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49-56

Chapter 49

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Sitting by the window in his hotel room, Soo Hyun Kim, the miscellaneous type representing the Northern Branch, stared blankly at the city at night. Looking down at the stump of his arm, he was reminded of the fact that he no longer had a right arm. His protective shield hadn't been able to protect him from the champion's deadly blow, leading to the loss of his limb. Reliving the vivid memory of his protective shield shattering into pieces right before his eyes, Soo Hyun scoffed almost like a sigh. At that moment, the door opened, and a man in a black robe armed with a podao sword came into the room. Looking at him, Soo Hyun smacked his lips and asked, "So, did the higher-ups know anything about this new miscellaneous-type individual?"

When the man in the black robe responded with a brief nod, Soo Hyun chuckled and took a drag off his cigarette.

"Talk about surprise, am I right? Hell, I don't even know what to make of this situation."

Instead of a response, the man in the black robe came up to Soo Hyun and stared intently at him with cold, cruel eyes.

"I have a message."

"Which is?"

"'You've served us well.'"

"… Shit."

At that moment, darkness engulfed the room, and the surroundings started to contort as the sword of the man in the black robe came down on the northern representative. Blood gushed out of Soo Hyun like a fountain, splattering all over the room, soaking the wallpaper and the floor. Covered in the blood of his victim, the man in the black robe treaded past the pool of blood and left the room unhurriedly.

—

"The northern representative was found dead in his hotel room, and the southern representative is assumed to have fallen from the hospital's rooftop. Though, our analysis shows that he was already dead when he fell."

Hearing the mind-boggling information being delivered by the Shadow Guild, Ji Yoo pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Who are you working for?" she asked herself wearily.

"That is all. You will receive the bill after the weekend."

With that, the call came to an abrupt end, and Ji Yoo clenched her teeth and eyes. All four of the regional branches remained headless, and it was only a matter of time before the world found out about Korea's vulnerable state.

"Wait… Why were the eastern and western representatives assassinated in the middle of their treatment?"

Something wasn't adding up. While two of the four had been killed after their treatment, the remaining two had been assassinated during their treatment.

'This makes no sense. If somebody was trying to assassinate them, then they would've killed all four of them before they were admitted to the hospital… Unless, there's a fourth-party involved?'

Swarmed with thoughts, Ji Yoo let out a long sigh and leaned back against her chair.

"Sigh, the hell with it…" she murmured, groaning, her forehead hotter than ever.

—

In a wheelchair, a man stared at the Han River. Soon, a black car approached while flashing its headlights. As it came to a stop, a man in a black robe came out of the car.

"Welcome back," the man in wheelchair said with a welcoming smile. At which point, the man in the black robe walked up to the man in a wheelchair, stood next to him and stared out into the river. He asked, "Min Sung Kang. What are you gonna do about him?"

Thinking of the individual the man in the black robe was referring to, the man in the wheelchair smiled bitterly and replied, "We don't know much about him. For now, we keep our eyes on him."

Hearing that, the man in the black robe nodded.

—

There was something incredibly addicting about falling asleep with a full stomach. Similarly, there was something just as magical about a bowl of cold udon in the middle of a summer night. Going to bed after such a satisfying meal was a tremendous blessing.

Although going to bed with a full stomach often meant waking up feeling sluggish in the morning, it was hardly a big deal for the champion. After all, all he had to do was let the energy diffuse through his body. After that, his circulation returned to its maximum efficiency in no time. Getting out of bed, Min Sung made his way to the living room, stretching on the way. Soon, he was greeted by Bowl, who was in the middle of wiping the table.

"Good morning, master," the doll said, bowing politely. Nodding briefly in response, Min Sung made his way into the kitchen. Then, just as he was about to open the refrigerator door for a drink of water, he stopped in his tracks as a certain machine came into view.

"Is this a coffee machine?"

Standing in front of the thirty-two-million-won coffee machine, the champion studied the manual. After which, he decided to try his hand at making his own coffee. Being extremely high-end, the machine was capable of controlling the coffee to water ratio to perfection. Because of that, it didn't take a professional barista to brew a perfect cup of coffee.

With a cup ready in his hand, Min Sung opened the glass door and went out to the front yard. Greeted by

the warm Sun and a clear blue sky, the champion savored the nature around him, listening to the cicadas buzzing about. Then, sitting on a chair, he drank his coffee. As the hot liquid flowed into his mouth, he let out, "Ah… this is nice," and looked up at the sky. Although he had been back to Earth for a while, it still felt surreal. Savoring his warm cup of fresh coffee, he counted his blessings. At that moment, the doorbell rang and broke the silence.

"Who is it at this hour?" he murmured, furrowing his brow. Putting the coffee on the table, he made his way toward the front door.

—

"Hi, there!"

A strikingly beautiful woman appeared through the crack of the door. Furrowing his brow, Min Sung asked, "Do I know you?"

"Ji Yoo Kim? We ended up fishing together, remember? I even shared my bait with you."

