury sedan stopped, all gazes became focused on them. Hunters belonged to the upper tier of socioeconomic standing. However, even for them, the car that Lee Jun-Kyeong and Heimdall were riding boasted an unreasonable cost.

    ¡°Siegfried, that bastard, rides an even better car.¡±

    As the Guild Leader of the Northern Army Guild, one of Korea¡¯s threergest guilds and one of the world¡¯s top ten guilds, Jeong In-Chang seemed to be earning more than he expected.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just a little irritating whenever that little brat unts it around.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Well, it wasn¡¯t as if Jeong In-Chang was doing it with malicious intent. He was just teasing Heimdall.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna knock some sense into him someday.¡±

    Although Heimdall had been the Guild Leader of the rising League Guild in Korea in the previous timeline, he wasn¡¯t currently maintaining a guild. He was someone who took great pride in his activities as a Hunter. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the reason Heimdall didn¡¯t lead a guild was himself.

    <i>¡®He said he wanted to spend time with me...¡¯</i>

    Heimdall had wanted to spend time with him rather than going on raids and thus had organized everything and just waited for him. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that he hadn¡¯t done anything, as he still had to make a living.

    ¡°Huh??! It¡¯s Heimdall!!!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Has a Great Gate appeared?¡±

    The Hunters whispered as they watched Heimdall get out of the car. Heimdall shrugged as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if the response of the crowd was a frequent urrence.

    ¡°I have to go meet the President of the Association first...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning on registering as a Hunter?¡± Heimdall asked with a deep smirk.

    Taking Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s silence as an affirmation, Heimdall¡¯s smirk grew even deeper.

    ¡°Do it in moderation,¡± he said as he moved on.

    Suddenly, people who appeared to be employees of the Association appeared and escorted him somewhere. Unlike before, Heimdall wasn¡¯t the Guild Leader of the League Guild. He wasn¡¯t even a member of the secret organization Asgard. He was just an individual Hunter.

    ¡°He¡¯s an SSS Rank Hunter! Heimdall just passed us by!¡±

    He was someone with a rank that not even ten people around the world had reached. In this timeline, he had reached the highest level. Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled as he watched the Association be noisy. From the crowded ce due to Heimdall¡¯s appearance, a familiar face approached him.

    ***

    ¡°The Korean Association puts more effort into nurturing new talent than anywhere else in the world,¡± the man said as he pointed to several ces.

    Those who clearly appeared to be rookie Hunters were receiving instruction in various ces.

    ¡°From equipment for new Hunters...¡±

    There was a well-arranged array of weapons off to one side.

    ¡°We even have a training center for people to develop their skills.¡±

    There was even a training ground that looked solid. It certainly seemed like the Korean Association was putting a lot of effort into nurturing new talent.

    In a stiff tone, the man continued to exin, ¡°Moreover, the number of Hunters in Korea is by no means insufficientpared to other countries. There are so many people aspiring to be Hunters here that in terms of percentage, it would rank among the top three in the world.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard that before. People could choose to be Hunters by their own choice, not by the whims of a Sponsor.

    The world had changed, and there were no longer as many dangerous things for ordinary humans. Despite that, the lives of Hunters were still the same. It wasn¡¯t that there were no risks, just that they were simply reduced due to the structured system. The time Hunters spent in the Gates was still enough to endanger their lives. Nevertheless, there were still a lot of aspiring Hunters in Korea.

    ¡°There are few ces where Hunters have better recognition than Korea,¡± the man finished.

    The man had a stiff tone of voice and a stony expression. However, suddenly, he began tough.

    ¡°Do you n on bing a Hunter?¡± the man asked quietly.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong responded lightly, ¡°Yes, I n to.¡±

    Before he knew it, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw a big hand in front of him.

    ¡°It is an honor. I¡¯ve been waiting for today...¡± the man said. ¡°Mr. Lee.¡±

    The man called Lee Jun-Kyeong by name, his eyes beginning to water.

    ¡°I am also honored,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, smiling. ¡°Mr. Kim.¡±

    The man before him was a man who had helped him in many ways as he became a Hunter in the past regression. However, because of his weaker strength, the time they had been able to spend together hadn¡¯t been long. Still, the man had tried in many ways to help him all the way to the end.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said sincerely to the man standing right before him, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong.

    Unlike the others, who had awakened their memories of him quickly, Kim Su-Yeong had said that it hadn¡¯t been that long since he had awakened his memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard that after doing so, Kim Su-Yeong had left Korea. As before, Kim Su-Yeong had been working as a low-level employee of the Association and had quit his job the day he had awakened his memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong, traveling the world.

    ¡°I tried to be stronger,¡± Kim Su-Yeong said. ¡°I tried with everything I had.¡±

    After quitting his stable job, Kim Su-Yeong had risked his life by traveling through Gates all around the world. He had spent all of his time trying to be stronger. Having finally returned, it was just yesterday that Lee Jun-Kyeong heard the news of his return. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had even shown up at the Association.

    It was said that as soon as Kin Su-Yeong had returned to the country, he hade straight to the Association.

    <i>¡®Please take me again.¡¯</i>

    What he had wanted from the Association after he had grown in fame was nothing but to request to be epted as a junior employee once again. From the Association''s point of view, it was an absurd ask. Although the Association had offered him a high-ranking position in response, Kim Su-Yeong had reportedly declined.

    ¡°From now on, I have been assigned as the dedicated manager of the Association for Mr. Lee...!¡±

    There was only one thing that he had wanted: to be of aid to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°I will be by your side! For! Ever!¡±

    That was it.

    ¡°It would be an honor to serve the Hero who saved the world. Would you grant me that honor?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly nodded. Kim Su-Yeong was also apanion, so he grasped the offered hand into a vigorous handshake.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by registering as a Hunter.¡±

    There was something still important that remained.

    ***

    Kim Su-Yeong stood in a neat suit.

    ¡°That¡¯s Kim Su-Yeong, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I heard he came back to Korea...¡±

    ¡°What guild did he join?¡±

    Gazes and voices followed him around. There were many people who were interested in him, but none of them could easily talk to him.

    ¡°I heard he didn¡¯t join a guild?¡±

    ¡°Then is he working solo?¡±

    ¡°I even saw Heimdall today, too... They really are living the high life.¡±

    The attention of the Hunters was focused on him. Among them, there was one with a sharp eye.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Noticing something, he raised a question.

    ¡°The nametag...!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Look at the nametag!¡±

    The Hunters focused their gazes as soon as he finished speaking. It was true. There was a yellow name tag that didn¡¯t match the neat suit. The yellow name tag meant one thing.

    ¡°A manager...?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that he¡¯s running around after some newbie? Kim Su-Yeong??!¡±

    The title manager meant that one was an employee who managed the growth of the new Hunters. Then, their gazes naturally turned over to the Hunter standing next to Kim Su-Yeong. The Hunter that they had thought was merely an acquaintance of Kim Su-Yeong was just a new Hunter? And with Kim Su-Yeong as his manager??!

    ¡°Wow, what a lucky guy.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s a Hunter yet?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a Hunter mark.¡±

    The Association gave certificates to registered Hunters, provided as an item desired by all Hunters in the form of a brooch or essory. That item had be the mark that identified Hunters. However, the person next to Kim Su-Yeong had no such mark. Any Hunter, or rather, any Hunter that joined the Association, had to wear a mark.

    ¡°Then are they just friends?¡±

    As the crowd tried to figure out what was going on and gossiped among themselves, the observant Hunter from earlier shouted again.

    ¡°Huh??!!!! They¡¯re going to the Hunter Registry!!!¡±

    ***

    In the past, mana had been measured during a Hunter¡¯s registration, verifying one¡¯s mana reserves and the skills one received from a Sponsor. However, the system had changed quite a bit in this timeline.

    <i>¡®Mana is not important.¡¯</i>

    That was what Odin had said. Mana was a great tool to measure the strength of Hunters. The more powerful a Hunter¡¯s mana, the more likely that Hunter would be strong.

    However, Odin thought otherwise. It was true that mana was important, but he had decided to look at more than just someone¡¯s grasp of raw mana.

    <i>¡®Use of skills, physical ability, ability to handle weapons, etc. There are many things you need to know to check a hunter¡¯s strength.¡¯</i>

    He wanted to focus on real strength. It was rumored that Odin had a reason for thinking that way. He had met an unidentified Hunter while he had been going through several Gates for training. Although the Hunter had definitely had much less mana than Odin, Odin had been defeated miserably on that day.

    After that day, the Korean Association¡¯s system had changed from a method of measuring a Hunter¡¯s rank in terms of mana to a method that evaluated overall ability. Furthermore, that method was soon adopted by Associations around the world because it proved to be a much more urate way than measuring mana alone.

    ¡°Firstly, are there any weapons you know how to handle?¡± asked an employee at the Hunter Registry. The employee seemed nervous as Kim Su-Yeong was watching from the side.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at the array of weapons and exhaled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which one you choose. Moreover, even if you can¡¯t handle any weapons...¡±

    As the Hunter manning the registry spoke, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already walked forward.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    He stopped before an object on the disy shelf: a spear. Lifting the spear, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s hand began to shake. Although the others thought that his arms were shaking because the spear was too heavy, in reality, it was different. Lee Jun-Kyeong could hear a voice in his head.

    ¨CDrop it.

    It was the voice of Surtr, his treasured spear, being jealous.

    <i>¡®Please let it go, this one time,¡¯</i> Lee Jun-Kyeong carefully asked Surtr.

    1. T1T1T1T1 ALL ROADS LEAD TO ME (iyknyk) ?

 Chapter 280. Side Story - Change Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 280. Side Story - Change Pt. 5</h4>

    The training ground where the exams for Hunter registrations were held was unusually noisy today.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Is something going on?¡±

    Seeing the crowd of people, more and more people flocked to the area.

    It had been a long time since the Hunter Registry had been this busy. Hunter registration was a process that could happen at any time as long as the Association was open. Moreover, since new Hunters usually were nothing big to look at, most Hunters didn¡¯t pay any attention to them. The only people present were scouts from each guild who were watching quietly for talent.

    However, something strange was happening today.

    ¡°That manager is Kim Su-Yeong!!¡±

    ¡°I heard that Kim Su-Yeong had be that person¡¯s manager before he even registered!¡±

    A would-be Hunter hade to register with Kim Su-Yeong.

    ¡°They said that he knocked out the examiner with a single hit!¡±

    ¡°What??!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be at least B rank to be an examiner?¡±

    It was said that during his registration test, the man next to Kim Su-Yeong had defeated the examiner with a single attack. A rumor spread quickly, and to everyone¡¯s horror, Hunters were still gathering en masse.

    <i>BOOOMMM!</i>

    Then, all of a sudden, it sounded like the building was copsing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°Are we being attacked?!¡±

    There was no way that a well-known Hunter was attacking the Association. Nevertheless, the sudden change was more than enough to confuse the Hunters. Then, at that moment, the dust fell, and everyone could see what had happened.

    ¡°W...what the fu...!¡±

    ***

    ¡°Ha...haha...hahaha...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled awkwardly.

    <i>Crack!!!</i>

    Even as he smiled, the walls continued to crack.

    The walls of the training center had been created through intense research and technological development. Despite that, a crack was riding up the side of the wall.

    ¡°Th...there¡¯s no way!!¡± shouted a Hunter at the registry office in astonishment.

    ¡°The training center was made with A-Grade Monsters in mind!¡±

    As he said, the walls of the training ground were so hard that most Hunters couldn¡¯t even scratch them. Although they were said to have been created to block the attacks of A-Grade monsters, in reality, the walls were sturdy enough to block even the attacks of S-Grade monsters to some extent.

    The Hunters beyond the ss wall shouted as they looked at the walls meant to contain the strongest of monsters.

    ¡°It¡¯s been destroyed just by wind pressure??!¡±

    ¡°Um...ha...hahaha.... Well...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled awkwardly again and scratched his head. He hadn¡¯t done this because he had wanted to.

    An examiner had shown up asking to test his spear skills. Thus, all Lee Jun-Kyeong had done was raise the spear to settle into a stance. However, the wind pressure emitted from the movement of the spear flung the examiner and broke the wall.

    ¡°...¡±

    Kim Su-Yeong red at Lee Jun-Kyeong as if he was embarrassed.

    ¨CDidn¡¯t you say that you liked just being quiet?

    More than a month has already passed since Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned, and during that time, he had done nothing.

    <i>¡®It looks like you want to just live quietly.¡¯</i>

    Thus, hispanions and those who knew him had thought that Lee Jun-Kyeong, who had obtained unfathomable strength, had just wanted a quiet life. Therefore, they had thought that he would only show moderate strength during the registration process.

