199 - 203

Chapter 199: Chapter 199

He wanted to ask a question?

Jin-Woo was puzzled by that, but he didn't pick up any ill intent within the light gleaming from Thomas Andre's eyes so he nodded his head to say yes.

As soon as the answer was given…

"My arm…."

….Thomas Andre raised his left arm, currently wrapped tightly in bandages.

"I heard that the damage from the magic energy attack left behind on this arm was so great that Healers were unable to fix it. Doctors told me the same thing. They said that, although it's healing bit by bit, it'll take a long time before I can use my arm properly again."

He used his left arm to block Jin-Woo's fist lugging around a considerable amount of magic energy. Right after the fight ended, the bones in the arm disintegrated into a fine powder and there was a chance that he'd never get to use his left arm ever again.

Healers and their immediate response, as well as his own excellent regenerative power, had significantly improved his chances, but even then, his condition was still this bad.

That attack was truly, nonsensically powerful.

Traces of bitter battle left behind all over his body gifted him with all sorts of aches and dull pains. However, the pain also gave him the clarity of mind to think about what happened, and then, think some more.

But he failed to arrive at an answer, and having no choice, he decided to seek Jin-Woo out like this.

Even though the Korean Hunter was staring back at him with a look that more or less implied, 'Is he here to boast about his injuries or something?' Thomas Andre still asked him the question in his mind.

"If it was you, you'd have no problem finishing me off, or any of my Guild members."

The ones who kidnapped the Korean's comrade in this foreign land, and proceeded to attack him when he came to rescue the captive, were Thomas Andre and his underlings.

Just as the statement released by the Hunter Bureau had alluded to, even if Jin-Woo decided to kill every single Scavenger Guild member, he would have escaped any punishment from the U.S. government.

'Of course, they wouldn't have any means to prosecute him in the first place….'

However, Seong Jin-Woo took the lives of no one, save for Hwang Dong-Su.

What if Thomas Andre found himself in a similar situation? He'd not let anyone walk away alive. He possessed enough power to do so, and he'd even be backed up by a clear pretext, too.

So, why did Seong Jin-Woo choose to not kill anyone? For the past two days, this thought occupied a big chunk of space inside Thomas Andre's mind and didn't want to leave him alone.

"Back then… why did you let us all live?"

Of course, he knew that he was the one who admitted to his defeat and begged for mercy in his own way. However, Jin-Woo was the one who made the final decision in the end.

Not to forget, none of the Guild members had been killed even after being schooled by his summoned creatures. Thomas Andre was really dying to know the 'why' of it all.

Too bad for him, Jin-Woo's answer was so simple that it instantly rendered his deep pondering of the past few days utterly pointless.

"Because none of you committed a crime worthy of death."

Jin-Woo found it hard to overlook Thomas Andre's arrogant attitude, but still, the American only showed up back then to protect one of his own Guild members, Hwang Dong-Su.

It was the same story for the rest of the Scavenger Guild members, too. They were in the wrong to start attacking him, but they had fully paid for their indiscretions.

That was what Jin-Woo thought as he withdrew the final attack aimed at Thomas Andre's head that evening.

Once the American Hunter heard that answer, though, his eyes quaked greatly for a second there.

"….So, that's how it was."

Thinking back to the final fate of Hwang Dong-Su who had committed a crime worthy of death as punishment, that answer didn't seem like a lie.

To think, the reason was a pretty simple one all along.

Thomas Andre's thoughts were even more complicated than before he heard the answer, but on the flip side, he felt much more refreshed and could form a relaxed smile now.

"I'd like to treat you to a good meal after my arm heals up. Can you leave your contact detail with my manager lady over here, so I can call you later?"

Thomas Andre sounded cautious as he bade goodbye and turned around to leave. Laura was on standby behind him until then and lightly bowed her head.

Her boss didn't even take a second look behind him and exited from the banquet hall. Every time he took a step forward, the partygoers parted to the side as if he was Moses and they were the Red Sea.

Laura watched his distancing back before shifting her gaze over to Jin-Woo.

"My Guild Master was expressing his gratitude towards you not killing any of his Guild members just now, Hunter-nim."

Jin-Woo was instantly struck speechless from those words. Just how should he go about interpreting what that man said to arrive at that conclusion??

As if she found Jin-Woo's confusion not that surprising, Laura quickly added further explanation.

"He might look that way, but in reality, he is far shier than you think."

"Oh, uh… I see."

Well, if she said so, that must be it, then.

Thanks to the other side showing up like this first, Jin-Woo got to save time on searching for Thomas Andre and sticking one of his soldiers in the guy's shadow. So, he just nodded his head to say everything was cool.

Laura, now that her job of interpreting her boss's particular way of saying goodbyes was complete, pulled out her memo pad and got ready to jot the information down.

"Hunter-nim, if it's not too much trouble, may I ask you for your contact details? Ah, and also…."

The blonde beauty with her hair tucked up neatly into a bun formed an arresting smile.

"Guild Master wishes to express his gratitude with a gift of some kind. If there is anything you need or want, please tell me."

"Oh. Thank you, but I don't need any."

Jin-Woo politely declined the offer.

Laura quickly formed an awkward smile as if she was troubled by that reply and asked him to reconsider his decision.

"My Guild Master is…. Well, his desire to emerge on top is quite strong, so if he thinks he's owing someone, he will probably go crazy before long. It really doesn't matter at all what the item is, so please, tell me what you'd like to have."

Jin-Woo was about to decline again but stopped resisting after listening to Laura's recommendation.

He figured that, although he didn't really need anything, it was against etiquette to reject the other side's show of goodwill again when they were willing to go this far.

His sole problem remained the same, though.

'….I can't think of anything I need right now.'

Money? He already had a considerable amount of that after the last few successful raids.

Besides, the Ah-Jin Guild had made more than what a decently-sized major Guild would make in a year simply by selling off all the remains of the Giant-type monsters. And Jin-Woo was the boss of that Ah-Jin Guild, too.

He knew that the financial might of his Guild would be incomparably small next to the Scavenger's, but he wasn't cheap enough to ask for a handout from the American, either.

'I'm pretty sure there won't be a moment in the future where I need to ask for help from Thomas Andre or the Scavenger Guild….'

He changed his mind again, thinking that he should probably decline this offer. But then, an idea flashed by in his head.

'Wait a minute. If it's the Scavenger….'

This Guild was the gathering of the world's top elites who continued to work tirelessly every single day.

It was impossible to count all the dungeons they had cleared so far, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the wealth of artefacts they had recovered from those dungeons should be rather sizeable, too.

There was a chance that a useful ���item' might be tucked away within the storage facility of the Scavenger Guild. Jin-Woo forced himself to make his reply.

"If it's a useful shortsword or a dagger…."

He had run into quite a few opponents with incredible defences recently, and the pair of 'Demon King's Shortswords' was proving to be ineffective against them.

He thought that it might not be a bad idea to swap his weapons for something else with the aid of the Scavenger Guild. Even if no useful item came out from this deal, he'd have nothing to lose, anyway.

"Shortswords or daggers… I see. Thank you, Hunter-nim."

Laura smiled brightly after hearing his reply. She finished jotting down on her memo pad and also left the banquet hall.

Adam White was scared sh*tless with worry, wondering whether the Goliath's unexpected visit might lead to yet another incident or not. But now that everything ended without a problem, he breathed out a long, long sigh of relief and approached Jin-Woo.

"Hunter-nim. Are you going to meet the Hunters on the list now?"

"Yes, I am."

"In that case, allow me to be your guide. Our agents are positioned in several places within the hall, so we should be able to locate them very quickly."

"No need," replied Jin-Woo with a grin. "You don't have to do that."

He had already instructed his Shadow Soldiers to roam around the party venue. He knew pretty much where all the Hunters were by now. All he had to do was to meet them one by one.

Adam White didn't know what was going on, obviously, and could only stand there with his eyes going round from confusion.

"Excuse me?"

Instead of a reply, Jin-Woo asked him a question.

"By the way, there's one person missing, isn't there? I don't see the 6th person on the list in here."

"But, how did you….?!"

Jin-Woo shrugged his shoulders, and Adam White nodded his head as if he understood.

'Ah, right. Trade secret, was it…'

The American agent continued on.

"We lost all contact with that person a few days prior to the conference, unfortunately. The Brazilian government is searching for that person's whereabouts in secret, but they haven't found any concrete leads yet."

Jin-Woo nodded his head.

He got to attach a shadow on the no.2 of the list, Thomas Andre, just now. The 3rd place Christopher Reid and the 6th Brazilian Hunter were not around.

'Which means there are seven people left.'

Jin-Woo spoke to Adam White.

"Okay, let's go."

"Alright."

The two of them walked around the banquet hall and greeted the Hunters on the list one by one.

He did ask Adam White to organise opportunities to meet them earlier on, because he wanted to learn a bit more about these people he was about to attach the shadows onto. He started off from the first on the list, Liu Zhigeng, and moved on down to the tenth.

'Uh??'

'Is Hunter Seong Jin-Woo networking using this occasion?'