"And?"

"I had some questions to ask you. Mind if I come in?"

"I do mind."

Hearing that, Ji Yoo raised the plastic bag in her hand, which read 'Chungmu Gimbap.'

"I thought it would be rude of me to show up at your door empty-handed."

Upon seeing the bag of gimbap, Min Sung's mouth started to water. Despite having had a bowl of udon the night before, the temptation of the Chungmu-style gimbap was still strong. Eventually, Min Sung opened the door wide, and while throwing him a beautiful smile, she walked inside. Then, she came across Bowl, who was still busy cleaning the house.

"Aww! What is that? Is it alive!? Awww! It's adorable!"

Paying no attention to her, Min Sung took the gimbap, the seasoned squid, the radish kimchi and a bowl of soybean paste soup out of the plastic bag. Ji Yoo observed the champion as he set the food.

Buried in her bosom, Bowl let out a strange chuckle, "Hehe. Hehe."

When Min Sung opened the container with the gimbap in it, a savory, irresistible fragrance rushed into his nose. At which point, without hesitation, he picked up a piece of gimbap and seasoned squid with a toothpick and brought them up to his. The squid was tender, but it also had a pleasant snap to it, not to mention the wave of ocean flavor that filled his mouth.

'… This… is amazing!'

Although he had just gotten out of bed, the gimbap combined with the perfectly seasoned squid was too delicious for him to stop after his first piece.

Picking up the bowl of soup, Min Sung poured the rich, savory broth and the tender pieces of radish greens into his mouth. Then, just as he was about to reach for another piece of gimbap, he looked at Ji Yoo, who smiled pleasantly and said, "I've already eaten. Eat up."

'You might have shown up at my door without telling me ahead of time, but I'll make an exception this one time. We'll call it even,' Min Sung thought as he put another piece of gimbap into his mouth. Two became three; and three became four. Yet, the dish didn't get old to him. In fact, it felt as though his stomach wanted more of it.

'I can't stop eating these,' Min Sung told himself as he put yet another piece of the bite-sized gimbap into his mouth. The rice was neither too sticky nor too dry, and the seaweed wrapped around the rice added a nice popping sensation when he sank his teeth into the concoction. In addition, the seasoned squid, which was quite spicy, was incredibly addictive. Needless to say, it wasn't long before he was down to the last piece of gimbap.

Looking down at the last remaining piece of gimbap with lingering attachment, Min Sung created one last concoction with a piece of seasoned squid, some fish cake and vegetables and brought that up to his mouth. After following up with what was left of the soup, Min Sung sank into his couch, deeply satisfied. Then, he looked toward Ji Yoo, who was tickling Bowl like a child playing with a doll.

"Ehehe! Ehe!" Bowl let out. At which point, Min Sung, glaring piercingly at her, said, "What did you want to know?"

"What happened between you and the branch representatives?" Ji Yoo asked with a pleasant smile on her face.

"The branch representatives?"

"On the bridge."

"Oh, that," Min Sung dragged on. Furrowing his brow, he asked, "Do I have to talk about it?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It's an urgent matter. Those representatives were some of the most valuable assets of this country."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same. They got in my way."

"They got in your way? Where were you going?" Ji Yoo asked, tilting her head in confusion. The champion replied, "A restaurant." At that point, a flabbergasted look appeared on Ji Yoo's face.

"OK… so, you needed Ho Sung Lee in order to go to a restaurant, and those four men got in your way, so you proceeded to…"

"I thought it was a valid reason."

"You killed them!?"

"Last time I checked, they didn't look like they were dying."

"So, were you meeting those four men for the first time when you crossed paths with them on the bridge? You've never met them before?" Ji Yoo asked, and Min Sung nodded. Looking down, Ji Yoo immersed herself in thought. Then, looking toward the champion, she asked, "I trust that you're not lying to me?"

"Now, why would I bother to do that?"

"Haha. You're a very interesting man. I'm surprised that you still haven't fallen for me," she said with a vein popping out of her temple slightly.

"Well, if you got all the information you needed, you may leave," Min Sung said as he rose from the couch. Hearing that, Ji Yoo scoffed and lay down on the couch.

"What do you think you're doing?" Min Sung asked with a furrowed brow.

"My head is throbbing, so I'm gonna lie here and rest for a little bit. Hope you don't mind. Think of it as a small price for your actions."

"What price?"

"Thanks to you, all four regional branches have lost their leaders overnight. Do you know what that means? It means disturbing the balance and putting every citizen in this country in fear. Need I remind you that you're at the center of all this? Oh, speaking of which, do you think you can take over one of the four regional branches? I don't care which."

"…"

Noticing that Min Sung had remained silent, Ji Yoo narrowed her eyes and looked up at him, only to discover that he had disappeared. Dropping her head, Ji Yoo chuckled. Then, Bowl crawled up her leg and lay down on her belly.