    ¨CThis...is a little excessive.

    Even Kim Su-Yeong shook his head as he sent a voice transmission.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it...¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though he was being unfairly characterized in his own way. ¡°I really... I was really just trying to make a stance...¡±

    Although it just sounded like he was making an excuse, Kim Su-Yeong quickly blocked his voice from spreading with a wall of mana. The one under the most stress right now was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>Tremble.</i>

    As he slowly looked over the devastation, his hands were shaking. Only then did Lee Jun-Kyeong understand why this situation had happened.

    <i>¡®There are two reasons.¡¯</i>

    The first was that it had been a long time since he had released his power. He hadn¡¯t considered his own growing strength, which was growing even at this very moment. That was why he hadpletely failed to control it.

    The second reason was a little more nefarious.

    <i>¡®Are you seriously going to be like this, Surtr?¡¯</i>

    Surtr was upset because Lee Jun-Kyeong was holding a different spear and had secretly lent Lee Jun-Kyeong its power. The result was what was shown.

    ¡°Ugh...¡±

    The examiner, who had copsed, was still unable toe to his senses. Already, there were plenty of Hunters outside.

    ¡°Hunter... Kim...?¡± The clerk at the registry office seemed to need an exnation.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, even Kim Su-Yeong didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¨CYou¡¯ve made too big of a mess this time.

    Not only were there so many gazes watching them, but everything at the registry office was also recorded on video. If Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to live a normal life, then he could already have been considered to have failed.

    ¡°Huh???!!!!¡±

    At that time, there was amotion among the crowd again. The Hunters moved in perfect order as those who had gathered just to watch began to split apart and make a path like trained soldiers.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    It felt as though just the sound of the approaching footsteps was making the building vibrate. The Hunters held their breath as the Hunter at the registry office lowered his head, eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°...!¡±

    In the midst of that, the Association President Odin walked, approaching the training center.

    ¡°Odin...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at him with sunken eyes before being able to see who was walking next to him. Surprisingly, he saw other people he recognized.

    ¡°Dear Brother!¡±

    Horus.

    ¡°You¡¯ve really made a big one this time, Mr. Lee.¡±

    Liu Bei.

    ¡°...¡±

    And even Heimdall, with a bewildered expression on his face. The three of them were heading towards the training center alongside Odin.

    ¡°Lord Horus¡¯ brother...?¡±

    ¡°Is Association President Liu Bei speaking formally to him?¡±

    Because of those who had just arrived, a more significant confusion began to arise.

    ***

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had already gone beyond smiling awkwardly and was now freezing like a stone statue.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>''Why?''</i>

    That question continued to revolve around his mind. Just why on Earth were they alling toward where he was?

    <i>¡®Why are they letting others know that they know me??¡¯</i>

    As Kim Su-Yeong had originally assumed, Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to live quietly. His life could be considered long by some or short by others. However, all would acknowledge that his entire life had been marked by struggle. After his return, Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to live differently than before.

    The only reason he had gone to register as a Hunter had been so that he could clear gates from time to time, either for entertainment or to help the family budget. However, he couldn¡¯t understand why Horus was smiling too heartily as he looked at him.

    ¡°Hahaha!!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Fortunately, at least Heimdall had kept his mouth shut as if he knew what Lee Jun-Kyeong was feeling. All eyes focused on him as <i>that person</i> approached.

    <i>¡®Odin.¡¯</i>

    Nothing had changed from before. He was still a handsome middle-aged man with an eyepatch over one of his eyes. Even his title was still Odin. Considering that the current Hunters had to earn their titles themselves rather than be given one by the Sponsors, he seemed to have had a great connection with the title Odin from the very beginning.

    Odin walked closer as the Hunters around them fell silent at the sudden appearance of the Association President and other equally big figures.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?¡± he said in a cold tone. It was just like before. This was definitely Odin.

    ¡°Well....¡±

    The registry office employee ran to Odin and began to exin. Although the exnation was short, Odin¡¯s face clearly showed interest.

    ¡°Oh, ho?¡±

    Although the person before him seemed to be acquainted with Horus, Heimdall and Liu Bei, Odin seemed to be even more interested in the fact that the person had shown such incredible skills for a rookie Hunter.

    <i>Scritch, scritch.</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head and turned slightly to the side.

    ¡°Could I ask you for an exnation?¡± Odin said to Horus in a polite voice.

    <i>¡®He really is different from before.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯t forget to keep an eye on Odin during the entire time. This was their first meeting after he had regressed. In the past, Odin had been someone who had stood on the opposite side.

    Horus opened his mouth and responded nonchntly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Lee Jun-Kyeong is my brother.¡±

    "Brothers...?¡±

    ¡°Since he is my brother, it is natural for him to be strong. He is someone I acknowledge even more than I do myself...!¡±

    Although Horus was beginning to talk more and more excitedly, after looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s and Heimdall¡¯s gazes, he quickly shut his mouth.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    <i>¡®Why has he changed like this?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong looked even more flustered. Hispanions had obtained their memories of their past lives a very long time ago. Of course, he understood that some of them had their personalities changed in the process.

    That was especially true for Horus. Even when he had met him a month ago, Lee Jun-Kyeong had realized that Horus¡¯ personality had changed to a surprising degree.

    His bandaged appearance was the same. Despite that, it felt as though his personality had be both familiar but also lighter and more easy-going than before.

    <i>¡®Still, this is a little too easy-going, isn¡¯t it?¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head.

    ¡°Brothers...?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! Siblings! As I said, he is the dear brother of I, the great Horus of Egypt!¡±

    By this point, the water had already spilled, and Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Then, he regretted leaving his house.

    ¡°Because of Mr. Lee, Korea will prosper forever.¡±

    Even Liu Bei had to be stopped...

    "Shit...¡± Heimdall cursed at the situation that had already urred.

    Liu Bei, China¡¯s new General Secretary and the Association President of the entire Chinese Association, had suddenly said something like that¡ªif any random Hunter had said something like that, it would have been dismissed as a joke or nonsense. But for him to do so...

    ¡°What on earth is this!?¡±

    ¡°Kim Su-Yeong is the manager, and...¡±

    ¡°The brother of Horus?¡±

    ¡°Korea will prosper forever because of him?¡±

    These were all words uttered by the world¡¯s top Hunters. It was so befuddling that even Odin had a puzzled look on his face. At that time, an ominous smile spread across Heimdall''s lips.

    He had just sighed as if he had just given up on everything, but his expression had suddenly changed. Almost like...

    ¡°NO!¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted.

    Heimdall¡¯s expression was of someone who had given up on everything and was willing to go with the flow. A face that he would always make without fail before causing an ident. Everything around them exploded.

    ¡°This is my son!!!!!!¡±

    Heimdall smiled with an irresponsible expression as he looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong. <i>¡®You were already screwed anyway.¡¯</i>

    ***

    ¡°The son of Heimdall...¡±

    The group sat at the Korean Association President¡¯s Office. None of the people gathered there were ordinary.

    Horus was said to be the king behind the scenes and ruled over all of Egypt while Liu Bei was the General Secretary of China and Association President of the Chinese Association. Furthermore, Kim Su-Yeong was someone who had suddenly left the Association and built a reputation, all just to return to work as a low-level employee.

    Finally, there was even one of the few Apex Hunters in the world, Heimdall.

    ¡°Ha...haha...hahaha...¡±

    Odinughed as if it were absurd. Everything that had just happened had been because of that young man. Who on Earth was he?

    <i>¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯</i>

    If it was about identity, he already knew who he was. Didn¡¯t the others say it already? The brother of Horus, the benefactor of Liu Bei, and the son of Heimdall?

    "Well...yes, that''s right,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong answered.

    Nevertheless, Odin couldn¡¯t easily believe it, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had only just appeared all of a sudden. Heimdall''s family had already been investigated. He wasn¡¯t supposed to have any family. Moreover, neither Horus nor Liu Bei had any history of brothers or benefactors in Korea.

    Just who on earth was this person?

    ¡°Whew...¡±

    Odin sighed deeply and rested his head on his hands. Moreover, there was one more thing.

    <i>¡®Just how...¡¯</i>

    How strong was he? The young man before him had apparently caused a crack in the wall of the training center just by the wind pressure of raising a spear. If that really were true, then he would have been a Hunter who could not be underestimated.

    <i>¡®But I can¡¯t feel anything.¡¯</i>

    Even with his S-Grade skills, he couldn¡¯t sense the young man¡¯s mana. The fact that the young man could hide his mana from him only meant one thing.

    <i>¡®Is he supposed to be stronger than me? This young brat?¡¯</i>

    Odin suddenly looked at the young man, who had literally appeared all of a sudden like aet, and sighed so heavily that it seemed as though the sky was falling.

    ¡°Ha....¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong slowly opened his mouth to speak to Odin. Things had already unfolded, and that meant that this wasn¡¯t a situation that could be fixed.

    ¡°So, the hunter registration... could youplete it for me?¡±

 Chapter 281. Side Story - Heimdall

    <h4>Chapter 281. Side Story - Heimdall</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said from the front door.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to visit the Park siblings.¡±

    The Park siblings were two powerful Hunters who had helped Lee Jun-Kyeong before his return. They were the best cksmiths in the world.

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin had also awakened their memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong. However, the two of them didn¡¯t appear at their periodic gatherings.

    <i>¡®We¡¯re busy.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Do you think making weapons is easy?!¡¯</i>

    The two of them spent all of their time making weapons without stopping. Nothing seemed more important to them than making weapons.

    <i>¡®Go tell Lee Jun-Kyeong toe find us instead!¡¯</i> the two of them said as if they still wanted to see him.

    Thus, Lee Jun-Kyeong went to visit their shop from time to time.

    ¡°I want to make some armor,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said, not having left the house yet.

    ¡°Armor? There¡¯s no need for any, is there?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered if it really was such a ridiculous statement when he saw Heimdallugh in response.

    ¡°I¡¯ve now ended up working as a Hunter, haven¡¯t I? I should at least get some armor.¡±

    ¡°If something is strong enough to hurt even you, then the world would be ending...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said,ughing. ¡°It would be a little weird if I seemed too different from other people.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Heimdall finally nodded in understanding. Lee Jun-Kyeong had just recentlypleted his registration as a Hunter.

    <i>¡®In such an extravagant way, huh...¡¯</i>

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Heimdall stillughed out loud when he thought about what had happened then. It was truly the first time in a long time since he had seen Jun-Kyeong be so flustered.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Go ahead, our dear Lord, Sir Great Hero.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s face darkened.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Great Hero¡ªthat was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s current nickname. Funnily enough, it was Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s second nickname, not a title. He had been given this nickname as someone who had appeared as Heimdall¡¯s son, Horus¡¯ brother, and Liu Bei¡¯s benefactor. Now, when others asked why Great Hero specifically...

    <i>¡®This brat is a Great Hero!!!¡±</i>

    It was because Horus had dered it so. It was an old-timey nickname, but perhaps <i>because</i> of the ¡°boomer¡± nature of his nickname, Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s poprity was greater than expected. People admired the new rookie named Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®How young was Heimdall when he sired a son?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Wait a minute, something is seriously weird here!¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Wait, could it be...?!¡¯</i>

    Unexpectedly, the tale had shifted into Heimdall having a child when he had been a minor. That was also an even more irritating thing for Heimdall than expected.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t reached thirty yet!!¡±

    Although Heimdall was hoping that people would have just interpreted it as him having a child when he had been exceedingly young, even with how handsome his face was, the fact that he was bald seemed to just confirm people¡¯s suspicions.

    <i>¡°As expected, Heimdall lied about his age.¡±</i>

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Heimdall sighed before chuckling. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re adjusting well.¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was doing well. It wasn¡¯t that Heimdall didn¡¯t know about his son¡¯s desire to live quietly. However, such a person was the focus of public attention. Because of that, the interest in him was sky-high. But, even still, Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to be taking it well.

    Although it seemed as though Horus had done so without thinking, change was needed. Horus had already spoken to him about something like this. Lee Jun-Kyeong had defeated the Demon King and saved the world.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s true. As Horus said, he is a Great Hero.¡¯</i>

    Lee Jun-Kyeong really was a Great Hero. But even as a savior of the world, he stayed at home without anything to do. Although he wanted a peaceful life, the way that he existed now wasn¡¯t the only way that had to be possible.