'But, aren't the Hunters he's talking to….?'

The Hunters scanned the faces of those people Jin-Woo approached first to share greetings with, and began hoping that just maybe, he'd also stop by and say hello to them as well.

'He's coming this way….!'

'I knew it. Of course, I'm the next one he wants to talk to.'

Hunters waiting anxiously to talk to Jin-Woo would drop their heads in disappointment and wistfulness once he walked right past them.

In no time at all, his 'operation' came to an end. Jin-Woo successfully stuck Shadow Soldiers on the Hunters found on the list before leaving the banquet hall along with his entourage.

"Ah…."

The tenth Hunter on the list cleared his throat and began talking in a louder voice, his back straightening even more. On the other hand, the 11th and below could only knock back their glasses of booze without saying another word.

On that day.

The Hunter Bureau, the organiser of the 'Night of the Hunters' banquet, had to work extra hard in order to find out the reason for a sudden, unprecedented spike in the consumption of alcohol during the party.

***

"So, tomorrow's the last day, isn't it?"

The deputy director pushed forward a cup of coffee over to Agent Adam White, currently slouched in an office chair. The younger man sat upright immediately and cautiously took the cup.

"Thank you, sir."

The deputy director lightly tapped Adam White's shoulder and settled down next to him.

"I thought I'd faint when I heard the news of Goliath clashing against Hunter Seong, but… it's a relief that you worked hard to avoid a catastrophe. You did excellent work there."

"You're praising me too much, sir…."

He might be saying something like that, but who on this planet would continue to disagree with his superior officer when he was genuinely being praised?

A bright expression formed on Adam White's face.

The deputy director looked on in contentment at his junior officer's earnest response and took a sip of his coffee, before asking a question.

"So. What is your opinion on Hunter Seong, now that you had opportunities to observe him from close by?"

Adam White thoughts for a little while, before making his reply.

"Deputy director. Did you know that Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim still exercises every single day, without rest?"

"Exercise?"

"Yes, I confirmed it personally. Every morning, he runs ten kilometres, does 100 push-ups, and also, never forgets to perform sit-ups as well as squats, too."

"Really??"

The deputy director's brows arched up.

Hunter Seong Jin-Woo, who could legitimately be called the world's most powerful Hunter, was still performing such basic exercise routines every single day?

Just what kind of an effect would jogging in the morning have on a physique that had surpassed the limitations of the human body by an unimaginable degree?

Adam White saw how confused the deputy director looked and quickly continued on with his thoughts on the matter.

"Sir, I think his exercise routine isn't about improving his physique, but more to do with his mental discipline."

"Training his mind, is it…."

Adam White nodded his head.

From his cool-headedness at not being surprised by the technology exceeding what the current level of science could offer, to his diligence of not even missing out on a single day of training – and not to forget, his mysterious ability to recover a fatigued body and mind in an instant.

From Adam White's perspective, Jin-Woo was a walking, talking bundle of surprises.

The deputy director listening to those tales with a sombre expression wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment.

"Indeed, he… he is truly an amazing fellow."

How wonderful would it have been if such a man was an American Hunter? He was envious of South Korea for having a Hunter like that as one of their own.

'Mm? Did coffee taste like this before?'

The coffee the deputy director was drinking alongside his envy and admiration suddenly tasted quite bitter for some reason. In the end, he couldn't finish it and left behind about half a cup.

***

There was a well-known saying in Korea.

If you wanted to know where the President's office was located in the Korean Hunter's Association building, just look for the very last window with the lights switching off.

Even today, Goh Gun-Hui was staying behind in his office till late hours to finish up the remainder of his work.

The cases of accidents and incidents were happening more frequently lately as the monsters got stronger, and the number of newbie Awakened increased.

From the perspective of the Hunter's Association charged with managing such situations, it had been a constant parade of one headache after another.

"Hmm."

Goh Gun-Hui put the document down on his desk and rubbed his tired eyes.

'….This is strange.'

For some reason, his heart didn't want to stop trembling for the last few days.

Ba-dump, ba-dump!

His problematic heart had been plaguing him for the last couple of years, so he wasn't too bothered by this, but still, his condition didn't feel right even compared to the past.

'Is this…. the limit?'

His personal physician warned him that, if he didn't stop working right away, he'd die within the next half-year or so. But, time continued to tick on for another year. Then, the second year came and went, too.

And he still found himself in this office after all this time.

'If this is as far as I can go, then there's nothing much I can do about it. It's already something else that I managed to carry on this far.'

Goh Gun-Hui formed a thin smile.

"Huhuh."

Why did he feel like this, anyway? In the past, he'd try to push himself even further, wanting to endure for a little while longer. But nowadays, he didn't feel as anxious as back then.

'What has changed?'

What was different now compared to the past couple of years?

Goh Gun-Hui intently deliberated on this subject matter, before a smirk leaked out of his lips after realising how obvious the answer was.

'Hunter Seong Jin-Woo.'

Finally, South Korea possessed the power to combat a rank S calamity. Just his presence alone, and the status of this country transformed for the better.

'Right. That's why my heart's probably….'

Did his body carry on so he could meet that young man? A bitter and lonely chuckle escaped from Goh Gun-Hui's lips.

"Look at me, busy talking about some nonsense…."

The Association President's lonely muttering echoed around the empty office.

'Now that I think about it, Hunter Seong Jin-Woo is scheduled to return tomorrow, isn't it?'

Just thinking about how he'd get to hear the eyewitness account of Hunter Seong's feats from the mouth of Chief Woo Jin-Cheol, Goh Gun-Hui's anticipation began shooting up through the roof.

It was then.

Ringggg…. Ringgg….

His phone suddenly went off unexpectedly.

'Who's calling me at this late hour?'

Hopefully, there hadn't been yet another big scale incident taking place somewhere. Feeling quite anxious, Goh Gun-Hui quickly picked up his phone.

– "Dear, nothing bad happened today, yes?"

The call was actually from his wife.

"….Oh. Hi, dear."

The wife was calling to find out her husband's status since he hadn't come back home yet, even though it was already so late into the night. Her voice managed to gradually soften the stiff face of Goh Gun-Hui.

"What do you mean, something bad? I was on my home anywa…"

It was then.

Along with a soft 'chijeek!' the phone suddenly lost its signal.

"….Hello? Hello?"

Obviously, he could no longer hear his wife's voice.

Did something happen? Goh Gun-Hui tilted his head and put the phone down, before shifting his attention to the outside of the window unconsciously.

'…..!!'

He forgot to breathe, then.

Everything that should be visible through the window was all gone. Various buildings, the roads, even people – all of them.

The only thing remaining was the pitch-black darkness that defied all attempt to decipher how deep it was. Only a blink of an eye later, the scenery outside his window had changed to something else entirely.

An event like this couldn't happen.

"But… But, how can this be?"

The Association President Goh Gun-Hui gasped out in pure shock and was about to get up from his chair, but then…

….But then, he realised that there was someone else in the office right this moment. Someone he had never even seen before.

That man was sitting on the couch as if he had been there for a very long time, too.

'A human….? No, this isn't the aura of a human being.'

It wasn't just the aura, either.

A face as pale as a corpse; long, silvery-white hair; pointy ears, and silver eyes gleaming brightly like a pair of gemstones.

It was an Ice Elf. Also known as the White Phantom.

Somehow, Goh Gun-Hui had failed to sense its approach, as well as its entrance into the office.

He slowly placed the phone's receiver back into its cradle and quietly threw out a question.

"Who…. are you?"

Chapter 200: Chapter 200

Would talking to 'it' work?

The Association President Goh Gun-Hui quietly observed the uninvited guest.

"…"

However, the creature didn't say anything.

Different from other monsters, though, it didn't immediately bare its fangs. No, it just sat there in silence while ignoring the owner of this office altogether.

As this uncomfortable silence persisted for a brief period, Goh Gun-Hui found himself with an opportunity to study his new opponent in detail.

'It looks exactly like an Ice Elf.'

An Ice Elf, often referred to as the White Phantom, was a monster commonly seen within upper-ranked dungeons. The unique appearances of these creatures were well known among the Hunters by now.

Strangely enough, although this uninvited guest's countenance did possess all the general features of an Ice Elf, there were a few clear differences present as well. That made him question whether this creature was actually from the same Ice Elf race or not.

'It's as if….'

….If the Ice Elves were trees that formed part of a forest, then this silent guest of his was like an aged tree guarding a desiccated forest all by itself.

Its skin was cracking up like the bark of a tree; its fingers were bony; a tangled, messy beard on its chin and two deeply-sunken, hollow-looking eyes.

If an Ice Elf managed to live for hundreds, no, thousands of years, then it might look like this guy. It was that kind of face.

The unusual points didn't end at the creature's face, though.

Gulp.

Goh Gun-Hui swallowed his dry saliva, unbeknownst to even himself.

'Its presence… I couldn't sense its presence at all.'

An uninvited guest had entered in complete silence and settled down on the couch, yet he had failed to sense its approach until he got to confirm the truth with his own two eyes.