"Well…" she let out, rubbing Bowl's head. Closing her eyes, she murmured wearily, "What do you think I should do, Mr. Kang?"

—

While Ji Yoo was resting in the living room, Min Sung was preoccupied with looking up blogs and social network accounts of popular restaurants. Although there were practically thousands of them, most of the restaurants often turned out to be overhyped. It was the result of those restaurants hiring people to promote themselves. In the end, it was only through experience that restaurants were able to truly benefit from their customers spreading the word. The restaurants Ho Sung recommended were good examples of that, which made him all the more valuable to the champion.

'This is why I can't do this alone,' Min Sung said to himself, scratching his head. No matter how hard he tried to find a good restaurant, he simply couldn't overcome his limited knowledge. Even though he had come across one that he had actually liked, that hadn't happened without wasting a significant amount of his time and without enduring a series of misfortunes. Looking at the monitor, Min Sung nodded as he was reminded of just how valuable Ho Sung was when it came to finding good restaurants. At that moment, just as the champion was about to turn the computer off and leave the room, a certain advertisement pop-up caught his eyes and made him sit back down. The title read: 'The Seven Best Eats You Have to Try Overseas.'

—

Waking up to the sound of his phone going off, Ho Sung sat up on his bed, his hair still unkempt, and checked the message.

'Two direct flight tickets to Germany for the both of us. Look for places known for their sausages. We leave in the afternoon. – Min Sung Kang"

Looking at his phone, Ho Sung's face hardened, and he let out a deep sigh.

"This guy can't be serious. Germany!? He makes it sound like we're going to Itaewon or something! Ugh… The stress!" Ho Sung said, clasping his head and groaning in pain as if hungover.

Chapter 50

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

When Min Sung came out to the living room, he found Ji Yoo sound asleep on the couch.

'Is she really napping? At a house occupied by a man? In hot pants and a T-shirt? I can't tell if she's brave or gullible,' Min Sung thought, shaking his head and opening the front door to leave the house. At that point, noticing that its master was getting ready to go out, Bowl, who had been sprawled across Ji Yoo's belly, jumped down to the floor and rushed to catch up to the champion. Meanwhile, Ji Yoo was still snoring, fast asleep.

—

"What time is the flight?"

"At one, sir," Ho Sung said with dark circles under his eyes, showing the ticket to Min Sung. Soon, they arrived at the parking lot of the airport. Since he hadn't been able to leave any instructions for his clansmen before he had been told to go to Hong Kong, Ho Sung had had to check up on the state of his clan well into the night. On top of that, having to look for tickets to Germany on the same night meant even less time for sleep. As a result, Ho Sung had been left with less than three hours of sleep.

However, paying no attention to Ho Sung, who was rubbing his blood-shot eyes, Min Sung got out of the car and handed the driver a ten thousand won bill, saying, "Go get me some coffee. iced Americano."

Taking the bill from the champion's hand, Ho Sung bolted toward the airport as if he were on fire. Huffing and puffing, he arrived at the coffee shop within the airport.

"Maybe the running was unnecessary," he said, feeling like his head was spinning. "Man, I feel like throwing up."

He ordered two iced Americanos and paid for them separately, using Min Sung's cash and his own debit card.

When Ho Sung, with the two iced coffees in hand, found the champion, he saw the champion in a massage chair.

"Sir, here's your change," Ho Sung said, handing the change and the coffee to the champion. Taking both from Ho Sung's hand, Min Sung put the change in his pocket and drank the iced Americano casually. By contrast, Ho Sung practically inhaled the liquid that was in his cup.

'Whew! That's better,' he said to himself, feeling the caffeine spreading through his body. At that moment, he was struck by a certain realization and his expression darkened.

'Wait a minute… Was that a mistake?'

The flight from Korea to Germany spanned almost twelve hours. Needless to say, being unable to sleep was bound to make the trip miserable.

'Son of bitch…'

Looking down at the ice-filled cup in his hand, Ho Sung's face twisted into a scowl.

'Agh! Shit! Shit!"

—

After boarding the plane, Ho Sung looked around with widened eyes.

"What are you doing?" Min Sung asked.

"Oh! Nothing. It's just that I'd never sat in a first-class seat before," Ho Sung said with an innocent smile.

"But you're a hunter."

"Yes, but the price for first-class seats went through the roof after the hunters appeared. As if it wasn't already expensive enough… With my income, I could only dream of getting my hands on a first-class ticket. But now, here we are, thanks to you!"

Then, while the announcements came from the speakers, a slim stewardess appeared and demonstrated how to use the life vest and exit the plane during an emergency.

"Well, hello, gorgeous," Ho Sung murmured with a perverted smile on his face.

"Ho Sung Lee."

"Yeah?" Ho Sung replied haphazardly, staring at the stewardess with the same perverted smile.

"Will you look at me?"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, sir. Go on," Ho Sung said politely, straightening his face and his back.

"What's our eating situation like?"

"That's a good question. I've never flown first-class before. One moment."