    <i>¡®He can¡¯t be honest with himself.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall, who lived with Lee Jun-Kyeong, was able to see Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s true feelings. Lee Jun-Kyeong was unable to find his role in this timeline as days passed, one by one. That was why he seemed to be getting used to just living with nothing to do, like a dayfly, even with Heimdall trying to slowly suggest for him to live life, not just survive.

    ¡°You reap what you sow, you little brat,¡± Heimdall said while he looked at the entrance, where Lee Jun-Kyeong had already left.

    Heughed. <i>¡®Who told you not to control your strength?¡¯</i>

    He, Horus, and Liu Bei had only added fuel to the fire. The person who had actually started it was that brat, Lee Jun-Kyeong himself.

    ¡°Ha-eup.¡±

    Heimdall stood up because he also had work to do.

    ***

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Heimdall answered indifferently in response to Jeong In-Chang¡¯s seemingly absurd question, ¡°Watching TV?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean...! Why are you watching TV in our guild house??¡± Jeong In-Chang shouted.

    Watching TV was something anyone could do. But why was he watching it in the guild house? Why did hee to the Northern Army Guildplex just to watch TV? Moreover, of all ces, in the Guild Leader¡¯s room??!

    ¡°This is my room!¡±

    Heimdallyfortably on the sofa as he watched TV with his feet on the table. Jeong In-Chang shook his head as if he was shocked by the sight.

    ¡°Because our ¡®house is too small.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Just...just how childish are you...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang wondered if this was how Heimdall was taking revenge for what he had said at theirst meeting. He eventually copsed into his chair, saying, ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°You know what? I will.¡±

    Heimdall''s words seemed to raise his blood pressure again. However, Jeong In-Chang let it slide and changed the subject, ¡°Is it because of the incident?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Mr. Lee.¡±

    There was no way that Jeong In-Chang hadn¡¯t heard. He was the head of the great guild, the Northern Army Guild. Moreover, the incident had even been mentioned as breaking news in news reports in the first ce. Currently, the most influential people in the world were Hunters.

    Horus, Liu Bei, and even Heimdall were involved in this incident, as, among all of the Hunters in the world, someone who was said to have a connection with the most influential people in the world had appeared. It was impossible for him not to have heard by now.

    ¡°Well...¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that there were any reporters waiting in front of your house or anything.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a fool in the world that would bother an SSS-Rank Hunter, not even a reporter. Rather than any physical retaliations, any report would be terrified of the repercussions that followed just from a single word by Heimdall.

    ¡°So, why are you taking refuge here?¡±

    ¡°I told you, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    Heimdall adjusted his posture, sitting up. He turned off the TV, and the room became quiet. Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face hardened at that sight. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he hadst seen Heimdall¡¯s serious expression.

    Right now, Heimdall¡¯s face was as solemn as the day that Lee Jun-Kyeong had returned. He was worried.

    <i>¡®What happens if Jun-Kyeong doesn¡¯te back...?¡¯</i>

    Heimdall had experienced the return of the Demon King several times. However, this was the first time that Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed. Thus, he didn¡¯t know if any changes would arise.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was his precious son. This was a chance for him to spend his first peaceful life with his son. Heimdall had been terrified that chance would disappear. However, Jeong In-Chang could see that his expression was the same as it had been then.

    ¡°Please talk to me,¡± Jeong In-Chang responded in a simrly serious tone.

    <i>¡®Considering who he is now, nothing will be a burden.¡¯</i>

    When Jeong In-Chang had awakened his memories of Lee Jun-Kyeong, there was one thing that he thought of as the most important.

    <i>¡®I have to be of help to Mr. Lee. I have to be good enough to be his shield.¡¯</i>

    He had to build his strength for Lee Jun-Kyeong. All of their otherpanions were overseas, and because Heimdall had dered that he wouldn¡¯t found a guild, there was no influential organization in Korea that could help Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    At first, he had thought about the Association. However, Jeong In-Chang had realized that a less controlled organization was needed. At that time, the same thing happened as before the regression.

    Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su, who were originally the foundation of the Northern Army Guild, had offered to recruit him. Thus, Jeong In-Chang had taken that chance to swallow up the guild.

    Choi Yeong-Seong and Choi Yong-Su had done the same as before, beginning tomit evil deeds in this new timeline. In the past, Jeong In-Chang would have been dragged around by them. However, the current Jeong In-Chang condemned them, took their ce, and swallowed up the Northern Army Guild before raising it. As he grew it on his own, he had decided once again.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild is Mr. Lee¡¯s shield. Heimdall is Mr. Lee¡¯s family. Thus, I have a duty to protect you two.¡±

    He would be their strong shield. Heimdall chuckled at the serious look of Jeong In-Chang, whom he had not seen in a long time.

    "You little tyke."

    He really was thankful for the brat. Swallowing those thoughts, Heimdall said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I just don¡¯t have anyone else to ask for advice.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s going on then? Is it a power struggle? Or maybe...a powerful enemy...?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang tried to make his own guesses, but he couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Even ording to the information gathered by the Northern Army Guild, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything about anything major happening to Heimdall.

    Something was happening...

    ¡°I¡¯d like to get some dating advice,¡± Heimdall said as seriously as possible.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about you and...Lady Athena, right?¡±

    It was only a long timeter that Jeong In-Chang hade to his senses. He had been wracking his brains as to what Heimdall was going to say, so much so that when Heimdall had said that it was only rtionship advice, Jeong In-Chang had stopped breathing in shock and almost fainted.

    ¡°Well...yes... I suppose.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked puzzled at Heimdall''s reaction, seeing the Hunter even stuttering.

    ¡°Is this your real personality?¡±

    ¡°What...?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be a blunt and chic manly man?¡±

    Heimdall¡¯s personality before the regression had definitely been like that. Although it could be said that the tension in him had eased and he had be much more rxed now, it wasn¡¯t as if Heimdall¡¯s coolness had gone anywhere.

    <i>¡®Other than looking a little old, those straight and broad shoulders. The bnced physique. Perfect proportions. Handsome face...¡¯</i>

    Jeong In-Chang inspected Heimdall. Then, was it because of that?

    ¡°The bald head...?¡±

    ¡°No! What are you talking about?! It¡¯s not about my looks!¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay, okay... I¡¯m not sure if you really think like that, but...¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if teasing Heimdall.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± said Heimdall seriously. ¡°My rtionship with Athena is longer than you think.¡±

    ¡°You said that you have memories of your past life, right?¡±

    Heimdall had been cursed by the Demon King. Whenever the Demon King repeated a regression, he had forced Heimdall to remember everything that had happened in order to raise Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    Jeong In-Chang¡¯s face darkened.

    "That''s right. For the first few regressions, I connected with Athena, again and again, as if I was drawn to her.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°However, the more the regressions repeated, the more I distanced myself.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang nodded as if he understood. Heimdall had been forced to remember all of his memories, repeating time, over and over again.

    <i>¡®To always have to undergo the death of a loved one...¡¯</i>

    It meant that Heimdall had to repeat the fact that his love didn¡¯t remember who he was. Jeong In-Chang couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how painful that must have been.

    ¡°And then...¡± Heimdall said with an extremely depressed expression, "I forgot."

    "Huh?"

    What did he forget? Could he have forgotten what the feeling of their love was? No, if that were the case, they wouldn¡¯t have been having this conversation.

    ¡°Well...¡± Heimdall said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember how to start a rtionship...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Do kids these days confess? Or what about dates? No, more importantly, does Athena even still have feelings for me? Don¡¯t you think her attitude toward me at this meeting was a little chilly??!¡± Heimdall continued quickly.

    "Ha...¡±

    Jeong In-Chang sighed as he rubbed his temples.

 Chapter 282. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 2

    <h4>Chapter 282. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 2</h4>

    Heimdall was one of the few SSS-Rank Hunters in the world. He was someone called the pride of Korea and a treasure of the world.

    ¡°Ha, really, what should I do? I don¡¯t think Athena is interested in me.¡±

    To think that someone like that was saying something like this right in front of Jeong In-Chang¡¯s eyes.

    "Ha..."

    Jeong In-Chang rubbed his temples, wondering if it would have been better for Heimdall to be just as on edge as before.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯</i>

    However, he soon shook his head. The man had lived a life of battle and a life of regressions upon regressions. Heimdall had to have been tired of it all, and if things continued, he most likely would have gone crazy. It was only thanks to Lee Jun-Kyeong breaking the link between him and the Demon King that Heimdall had been able to regain his life.

    <i>¡®I guess that¡¯s why he looks like that.¡¯</i>

    They had normal lives now... Although it may not exactly be the same thing, they were still living a life close to that of normal ones.

    ¡°I think there is something promising,¡± Jeong In-Chang said.

    ¡°Really?"

    Heimdall¡¯s color improved as he heard Jeong In-Chang¡¯s pep talk.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like Athena <i>isn¡¯t</i> interested, either.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And above all...¡± Jeong In-Chang said with a grin.

    <i>¡®Dating is still my specialty.¡¯</i>

    He was the one who had the most rtionships among the people around him, having nearly been in a rtionship four times.

    ¡°Seong-Gu Hyung, you¡¯ve courted Athena several times. Even if she doesn¡¯t remember, don''t you at least know what she likes and enjoys doing?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Oh!¡±

    Heimdall was more than pleased with Jeong In-Chang''s somewhat usible exnation.

    ¡°Therefore...¡±

    Just as Jeong In-Chang was about to continue speaking, there was a knock on the door.

    "Just a minute."

    Jeong In-Chang asked Heimdall for his understanding and then signaled for the person toe in.

    Soon after, his secretary opened the door and said, ¡°A guest has arrived.¡±

    ¡°A guest?¡±

    There hadn¡¯t been anyone scheduled to meet with him today. He was the Guild Leader of the Northern Army Guild, so there were many people who wanted to meet with him. However, Jeong In-Chang was very thorough about filtering through the masses. Considering his secretary knew this fact and still came in, that meant that the visitor had to be an important person.

    ¡°From Olympus...¡± the secretary said. ¡°Lady Athena has arrived.¡±

    It was the appearance of an unexpected person.

    ***

    ¡°Lady Athena? Didn¡¯t you return already?¡±

    At the meeting a few days ago, Zeus and the others from Olympus had left quickly, saying that they had work to do. Because everyone had been so busy, no one had been able to see them off properly, assuming that they would have gone home on their own. However, Athena had, for some reason, stille to the Northern Army Guild.

    ¡°My work was in Korea,¡± she said in a slightly stiff tone, not much different from the original Athena.

    ¡°What work did you have?¡± Heimdall asked, his face hardening at Athena¡¯s ambiguous tone. He looked at her fingernails. ¡°You always bite your nails when something happens.¡±

    Looking at the nails that had be jagged, Athena blushed as she quickly covered her hands under Heimdall¡¯s re.

    ¡°Ha...¡±

    For a moment, Jeong In-Chang sighed at the atmosphere between the two of them. He asked again, ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡±

    Seeing that there was no response, it was clear that something had really happened.

    ¡°Well...¡± Athena said, putting her hands behind her back. ¡°Zeus has disappeared.¡±

    "What?"

    "What?"

    Jeong In-Chang and Heimdall simultaneously asked in surprised voices.

    Athena nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to contact him since two days ago after we said our goodbyes and went to handle our own work.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Heimdall fell silent at Athena¡¯s words.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Zeus naturally like that? He often leaves without saying a word,¡± Jeong In-Chang said as if it was no big deal.

    Zeus¡¯ personality had many strange aspects. Moreover, even beyond his personality, Zeus had wanderlust even in the timeline that they had fought the Demon King. He would disappear for ages at a time, saying he was leaving to train without any sort of exnation. The same was true in the new timeline as well after awakening his memories.

    Jeong In-Chang wasn¡¯t that worried, knowing that it happened often.

    However, Athena answered firmly, ¡°No. It¡¯s not that Zeus hasn¡¯t gone missing before without saying a word. It¡¯s just that this time is different.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°He took Thunderbolt with him this time.¡±

    ¡°Thunderbolt?¡±

    ¡°...!¡±

    Heimdall repeated his question again as Jeong In-Chang realized the seriousness of the situation at this moment.

    <i>¡®Whenever Zeus goes away, he always leaves Thunderbolt behind.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Could it be an enemy?¡±

    ¡°Is it an enemy?¡±

    That seemed to only be able to mean that Zeus had someone or something he really needed to deal with.

    Athena shook her head. "I don¡¯t know."

    She wasn¡¯t able to give them an answer as the Hunter had disappeared without leaving a single hint behind.