His ultra-sharp senses wouldn't have missed this creature's arrival if it was nothing but an ordinary monster.

'….This is not an opponent that I can deal with.'

Goh Gun-Hui quickly assessed his situation, and then, very softly flipped his smartphone up to glance at the screen in order to signal for help.

When he did that, the monster shifted its gaze over to him.

[All contacts with the outside world have been cut off in this space.]

Flinch.

Goh Gun-Hui confirmed that the smartphone had no signal, just as the creature had said, and put the device down.

"Am I dreaming a bad dream right now?"

Not only did a monster intrude into the HQ of Korea's Hunter's Association right in the middle of Seoul, it even began speaking in Korean, too. If this wasn't the very definition of a bad dream, then what else could be?

It was then.

"Keuk!"

Goh Gun-Hui felt a sharp pain brush past his left shoulder and quickly grabbed it tight.

'Something' happened the moment this monster pointed at him. He cautiously lifted his hand away to discover a cut wound on the shoulder, as if something sharp had sliced him up.

The truly mystifying thing was, even though his flesh had been sliced open, not a drop of blood came from the wound. Instead, the area around the cut had been frozen solid and white frost had settled around it.

'Just… how??'

Goh Gun-Hui dazedly stared at his wound before raising his head back up. The monster was still sitting relaxedly on the same spot in the couch.

[Do you think that pain is also a part of your dream?]

Goh Gun-Hui nodded his head.

"I see. So, this is reality. In that case, let me ask you again. Just what are you?"

[I wanted you to recognise me first, but, in the end, you were just a simple human.]

"Just a human….??"

The monster slowly stood up from the couch.

At the same time, couches, the coffee table, and other furniture nearby the creature were shoved violently away and crashed into the walls.

Kwa-du-duk!!

The furniture froze up in an instant and got stuck on the walls.

'Oh, my god….'

Goh Gun-Hui's eyes opened wider.

The goosebumps-inducing chill slowly permeated into the office of the Association President.

[I don't have a habit of toying around with a weakling. Reveal yourself, Fragment of the Brilliant Light.]

Just who would dare to label Goh Gun-Hui as a weakling in this world?

However, he realised that he couldn't dispute that claim. The creature before his eyes possessed this Mt. Tai-like authoritative power, and whenever it opened its mouth, its voice reverberated and exploded like a thunderclap.

[Hurry up!]

This thing was on another realm compared to him.

He possessed incomparably excellent senses, so he could instantly figure out the differences between his and his opponent's power level.

Cold perspiration soaked his forehead.

[Are you worried about your vessel breaking? Even if it was not you, your vessel's lifespan is almost over, anyway.]

The monster then added, [But, if you're hiding away because you're scared, then…] before flipping both of his palms up to face the ceiling. Right away, spine-chilling cold air began condensing there.

[….Then, there is no point in talking to you anymore.]

"…??"

Goh Gun-Hui fell into an extreme case of confusion from the indecipherable utterance of his opponent, but in the meantime, that incredibly cold air flew out from one of the monster's hands.

KWA-BOOM!!

A powerful explosion swept away the spot where Goh Gun-Hui had been standing on.

White smoke created from the extreme coldness rose up like a veil of fog and covered the surroundings until it was impossible to see anything.

But then, a pair of flames emitting pure light began burning brightly within this smoke. Those were a pair of eyes glowing in a golden hue.

The monster confirmed the colour of the light oozing out from the screen of whiteness and formed an eerie smile, before throwing the remaining clump of cold air in its other hand.

"Hmph!"

Goh Gun-Hui swung his arm and swiped that cold air away. It was flung away and crashed heavily against the wall.

Boom!!

The cold air exploded and the entirety of the wall was blown away. Through the gaping opening, one could see a space filled with endless pitch-black darkness.

The white smoke obscuring the view slowly dissipated, and the unhurt Association President Goh Gun-Hui was revealed in full. Not just his two eyes, but his whole body was enveloped in this stupendous golden aura that wavered around gently in the air.

"You separated the President's office and hid it in between dimensions. Quite impressive."

A completely different voice than how he normally sounded came out from Goh Gun-Hui's mouth. The monster began speaking again.

[Finally… finally, we get to meet each other. Oh, Fragment of the most Brilliant Light. I've wandered around for a long time to locate you. But, who'd have thought that you were confined in a broken vessel and couldn't even wield your own powers.]

Unlike the tone of voice that sounded emotional, the monster's expression remained unchanging. With a frozen-stiff face, it continued to speak.

[We have already located the whereabouts of your other seven comrades. And we have destroyed two fragments by now.]

This time, it was Goh Gun-Hui's expression's turn to harden. Not only him, but the locations of all the Rulers had been exposed, and two had already lost their vessels, as well?

Such a counterattack was out of the Rulers' expectations.

[That look on your face.]

The monster formed a creepy smile.

[I always wished to see the panic and fluster in that arrogant, haughty expression of yours. And now, I can destroy your vessel with no regret.]

"Do your worst, Sovereign of Frost!!"

Goh Gun-Hui roared out thunderously!

The wavering golden aura surrounding his body intensified by a step, before transforming into a figure emitting this bright light from his entire body. The darkness filling up the space beyond was illuminated brightly in an instant.

However, even though it was being subjected to this incredible power, the Sovereign of Frost didn't bother to wipe that ridiculing smile off its lips.

[Are you planning to resist me? How foolish.]

Ice-cold white light oozed out from the Sovereign's eyes. At the same time, the floor beneath its feet began freezing up.

Just like how the bright golden light was enveloping Goh Gun-Hui, the intense and bitterly cold air surrounded the Sovereign's entire figure. And then, the creature bared its fangs.

[You merely borrow a human's body, while I have taken over mine. Do you believe that you can even touch a hair on my body?]

At this moment, when the Sovereign had let down its guard – Goh Gun-Hui instinctively realised that this could be his only chance and dashed forward like an arrow to pounce on the Sovereign.

Unfortunately, the opponent's reaction was definitely not slow, either.

KWANG!!

The golden light and the cold air got into a messy tangle and caused a series of intense explosions.

Boom!! Kwahng! Kwa-Boom!!

But, as the battle became protracted, Goh Gun-Hui's movements visibly dulled. Compared to his enemy, the injuries on his body continued to accumulate. As his actions got harsher and heavier, more and more white steam leaked out from his panting mouth.

"Hah-ahk."

The length of time a patient at death's doorstep could fight while stuck in such coldness was at best, two minutes tops. Just as the Sovereign had alluded to, the result of this fight was already set in stone.

His stamina had already reached its limit.

Goh Gun-Hui had already expended more than the permitted amount of magical energy his body could handle. His eyes became bloodshot, and blood began leaking out from the corner of his lips.

Too bad, all of his efforts were for naught.

Stab!

A sharp ice spike stabbed directly into his chest and emerged out his back.

"Keo-heok!"

Goh Gun-Hui spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Sovereign of Frost inflicted a mortal wound on its opponent with an ice spike shooting out from the tip of its hand. Seeing the status of its victim, the creature clicked its tongue as if to lament this situation.

[Is that as far your vessel can go? How pathetic, oh, Fragment of the Brilliant Light.]

Goh Gun-Hui's head was lowered as he breathed and wheezed painfully. The Sovereign of Frost looked down on him.

[How long will you take to find new vessels? One year? Two years? Unfortunately for you, our armies have already arrived in this world.]

Everything in this world would be destroyed and gone well before the arrival of the Rulers' soldiers.

[It was your mistake trying to save the denizens of this world. Did we look like such weak opponents that you thought you could win even when diverting your attention to something else?]

The Sovereign of Frost formed a victorious smile.

[Well, then….]

To put the icing on this cake, the Sovereign raised its other hand and got ready. Cold aura began condensing in this raised hand.

The final attack to end the life of the human acting as a Ruler's vessel was taking its shape. But, then….

"Ku-hot. Ahahaha-!!"

Out of the blue, Goh Gun-Hui's blood-soaked lips broke out into hoarse laughter. The Sovereign's hand stopped moving.

[….?]

Goh Gun-Hui panted heavily as he intensely glared at his enemy.

"You think I, cough, fought you without a plan?"

His left hand powerfully and tightly grasped the Sovereign's wrist just beneath his chest.

"Just like how we didn't expect you to imitate our ways, a huge variable has occurred that exceeds your expectation."

[….A variable?]

The eyes of the Sovereign grew wider as it studied the expression of confidence on Goh Gun-Hui's face.

A bluff? No, it couldn't be – his expression was too loaded with hidden meanings for that. Just as the Sovereign's thoughts arrived at that point…

….The creature had to hurriedly tilt its head to the side.

'…..!!'

Truly by a paper-thin margin, an incredible amount of magical energy shot past the location where its head was only a millisecond ago. The attack was so powerful that it even burnt away Goh Gun-Hui's right arm after firing it.

The magic energy crashed into the opposite wall of the separated space and caused a ginormous explosion.

KWA-BOOM!!

The entirety of the separated space trembled from the sheer power.