Then, as the announcements were nearing the end, Ho Sung called for

the stewardess in order to ask her about the meals. Shortly after that, he nodded, looked toward Min Sung and said, "OK. Apparently, flying first-class comes with a course meal by default. Do you see the menu over there? All you gotta do is pick whatever main course you want, whenever you want."

With that, Ho Sung, fiddling with his first-class seat, looked around, fascinated.

Soon, the plane took off, and Min Sung looked out the window at the plane getting further and further away from the ground.

Going out to see the fireworks with his grandmother had been the closest he had gotten to a family trip. Now, he was flying in an airplane for the very first time.

On the other hand, Min Sung didn't find the experience all that special. Perhaps it had something to do with having lived through the Demonic Realm.

When he looked out the window again, he saw the plane was flying above the clouds and across the ocean. Resting his chin on his hand, Min Sung enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

—

Rubbing her eyes, Ji Yoo woke up from her nap. Then, looking around, she tilted her head in confusion and called the champion's name. However, there was no response.

"Mr. Kang?"

With that, she started to look around the house and realized that she was alone. Even the moving doll was nowhere to be found.

"… Am I here alone?" she murmured, shaking her head and thinking, 'I knew the guy could be standoffish, but leaving a guest alone at his home is on a-whole-nother level.'

'The person you're trying to reach is unavailable…'

Hearing that, Ji Yoo let out a frustrated sighed and pouted. Her phone was burning with messages regarding the various reports that required her attention, not to mention the hundreds of missed calls. Then, placing her hands on her hips, she screamed piercingly, "This guy can't be serious! Where could he possibly wanna go, even at the cost of ditching such a fine lady like me!?"

—

After dozing off briefly, Min Sung opened his eyes and straightened the backrest of his chair, rubbing his belly.

'Think I'm starting to get hungry. I better order something,' he thought, looking toward Ho Sung, who was watching a movie while wearing headphones, snickering. At that point, the champion communicated his need through telepathy, which was an ability that enabled its user to be heard without having to speak directly to another person. It was a skill that he had naturally acquired during his time in the Demonic Realm.

'Ho Sung Lee.'

Startled by the champion's telepathic voice, Ho Sung sprung up from his seat, took his headphones off and looked around frantically.

'Over here.'

Hearing that, Ho Sung looked toward the champion with widened eyes and astonishment.

"H-how did you…"

"Nevermind that. How do you order food?"

"I-I'll go ask."

After speaking to a flight attendant, Ho Sung returned to his seat and said, "Somebody will be with us in ten minutes."

"Good. Well done."

'Ten minutes…' Min Sung thought. Tapping the armrest of his seat with his index, the champion waited patiently for someone to come and take his order. Soon, a stewardess walked up to him with a welcoming smile and said, "Hello, sir! I'm here to take your order. What would you like to eat and drink?"

Having already made up his mind ahead of time, the answer was an easy one.

"I'll have a roasted tenderloin meal with a ginger ale."

"Great choice, sir. Your order comes with a salad with a dressing of your choosing. What would you like?"

"Balsamic."

"Fantastic. One moment, sir."

With that, the stewardess went away, returning with a warm towel soon after. While Min Sung was wiping his hands with the towel, a glass of champagne arrived at the champion's seat as an apéritif. Although pleasantly sweet, there was nothing captivating about it. Then, the first course arrived. It was a top-quality smoked salmon.

"Would you move the glass for me, sir?"

The presentation was simple yet incredibly elegant. It looked like it had been put together by an artist. Although the portion was quite small, Min Sung reminded himself that the dish wasn't meant to fill him up. After all, the meal was going to be a course experience. At that moment, just as Min Sung picked up the small wooden fork that came with the dish, an announcement came from the speakers.

[Ladies and gentlemen, we're having an emergency situation, and we urge you all to fasten your seatbelts. The captain will now attempt to make an emergency landing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.]

The voice shook subtly. Sensing danger, the passengers in the first-class area started to panic.

"Sir, I'll go find out what's going on," Ho Sung said, springing up from his seat to talk to a flight attendant. After returning to his seat, Ho Sung came back looking like he was about to cry at any given minute and said, "S-sir. It's bad. There's a monster outside!"

At that moment, the plane shook violently due to an unknown impact.

"Agh!" Ho Song let out as he fell on the ground, his face pale with fear. At that moment, something came flying toward the plane and rammed against it. With a loud thud, the rigid acrylic windows started to crack. Furrowing his brow, Min Sung looked out the window to identify the threat.

"T-that's a griffin!"

A griffin was a mythical monster with a hawk's head and wings and a lion's body. Shrieking, the monster shook its body while flapping its wings. Clenching his teeth, Min Sung looked down at his meal with a furrowed brow. The beautifully plated appetizer was no longer. At that moment, what appeared to be magical energy surrounded the plane, and a storm of sharp projectiles spiraled out of the plane, tearing the monsters into shreds. In less than a second, nineteen griffins fell through the clouds, their blood splattered all over the plane. Bewildered by what he had seen, Ho Sung blinked in confusion and looked toward the champion.