    ¡°However, I think he is still in Korea. Can you help me look for him?¡±

    Jeong In-Chang was the head of the Northern Army Guild, one of the three major guilds in Korea. Moreover, although Athena¡¯s visit was unexpected, Heimdall was also here as well. The influence of the two of them in Korea was beyond imagination.

    Olympus, which had its headquarters overseas, needed help within Korea. Furthermore, it needed to be discreet as they couldn¡¯t afford to let the public know that Zeus had disappeared.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang looked at Heimdall in silence. After a while, he secretly winked at the Hunter.

    ¡°The Northern Army Guild cannot help,¡± he dered.

    ***

    <i>¡®This is your chance.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall recalled Jeong In-Chang¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®I think the biggest problem is that you and Athena don¡¯t spend much time together, Seong-Gu Hyung.¡¯</i>

    When Athena had left, Jeong In-Chang had grabbed Heimdall and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to spend any time with Lady Athena in this timeline yet, either. You might have a lot of precious memories, Hyung, but Lady Athena doesn¡¯t have them yet. That seems to be the big problem. So, take this opportunity to spend some time together.¡±

    It was a pretty reasonable answer, but Heimdall still thought that it was shameful for Jeong In-Chang to have refused Athena¡¯s request for help.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t believe you said something like that when Zeus disappeared.¡¯</i>

    Well, it wasn¡¯t that Heimdall didn¡¯t understand.

    <i>¡®Zeus is strong.¡¯</i>

    Even more than he himself was.

    It was different in the past, but in the current timeline that Lee Jun-Kyeong regressed to, Zeus was more powerful than him. Furthermore, if one added thepleted Thunderbolt to Zeus as well, he was so strong that he might actually be able to deal with Lee Jun-Kyeong to some extent.

    <i>¡®Is he telling me there¡¯s nothing to worry about?¡¯</i>

    Athena didn¡¯t actually seem to be worried. Rather, just irritated with a little embarrassment mixed in.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯d go around losing to anyone. It¡¯s just... There is going to be an event in the name of Olympus soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    ¡°I only brought it up because it¡¯s not like him to suddenly disappear like this before an event.¡±

    To think they had an event. Heimdall thought for a moment.

    ¡°Can I ask what the event is about?¡±

    However, in response, Athena stayed silent. Heimdall eventually shook his head. As she seemed to have no intention of answering him, all he had to do was what she asked of him.

    ¡°First of all, he hasn¡¯t left the country yet, so he should still be in Korea. If he had left using Thunderbolt, there was no way that I would have missed the ensuing wave.¡±

    "That''s right."

    "Then... It might getplicated. Let me ask around first.¡±

    Athena nodded.

    ¡°But, how long will you continue to talk so rigidly?¡±

    Yeo Seong-Gu, Heimdall, had naturally begun to speak informally to Athena one day. However, she, on the other hand, still seemed to not feelfortable enough to speak informally with him even until now. Athena''s face turned red again.

    <i>¡®Oh no.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall thought that she was getting angry and quickly waved his hands. ¡°If you¡¯re ufortable, you don¡¯t have to. Still, at least to Jun-Kyeong...¡±

    ¡°No!!¡±

    Although Heimdall wanted to inform Lee Jun-Kyeong of Zeus'' disappearance, Athena threw her hand forward in rm.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t want to do anything to make him worried.¡±

    Him...

    Heimdallughed bitterly at the way Athena referred to Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®It must be hard to ept.¡¯</i>

    After all, Lee Jun-Kyeong was their son. But it wasn¡¯t as if Athena remembered giving birth to him or anything like that. Nor would she have the same bond to the Hunter as Heimdall did. She wouldn¡¯t have had any memories of him in this context.

    Still, that didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t trying.

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s a little...¡¯</i>

    It seemed it was still a little too early, however. Heimdall was just d that she seemed to care about Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°Okay. Then, is there anything you¡¯ve noticed?¡±

    Athena nodded.

    ***

    To be honest, she had been looking forward to trying to find Zeus somewhat.

    <i>¡®Maybe he has a hidden girlfriend, or...¡¯</i>

    She thought that it might be nice if Zeus was doing something out of the ordinary.

    <i>¡®But I guess he wouldn¡¯t have gone out with Thunderbolt just for something like that.¡¯</i>

    Athena could have assumed that Zeus had just hidden his presence to go enjoy nature in secret, but Zeus had left with Thunderbolt in hand. It was one of the few divine items in the world, which was the highest level a weapon could reach.

    There was no way that he would have gone to meet a hidden girlfriend with something like that in hand unless he was actively trying to show off Thunderbolt.

    ¡°There were several gates that Zeus was interested in.¡±

    From what Athena knew, Zeus had most likely headed to a Gate. High-level gates had started to appear in Korea, and Zeus had been interested ining to one for quite some time, even going so far as to order some reconnaissance.

    It was said that he had taken the chance to speak with Odin about it, as he was already traveling to Korea for their periodic meeting.

    <i>¡®I was the same.¡¯</i>

    The same had gone for Heimdall. The day that he had gone to the Association with Jun-Kyeong hadn¡¯t just been because he had wanted to meet Odin. Although he had a rtionship with Odin and they spoke often, he wasn¡¯t close enough with him to go to the Association just for a chat.

    The reason he had gone to the Association that day had been one simr to Zeus¡¯.

    <i>¡®I heard that there are a few suspicious gates that have opened up in Korea.¡¯</i>

    He had been asked to inspect and raid a gate that seemed dangerous.

    ¡°What was his reason?¡±

    However, Heimdall knew that the Gates that had appeared weren¡¯t something Zeus would normally have had any interest in.

    Athena shook her head, her hair flowing down.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was curious about that, too. Although they definitely were high-level Gates... they weren¡¯t at a level worthy of his attention.¡±

    Olympus had found nothing of importance during their reconnaissance.

    ¡°What he¡¯s interested in is probably in one of the Gates.¡±

    Heimdall had a sneaking suspicion that was the case.

    ¡°Considering it¡¯s that bastard, he most likely would have snuck into the Association without being detected, so looking at the ess records would be of no use. Since even his presence ispletely hidden...¡±

    He wondered if they were left with no choice but to go and check each Gate in person. Then, all of a sudden, he thought of a question.

    The high-level Gate.

    Although Zeus had disappeared, it wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t have any clues as to where he could be found.

    Moreover, considering the actual level of the high-level Gate...

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you do this on your own? These are ces that have already been identified. This doesn¡¯t seem like something that you needed our help for.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Moreover, you still have Heracles and Odysseus with you, right? From what I understand, there haven¡¯t been any Gates yet that those two brats wouldn¡¯t have been able to clear, so...¡±

    Heimdall suddenly shut his mouth.

    ¡°...¡±

    Athena was ring at him fiercely, her face beginning to glow red.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s angry.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall realized that she was about to blow.

    ¡°Hu...hurry up! We have to go! If something were to happen to Zeus, it would be a big problem!¡±

    All Heimdall could do at this moment was to divert the conversation as much as possible.

 Chapter 283. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 3

    <h4>Chapter 283. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 3</h4>

    ¡°Then for now...¡± Heimdall swiftly changed the topic and chattered nonstop, ¡°There are a total of five gates, right? I¡¯ll let them know that I¡¯ll clear all of them.¡±

    Heimdall then picked up his cell phone and made a call.

    ¡°Odin. About the Gates you mentioned before...¡±

    The person on the other end of the line who had answered the phone even before it rang more than a second was Odin, the Association President of the Korean Association and a chaebol who owned a leading Koreanpany. He was someone who was not easy to talk to, and only someone of Heimdall¡¯s standing could talk to him sofortably.

    ¡°I¡¯ll clear all of them, so please handle the reservations,¡± Heimdall said, hanging up the phone before even listening to Odin¡¯s reply.

    Athena looked at Heimdall.

    ¡°Your rtionship with Odin, it¡¯s...¡±

    A displeased look appeared on her face.

    "Well...¡±

    Heimdall scratched his head. It was more correct to say that his hatred of Odin had be dulled over the years rather than that he had forgiven him. However, Athena seemed unable to forgive the Hunter. After all, Odin had tormented Lee Jun-Kyeong in the previous timeline.

    ¡°He¡¯s changed a lot now. I think it¡¯s because of our presence.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°He had been tired of living in a world where everything went his way. But it¡¯s different now, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Odin was strong. However, now, there were people stronger than him all over the world.

    ¡°I think it set a different goal for him, a goal that, in a way, helps the world. What I mean is that he hasn¡¯t be twisted like before.¡±

    That was the only reason Heimdall hadn¡¯t eliminated Odin. Athena¡¯s expression showed that she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°If you say so...¡±

    Fortunately, she still seemed to let it go after his exnation.

    ¡°I talked to Odin, so we shouldn¡¯t have any issues clearing all of the gates. Let¡¯s start at the nearest one first.¡±

    The closest Gate to them was an A+-Gratde Gate that had appeared near Seoul. Although many Hunters had attempted it several times, it was said to have been dyed quite heavily as there weren¡¯t many Hunters at a level suitable to raid it properly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Heimdall began to move. ¡°Shall we go in my car?¡±

    It¡¯s not like there was a need for them to walk there.

    ***

    Athena''splexion turned red.

    ¡°Were you...always like this?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean,¡± said Heimdall casually as he drove. He wondered what it had been that had touched a nerve. He quietly looked at Athena in the rearview mirror.

    ¡°The seatbelt...¡±

    ¡°Seatbelt?¡±

    ¡°Do you put on the seatbelt for everyone?¡±

    Athena''s face became even redder.

    Thinking that her reaction was anger, Heimdall started to make all kinds of excuses.

    ¡°No! Never!!!!¡± he sputtered. ¡°Why would I ever put the seatbelt on for anyone? Moreover, I would never let just anyone get into my car!¡±

    ¡°Then...¡±

    Athena slowly raised her hand.

    <i>SCREEEEEEEECH!</i>

    In her hand was a tube of lipstick, clearly a bright red one at that. Heimdall looked over at Athena¡¯s lips as the car suddenly braked.

    ¡°Huh...?¡±

    Athena didn''t wear makeup. Heimdall didn¡¯t know if it was because she was just beautiful even without any makeup or if the intense battles had caused her makeup toe off. However, the fact of the matter was that Athena wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup at the moment while there was a tube of lipstick in her hand...

    ¡°This was in the passenger seat.¡±

    ¡°Uh...?¡±

    ¡°It seems there was a woman in this car. Lying isn¡¯t good,¡± Athena said as she shook her head.

    ¡°Uh...?¡±

    Heimdall just looked at the lipstick in silence. He was sure of it.

    ¡°JEONG IN-CHANG!¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°He asked me to borrow my car the other day! I lent it to him! It¡¯s definitely Jeong In-Chang¡¯s!!!!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Although he screamed his excuses, Athena¡¯s eyebrow didn¡¯t drop.

    <i>HONK HONK!</i>

    It was only after the sound of a horn emerged from behind that Heimdall slowly stepped on the elerator. He didn¡¯t know why or how things had gotten to this point.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to kill you!¡¯</i>

    His anger toward Jeong In-Chang welled up.

    ***

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Each minute had felt like a lifetime, and they eventually were able to arrive at the Gate near Seoul.

    <i>¡®It was only thirty minutes, but for some reason that was just as difficult to bear as it was repeating my life, over and over...¡¯</i>

    It had been a hellish time for Heimdall, having to drive while ncing at Athena, who said nothing. That had also only been possible for him as he was an SSS-Rank Hunter. If it were any ordinary person, it was clear that an ident would have already urred. Regardless, they had arrived.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go in.¡±

    He was finally able to escape the awkwardness. Gate managers began to approach them before Heimdall raised a hand to stop them, letting them know not toe closer. There was no need for them to prep or handle anything else.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been able to move a little.¡±

    They were always ready. Although they were living in a peaceful era and timeline, that didn¡¯t mean that everything about them had be dull. He always kept his weapons on him in preparation for anything that might happen. Moreover, other equipment and tools, like potions, also were stored in his inventory.

    Of course, he hadn¡¯t had any situations that called for them, but they still were always at the ready.

    ¡°...¡±

    Heimdall had blustered confidently. However, there was no answer in response, as Athena had already reached the entrance of the gate a long time ago.

    He had been talking to himself. Heimdall scratched his head and made his way towards the gate.

    The Association employees all just bowed their heads as they slowly took steps back. The mana Athena was emitting enough to make them tremble.

    ¡°Why are you so angry...¡± Heimdall asked as he threw himself into the Gate.

    ***

    <i>BANG! CRASH! CLANG! BOOOOOM!</i>

    Explosions rocked the world, the sound of each rupture sounding like a concerto. Rainbow-colored rays of light sted onto the ground from the sky, creating explosions with each blow.