If such an attack found its intended target, just what might have happened?

'….That was dangerous.'

Too bad for the human, the Sovereign had sensed the enemy's intention in that instant and as a result, was able to dodge it at the very last possible moment. The Sovereign stared at Goh Gun-Hui, who must've exhausted all of his remaining energy from that attack, and formed a smile.

[Was that your final hidden card?]

That smile was clearly one of ridicule. However, Goh Gun-Hui was smiling along, as well.

"That's right."

The Sovereign discovered that smile floating up on the pale, waning face of the human and began feeling this puzzling sense of encroaching ill omen.

How come…

How come it was being overwhelmed by this creeping chill, even though victory was at hand? Its puzzlement didn't last for long, though.

Crack-!

'….??'

The Sovereign's gaze quickly shifted to its rear.

The barrier separating this space from the outside was crumbling into pieces after that enormous magical energy slammed into it.

'Was this his original intention?'

Even then, didn't this act ultimately a meaningless resistance?

[Nothing would change just because the wall between the dimensions break down.]

It was then, the consciousness of the Ruler dwelling within the old man's body raised the corner of his lips.

"Will it… really be that way?"

Crash-!!

Soon, the barrier shattered completely and the space regained its original appearance.

Lights from the other buildings; cars on the streets below those buildings; and the President's office, too. Everything returned to their original place.

Which meant…

Goh Gun-Hui summoned up the last of his strength and shouted at the ground beneath him.

"Now!"

From beneath his feet, a blob separated from his shadow and rapidly transformed into that of a certain ant. This creature avoided the Sovereign altogether and, while screeching out loudly, jumped outside the window.

Kiiehhk-!!

The Sovereign quickly shifted its gaze over to that creature. It couldn't understand why a denizen of the chaos world suddenly appeared here.

However, it was just that, a lone denizen. It was just a weakling of a soldier that submitted to the King of Insects. That was all.

Even then – the Sovereign couldn't rip its eyes away from that ant getting further and further away.

'…Could it be??'

Eventually, the Sovereign's brows shot up higher.

��Ah, ah!'

It should have realised the truth from the beginning.

It should have realised that the reason why the Fragment of the Brilliant Light poured out enough power to shatter the barrier even at the heavy cost to the human's body, when the Ruler always chose to conserve its strength, worried that the vessel would break sooner if it went all out.

Indeed, the b*stard hadn't been resisting so bitterly in order to escape from the barrier. There was yet another reason behind his actions.

'No!'

The Sovereign of Frost belatedly realised the identity of that ant and its eyes grew even wider than before.

Pah-bahk!

The Sovereign hurriedly discarded Goh Gun-Hui and leapt in the direction where that ant had run off to. Cold air coalesced in its hand and froze up to create an ice sickle.

The creature instantly arrived at the ant's location and slammed down with its ice sickle. But then…

Grab!

The wrist wielding the sickle was immediately grabbed by someone's hand. The grasping power was so great that the Sovereign couldn't retract its arm at all, no matter what.

But, even before the creature had any time to be surprised by that power, its neck was grabbed hard, too.

[Keok!]

The Sovereign of Frost confirmed just who appeared in the spot where the ant had disappeared from and felt its heart tumble to the pit of its stomach. And then, it asked in a disbelieving tone of voice.

[But, you… Why?]

Meanwhile, Jin-Woo grasped the neck of this Sovereign of Frost tightly so it wouldn't be able to escape, and shot it a puzzled look.

"An Ice Elf?"

Chapter 201: Chapter 201

Jin-Woo had a bit of history with the monsters called Ice Elves.

Didn't he encounter these creatures when he stumbled into a Red Gate for the first time in his life? How rueful did he feel back then, after seeing the boss mob 'Baruka' slipping out of his hands while leaving only a dagger behind?

Just remembering that event brought back all the bad emotions he felt then after failing to extract that monster's shadow.

'And here I was, having just barely forgotten about it….'

Naturally, his strength while gripping this creature's wrist and neck increased.

Wuduk!

[Keok!]

In any case, why was a high-ranking monster that should have been confined to a dungeon roaming freely around here?

Jin-Woo got here by switching his position with his Shadow Soldier. Next up, he used 'Ruler's Authority' to keep his balance and float in the air about 7 or 8 stories high. While gripping the monster tightly, he asked this mysterious Ice Elf a question.

"What the hell are you?"

Seeing those pointy ears, or the long whitish hair, or even its pair of silvery eyes, this thing seemed to be a White Phantom alright, but then again, he could also sense the trace of an unfathomably lengthy passage of time from this creature, too.

Not only that….

[Kuwuaaahk!]

The monster gritted its teeth and shook off Jin-Woo's hands.

'….!!'

What an incredible physical strength!

Even before he had the chance to get surprised from the monster slipping out of his grasp, Jin-Woo picked up on this chilling aura coagulating around the creature's mouth.

Inexplicably, the image of Demon King Baran shooting lightning out of its mouth overlapped with this b*stard. By sheer instinct, Jin-Woo tilted his torso away.

Kawahh-!!

The bitterly cold air shot out from the monster's mouth, sped past Jin-Woo's original position, and poured out into the air behind him.

After confirming the scary amount of magical energy being poured out by the monster with his two eyes, Jin-Woo quickly retreated an adequate-enough distance away.

'…..'

He lightly dusted the particles of ice clinging onto his shoulder and stared intently at the Ice Elf – no, the Sovereign of Frost.

That thing was no ordinary monster. His ultra-sharp senses were warning him that this thing was much stronger than any monster he had faced off against so far.

Jin-Woo wasn't the only one getting surprised, though.

[But, how can you….??]

The Sovereign hurriedly looked at Jin-Woo's shadow and, after confirming the number of soldiers hiding in there, couldn't hide the fact that it was feeling deeply surprised right now.

[You have managed to amass that many soldiers, so why haven't you contacted us already?]

When Jin-Woo made no effort to reply, the Sovereign began looking into his eyes. And then, a pained gasp leaked out from the creature's mouth.

[So, that's how it was…. You're the variable he talked about, aren't you?]

What was this fool talking about?

Jin-Woo was getting rather curious about the meaning behind this monster's constant babbling, but too bad, he didn't have enough leeway to hold a cordial Q&A session with this creature.

Just one moment of carelessness and the enemy's blade would reach him. And that blade wasn't dull enough for him to ignore it and hope for the best. As a matter of fact, his shoulder that got frozen for a moment just a few seconds ago was still aching even now.

Jin-Woo took a glance at the hurting shoulder and quietly summoned the 'Demon King's Shortswords' from his Inventory.

Weapons silently appeared in his hands.

'Is it a Mage-type creature?'

Judging from how it barely managed to get out of his grasp, its physical strength or defences didn't seem to be as high as its magical energy reserve suggested.

Which was a relief, actually.

He knew from his vast experiences in fighting many different types of monsters up until now that the Mage-type enemies were the easiest to deal with since they could be killed in an instant.

Just one hit would be enough to determine the winner.

If they both possessed a similar level of magical energy reserves, then the one needing to dodge the magic attacks would hold an advantage.

His opponent must've known that too because it didn't immediately try to go on the offensive, even though it had clearly sensed Jin-Woo's hostility.

The Sovereign of Frost deliberated on its options very seriously – but, only for a brief time – before deciding on what it would do next.

[….We shall stop here. I didn't come here today to hold a life-or-death struggle with you.]

"What was that??"

Jin-Woo frowned deeply. He had no desire to let this guy leave, so just who decided when they would stop fighting?

Besides, this creature wielded a massive amount of magic energy. Jin-Woo couldn't even begin to imagine just how many experience points he'd earn if he successfully killed this monster. His level might even jump up by another ten, just like back when he killed the King of Giants.

'….Hang on.'

When his thoughts arrived there, Jin-Woo finally deduced the identity of the monster.

'Could that thing be….??'

Meanwhile, the Sovereign pointed towards the broken wall of the Hunter's Association building.

[Did you not come here to save that human?]

Technically speaking, he came here because the ant soldier he left behind in the Association President's shadow sent him an urgent alert, that was all.

Jin-Woo's gaze shifted towards the location the Sovereign's outstretched finger was pointing at. And he found Goh Gun-Hui lying on the floor there.

'….!!'

The unconscious Association President was covered in blood from head to toe, and even at a casual glance, he could tell that the man's life was hanging precariously on the edge.

It was then.

[Now, choose.]

A large, incredibly sharp ice lance suddenly formed on the left hand of the Sovereign.

[Choose between fighting me or saving that human.]

The moment the creature's words came to an end, the lance flew towards Goh Gun-Hui.

Jin-Woo's eyes widened. He pushed his concentration to the absolute max, causing the flow of time to slow down greatly. He watched the lance fly agonisingly slowly, but accurately, towards the unmoving Association President.

'Ruler's Authority!��

He tried to use his invisible hand to stop the ice lance, but the magical energy of the one who threw it easily thwarted his attempts. Enraged, Jin-Woo shifted his glare at the Sovereign of Frost.

The b*stard was waiting. For Jin-Woo's answer, that was.