"S-sir?"

Seeing that the window was covered in blood, Min Sung drew the curtains irritably and picked up a piece of the smoked salmon with his wooden fork.

Chapter 51

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Although the smoked salmon was of top-quality, the taste was somewhat mediocre. In fact, there was hardly any difference between it and salmon from a sushi restaurant. Then, while the unimpressed champion was eating his salmon, there was an announcement informing the passengers that the plane would no longer be making an emergency landing, and it would instead fly directly to Frankfurt International Airport as planned.

After that, Min Sung pressed the call button and asked for the next course.

"I apologize for the delay, sir. I'll bring it right out," the flight attendant said, still looking nervous even though the plane was no longer under threat from griffins. After walking away in a hurry, she brought out the next course, which was foie gras flavored with champagne paired with a king crab salad. Unfortunately, the champion's first experience with foie gras turned out to be incredibly disappointing. In fact, it was so gamy that he couldn't eat it all.

'Is this what foie gras tastes like? If so, I'm not eating it ever again,' Min Sung thought. The king crab salad also turned out mediocre at best, further adding to the champion's disappointment. So far, the first-class meal had been a complete letdown. Though the presentation was superb, the overall meal experience was far from that. The roasted tenderloin was nothing out of the ordinary either, leaving the champion desiring for more. In the end, Min Sung left the entire meal almost untouched. Deeply dissatisfied, he furrowed his brow, leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, thinking, 'Can't wait to get some real food in Germany.'

—

The plane landed at Frankfurt International Airport. Having drunk a large amount of coffee before the plane took off, Ho Sung seemed to have gotten no sleep whatsoever, and the dark circles under his eyes were proof of that. Glancing at the champion, Ho Sung thought as he walked through the gate, 'Maybe he'll let me get some shuteye in the car if I ask nicely… No. That's wishful thinking. I might never wake up again. That is NOT an option, even if it means falling asleep behind the wheel. I'll just have to feed him as soon as possible.'

When they walked out of the airport, Min Sung and Ho Sung were greeted by a wave of reporters and photographers. Cameras flashed from all directions.

"There was a report that the plane was attacked by a flock of griffins. Is this true!?"

"We were told that the plane was scheduled for an emergency landing. How were you able to land in Frankfurt safely?"

"What happened to those griffins!?"

The airport was bustling with people, including the reporters who were swarming the passengers for an interview.

"What's with all these reporters?" Min Sung asked with a furrowed brow.

"I think they found out about the griffins."

"Make way."

At the champion's command, Ho Sung led the way and made way for the champion to get through.

"Move, bastards!"

After leading the champion out of the airport safely, Ho Sung wiped the sweat off his forehead, looked toward Min Sung and said, "I'll go get a cab, sir."

After Min Sung put his sunglasses on and nodded, Ho Sung caught a cab and waved to the champion. Then, when Ho Sung got in the passenger's seat after opening the door for the champion, the champion checked the time on his wristwatch and said, "Take us to the restaurant."

At which point, Ho Sung, with sunken eyes, looked toward the driver and said the name of a restaurant. Paying no attention to the reporters banging on the

window, the driver drove off.

—

Ho Sung was certain that the champion had never been to Germany before. Yet, the champion seemed to have no interest in sightseeing or experiencing the culture. Rather, he seemed like someone whose sole purpose for the trip was to eat authentic German sausages.

"We're almost there, sir. If you would allow me to walk you through our schedule, I would be glad to do so."

"Go on."

When the cab was near the restaurant, Ho Sung rolled the window down and pointed toward a certain direction and said, "We'll try some sausages at the pub over there and then move on to another restaurant for some schweinshaxe."

Looking in the pub's direction, Min Sung smiled subtly. With his eyes fixed on the pub, he got out of the cab as soon as it came to a stop.

—

With sparkling eyes and his mouth watering, Min Sung waited anxiously for his order to arrive. Then, just as his patience was starting to wear thin, the sausage sandwich made its way to the table. Taking the order from the server's hands, Ho Sung handed it to the champion politely. Taking it from Ho Sung, Min Sung stared down at the sausage steaming between two fairly large pieces of bread. Though simple in appearance, Min Sung was hopeful that the dish would make up for the disappointment that was the airplane food.

Without hesitation, Min Sung opened his mouth wide and bit into the sandwich.

"Huh!" he let out, chewing while breathing out steam. The intense saltiness coiled around his tongue and brought out his appetite. The flavors were inherently different from the sausages made in Korea.

Within its thin yet snappy casing, was the tender, succulent, meaty inside.

'This is incredible!' Min Sung thought as he went for another bite of the sandwich. Because it had been grilled over an open fire, the sausage had a smokey fragrance. The flavors definitely lived up to the country's reputation.