    <i>BOOM!!</i>

    ¡°Agh!!!¡±

    Some monsters died screaming, but the majority of them simply crumbled into dust and died without even being able to scream. A peaceful forest had already be a barrennd, and at the center of the destruction was Heimdall and Athena.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    There had been no need for either to draw any weapons, as the title, SSS-Rank Hunter, wasn¡¯t a lie.

    ¡°This is definitely a higher level than regr Gates.¡±

    At first, Heimdall had wondered why Odin and Zeus had paid such attention to these Gates, but now, he understood. Although the amount of mana emitted from the Gate matched its A+ grading, the monsters themselves were quite tricky to handle.

    ¡°They use martial arts.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that they were humanoids. They were clearly monsters. However, because they used martial arts simr to those used by humans, Hunters of the same level were bound to have a hard time. But that was all there was to it.

    ¡°Even so...I don¡¯t think Lord Zeus is here.¡±

    It was just as Athena had said. Yes, it was a slightly special gate, but there were many gates like this. Furthermore, despite all of this chaos, there weren¡¯t any signs of Zeus.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish in here first and then head out,¡± Heimdall said, thinking that they should clear the Gate and handle what was around them just in case Zeus was hiding himself.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    Athena nodded as the space began to vibrate. The colors of the rainbow that had destroyed the forest gathered in the sky

    <i>Shing!!!!</i>

    When a huge rainbow shone down on the ground, the space resonated once again. At that moment, a huge light erupted that seemed to blind Athena and Heimdall.

    <i>Whoosh!!!</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    When the light disappeared, nothing remained. Thend had been devastated, and not even the sound of monsters breathing could be heard. If Zeus had been here, then he would have appeared when the ughter had started.

    ¡°So he¡¯s not here, then.¡±

    The A+-Grade Gate had been cleared in an instant.

    Numerous mana stones fell to the ground. However, there wasn¡¯t a single corpse that remained. Athena and Heimdall didn¡¯t bother to collect the mana stones, as after confirming the Gate Clear, the Association employees would enter the Gate and collect the necessary items.

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    Heimdall frowned at the strange feeling. Zeus wasn¡¯t in the first Gate.

    ¡°What a waste of time.¡±

    There were about four Gates left. However, for some reason, he had a sinking feeling that they wouldn¡¯t be able to find Zeus anytime soon.

    ¡°I get the feeling that we might have to search all of them,¡± Heimdall said.

    Athena nodded in response.

    ¡°I will decide on the next one.¡±

    In order to go find the Gate where Zeus might be hiding, the two of them turned around and exited the Gate.

    All of the monsters had died as if they were being ughtered. However, none of them would have med Heimdall or Athena. It wasn¡¯t because they were any monsters that harmed humans or anything, but because they were all victims of the Sponsors who had been cursed to exist for eternity without being able to die.

    <i>¡®Rest in peace.¡¯</i>

    Only now would they be able to rest, and that was why Heimdall still cleared gates even in times of peace. He would rectify the sinsmitted by the Sponsors and bring peace to the monsters that couldn¡¯t be saved.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Athena thought to herself.

    For some reason, Heimdall¡¯s back seemed filled with sorrow.

    ***

    Heimdall exhaled tiredly and said, ¡°Now there are two left.¡±

    Including the first one, they had gone to three Gates. Although they had cleared all of the Gates they had gone to, they hadn¡¯t found a single trace of Zeus.

    ¡°Where did that bastard go?¡±

    They had cleared three Gates, and one of them was a Gate that Hunters had avoided due to its massive size. The two of them had stayed at that Gate for three entire days. Because it had been such a particrly wide Gate, they had searched it thoroughly because they had thought that Zeus might have been there.

    However, Zeus had been nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°The other two...¡± Athena said, also looking tired.

    The two of them were people who didn¡¯t have to sleep or eat.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it tomorrow.¡±

    However, they were tired because they had to walk around the Gates while being careful of each other. For some reason, Athena was fully conscious of Heimdall¡¯s attention, while Heimdall was conscious of Athena¡¯s reactions

    The monsters didn¡¯t make them tired. Instead, they were making each other exhausted.

    ¡°Still...¡± Heimdall said, his tired expression fading. ¡°Walking around a Gate like this reminds me of the old days.¡±

    It was something he had said lightly, referencing his memories of traversing Gates with Athena.

    While Heimdall spoke, reminiscing of those times, Athena¡¯s expression became even more rigid.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± she said, apologizing. ¡°I don¡¯t have any of those memories.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t the Athena of Heimdall¡¯s memories, so she didn¡¯t have any memories of raiding any Gates with Heimdall.

    ¡°Oh... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Heimdall said, turning his head while embarrassed for no reason.

 Chapter 284. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 4

    <h4>Chapter 284. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 4</h4>

    ¡°She has none of the memories...¡± Yeo Seong-Gu said as he covered his eyes with a hand while staring at the ceiling.

    It had been quite a while since he hadid down in a bed. The reason why he, who could sleep standing up if he wanted to, couldn¡¯t sleep was because the conversation with Athena hade to mind.

    ¡°I see... Everything is now just memories only for me.¡±

    In the new timeline that they had appeared in after defeating the Demon King, he had regained his memories in a world without Sponsors. They were memories of those countless years. Although most of them had been painful, there had also been happy ones among them.

    <i>¡®Jun-Kyeong.¡¯</i>

    There was the time that he had spent with Lee Jun-Kyeong, his son. Every lifetime had ended with his son¡¯s death, but every single memory that he had of their time together was precious.

    His memories of Athena were just as enjoyable and happy. In the beginning, during the first few regressions, Heimdall had spent them all with her.

    <i>¡®I couldn¡¯t keep watching it.¡¯</i>

    However, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her in pain. He couldn¡¯t even tell her the truth. After learning the truth, she had always either be the embodiment of revenge or had be crippled with guilt and despair. That was why he had stayed away from her.

    Near the end, he had tried to make sure he had as little to do with her as possible, thinking that it would be better for her to be away from the entire situation.

    However, they had reached the era of peace. Now, he had looked forward to spending time with her again. But, more than ten years had passed since Athena had regained her memories.

    ¡°Whew...¡±

    Despite that, nothing had changed. She was busy in her own way, and so was he. The gap between how she appeared in his mind and how she appeared to herself was too great. On top of it all, she had no memories of their lives together.

    She was Athena, someone who had always been precious to him.

    ¡°...¡±

    However, from her perspective, all she remembered was the pain. They were memories of a man who had abandoned her and left. That was all she had.

    ¡°Did I expect something out of nothing?¡±

    Was the problem that he had thought everything would have been restored to how they had been originally again?

    <i>Zzzz.</i>

    As he wallowed in despair, Heimdall fell asleep, snoring so loudly that it felt like the apartment would copse. Fortunately, today was a day that Lee Jun-Kyeong didn¡¯te home.

    ***

    The next day, Heimdall tried to make small talk after meeting Athena.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    Although he had so many worries all through the night, he had slept much better than he had thought he would. However, Athena just stared at Heimdall''s face without answering. He wondered, were the dark circles he saw an illusion? For some reason, it seemed as though she hadn¡¯t slept whatsoever.

    ¡°It really does look like you slept well. People really might mistake such soft skin for that of a newborn.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Her tone was both frosty and yful¡ªHeimdall didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Um...¡±

    Eventually, he smiled slightly foolishly. For a moment, even Athenaughed at his silly smile.

    ¡°Now, there are two left,¡± Heimdall said, getting to the point.

    They had begun attacking the special Gates to find Zeus, and eventually, only two gates remained. From the information they had heard, the one they were going through today wasn¡¯t thatrge.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll probably be able to finish it today. So, let¡¯s go through both Gates by tomorrow. It would be nice, though, if Zeus is in one of the two...¡±

    <i>It¡¯ll be a pain in the ass if he isn¡¯t in either of them.¡¯</i>

    They would have to spend more time looking for him.

    ¡°Do you not want to spend time with me?¡± Athena suddenly asked. ¡°If we can¡¯t find Zeus, you¡¯d have to spend more time with me...¡±

    He protested, ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! I love spending time with you! I¡¯m just worried about him, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Athena nodded carefully. The two reached the entrance to the next Gate.

    ¡°Heimdall, sir!¡±

    A person who appeared to be an employee of the Association was running toward them, greeting Heimdall.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I know the information about the Gate roughly, so I¡¯ll go in first!¡±

    However, before the employee could even say anything, Heimdall stepped toward the Gate.

    ¡°Just wa...!¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your effort!"

    He was trying to quickly erase the slight awkwardness he felt while moving with Athena, as once they entered a Gate, the awkwardness they felt would disappear.

    They were Transcendental-Grade Hunters, beings who weren¡¯t apathetic enough to care about other things in a ce where there were monsters.

    ¡°Heimdall, sir!¡±

    Heimdall heard someone calling for him, but he had already entered the Gate.

    ¡°Then, have a good day,¡± Athena said, bowing to the employee who had approached her before entering the Gate.

    ¡°Whew...¡±

    The lone employee looked over at the Gate where the two Hunters had disappeared and sighed softly.

    ¡°It should be okay, I guess...¡±

    Heimdall was an SSS-Rank Hunter, and it wasn¡¯t as if what the employee had wanted to tell him was something that would have been particrly threatening to him. The employee shook their head and returned to their seat.

    ***

    ¡°This ce...¡± As Heimdall entered the gate, he nced around with a stern look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s special.¡±

    Although it was true that they were going through the special Gates that they suspected Zeus might have been, this one was different from the rest.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    The mana here was so powerful that it made them tremble as the breathtaking concentration of mana served as evidence of the danger of the Gate.

    ¡°What the hell is with this ce?¡±

    Heimdall looked puzzled as he summoned his rainbow. It was the first time that he had summoned it so quickly since they had started this expedition. Soon, Athena also arrived at the Gate, noticing the special nature of the Gate almost immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s a much higher grade than the Gate rating listed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s dangerous here.¡±

    They already had been notified about the general information of the Gate, but now having entered it, they realized that the information would be useless.

    After all, the concentration of mana hadn¡¯t been this severe when they had sensed the mana within the Gate from the outside.

    ¡°Zeus might actually be in this one.¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Considering it was a gate that boasted this level of specialness¡ªno, to be frank, this might have been a specialness that had actually been caused by Zeus. Heimdall¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk.

    This was a dangerous gate. However, that only applied to other Hunters. Heimdall was an SSS-Rank Hunter.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that there are two of us here.¡±

    Moreover, Athena was also one of the few listed SSS-Rank Hunters as well. They were two of the strongest people in the world. Nothing would pose a danger to them.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Athena¡¯s shield and spear appeared with a clear ring of steel. This was the first time that she had armed herself as she also sensed danger to some extent.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to do any reconnaissance, right?¡±

    ¡°Although the mana concentration is definitely high...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well.¡±

    There might have been some danger, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cause them to worry. Thus, the two incredibly powerful Hunters began to cross the Gate.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    They moved quickly as they began to circte their mana, and the wind pressure caused by that spread out as if it were sweeping through the entire gate.

    ¡°There are thirty of them in the front.¡±

    ¡°There are monsters approaching from behind, too.¡±

    They used their mana to detect the presence of others as it was a gate that had been judged to be somewhat dangerous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt,¡± Heimdall said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s handle this quickly,¡± Athena responded in turn.

    The two moved as if they were one. Heimdall stretched out a hand as a red light shot forward in a straight light.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    <i>BOOM!!</i>

    A storm of raging me rushed forward as an explosion rocked the ground. The explosion wasn¡¯t something that was caused by any mana. It wasn¡¯t even from a skill.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    Athena had hurled a spear at the monsters approaching from behind, and the force of her throw caused the very air to explode.

    ¡°Our rear has been handled.¡±

    ¡°The front as well.¡±

    The two stopped at the same time as they spoke simultaneously.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Heimdallughed briefly. ¡°How good.¡±

    Regardless of why, it really felt as though he was fighting alongside Athena now. They were together, and it had truly been a long time since the word together had really touched him like this.

    Athena''s cheeks turn red for a moment. ¡°Multiple monsters are approaching us.¡±

    However, that was only for a moment, as an uncountable number of monsters were approaching them.

    ¡°There are even monsters of this level...?¡±

    The problem was that they could feel that the monsters actually gave off a threatening aura. Heimdall and Athena looked a little nervous as they lifted their respective weapons.