He bit his lower lip before dashing towards the spot where the Association President Goh Gun-Hui had collapsed on.

Wuuwung-!!

The air where Jin-Woo used to be wavered and tumbled about from the explosive power. Just before the lance landed, he arrived by Goh Gun-Hui's side first with almost no time to spare and dragged the unmoving man away from the weapon's trajectory.

Kwajeeck!!

The lance stabbed straight through the floor and the bitter coldness rapidly flooded out to freeze up the surroundings in an instant.

Kwa-du-duk, kwa-duk!!

In the blink of an eye, the entire floor of the President's office froze up solid from the extremely low temperature.

'D*mn it!'

Jin-Woo picked Goh Gun-Hui up and lightly jumped up in the air to avoid the freeze, and once this incredible biting coldness stopped spreading around, he settled back down on the floor.

Further enraged by this cheap tactic, Jin-Woo raised his head to look, but the b*stard was already jumping into a small Gate to escape from this battle.

In a rush, he quickly summoned 'Baruka's Dagger' from the Inventory and threw it.

'Dagger Rush!'

Swishhhh-!

The dagger flew in a dead-straight line and accurately stabbed into the Sovereign's shoulder.

[Kuwahk!!]

The Sovereign of Frost glared at the dagger in its shoulder, then glared at the one who threw it next – at Jin-Woo – and gnashed its teeth. It soon disappeared into the depth of the Gate.

Jin-Woo was thinking of chasing after the creature, but seeing the Gate's gradually shrink in size, he gave up on that idea. Besides, Goh Gun-Hui's current condition wasn't good enough for him to focus his attention elsewhere.

"Euh-euhk…."

The older man gasped out a pained moan.

Jin-Woo's lips closed shut in a straight line as he watched the Association President Goh Gun-Hui teeter precariously on the edge of life and death.

'This can't be healed with a healing potion.'

In that case, the best response he could come up with was to….

….Jin-Woo yelled out at the top of his lungs.

"Beru!"

Right away, he sensed the familiar aura hurriedly fly out from his apartment from a far away.

Kwa-boom!!

Beru smashed past several walls after flying in with all his might and entered the President's office, before kneeling down in front of Jin-Woo.

"Have you called for me, oh, my king?"

Jin-Woo cautiously lowered Goh Gun-Hui's upper torso on the floor and took a step back.

There was so much blood dripping out from the Association President that Jin-Woo's hands were now painted crimson just from supporting the older man's torso for a few seconds.

Drip, drip….

Jin-Woo's complexion grew gloomier as he stared at the droplets of blood fall to the floor from his fingertips.

Beru did as his master willed it and approached Goh Gun-Hui. He began using up all of his magical energy healing the gravely injured man.

Wuuonng… Wuuwuong…

Unfortunately, the complexion of the dying man didn't want to improve at all even with such a concerted healing effort. Beru panicked and opened his mouth.

"M-my king…."

Beru's scared eyes shifted over to Jin-Woo as he spoke.

"My healing magic… isn't working on him. I can't heal this man."

"What??"

He didn't seem to be exaggerating, because Beru's hands were shuddering as he continued on with his healing magic. Even Jin-Woo could sense the enormous amount of Beru's magic energy being spent right now. At this rate, even the former ant king would keel over from exhaustion.

Jin-Woo halted the healing effort and sat down next to Goh Gun-Hui to take a closer look at the man's current condition. Despite Beru's near-selfless efforts, the Association President's vitality had weakened even further than before.

Whatever that attack was, the hole in Goh Gun-Hui's chest didn't want to close up even after Jin-Woo poured in a whole bottle of the most expensive healing potion sold in the Store.

'D*mn it!'

Jin-Woo's breathing became urgent as the critical moment for Goh Gun-Hui approached closer and closer. The man who did his best for Jin-Woo's sake was slipping away and he couldn't do anything.

Out of sheer desperation, he even summoned out the bottle of 'Divine Water of Life', but before he could use it, someone grasped his wrist.

"Please…. stop."

It was Goh Gun-Hui. He managed somehow to force his eyes open.

"Association President!"

His breathing remained heavy as if it was on the brink of cutting out. He still got to confirm the faces of Jin-Woo and Beru next to him, though.

"….You did come for me. Thank you."

A weak smile spread on Goh Gun-Hui's face.

"Please, hold on for a little bit longer. I'll take you to a hospital right now."

Jin-Woo's urgent voice only managed to earn a shake of Goh Gun-Hui's head.

"It's useless… the attack that got me far exceeds the level of being curable with medicine or magic."

"But, sir!"

Jin-Woo was about to get angry after hearing those words of weakness from the Association President, but he had to stop. Goh Gun-Hui's trembling hand was grasping his, that was why.

"Listen to me!"

As if he was spurring on the dying embers of life for one last hurrah, Goh Gun-Hui's brows rose up high, his eyes opening up wide.

"I was able to get in touch with the will of the great beings. I saw their plans, who our common enemies are, and the things that we must do…."

The blood pooling in Goh Gun-Hui mouth gurgled and welled up.

"What a relief that you're here with us… to think, you'd possess that kind of power…. Thank you, God…."

Tears began welling up in Goh Gun-Hui's eyes as he stared at Jin-Woo. He then grasped the young Hunter's hand with both of his own and spoke with a trembling voice.

"Gates and dungeons weren't for them. In order to protect us, they chose this method, and…. Cough…."

At that moment, Goh Gun-Hui coughed and reddish-black blood spluttered out from his mouth.

Jin-Woo hurriedly tried to use the Divine Water, but Goh Gun-Hui shook his head. He knew the condition of his own body better than anyone.

"Sometime in the future… there will come a time when you must make a decision. When you do… I pray that you remain on the side of mankind."

Hearing the pained gasping voice of Goh Gun-Hui, Jin-Woo felt as if his heart was being ripped to pieces. But, all he could do right now was to quietly listen to his words. That's all he could do.

"Cough. I always wished I could fight alongside young people like you. But…. This body of mine made sure that would never happen."

For the first time ever, Goh Gun-Hui poured out what was in his heart without holding back.

Some people pointed their disapproving fingers at him, accusing him of establishing the Association to rake in more money. Some even insulted him as a senile old fool who was blinded by the allure of power.

The thing was, the man they were criticising was feeling angry that, even though he was blessed with this incredible power, he couldn't even use it properly.

He sought out other avenues to use his powers and, after spending every cent to his name, created the Hunter's Association. And through this organisation, he got to be near other Hunters and fulfilled his calling to its fullest.

"Even then, cough, I don't regret anything. I can now entrust the future to young people like you. That's all I ask for."

Drop….

Goh Gun-Hui's hands holding onto Jin-Woo's powerlessly fell to the floor. And he was no longer staring at the young man, but at the ceiling of his office.

Was it because his tears had spread out? The lights hanging on the ceiling, the ones he always thought were a bit too dim for his liking, seemed excessively blinding today.

Goh Gun-Hui shielded his eyes to block those lights.

"I'm truly relieved…. Thank you, thank you…."

At the end of those words, the Association President Goh Gun-Hui stopped murmuring altogether.

Confirming that he was no longer breathing now, Jin-Woo wordlessly closed the deceased man's unmoving eyes shut. Like his final words of gratitude, the expression on his face was one of peace.

Jin-Woo raised his head above to stare outside.

Drip, drip…

He saw through the destroyed wall the raindrops falling from the cloudy sky. The sky that had been gloomy since the early morning.

***

Next day. Several headlines dominated the front pages of countless newspapers.

The first news item was about Brazil's greatest Hunter, 'Jonas' being found on the vicinity of a river – as a corpse. The second one was about the grisly murder of the Korean Hunter's Association President after his chest was stabbed through by an unidentified assailant.

And finally, the news of Hunter Seong Jin-Woo returning to South Korea.

Chapter 202: Chapter 202

First, it was Christopher Reid.

Next, Brazil's top Hunter, Jonas.

And finally, the Korean Hunter's Association President, Goh Gun-Hui.

The news of these Hunters dying, thought to be some of the world's best, was revealed to the public one after the other and caused substantial chaos in their wake.

If the enemies were capable of murdering the Hunters who stood at the apex when it came to fighting power, then just who would be able to catch them?

The world's mass media continued to talk about nothing else other than the deaths of these three Hunters for several days and nights. America's own Hunter Bureau even issued an official statement regarding these events, too.

And it said that the Bureau had gotten in contact with various Guilds from other nations to focus their resources in tracking down the culprits responsible.

Unfortunately, the public's fears couldn't be assuaged with a simple statement like that. It was obvious why – the trusty walls that defended them like an impregnable fortress from the dire threats of monsters had been breached, after all.

As the Hunter communities and the mass media around the world were going through an upheaval, the Korean Hunter's Association suddenly released video footage to the public. It contained scenes recorded from Association President Goh Gun-Hui's office at the time of his death.

"Oh, my god!"

"Heok!"

Everyone who clapped their eyes on the footage in question couldn't hide their shocks and astonishments.

Two men were shown on the captured footage.