Looking down at the simple sandwich, Min Sung chuckled. He couldn't believe that a dish topped with only mustard and ketchup had such complex flavors.

At that moment, Ho Sung called to him, "Sir?"

"What?"

"Would you like to try another one?"

Min Sung nodded affirmatively. After placing an order, Ho Sung gave the champion a brief explanation of the sausage he had ordered, "The sausage I just ordered is called Paprikawurst."

"Is there paprika in it?"

"That's right. It's mostly made of pork and paprika. It has a slight kick to it."

"I see," Min Sung replied, swallowing the food in his mouth. Soon, the next dish arrived at the table. Taking his fork, Min Sung poked the middle of the sausage, picked it up, and took a bite.

Although it was incredibly well-seasoned, making sauces unnecessary, Min Sung couldn't help but crave a bowl of rice after a while.

'I must be addicted to carbs just like all other Koreans,' he thought, chuckling and putting what's left of the sausage in his mouth. Predicting that the champion could use a palate cleanser, Ho Sung poured him a cup of Cola, which Min Sung downed without hesitation. The refreshing fizziness of the drink made for a perfect pairing for the greasy sausages. Overall, the sausage experience in Germany was a devastating success.

'That was amazing.'

Then, Ho Sung called to champion again.

"Uh, sir?"

When Min Sung looked toward him, Ho Sung was pointing toward a TV in the pub. Looking at it like the rest of the customers in the pub, Ho Sung said, "I guess it really was about the griffins after all."

Just like Ho Sung said, the news was making a fuss about a flock of griffins that had attacked a Frankfurt-bound airplane.

"So, uh… You seemed very displeased with your meal in the plane, so I couldn't find the right timing to ask you this, but… Did you kill those griffins, sir?"

"What if I did?" Min Sung asked as he wiped his mouth with a tissue, looking toward Ho Sung, who blinked awkwardly and asked, "But how's that possible? How could you have killed those griffins when you were inside the plane?"

"I just could."

"…"

"A little demonstration, perhaps?" Min Sung said. At that moment, a fork next to his plate started to glow blue, levitate, and point toward Ho Sung's face.

"S-sword manipulation!?" Ho Sung let out, staring at the glowing fork with widened eyes. Then, the fork fell to the ground. While Ho Sung was at a loss for words and with his mouth agape, Min Sung lightly tapped him on the chest and said, "C'mon. We have pork hocks to eat."

As the champion walked on ahead, Ho Sung stare in his direction, befuddled.

—

After the news of the griffin attack went out, the world fell into chaos. Media outlets across the globe treated the news as a serious matter, not to mention the mysterious phenomenon of the creatures having been torn to shreds in the air. Germany, despite its active investigation effort, remained clueless as the team of investigators kept returning empty-handed. Hypothesizing that there had been a hunter on board, the investigators had looked into the manifest of the flight. But, to their disappointment, the only hunter on board had been a mere level-200 hunter named Ho Sung Lee. No matter how unique a skill he might have had at his disposal, killing a flock of griffins flying around the plane while remaining inside was unheard of, making the mysterious phenomenon a popular subject for media outlets across the globe.

"Could you tell us more about the situation on the plane that day?" a reporter asked. To which, a certain individual who had been on the plane replied, scratching their head, "I did hear some noise coming from outside the plane, but I didn't notice anything strange within the plane. Before I knew it, the griffins had been torn to shreds."

After that, the reporter concluded the interview by saying that the mystery of the recent griffin attack remained unsolved.

Chapter 52

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

While the rest of the world around them was in chaos over the appearance and death of the flock of griffins, Ho Sung and the champion traveled from Frankfurt to Munich.

'We flew all the way from Korea to Frankfurt just to eat a couple of sausages. And now, here we are flying out to Munich for some pork hocks…' Ho Sung thought. Although he had planned the trip himself, he couldn't help but be dumbfounded by the impracticality of it. Nevertheless, his hands had been tied from the get-go as the trip was focused on expanding the champion's culinary experience. In addition, Ho Sung's knowledge of popular restaurants were extremely limited outside of Korea, which inevitably had them traveling far distances within Germany.

After a fifty-five-minute-long flight and a brief cab ride, the two arrived in Munich and at yet another restaurant.

—

"Apparently, this restaurant earned a Michelin star," Ho Sung said, pointing toward the restaurant. A Michelin star was a rating given to notable restaurants by a magazine issued by the French tire manufacturer, Michelin. As the magazine rose to international prominence, earning a Michelin star became a tremendous honor for restaurants across the globe, and the restaurant to which Ho Sung had brought the champion was one of those honored to have earned a Michelin star. Standing in front of the restaurant, Min Sung scanned the exterior and the sign of the restaurant, which was called 'No.1 Schweinshaxe.'

Being mostly green, the restaurant didn't have much to brag about in terms of appearance. However, the simplicity gave the place a luxurious and exotic feel, and it reminded the champion right off the bat that he was in another country.