    <i>BANG!</i>

    A cloud of dust bloomed with a small explosion. Inside the dust, the red eyes of monsters began to glow.

    ***

    ¡°Whew...¡±

    Heimdall took a breath as Athena did the same.

    ¡°Ha...¡±

    ¡°What the hell is this ce supposed to be...¡± Heimdall said as if he was fed up.

    His armor, which had been made by Park Jae-Hyun, had long since be tattered. To think there was an attack power that could pierce armor made by the best cksmith in the world!

    ¡°Do monsters as strong as this still really exist?¡±

    Heimdall seemed genuinely surprised by what they had just gone through. However, that was all that it was. Only their armor had been slightly damaged, and their breathing only got slightly heavy.

    ¡°Keruk...¡±

    The only ones that had actually fallen were the monsters that had attacked them. Heimdall sat down among the corpses that were scattered around.

    ¡°It seems we really can¡¯t let our guard down here.¡±

    ¡°The world...might not be actually safe just yet,¡± Athena said.

    It was dangerous where they were as it was filled with monsters that could make even people like them struggle. This was not a ce where just any Hunter would be able to raid if they came. What if someone other than them had actually arrived here?

    ¡°That would have been terrible.¡±

    None of them would have been able to escape annihtion. Heimdall thought about that possibility before looking at the sky for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s clear.¡±

    Unlike from the fierce battle just now, the sky was blue and clear. He continued to think to himself as he looked over at Athena.

    <i>¡®I remember raiding Gates like this with you.¡¯</i>

    He thought back to the days when he would enter gates one after the other with her. After hunting, they would always sit like this and look up at the sky. Each gate was hellish, so they would always be surprised whenever the sky was clear. Whenever they sat down and talked together like this, the fatigue of battle had washed away.

    <i>¡®But that¡¯s only my memory.¡¯</i>

    Thinking to himself, Heimdall smiled bitterly. But, looking to the side, Athena was also looking at the sky.

    ¡°...¡±

    Although she didn¡¯t remember it like he did, her behavior was still the same. Heimdall sat in silence, feeling somefort in the thought. At that time, they started to feel another presence.

    ¡°Someone ising.¡±

    It was the clear presence of a person this time as it was different from that of a monster. Heimdall tried to gauge the level of the person¡¯s mana but failed.

    ¡°Huh...!¡±

    Then, a weing voice came from afar.

    ¡°Hyung? Also, Athena, too...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was approaching them, scratching his head.

    <i>¡®This is suspicious.¡¯</i>

    Something, something seemed extremely suspicious.

 Chapter 285. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 5

    <h4>Chapter 285. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 5</h4>

    ¡°Jun-Kyeong, why are you...?¡± Heimdall muttered nkly when he saw Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly appear. Why was he here?

    "Ah, well, that is..."

    Saying that, Lee Jun-Kyeong pointed to his side. Where he pointed, Heimdall could see a boy and a girl walk forward.

    "Long time no see."

    ¡°Hello, uncle!¡±

    They were the two siblings, Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going to go see the Park siblings.¡¯</i>

    He was sure of it¡ªLee Jun-Kyeong had said that when he had left the house.

    ¡°You went to a Gate? Moreover, to a Gate like this??¡±

    Heimdall wondered why the three of them were at a Gate that Athena and he had been clearing. Moreover, he had clearly spread his mana and swept through the entire gate in the beginning. He hadn¡¯t felt anything, however.

    <i>¡®Jun-Kyeong must have done it, then.¡¯</i>

    It was clear that Lee Jun-Kyeong had hidden their presence. Although he didn¡¯t know about anyone else, if Lee Jun-Kyeong decided to hide his presence, no matter how strong Heimdall himself was, he would never have been able to find him.

    ¡°We had some things we needed to test. I¡¯ve be a Hunter anyway, so after hearing that there was a Gate causing people trouble, I decided toe. Just like...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong had an evil smirk.

    ¡°Just like Horus¡¯ friend and Liu Bei¡¯s benefactor should. Just. Like. A. Son. Of. Heimdall. Should. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was referring to what had happened at the Association when Heimdall and the others had blown the situation out of proportion.

    ¡°Uhm...¡±

    Heimdall quickly turned his head to the side and pretended not to hear him.

    ¡°Well, anyways, I felt as though I needed to show a proper performance to match, at the very least. Should I be calling it a brilliant debut...?¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong¡¯s appearance seemed to have brightened slightly. It was only then that Heimdall was able to look at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    ¡°But Athena is here, too?¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± Athena couldn¡¯t easily answer.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s still awkward between them.¡¯</i>

    Athena and Lee Jun-Kyeong both knew what their rtionship was: mother and son. However, the two were still not close. It was a difficult concept to ept. In the midst of the awkwardness, Heimdall questioned the Hunter, ¡°No, but... it¡¯s still a little strange, don¡¯t you think? It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t sense our battle; why are you onlying out now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong seemed to be hiding something.

    Heimdall questioned him further, ¡°Furthermore, what¡¯s with this suspicious gate?¡±

    Just as Heimdall was about to continue with his next question, Athena interjected and spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong, ¡°Have you...have you seen Lord Zeus?¡±

    Athena still spoke politely and ufortably, stuttering as if she wasn¡¯tfortable with addressing Lee Jun-Kyeong just yet.

    ¡°Oh, Zeus? I haven¡¯t seen him,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong simply replied.

    Athena quickly stood up and helped Heimdall up.

    ¡°It looks like Zeus isn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°Huh...?¡±

    ¡°I think we should quickly go attack the remaining Gate.¡±

    ¡°Huh...??¡±

    Heimdall was flustered by Athena¡¯s sudden actions.

    ¡°O...okay.¡±

    He held her offered hand tightly.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s really been a long time since I¡¯ve held your hand.¡¯</i>

    Athena took him by the hand and was leading him away. However, he still felt good about it because the hand he was sping for the first time in such a long time felt so warm. Feeling Heimdall and Athena leaving the gate, Lee Jun-Kyeong turned to Park Jae-Hyun.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t awkward, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, it was ridiculously awkward. We almost got caught.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like they were reading from a grammar book or anything. Why had his speaking style been so awkward??! They had only been fortunate that it had been Heimdall. If it had been anyone else, they might have noticed Lee Jun-Kyeong''s acting.

    ¡°First of all, the experiment can be considered a sess.¡±

    Their purpose had been the monsters of the special Gate. Originally, when they had entered, the monsters had been at a level that fit the known grade. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong and the Park siblings defeated those monsters and released the ones that Heimdall and Athena had foughtter

    ¡°If the world is in danger, and the Hunters aren¡¯t strong enough to fight, these things should be enough.¡±

    They were monsters, but at the same time, not monsters. They were something that existed on the line between living and not living.

    They were simr to artificial life forms, homunculi. They didn¡¯t have a consciousness or a soul and felt no emotion or pain. They were things that could protect the humans on behalf of the Hunters if something that threatened the world appeared.

    They were monsters created by Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin.

    ¡°Well, because the atmosphere ended well, it was a sess.¡±

    They had used these creatures to stage the situation in this manner. They had already known that Athena and Heimdall would arrive at this gate sooner orter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s collect them and go.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Park Jae-Hyun and Park Yu-Jin moved to collect the homunculi as Lee Jun-Kyeong moved alongside them. He smiled secretly, thinking about Heimdall.

    <i>¡®Please grow some awareness.¡¯</i>

    ***

    ¡°Something is strange,¡± Heimdall muttered repeatedly the entire way to the final Gate.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just...¡± Heimdall thought deeply before replying, ¡°Whether it''s Jun-Kyeong having entered the gate, or the strangely powerful monsters...there had definitely not been any signs of battle there.¡±

    If Lee Jun-Kyeong had entered the gate first, then it would have been more than normal for everything to have been finished already. But, even if he hadn¡¯t wanted to show any strength whatsoever to any outsiders, there had been absolutely no signs of battle there.

    ¡°Then did he not fight the monsters at all?¡±

    To think that he would have left such terrifyingly strong monsters alone¡ªthat wasn¡¯t like Lee Jun-Kyeong at all. Furthermore, he should have sensed the two of them from the very beginning.

    ¡°You seem to have a lot on your mind,¡± Athena said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I like it though...¡±

    Heimdall trembled at Athena''s entirely unexpectedment. To say that she had liked it all of a sudden.

    ¡°It just felt like I remembered liking things like that.¡±

    ¡°Pardon??¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Athena said, shaking her head as Heimdall got lost in thought once again.

    Although he didn¡¯t know exactly what she had liked, he had liked it too. He really didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he had stood by her side and properly raided a gate.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know how other people¡¯s dates go, but this was what we considered a date for us.¡¯</i>

    During their previous lives, where every day had been a series of battles, there had been no time for them to enjoy a proper date. Their daily routine had just been to kill monsters every day. Before they knew it, those hunts had be a sort of date to them.

    <i>¡®Is there really anything special about going on dates? Everything is a date when you¡¯re with someone you like,¡¯</i> Heimdall thought as he shook his head.

    A smile suddenly appeared on his lips as memories of the past came to mind. Those days had been difficult, but they had also been enjoyable because they had been together.

    <i>¡®I...¡¯</i>

    He looked over at Athena.

    <i>¡®I really am in love with you.¡¯</i>

    There had been another reason why Heimdall had been unable to approach Athena and confess actively. Her feelings for him were different from his own.

    Their different memories definitely yed a part, but he also had his own doubts. Heimdall had wondered if his love for Athena may have faded over the years, and that was why he had chosen to just watch at first.

    He had talked to Athena whenever they happened to meet, trying to confirm their feelings for each other. He had realized it a while ago, however.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve always loved you.¡¯</i>

    He had been happy every time he saw her. He always wanted to be with her. That was why he had gone to Jeong In-Chang.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Uh... ah!¡±

    At Athena¡¯s quiet voice, Heimdall, embarrassed, quickly turned his head away.

    <i>¡®Her voice is a little warmer, isn¡¯t it?¡¯</i>

    Unlike how she was usually, he felt as though Athena¡¯s voice had gotten a little warmer.

    ¡°This should be thest one. Zeus should be here.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. But, by the way...¡± Heimdall asked a question once again, ¡°Something really is strange. When we told Jun-Kyeong that Zeus had disappeared, that brat¡¯s reaction was...¡±

    Although he was reminded of something strange about the situation once more, he had no choice but to just move forward as Athena pushed him from behind.

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    The two stood before the Gate, both looking at it at the same time. To be honest, there was a reason why they couldn¡¯t easily take the next step forward.

    ¡°This is...¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    Ironically, thest remaining gate was a ce they both knew. Although their memories were wildly different, this much was still the same.

    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± Heimdall asked in a worried tone.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Athena nodded.

    The gate they were in front of now was where the two had first met in the previous timeline.

    <i>¡®Athena, this is where you entered Anngr.¡¯</i>

    Of course, the situation inside was most likely different, but for some reason, the location and the mana emanating from the Gate made him think that it was the same ce that he had stood in front of dozens of times over. Heimdall smiled slightly bitterly as he headed into the gate.

    <i>Zzzt.</i>

    ***

    "Hmm."

    Heimdall fell silent for a brief moment after entering the Gate. This Gate wasn¡¯t special like the previous one had been.

    ¡°This ce...¡±

    ¡°It really is the same.¡±

    However, it was just as Athena had said. This was a ce that made him feel nostalgic as soon as he entered. Although it may have been a bad memory for Athena, it was a ce with good memories for him. After all, it was the gate where he had met Athena. This gate had the same structure, mana, and even the same monsters as that special gate

    ¡°Huff.¡±

    The gate that Athena had spent her Anngr in had originally been a powerful gate, equivalent to that of an A+-Grade Gate.

    ¡°...¡±

    Heimdall continued to look around as if feeling nostalgic. ¡°How could this be...?¡±

    However, he also felt doubtful. This was exactly the same Gate as before.

    <i>¡®Athena never entered this Gate in this timeline.¡¯</i>

    So, he knew that it was possible, but even so, time and various other circumstances had changed. It wasn¡¯t as if this Gate had been preserved like this all this time. Heimdall had heard that the Gate had just appeared.

    ¡°How fascinating,¡± Heimdall said as he looked around.

    He felt another presence again. Although he was lost in nostalgia, he didn¡¯t forget their purpose. They had to find Zeus.

    ¡°...!¡±

    Athena raised her gaze.

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Heimdall then said.

    They couldn¡¯t exactly know for sure that Zeus was here. However, signs of life, human life, could clearly be felt inside the Gate. Athena tried to investigate how much mana that lifeform had, but Heimdall said as heughed, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    As the sky and the heavens fell, currents shed across the sky and collided.