One of them was, without a doubt, the Association President Goh Gun-Hui. As for the other 'man' stabbing the former's chest with something very sharp, he was… no matter how one looked, that thing was not human.

It was a monster.

'An Ice Elf!!'

The shocking sight of a monster that should've been confined in a dungeon murdering a top-ranked Hunter was captured so vividly in the video. The creature's face in a close-up soon spread out to the rest of the world.

The shockwave from that video was massive.

People finally realised that, although Hunters existed to hunt down monsters, they too could be hunted down in turn by their supposed prey, just like everyone else. This only served to create yet another layer of terror in the people's hearts.

Regular folks were being protected by the Hunters, but then, who was protecting these Hunters?

Things got bad enough to the point where some people began saying that the nation's best Hunters shouldn't be let outside their own borders, citing that Jin-Woo was not in Korea at the time of the Association President Goh Gun-Hui's murder.

And so – as the chaotic atmosphere ruled supreme, the focus of the general public quickly shifted over to Jin-Woo. Everyone knew the close-knit relationship he had with the Association President, so people naturally became curious as to what his response would be.

However, Jin-Woo didn't say anything to the media.

A few days went by like that.

By this time, the investigation into the Association President Goh Gun-Hui's cause of death was complete. The day before the funeral, Jin-Woo paid an unannounced visit to the Hunter's Association.

***

Woo Jin-Cheol, looking wane and exhausted, came to receive Jin-Woo at the waiting area.

"I'm sorry about the wait, Hunter-nim. It's been really hectic for the last few days…."

Woo Jin-Cheol rubbed his scruffy, unkempt beard and apologised. On that day they returned from the United States, he was greeted with this out-of-nowhere news and had to rush straight back to the Hunter's Association.

The meeting of these two men was taking place exactly three days after that. Before they got down to business, though, Jin-Woo asked him a question.

"Why did you… hide the rest of the footage taken by the CCTV camera?"

The Association's footage went only as far as revealing the face of the Sovereign of Frost. As for Jin-Woo or Beru who entered the Association President's office afterwards, their footage was not revealed to the public.

Woo Jin-Cheol scratched his head and replied with a bitter expression on his face.

"We at the Association will always prioritise the safety of our Hunters. We decided that we can't carelessly reveal one of your hidden abilities to the public."

A Hunter's skills were like all the hidden trump cards he or she possessed. Publicly revealing a skill would be akin to unveiling one's hands. Quite obviously, the higher the one's Awakened rank was, the more likely it was for one to hide one's skills, as this act could save one's life in an unexpected situation.

Jin-Woo's skill that allowed him to travel in the blink of an eye from America to the Hunter's Association building in South Korea – the Association decided that they couldn't reveal a skill this monumental to the world without the consent of the Hunter in question.

"I'm sure that the Association President would have made the exact same decision if he was still with us."

Chief Woo Jin-Cheol respected Goh Gun-Hui greatly and one could even say that he was closer to his late boss than anybody else in this organisation. So, when he mentioned the term 'Association President', his eyes reddened automatically.

"Ah, I see. That was why your expression looked so scary and unforgiving before we got on the plane heading back home."

Jin-Woo admitted to Woo Jin-Cheol's guess with a simple nod.

The latter felt as if a mystery was solved the moment he watched the footage – the mystery regarding why Jin-Woo's atmosphere came across as so heavy on the day they were about to depart for South Korea.

"Was that monster so strong that you couldn't stop it, Hunter-nim?"

Jin-Woo shook his head.

"When I got here, it was already….."

Jin-Woo formed a gloomy expression again and Woo Jin-Cheol's head dropped lower in the end.

"I'm sorry…. I'm sure you're also feeling really bad right now. I was just frustrated and that ended up troubling you…."

Woo Jin-Cheol knew better than anyone that Jin-Woo was not responsible. That was perhaps why the latter's attempt at trying to console the former only made it worse.

"I still can't believe it."

Woo Jin-Cheol's gaze remained fixed on the floor as he carried on.

"How could he die…. He was urging me the day before to return as soon as possible because he wanted to hear about everything that happened in the U.S….."

Jin-Woo patiently waited for Woo Jin-Cheol as the latter struggled to finish his sentence.

"What did…. What did the Association President say to you? Before he closed his eyes?"

"He said that he felt relieved."

"Pardon?"

Woo Jin-Cheol raised his head, surprised.

"He felt relieved that the future could be entrusted to the young Hunters, like myself…."

"Ah."

That's what he meant.

Tears began falling from Woo Jin-Cheol's eyes as his emotions welled up. He felt moved by the generous heart of Association President Goh Gun-Hui, who worried for the future of his fellow men right up until the end.

He dabbed around his eyes with the back of his hand and hid the tears away before nodding his head.

"Thank you. Thank you for being there for the final moments of the Association President."

The thing about him being relieved couldn't have been a lie. If it was, how could he have formed such a serene expression as he passed on?

Woo Jin-Cheol's gratitude was genuine, it came from the depths of his heart.

"…"

Jin-Woo kept his mouth firmly shut, opting to not reply. He felt as if his complicated thoughts had been untangled somewhat by having this conversation with Woo Jin-Cheol.

"….I'll kill that b*stard."

"Excuse me?"

Jin-Woo's expression became extremely cold.

"The monster that murdered the Association President. I'll definitely hunt it down."

Not just for the sake of avenging Goh Gun-Hui, but to send the clear message to those b*stards threatening him.

Gulp.

Woo Jin-Cheol swallowed his dry saliva.

He knew that this killing aura wasn't even directed at him, yet he could hardly breathe right now from the intense pressure. As a matter of fact, this cold and heavy murderous intent was squashing down hard on his shoulders.

Jin-Woo spotted Woo Jin-Cheol's complexion becoming pale and quickly withdrew his aura.

"You can save your thanks until then."

"Oh…."

Woo Jin-Cheol did his best to calm the pounding heart in his chest and nodded his head.

"I understand."

Only then did he realise that Jin-Woo still hadn't told him about the purpose of his visit to the Association. A Hunter on his level wouldn't have come here to ask about the latter part of the security video footage.

So, Woo Jin-Cheol asked politely.

"I apologise for my inattentiveness…. I even forgot to ask you why you are paying us a visit, Hunter-nim."

Jin-Woo told him about the decision he had come to after a few days of deliberation.

"Can you organise me a press conference?"

***

Reporters descended on the press conference venue like a flock of vultures. Jin-Woo was being seen as a walking, talking bundle of big news waiting to happen to these reporters for a while now.

And such a man had called for a press conference, the first time ever that he did that, so which reporter worth his or her salt wouldn't be interested in that?

Noisy, noisy….

The conference venue became quite noisy, as befitting the large number of the gathered crowd. But, just like a lie, every single one of them shut their mouths as soon as Jin-Woo made his entrance.

Right away, the expectant silence filled up the venue.

Jin-Woo could feel each of the focused gazes from the reporters landing on his skin as he began addressing them.

"A group of monsters possessing a high level of intelligence is currently hunting down humanity's top-ranked Hunters. They are stronger than any Hunters out there, and they also employ all sorts of means to get to their targets."

A group of monsters?

There was more than one monster that murdered the Association President Goh Gun-Hui?

The reporters were immediately thrown into confusion.

However, Jin-Woo got his information straight from the mouth of the King of Giants, the Sovereign of the Beginning. There were nine Sovereigns, and he said that soon, a battle between them and the so-called 'Rulers' would commence.

The Sovereigns were prioritising targetting the Hunters at the top of the pile who were borrowing the powers of the Rulers. Three Hunters had been killed already. And it was unknown how many more victims would arise in the near future.

For the time being, he did attach his boys to those Hunters that the Hunter Bureau had pointed out, but realistically speaking, he couldn't keep his eyes on every single Hunter in the world who was called 'strong'.

For instance, there could be another victim from an unexpected quarter like Goh Gun-Hui.

Jin-Woo's sudden press conference was meant to serve as a message of warning to the potential victims who were fighting against monsters in some parts of the world.

"These monsters employ special magic that separates the targetted space from the surroundings. That's how they isolate their targets."

This was incredible information. He could reveal this without hesitation because he had met a Sovereign already.

"That is why, if you fear that you might be their next target, please, stay as close as humanly possible to your comrades that could protect you. However, just in case….."

'Just in case', he said.

Jin-Woo finally revealed the reason why he wanted to hold this press conference in the first place.

"If you don't have a comrade that can fulfil that role, contact the Korean Hunter's Association. They will put you through to me."

"Oh, oh!"

Exclamations of admiration came out from the lips of the reporters.

Such unwavering confidence!

The Hunter responsible for beating Thomas Andre to a pulp was emitting a confidence-inspiring aura as if such monsters were a trifling matter to him. This sure was a surprising announcement capable of blowing away the fog of anxiety from the public's hearts.

The thing was, though – Jin-Woo was actually aiming for something else.

'I'll lay a trap using all the Hunters that might be targetted by those b*stards.'