"Sir? You might wanna see this before we go inside," Ho Sung said as he walked to the left. When Min Sung followed him, the champion saw the rows of the Schweinshaxe being roasted to golden-brown perfection in a rotisserie oven on the other side of the window.

Being one of the most popular dishes during Oktoberfest and in bierhäuser, the Schweinshaxe had an appearance similar to that of a rotisserie chicken. However, upon closer inspection, Min Sung noticed that the two looked inherently different. The meat, for one, looked incredibly tender. Needless to say, the enticing appearance of the roasted pork hocks made the champion forget all about the sausages he had eaten just a few hours ago.

"Let's go inside," Min Sung said, walking into the restaurant without hesitation. After being led to a table, Ho Sung helped him with the ordering process.

"All right! Since we're at a restaurant that specializes in Schweinshaxe, I think it's fair to start with just that. Also, I was told that Schweinshaxe can get a little greasy on its own, so I think some sauerkraut will be a nice companion. What do you think?"

"So be it."

After placing an order, Ho Sung looked toward the champion, bowed politely and said, "Well, enjoy your meal, sir, and let me know when you're finished."

Nodding affirmatively, Min Sung sent Ho Sung away and looked around the restaurant, which looked undoubtedly European. With warm lighting, arched windows and wooden tables, chairs, and floors, the restaurant had the perfect atmosphere for an authentic German culinary experience. Looking around at the other customers who were eating the dish, Min Sung rubbed his neck, feeling slightly thirsty. At that point, he looked at the menu and decided to order himself a beer.

'I can't leave without trying beer when I'm in Germany.'

Soon, the waiter brought him a stein of beer. Taking a picture of it, Min Sung sent it to Ho Sung and asked for an explanation. Of course, it didn't

take long at all to hear back from him.

According to Ho Sung, Min Sung's beer fell under the category of Hefeweizen, which was one of the most iconic and popular German beer types. Having no experience with beer, Min Sung looked down at the liquid filling the stein.

'An original German beer… Let's see what it's like.'

Taking the cold stein filled with beer, Min Sung brought it up to his mouth.

'Gluck- Gluck-'

His Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed, and soon, there was only half of a stein of beer left. Wiping the foam off his mouth with his hand, Min Sung furrowed his brow, deeply impressed.

"Ah…!"

'So, this is what beer is like! Unbelievable!'

Though it was effervescent like soda, the experience of drinking beer was nothing like that of drinking soda. From the depth of flavor to the crisp, refreshing feel and the added bonus of the alcohol, the experience was inherently different. Then, while Min Sung was staring at the stein with fascination, the Schweinshaxe made its way to the table. At which point, he looked away from the stein and toward the dish that had brought the restaurant a Michelin star. Taking a fork and a knife, he sliced a piece of the pork hock and brought it up to his mouth. Although hard and extremely salty on the outside, the meat within was extremely tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. After that, taking some of the unseasoned potatoes that came with the dish, Min Sung brought the meat up to his mouth once again. The rich, satisfying mouthfeel of the potato, the extremely salty skin of the hock, and the succulent meat inside it created a combination of flavors that was unique and gratifying. Nodding with satisfaction, Min Sung thought, 'This restaurant definitely deserved the Michelin Star.'

—

It was well into the night when Min Sung walked out of the restaurant. The dimly-lit streets under the pitch-black sky were both exotic and beautiful. Looking around at the people walking past him, Min Sung called Ho Sung.

'The person you're trying to reach is unavailable…'

'What's this guy up to now?' Min Sung thought, annoyed, furrowing his brow. Then, just as Min Sung started looking around after putting his phone in his pocket, he saw Ho Sung running toward him in the distance.

"S-sir! Help! Heeeeelp!" Ho Sung shouted, running away from what appeared to be a chicken several times larger than an adult.

"What the hell kind of chicken is this!?" Ho Sung shouted loudly, teary-eyed.

"Bah-gawk!" the chicken let out, chasing after Ho Sung fiercely.

[Lv300 Mutant Chicken]

Looking toward Ho Sung and the chicken, Min Sung furrowed his brow again.

"Help!" Ho Sung cried out desperately as he got closer to the champion. However, the champion gave him a cold, heartless reply as he walked away toward a cab, "Why should I?"

Having eaten and drunk everything he had wanted in Germany, Min Sung felt like he could finally sleep in peace on the flight back to Korea. At that moment, he was struck by a certain thought and stopped in his tracks.

'Maybe…'

Looking toward Ho Sung, who was still being chased by the giant mutant chicken, he murmured, nodding, "I should get myself some fried chicken when I get back."

Since airplane food had turned out to be a major disappointment, saving room in his stomach for fried chicken didn't sound like such a bad idea. As the champion walked toward Ho Sung, the man's desperate cry for help echoed through the streets of Munich like they would in a cave.

"Heeeeeeeelp!!"

—

In a Korea-bound plane, Ho Sung was curled up in the fetal position in his first-class seat, deathly pale, the memory of being chased by the giant mutant chicken still vivid in his mind.