    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

    It was clear that Zeus was here.

 Chapter 286. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 6

    <h4>Chapter 286. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 6</h4>

    The power of Zeus had appeared, but then it quickly disappeared after a moment. Heimdall had quickly tried to track it. Unfortunately, it felt like it had crossed over into another dimension.

    ¡°Damn it. It disappeared in an instant.¡±

    Suddenly, there was no sign of Zeus at all.

    <i>¡®I thought things would be resolved easily, but...¡¯</i>

    In the end, the fact remained that he had to go out and find Zeus himself. Still, one thing was certain: Zeus was here.

    ¡°We just have to find him.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Athena nodded.

    ¡°Are we really dealing with an enemy that would require Zeus to use his true power? I just don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we hurry and find him?¡±

    Even though he was filled with a little doubt, Heimdall still agreed with Athena¡¯s suggestion. Regardless of what was going on, everything would be solved once they found him. If Zeus needed help, they would help him then.

    <i>¡®So, even in this life, I¡¯m here again with Athena.¡¯</i>

    Thus, the two of them began to move forward, both filled with their own mixture of memories of the Gate, both good and bad.

    ***

    The monsters here were no different. They were the same as the ones that they had always hunted.

    <i>¡®But there¡¯s something strangely off about this.¡¯</i>

    The monsters in the Gate were the same in type and behavior, but there was a slight difference in power. Although the subtle difference nagged at him slightly, that was all there was to it.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    A rainbow sword cut down in a straight light and swept away the horde of monsters.

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    As the cleaved monsters fell to the ground and twitched, another rainbow fell down from the sky, leaving the twitching monsters at peace. They were monsters that he had in dozens of times, if not more. Even if they had be slightly stronger¡ªno, even if their mana had reached a point beyond imagination, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough.

    ¡°They¡¯re easy opponents,¡± Heimdall said,ughing.

    <i>Squelch!</i>

    Athena stalked the battlefield with a spear in hand. While Heimdall may have specialized in wide-area attacks, Athena specialized in one-on-onebat. Each thrust resulted in death. However, that didn¡¯t mean that she couldn¡¯t make any wide-area attacks.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Herrge shield, the divine item Aegis, hit the ground.

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    An earthquake rocked the ground, splitting it in two. Monsters fell helplessly into the chasm. Heimdall whistled as he saw it, dusting off his chest.

    <i>¡®You¡¯ve be incredibly strong.¡¯</i>

    The current Athena was the strongest Heimdall had ever met. If she were to fight him the way he was now, then it would have been a bitter battle. He could see how much she had tried.

    ¡°You really put in a lot of effort.¡±

    It must have been a truly painful time.

    Perhaps realizing herck of power during their battle with the Demon King, it was clear that she had been gathering as much power as possible in preparation for a possible enemy. After having regained her memories, Athena had trained like a madwoman, knowing what it was like to fear powerful enemies. As a result, her strength had reached beyondmon sense.

    ¡°It¡¯s just so...¡± Athena stopped and looked at Heimdall. ¡°Easy.¡±

    He could feel a deep sadness in her words. This was the same Gate that Athena had suffered in the past. Furthermore, she had lost her family because of these monsters. She had both lost everything and been reborn here.

    Anngr was a personal hell where people were dragged into to fight for unwanted powers. It had also been an opportunity for Athena topletely change her entire existence. This was a ce where Athena had to have been saved by Heimdall. However, now, she was tearing through it all with her own strength. The most fortunate part about it was that her reason for sadness had disappeared as well.

    ¡°Your family is still alive right now, right?¡± Heimdall said with a smile.

    Everything about her had changed. Because of Lee Jun-Kyeong, everyone had returned to the past and the Sponsors had disappeared.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. My family members who were originally dead...¡± Sheughed. ¡°All of them are alive. It¡¯s all thanks to that child.¡±

    Her family members were all managers of Olympus, and as Athena¡¯s family, they all enjoyed wealth and fame. They all lived healthy lives, and with her aid, they all became as strong as any Hunter so that they would be able to protect themselves.

    ¡°Good. It¡¯s a good thing, then.¡±

    Heimdallughed. Their break had ended.

    ¡°I can feel his aura.¡±

    Zeus¡¯ presence was beginning to appear. He was fighting¡ªseemingly fighting someone while suppressing the waves of mana.

    ¡°Who could it be?¡±

    Considering it was someone that Zeus had to fight with some degree of sincerity, Heimdall wondered who it could be. But there was something he was more curious about.

    ¡°Why on Earth is he fighting here?¡±

    Athena turned her head slightly in rm at Heimdall¡¯s question, even though he hadn¡¯t noticed it.

    ***

    <i>CRACK!!</i>

    The sky shook as lightning fell. A battle was taking ce at a location that others couldn¡¯t sense due to the expanding barrier.

    <i>Zzt.</i>

    Suddenly, something broke through the barrier and appeared. The two figures battling turned to look at the intruder.

    ¡°Heimdall...! Wait, Athena, you too?!¡± Zeus shouted, his face hardening.

    ¡°Zeus. Just why the hell are you here, of all ces? Also...¡± Heimdall said as he looked over at Zeus¡¯ opponent. However, he was unable to finish his statement as a thunderbolt that shook the world struck right where he and Athena were standing.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    That hadn¡¯t been Zeus¡¯ doing, but Heimdall could guess as to who had struck at them.

    ¡°This...!¡±

    The changes that had resulted from the regression hadn¡¯t only urred to Athena and the others.

    ¡°Chi-Woo!¡±

    ¡°Thor!¡±

    Heimdall and Athena shouted at the same time. Things had changed due to the regression, and Athena¡¯s family wasn¡¯t the only one still living in this timeline. Thor, Zeus¡¯s brother, Chi-Woo, who had merged into Zeus¡¯ powers, was also still alive.

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Zeus shouted again.

    The lightning strike from before was one that was easily blocked, but the impending blow was different. A huge amount of mana swirled in the sky.

    ¡°This is dangerous.¡±

    Heimdall stepped forward, his face stony. In a split second, Athena found his back before her, covering her from theing lightning strike and protecting her.

    <i>BOOM!!!!</i>

    The sky shook as the heavens fell. Zeus fell to his knees as if he had exhausted all of his strength.

    <i>¡®I heard that Chi-Woo had gone on a journey to be stronger, but...¡¯</i>

    Chi-Woo¡¯s second life was no different from before. He had just focused on bing stronger to defeat his younger brother through the strength he had umted.

    <i>¡®This bastard is an SSS-Rank Hunter, too.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall was confused. Why was he fighting with Zeus here?

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re attacking me...¡±

    <i>Woosh!</i>

    All of a sudden, Heimdall¡¯s armor changed again.

    However, this time, it wasn¡¯t the top-of-the-line luxury product that Park Jae-Hyun had forged. Now, surrounding his body was a golden armor as he held his divine item, Bifrost, in his hand. He was in his true form.

    The reason he had worn Park Jae-Hyun¡¯s armor was the same as Lee Jun-Kyeong.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t use this for long.¡¯</i>

    While it may have been different back then during the midst of the cataclysm, in this era of peace, a weapon such as this was dangerous. Not to himself but to the world. He was someone who had reached the highest rank a Hunter could reach, SSS. However, the rank of a fully armed Heimdall couldn¡¯t be measured.

    ¡°An attack on Athena is unforgivable,¡± Heimdall said as he struck down with his rainbow sword. A rainbow divided the empty sky.

    <i>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!</i>

    However, the huge explosion that followed was proof that his swing hadn¡¯t just been on empty air. The world was consumed by colorful light. However, all of a sudden, Zeus, who had seemed to have been exhausted, began to push against his strength.

    ¡°Why...?¡±

    <i>RUMBLE!</i>

    Zeus was adding more and more strength to that dangerous bolt of lightning. Heimdall was confused.

    <i>¡®Is Zeus smiling?¡¯</i>

    Could this all have been a trap? A trap to take him down?

    ¡°There¡¯s no way!¡±

    Were they aiming for Athena, too?!

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Athena¡¯ quietly said, her voice piercing through the noise. Suddenly, she was standing in front of Heimdall.

    ¡°Athena!¡±

    Heimdall was struck by a momentary bout of helplessness after taking a loss due to the previous pushback from Zeus. Suddenly, he found himself being protected by Athena.

    <i>CRACK! CRACKLE!!</i>

    The huge bolt of lightning floating in the sky was finally about to descend upon them. Heimdall quickly pushed her away and tried to block it, but Athena shook her head and stood firm, raising her shield.

    ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Light flowed from her. Gold and silver swirled around her, forming beautiful colors that couldn¡¯t be described. Then, with the sound of her voice, the entire world exploded.

    ¡°This time, I will be the one to save you.¡±

    <i>BOOOM!!!!</i>

    ***

    It was an incredibly huge wave of power and something he hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time. The mana that made his entire body feel as though it was being torn apart came like a tsunami crashing over them.

    ¡°Athena.¡±

    However, Heimdall was able to stand tall, thanks to Athena blocking the way in front of him.

    ¡°Is this real...¡±

    Surprisingly, the light that had appeared from her had be her new armor. It was a divine item so incredible that it made his own pale inparison. Even the mana that threatened to tear through his flesh could do nothing before her armor. She was the perfect barrier.

    ¡°I will protect you.¡±

    She was the one protecting him. The bolt of lightning struck down. As the resulting sh of light gradually disappeared, the surroundingndscape came into view. It wasplete destruction. Nothing was left on the horizon. The only thing remaining was the ground underneath Athena and his feet.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Zeus...!¡±

    He didn¡¯t know why they had attacked him, but he had to locate Zeus and Chi-Woo. With only that goal on his mind, Heimdall quickly turned his head.

    <i>Thud, thud.</i>

    Then, the sound of footsteps entered his ears. In the midst of the blue light that had yet to disappearpletely, two men¡ªno, two beings as lively as could be were walking toward them.

    ¡°Just how...?¡±

    All Heimdall could do was mutter to himself, as the face of the person walking toward him was one everyone here knew.

    ¡°Please take it.¡±

    Then, Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was the closer of the two people walking toward him, handed over a bouquet of flowers. At the sudden situation, feeling as though he was unable to keep up, Heimdall stopped and babbled like a broken record.

    ¡°Yeo Seong-Gu.¡± Athena turned around and called out to Heimdall with a smile on her lips. ¡°Will you marry me?¡±

    ¡°H...huh??¡±

    He just couldn¡¯t keep up.

    He just...

    It was a Whirlwind Proposal.[1] Athena¡¯s surprise proposal was something that Yeo Seong-Gu would remember for the rest of his life.

    ¡°I want to spend the rest of my life with you.¡±

    He could see it clearly within her hands as she knelt on one knee.

    ¡°Please take it.¡±

    A ring.

    1. Lit. A proposal after the overall mood bes suddenly chilly. Koreans have really weird sayings. ?

 Chapter 287. Side Story â€“ Heimdall Pt. 7

    <h4>Chapter 287. Side Story ¨C Heimdall Pt. 7</h4>

    ¡°So, that had all been an event...¡± Heimdall muttered to himself as he sat alone at home. As he was sitting alone, there was no one who could answer him.

    ¡°It was just a proposal...¡±

    Heimdallughed andid down on the sofa. He was filled with shock and awe, but at the same time, he also was filled with immense joy.

    <i>¡®You always protected me,¡¯</i> she had said. <i>¡®Actually, when Jun-Kyeong regressed, I remembered it all.¡¯</i>

    Although Heimdall hadn¡¯t known it, she had remembered everything. All of it. The countless hours they had spent together. Athena had slowly recalled them all once Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed. That was why she had made up her mind.

    <i>¡®I wanted to protect you at least once.¡¯</i>

    Her desire was to protect Heimdall, who had always protected her, with her own two hands. That was why everything had been set up on such a ridiculous scale and why she had nned such an unfathomable proposal. Everyone had been in on it, too.

    ¡°Even when Horus and Liu Bei had gone to meet Odin...¡±

    For the proposal, they had gone to the Association to specifically request for Heimdall to help them raid the special Gates and had pulled strings to have him be granted the right to raid them.

    <i>¡®Well, Athena...she asked me to be involved, too.¡¯</i>

    ¡°That brat Lee Jun-Kyeong was in on it, too.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Chi-Woo and Zeus had been cast as the evil viins, pushing Heimdall into dire straits. This was all for Athena to stand before him, protecting him and confessing her love. Heimdallughed again, almost finding it impossible to believe <i>that</i> was what they had thought of as a proposal.