With this, he'd be able to trace the movements of the Sovereigns even if they targetted the retired or inactive Hunters like the Association President Goh Gun-Hui. He had no doubt that at least one of them would fall into his trap sooner or later.

When Jin-Woo was about to end his announcement, a barrage of questions descended on him almost immediately.

"I'm a reporter working for the X Daily! How do you know so much about this group of monsters, Hunter-nim?"

"I've encountered them before."

To be more specific, he had run into them twice already. He met the King of Giants in Japan, while the other one in Korea.

Noisy, noisy….

Reporters couldn't immediately recover from their surprises but still, they didn't forget to jot down what Jin-Woo had said.

"Does that mean you were unscathed even after encountering them, Hunter-nim??"

Jin-Woo replied concisely, his eyes burning with the flames of confidence.

"Yes."

Hunter Seong Jin-Woo was unhurt even after encountering those creatures! Reporters hurriedly operated their cameras as the expected scoop happened yet again.

Click, click, click, click-!!

It was then, a certain reporter sitting a bit away from the front row raised his hand up high. He was none other than the same reporter who accompanied Chief Woo Jin-Cheol to document the sacrifices the Hunters had made trying to battle the angel statue. Jin-Woo shifted his gaze over to him.

Reporter Kim slowly lowered his hand and, quite unlike his frenzied peers, voiced his question clearly and concisely.

"What will you do when you meet the monster responsible for the murder of the Association President Goh Gun-Hui?"

Jin-Woo studied the still-furious expression etched on the face of Reporter Kim without saying anything, before switching the mic off.

"….That will be all."

Reporter Kim stared for a long time at Jin-Woo's departing back as the latter descended from the platform. He thought that, even though there was no verbal answer, he could still hear the young Hunter's determined voice somehow.

***

"Guild Master."

"Master!"

The two security guards on duty jumped up from their seats in surprise after seeing Thomas Andre walking towards their guard station, but he simply signalled at them, telling them to settle back down.

Beep.

He pressed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner, and the automated door slid open. He and the top manager of the Guild, Laura, stepped into the underground storage facility located below the Guild's building.

The two guards who got spooked by Thomas Andre's presence were rank A Hunters in reality.

Since he stayed in the building's penthouse suite and would be informed immediately if something happened, the number of people who could step into this storage facility were extremely few.

Thomas Andre didn't hesitate for a second and headed straight into the deepest part of the underground facility.

"Are you really planning to gift him with 'those', sir?"

Beep.

They finally gained access to the chamber housing 'those' after another round of fingerprint scanning.

"What's the matter? Do you believe this is too much for the price of my Guild members, as well as my life?"

"No, sir. That's not it, but…."

"Well, you think he's not good enough as a Hunter to wield these guys, then?"

"…."

Laura knew that talking to him now was a waste of time. Since she knew retorting to him wouldn't work anyway, she decided to close her mouth shut for now.

Meanwhile, Thomas Andre stood before the items he was searching for. These weapons didn't even suit him at all, yet he couldn't help but feel his heart tremble every time he stood before them.

"….No matter how many times I look at them, they still look cool."

Thomas Andre murmured in admiration, and Laura tried to dissuade him one last time, her voice sounding slightly unwilling.

"Sir, there are only two of these in the entire world."

"Yup, that's true."

"And it'll stay that way."

"I'm sure it will."

"Even then, will you still give them away?"

"That's why I'm giving them to him."

Thomas Andre formed a smirk.

It had been almost eight years since these guys were crafted, but the searing light coming off of them hadn't diminished by a single bit.

"The best Hunter needs the best weapons. Don't you think it's too much of a waste to let them rot in here?"

As if to answer him, a pair of shortswords resting within the metal case reflected the spotlight, the glare of the blades remaining sharp and cold.

Chapter 203: Chapter 203

Streets were filled with the gloomy atmosphere of a funeral.

Someone had to perform that role, but no one wanted to step forward to do it – that was the position of the first President of the Hunter's Association.

Goh Gun-Hui.

When the nation needed someone to rally the powerful Hunters, he unhesitatingly closed up his own successful business and rolled up his sleeves to get to work.

And under the command of its President Goh Gun-Hui, the Korean Hunter's Association was able to achieve so many things.

The organisation controlled and protected various Hunters; at the same time, it took the lead in compensating the victims of the monster attacks, while also silently aiding the families of the deceased Hunters, as well.

Many victims who had received Goh Gun-Hui's aid in the past gathered at his memorial service and cried their hearts out in genuine sorrow.

Citizens filled up the venue until there was no room to even stand; the people paying their respects remained until deep into the night, burning their candles and grieving for the life lost.

Even the various TV stations interrupted their regular broadcasting schedules to play the video packages summarising the life of the late Association President and his various accomplishments.

One of the gigantic electronic advertising boards hung up in the middle of the city played the scene of Goh Gun-Hui taking shots at Assemblyman Nam Joon-Wook during the parliamentary hearing.

["I'd like to urge you to think about this carefully. If and when another rank S Gate appears in our land, just who will step up to protect your life? You will not be able to buy back your life even if you are willing to pay hundreds of times, no, make that thousands of times the price you paid for your new residence."]

The pedestrian lights changed colour to green, but no one moved from their spot. They stood still, unable to rip their eyes away from the electronic boards or from their smartphones.

Next up was a clip of an interview featuring the longtime personal physician of Goh Gun-Hui.

["Back when Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim was fighting against the ant monsters on Jeju Island, I was watching the raid broadcast by the Association President's side. He turned around to tell me that his biggest wish had now come true, and he had no more regrets left. But to think, he'd really leave us like this…."]

His eyes were red and swollen even before the interview began, and the good doctor eventually broke down and cried.

The viewers watching all became lost for words. They began recalling the sight of the Association President Goh Gun-Hui standing before the families of the victims and wordlessly shedding tears after the previous three attempts to take Jeju Island back all ended in failures.

Just as the number of people who respected and admired him was great, the number of those who hated him and were jealous of him was quite high, as well. However, even these people paid their respects to him on this day, their hearts all feeling the same sort of emotion.

*

Late at night.

Jin-Woo stood on the rooftop of the 100-stories-tall Daesung Tower. Powerful gusts of wind constantly blew at him as he stood at this dizzying height, but his body didn't even sway for one second.

His eyes were fixated on the cityscape below. He could see the streets of Seoul filled with the palpable air of grief.

One of the electronic advertisement boards was playing a documentary detailing the life of the Association President Goh Gun-Hui.

'…..'

Jin-Woo's sharp glare scanned every corner of the city like a hawk searching for prey.

Meanwhile, his Shadow Soldiers were searching through Seoul with greater efficiency than before, perhaps owing to the fact that they felt familiar with the order as it was similar to the one he issued in America.

A great deal of information flowed into Jin-Woo's mind, but none of them was what he wanted to know. No matter how much of the city was searched, no traces of that ancient White Phantom could be detected.

'As expected, this method isn't going to work.'

Jin-Woo knew all too well that using a method like this to catch a monster who was capable of freely entering and exiting a dimension through Gates was not the answer.

Back then, he tried to stick a Shadow Soldier on the b*stard before it made its escape so he could chase after it later. But that ended in failure. Because… that creature didn't have that one little thing that all existences possessed. It didn't have a shadow.

'It's supposed to be a spiritual body or some such, right?'

The King of Giants did say that both the Sovereigns and the Rulers were made up of the 'spiritual bodies' so they couldn't be turned into Shadow Soldiers.

If that was the reason why that Sovereign didn't possess a shadow, then Jin-Woo no longer enjoyed the benefit of having the greatest method of tracking someone down.

However….

'….It doesn't matter.'

The King of Giants warned him back then – once Jin-Woo's existence was known to the remaining Sovereigns, they would not sit back idly and suck on their thumbs. That's what he said.

Meaning, these Sovereigns would come knocking on his doorstep sooner rather than later. Not to target the Association President Goh Gun-Hui, but him, as their sole target.

But when that happens, he would…..

The heavy and intense killing intent spread out from Jin-Woo.

Ever since he got the System, his reward for surviving the terrors of the first dual dungeon, he had never missed his enemy. The only one to buck this trend was that 'Ice Elf'.

Jin-Woo had ensured that his enemies would meet their ends, regardless of whether they were monsters or humans. And he wasn't planning on letting that thing become the only exception.

But then….

'Uh….?'

He had to take a pause there.

Jin-Woo was going through all the enemies he fought until now and realised that something was a bit odd.

Now that he thought about it…

'….Wait, when I was fighting Hwang Dong-Su or Thomas Andre, I didn't see any messages from the System, did I?'

In the past, the System always warned him with messages if someone nearby directed murderous intent towards him, and soon after that, issued emergency quests.

It happened with Hwang Dong-Seok, Kahng Tae-Sik, and finally, with Kim Cheol. There was no exception.

Hell, he even received a warning message during that sparring session with Goto Ryuji just because, for the briefest moment, the Japanese Hunter attacked him with the intent to cause real harm.

'But then, no messages popped up when Hwang Dong-Su was trying to get revenge for his brother, or when Thomas Andre declared that he'd kill me. Why?'