    <i>Sparkle.</i>

    Either way, the diamond ring on his hand shone as Heimdall smiled. Of course, he had epted it.

    ***

    ¡°I mean, it really was ridiculous,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said to Jeong In-Chang.

    Athena and Heimdall¡¯s marriage had been confirmed, so the two Hunters were gossiping about theing event.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong said with a smile, ¡°How could anyone actuallye up with that sort of a proposal?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it is Lady Athena, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jeong In-Chang responded, smiling in kind.

    They both thought about it for a moment before realizing that was the case. Athena was a more serious person than anyone else and was also more calm and level-headed than any of them.

    ¡°She does have that strange personality, doesn¡¯t she...¡±

    However, she was also entric. Still, even though Lee Jun-Kyeong had actively aided her in her ns, he still couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded.

    ¡°I could never have imagined a proposal like this.¡±

    Even when he had heard her n, all he could say in response was <i>¡®uh...uh...um...okay...¡¯</i>

    However, Lee Jun-Kyeong had always known that his father, Yeo Seong-Gu, had wanted to be with Athena again. That was why he had helped her to the best of his ability.

    <i>¡®Please.¡¯</i>

    More than anything, it was the way Athena had looked, exining her n and asking for a favor. When he saw her like that, he felt the beginnings of something stir.

    ¡°Are you going to have to call Lady Athena mother now?¡±

    It was something like a mother¡¯s warmth.

    Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head. ¡°Even if they¡¯re getting married, it¡¯s still difficult to go that far. Seong-Gu Hyung... I... I don¡¯t even call him father yet.¡±

    The person that he had followed his entire life, believing to be an older brother of sorts, had suddenly turned out to be his father. There was no way for him to ept something like that easily.

    The two of them had stayed together, working through these newfound familiar emotions, but he believed he needed to move out then for the sake of their newlywed life. Lee Jun-Kyeong sighed. It would be impossible for him to live in that house once Athena moved in.

    Still, his expression quickly changed as he said, grinning, ¡°I n to visit quite often, as we have a lot of time for the future.¡±

    Jeong In-Chang smiled, but their joking mood also onlysted for a moment as Lee Jun-Kyeong suddenly asked a question curiously, ¡°By the way...¡±

    Once they had emerged from the gate, he had taken the time to speak with Heimdall. One thing that had been strange was that Athena mentioned that she had found lipstick in the car.

    ¡°Had that been a part of the ns, too? I didn¡¯t hear anything about that...¡±

    He wondered if the tube of lipstick that Athena had discovered had just been ced there to embarrass Heimdall and prevent him from discovering their ns for the proposal. If so, he hadn¡¯t heard anything about that part, too.

    <i>¡®I really was flustered then. Hahaha.¡¯</i>

    Heimdall had even said that he had assumed that it was all nned.

    <i>¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the ns to propose, I was going to kill Siegfried!¡¯</i>

    There was something fishy about it all...

    ¡°Ha...ha...hahaha....¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong heard a short burst ofughter as Jeong In-Chang turned his head to the side.

    <i>¡®Damn it. I thought I had cleaned it all...¡¯</i> the Hunter thought as he squirmed and sweated.

    ***

    [The Arrival of the Couple of the Century.]

    Heimdall and Athena wanted to hold a quiet ceremony. However, contrary to their wishes, the world refused to leave them alone. Starting with Korea, the entire made headlines about their marriage.

    [The Joining of two SSS-ss Hunters.]

    Still, there was nothing that any of them could say about how the world had reacted. No matter how much they wanted it to be quiet, even they could admit that their wedding was something that everyone in the world would be interested in. Furthermore, after their union was announced, there was even an impact on the stock market.

    [Olympus¡¯ stock price rises rapidly.]

    Soon, the headlines shifted to another rted topic.

    [Will Athena go to Korea?]

    [Is Heimdall moving to Europe?!!]

    Where would the two live once they got married? Gates no longer copsed and caused monster tides that devastated cities. But even so, everyone still worried, unable to believe that it waspletely safe.

    Because of concerns over any unexpected situations, the presence of a strong Hunter was a greatfort. There was a reason why housing prices had skyrocketed near Heimdall''s residence and why property values would skyrocket nearrge guilds.

    With all that said, this was not just the marriage of an SSS-Rank Hunter but the marriage <i>between </i>two<i> </i>SSS-Rank Hunters.

    [Where could such promisednd be?]

    There were even rumors going around dering the ce where the new couple would move to might be the safest ce in the world. On top of it all, there was another small article that had also appeared. Of course, most people thought that it was just a humorous joke piece.

    [The son of Heimdall, who had only recently been revealed. Could it really be...? How early could they have started?]

    It was even written like such a joke piece, too... Either way, whenever anyone turned on a TV, the story of Heimdall and Athena would be front and center.

    [The Korean Government deres willingness to cover the entire cost for Heimdall and Athena''s wedding.]

    Even the Government eventually came forward and encouraged the two to get married. The world was turning on its head with just the announcement of the marriage of two people, but the two main characters paid absolutely no mind to any of the ruckus at all.

    ¡°That one has to be good, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so, too.¡±

    ***

    The wedding day finally arrived. Their rtionship was an ambiguous one that could neither be called short nor long.

    If they went ording to their memories, then Heimdall and Athena had been dating and married endlessly for over hundreds of years. But, if they went ording to this day and timeline, they hadn¡¯t even begun to date properly. However, neither of them cared about that.

    ¡°Wow! Just how extravagant is this?!¡±

    As for their wedding, it had been decided to be held in Korea with the cooperation of the Korean Government.

    ¡°To think they would host a wedding at the Association.¡±

    ¡°This really is amazing.¡±

    Moreover, they even held the wedding at the headquarters of the Hunter Association. Although most weren¡¯t guests, arge crowd of people had gathered at the entrance. Even though they weren¡¯t permitted to enter, they all still gathered in front of the Association to try to get a glimpse of the world¡¯s most famous Hunters.

    <i>Buzz, buzz.</i>

    ¡°They¡¯reing! It¡¯s Olympus!¡±

    Every single member of Olympus attended the wedding.

    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s Lord Zeus!¡±

    Among the Hunters of Olympus, it seemed as though Zeus¡¯ poprity was through the roof.

    ¡°Look at Heracles, though. Doesn¡¯t he just seem like a dimwit?¡±

    ¡°Odysseus is cool, too!¡±

    On the other hand, Heracles didn¡¯t seem to be very popr. One after another, those gathered in front of the Association couldn¡¯t help their eyes from widening.

    ¡°It¡¯s the British royal family...¡±

    They were the members of the Round Table, Merlin and Arthur. Surprisingly, Merlin turned out to be a princess of British royal blood, which was why she had given everything to protect Ennd. Her appearance made everyone excited, as the British royal family was famous for not making public appearances.

    ¡°Even the Knights of the Round Table...!¡±

    Numerous people entered the Association one after another. There were Liu Bei and his brothers from China and the guild members of the Nile Guild from Egypt. The onlookers were excited by the appearance of the incredibly famous guests.

    The presidents of various countries also attended¡ªthat was how much influence Athena and Heimdall had.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Northern Army Guild! All of Korea¡¯s three major guilds havee!¡±

    The guests were arriving quickly as the ceremony was going to start soon.

    Although the onlookers couldn¡¯t see the wedding and were only able to see the guests, they felt like they would have no regrets even if they died now. They were sufficiently satisfied.

    Then, a voice rang out announcing the start of the wedding.

    [The wedding will begin soon. All guests, please enter the ceremony hall.]

    ***

    ¡°This really is ridiculous,¡± Lee Jun-Kyeong said as if he were over all the fanfare.

    The auditorium of the Association was so vast that it wouldn¡¯t have been cramped even if dozens of monsters were unleashed alongside the countless guests. Noisy voices filled the auditorium. At any other wedding, one might have assumed that these voices were the voices of children.

    ¡°I heard that a Special Risk-Grade Gate appeared in Africa.¡±

    ¡°How about sending our guild?¡±

    Those who raised those loud voices were the superpowers of the world and the core leaders of civilization. Lee Jun-Kyeongughed at the absurd sight of them squabbling like schoolchildren.

    ¡°Do you really think our table is any better?¡± Jeong In-Chang asked, speaking as if he were admonishing Lee Jun-Kyeong for once.

    They were at a table that could seat ten, located closest to the stage where the ceremony was being held.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. Just look at them all. They¡¯re all just staring at us so openly,¡± Arthur quipped from the side.

    Merlin also added, ¡°That¡¯s because the most influential people in the world are all sitting in one ce.¡±

    ¡°I guess it was also surprising that I also attended,¡± said Ungnyeo as she smiled. In her hands was a pure white puppy.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sangun.¡±

    Sangun growled in response andughed softly. There was a seat right next to it for Fenrir, Hel, and the other Familiars.

    ¡°Chomp, chomp!¡±

    The princess was also there with a disgusting expression on her face as she shoved food endlessly into her mouth. Once many stories had been exchanged, Zeus, who had taken up the mantle of host, began to speak.

    ¡°We will be beginning the ceremony shortly,¡± he said.

    ¡°To think Zeus would act as the host...just how...¡±

    Although everyone was surprised, Lee Jun-Kyeong was the most surprised. To think that the great Zeus would have been the host for Athena and Heimdall¡¯s wedding.

    Then, the ceremony began.

    ¡°The groom is entering!¡±

    Heimdall appeared.

    ¡°Wow, I really didn¡¯t think they would have, but...¡±

    ¡°They really did it.¡±

    ¡°Are they insane?¡±

    The tables all started to get noisy. Of course, the only table saying anything negative was the table that Lee Jun-Kyeong and the others were sitting at. The reason they were eximing and teasing Heimdall was that the Hunter had entered the hall wearing his brilliant armor instead of a tuxedo and was wielding his rainbow-colored sword.

    ¡°That¡¯s Heimdall¡¯s divine item...!¡±

    Many heads of state and powerful people were gathered, but there wasn¡¯t anymotion at the sight of Heimdall¡¯s fully armored state, as it had already been announced in advance. The guests had all been informed that they didn¡¯t have to ept the invitation if they were concerned about their safety, as the wedding would be held dressed in their armor.

    Then, Zeus called out once more.

    ¡°The bride is entering!¡±

    However, the bride didn¡¯t enter with her father in arm, as Athena also came in, dressed in her armor.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough.¡±

    ¡°This really is amazing!¡±

    A tremendous amount of pressure weighed down the wedding hall.

    <i>Sssss.</i>

    There was only one reason why they were able to show off their divine items like this.

    ¡°This really is...¡±

    Lee Jun-Kyeong was suppressing their aura, secretly raising a hand and erecting a barrier.

    ¡°It really is such a symbolic wedding.¡±

    ¡°To think two guardians of the world would join together as one.¡±

    ¡°Everyone...¡±

    ¡°No one could ever think of crossing Mr. Lee again.¡±

    In the midst of all of them teasing each other, one phrase at a time, Zeus dered to the audience with a grin, ¡°With this, I am proud to announce the joining of Heimdall and Athena as husband and wife.¡±

    With the deration of a ruler who held the world in hand that no one could ignore, the auditorium erupted in cheers.

    <i>Waaaaa!!!!!</i>

    Cheers rang through the auditorium so loud that it felt as though the building would crumble. Athena and Heimdall looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and winked. In return, he smiled as he apuded.

    They had built their perfect home, and the dream that had seemed entirely unreachable had finallye to fruition. As the cheers rang around them, Ungnyeo suddenly grabbed Lee Jun-Kyeong and called out to him.

    ¡°Lee Jun-Kyeong! Please go out with me.¡±

    It was another extremely unexpected confession.

    <From Today, I¡¯m a yer Side Stories, End.>

    *Author''s note.

    Dear readers, it¡¯s me, GaVinGe!

    Now, the Supplemental Stories of <i>¡®From Today, I¡¯m a yer¡¯ </i>have beenpleted.

    For the Supplemental Stories of <i>¡®From Today, I¡¯m a yer,¡¯</i> I wanted to write a peaceful and lighthearted story. To let our main character, Jun-Kyeong, finally, experience everything that he hadn¡¯t been able to.

    I wanted to show that the world had truly be peaceful.

    I hope that the readers enjoy it, and with this, I hope to greet you again with my next new work.

    As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    I bow my head in gratitude to you readers who read my works.

    My next new work will be even more entertaining, and I will write something that the readers will love.

    I¡¯ll be back again soon.

    Thank you, and I love you.

    Best,

    The ever grateful for the love of the readers,

    GaVinGe

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!