What a strange development this was.

No matter how he dissected it, it didn't sound right. Jin-Woo pondered this mystery for a second or two, then pulled out his phone in order to confirm a theory of his.

Thankfully, he still had the contact number he got from that American's blonde lady manager.

It was 1 AM in Korea, but when thinking about the time difference to the Eastern United States, he shouldn't be unduly inconveniencing them.

Ringgg….

As he expected, the ringtone didn't last long before the other side answered the call.

– "Hey, Mister Seong. I didn't expect you to give me a call first."

Perhaps puzzled by the phone call, Thomas Andre's voice sounded a bit surprised.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about."

– "You have a question? Not a problem. I'll try to answer it as truthfully as I can."

"That day, when we were fighting…."

– "….When we were fighting?"

"Did you attack me with the intent to kill?"

Since Thomas Andre was rather unwilling to recall the events of that day, Jin-Woo quickly explained that he simply wanted to satisfy his curiosity and nothing more.

There was no reason to hide anything, though. Thomas Andre took his time before answering as truthfully as he promised earlier.

– "Well, when I get angry, I can't really control myself, so…. Yeah, I was thinking of really killing you that day."

As expected – the murderous intent the American carried was all for real. Even then, the System maintained silence.

Something definitely….

'….Has changed.'

His hypothesis that started off from suspicion was quickly morphing into a sure thing.

– "Mister Seong?"

Thomas Andre must've felt the ensuing silence from his answer a wee bit uncomfortable because he tried to change the topic with an excited voice.

– "How about we change the subject from this uninteresting story to the fantastic thing I prepared for you….."

Ttuk….

Jin-Woo wasn't really in the mood to share a jokey banter with Thomas Andre right now, so he mumbled a quick goodbye and ended the call right there.

That answer confirmed it for him. The System didn't react to the presence of enemies with hostile intentions against him. This was totally different from before. What a big change this was, considering that in the beginning, it tried to make him protect himself no matter what.

'This is not a problem that I can take lightly.'

When it happened for the first time – when he saw the overtly-threatening quest telling him to kill his enemies or his own heart would stop beating, he began to hold a vague notion on just what the end game of the System could be.

It was likely that the System was trying to goad him down a certain path – that's what he thought.

So, now that there were no emergency quests being issued, this could signal a change in the goal of the System.

Thanks to this, he now enjoyed the luxury of having more choices, and he also got to spare Thomas Andre even though the American had bared his fangs like that.

'If another emergency quest was issued, then well, such a thing wouldn't have happened.'

It sure was a welcome piece of news that he now had a wider variety of options available, but still, he couldn't help but be curious as to what the real reason for this change might be.

Did it have something to with the original owner of this power supposedly betraying the other Sovereigns? Or, did the death of the 'architect' of the System throw a wrench in their plan, whatever it was, and everything had gone down the crapper?

Jin-Woo continued to dissect each guess and hypothesis that popped up one after the other in his mind before ruefully shaking his head.

'I should clear my mind.'

There was a need to set a clear goal for the time being. And that would be to kill that ancient White Phantom, as well as to get as much information on other Sovereigns from the b*stard while he was at it.

If the creature came for him first, that would be good. But, even if it targetted other Hunters instead, he was in the midst of increasing his traps, anyway.

As long as that thing fell for it, then he'd be able to catch two birds with one stone.

The problem was with time.

Since he didn't know when the Sovereigns might appear again, he needed to adequately prepare himself for the battle against the unknown enemies who were, no doubt, incredibly powerful.

Thankfully, he had already got himself a perfect place to keep earning more experience points.

That would be none other than Japan. It had not recovered fully from all the destruction caused by the Giants. Several parts of the country were still left abandoned in ruin.

While Jin-Woo was in America, countless Gates went on to become full-on dungeon breaks, and monsters emerging from them settled down and began increasing their territories.

To the Japanese people, those monsters might be the source of terror, but for Jin-Woo, they were nothing more than juicy prey just waiting to be converted into experience points.

One by one…

His heart began pounding hard just from imagining his level climbing up by pushing back the monsters occupying the land there.

It was then, his phone vibrated for a short moment and alerted him to the incoming message. He looked at the screen to find a text message from Thomas Andre.

[Mister Seong? Can you give me another call? There was something I still wanna tell you about….]

The old saying went along the lines of 'the ground will harden after a rainfall'; it seemed that Thomas Andre wanted to form a friendship on the basis of them having fought against each other.

Jin-Woo welcomed the idea, obviously. His social skill wasn't poor enough for him to refuse the hand of friendship the other side was offering first.

Still, they could chat at any time they wanted to, no? He liked Thomas Andre and his lack of ulterior motives, but it was a bit too late in the evening to share banter with him, he thought.

Jin-Woo quickly typed his reply and sent it on its way.

[OK. But later. I've got this urgent thing to take care of.]

Beep.

A smile spread on Jin-Woo's face after he tapped 'Send' icon.

'Nothing will change.'

Indeed, he'd continue to raise his level in preparation for the days ahead. It was the same story back then or now.

'Good.'

He felt better than when he was climbing up here. His steps now taking him back down the Daesung Tower were lighter than ever before.

***

However, Jin-Woo wasn't the only one getting ready for a battle.

The Sovereign of Frost, after successfully escaping to the hideout, summoned other Sovereigns who had already descended on this planet.

Three men and one woman appeared within this frozen cave. The Sovereign of Frost addressed these four 'kings'.

[The Shadow Sovereign is in this world.]

And then, it proceeded to explain what it saw and heard to its new guests.

[…..]

[…..]

The Sovereigns weren't even bothered in the slightest by the coldness of the cave capable of freezing a person's flesh and blood, but after hearing the story, their atmosphere became incredibly frosty in mere seconds.

[I thought there was no vessel good enough to contain his power?]

Also, wasn't that the reason why the Dragon Emperor couldn't descend to this world, too?

The Sovereign of Frost resolutely shook its head.

[I saw it clearly with my own two eyes. That being was real.]

Two of the Sovereigns who had sensed the lingering power of the Shadow Sovereign back in Jeju Island could only agree with their comrade at this point. The atmosphere remained frosty as the Sovereign of Frost continued on.

[He will prove to be an even bigger threat to us than the Fragments of the Brilliant Light. I shall dispose of him. Are any of you willing to lend me your aid?]

Too bad, the response to its request for aid was indifferent, to say the least. This made some sense. Their opponent this time was seen as one of the most powerful 'kings' among the nine kings that ruled over the Chaos World.

A battle against him was the same as killing yourself. It was only obvious that these Sovereigns would become extra hesitant by the prospect.

One of the Sovereigns spoke up.

[How about we wait for the Dragon Emperor?]

The Sovereign of Destruction. If it was 'him', then the betrayer would be dealt with quite swiftly.

However, the Sovereign of Frost growled angrily at its comrades.

[We might be on the run, but do not forget that we're kings of our own armies. How long will you cry out for the Dragon Emperor to come and save you?]

The dagger that stabbed into its shoulder – the wound inflicted from that encounter was no ordinary physical injury, but one that directly bruised its ego. The Sovereign of Frost had a score to settle with the Shadow Sovereign.

[If we wish to remove him from the picture, then now is the chance as he is still a human. Lend me your aid. I shall make sure to send him back to the void.]

Even though its resolution was unwavering, one of the Sovereigns still stepped away.

[I shall not partake in this venture.]

Another Sovereign brought up the incident of the King of the Demons, Baran, who unwisely went up against the Shadow Sovereign and disappeared from the spot, as well.

[I do not wish to end up like the Sovereign of the White Flames.]

[….Cowards.]

The Sovereign of Frost clicked its tongue as two of its comrades disappeared from the view. Out of the five kings that had gathered, only three remained. A muscular giant of a figure threw a question at the Sovereign of Frost.

[Where's the proof that he's still a human being?]

As if it was waiting for this chance, the ancient White Phantom showed the dagger that used to be stabbed into its shoulder. Its tip was gleaming in a greenish hue.

[Poison has been applied to the blade.]

More precisely, it was the poison of a Manticore. It might not be effective against Sovereigns, but it was still a fatal substance powerful enough to rot away the flesh of the regular denizens of the Chaos World just from simple, innocuous contact.

That man had coated his blade with the poison in preparation of the future events. It was indeed a meticulous and smart thing to do, but it was also not the Shadow Sovereign's original style. This was the clear evidence that the human was in charge of that body.

The Sovereign of Frost respectfully asked the two remaining comrades.

[Are you with me on this one?]

Its powers were about the same compared to the Shadow Sovereign, who was still a mere human. However, if two other Sovereigns supported its cause, then it was sure of subjugating the human Shadow Sovereign.

The two remaining 'kings' exchanged glances between each other before nodding their heads.

[I shall aid you.]

[We shall kill the Shadow Sovereign.]

The Sovereign of Frost swore in its heart that it'd teach the true meaning of terror to that puny little human responsible for wounding its shoulder with a dagger.

The corner of the ancient White Phantom's lips curled upwards.