"Shit, I thought I was gonna die back there…"

Should the German hunters force have not arrived in time, Ho Sung would have been eaten alive by the mutant chicken.

'This is some crappy-ass world I'm living in,' Ho Sung thought, glancing toward the champion, who was sound asleep.

'I wonder what's inside of his head? Men are supposed to be simple creatures. Yet, this guy… I just can't figure him out. He practically left me to get eaten alive back there until the German hunters arrived. And now, here we are. Flying first-class. What am I supposed to make of this?'

"Sigh…" Ho Sung let out heavily, clenching his eyes tightly.

'I swear I'm gonna die early if I keep this up… Oh, wait. He probably got me a first-class ticket just to make it convenient for him. That way, he won't have to go far if he wants something from me.'

While he was sighing repeatedly, Ho Sung remembered his clan all of a sudden.

'I wonder how the boys are doing?' he thought, worrying about the state in which his clan might be. Before he knew it, his eyes started to grow heavy, and soon, he fell asleep, but…

"Ah!'

… only to jerk out of sleep after dreaming of the giant mutant chicken. Sitting up, Ho Sung, with sunken eyes, breathed heavily.

—

Late dawn.

The man in the black robe was led to a VIP room within a hotel restaurant. Upon entering the room with a round table decorated with a red tablecloth, the man in the black robe was greeted by the harmless-looking man, who smiled at him subtly, in wheelchair and glasses.

"You're here," the man in the wheelchair said, and the man in the black robe gave him a quick nod as a response before taking a seat. At which point, the man in the wheelchair stared intently at him and said, "I think it's time we bring our ace in."

"That's a lot sooner than I'd expected."

Hearing that, the man in the wheelchair stared into the air and said with a bitter smile, "Things will get… ugly."

"It's too late for regrets," the man in the black robe said.

"Yes, you're right," the man in the wheelchair replied, smiling.

"Got anything else for me?"

At that point, the man in the wheelchair smiled once again and said, "Why, yes," adding, "How about some breakfast?"

Chapter 53

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

La Santé was a prison infamous for its harsh environment. Described as hell on Earth by the former warden, the sheer number of rats and harmful insects within the prison far surpassed the number of inmates.

When an officer walked past a cell, the inmates within it glared at him with intense hatred. At which point, the officer walked into the cell and beat them to his heart's content. When the inmates calmed down, the officer looked at them, scoffed with disdain, and said before he walked away, "Maggots."

Then, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared intently at a skinny and tattoo-filled inmate. Looking toward the officer, the inmate curled his lips into a smirk and waved.

"Hi, there."

Without greeting him back, the officer scoffed condescendingly. Then, a rookie officer came running toward him and gave him a status report.

"Sir! Section Two is clear, sir!"

"Yeah, yeah. Come here."

"Sir?"

"Do you know what his name is?" the officer asked, and the rookie officer looked curiously at the inmate, whose eyes had a terrifying and ghastly glare to them, behind the bars. At which point, the rookie officer tensed up and asked, "What's his name, sir?"

"Ace."

"Ace? That sounds familiar."

"A psychopath. His dad was an alcoholic and a gambling addict. Apparently, when the kid was born, the bastard thought the baby looked like an ace card. Hence, the name."

"Oh…! Yes, I remember now. He speaks five languages and murdered over a hundred hunters. So, that's him, huh? The psychopath…"

"You make it sound like he's a celebrity. He's just another piece of human trash if you ask me," the senior officer said disdainfully, looking at the inmate as if looking at an insect. Staring right back at the officer, Ace chuckled maliciously and said, "Why don't you come on in and say that to my face?"

With a hardened expression, the officer spat on the ground and said, "Hey, Ace."

"Yes, officer?" Ace replied with a casual smile on his face. Then, putting his face against the metal bars, the officer scoffed and said condescendingly, "You have a big day tomorrow. It's your last day in this hell hole."

"You're right. Although, I'm getting out of this place alive," Ace replied, shrugging nonchalantly with a mocking smile on his face.

"That's wishful thinking, don't you think?" the officer said, sneering. At that point, Ace started to chortle, eventually bursting into maniacal laughter.

"Hahahahahahahah!"

Looking at the inmate, the officer shook his head and said, "Poor bastard must've lost his mind. Though, I do wonder if he ever had a mind to lose."

At that moment, Ace strode toward the metal bars and grabbed them with force.

'Clang!'

Startled, the two officers backed away from the bars.

"Isn't it great? I'm getting outta this place!"

"W-what the hell's so great about that, you nutso!"

"Open the door. Freedom is here. I can smell it," Ace said, smiling maniacally. Then, while the two officers stood there at a loss for words and with furrowed brows, footsteps approached their direction. At which point, the two officers turned toward them. It was the warden, who seemed displeased about something. When the warden stood in front of them, the two saluted him without delay.

"Inmate 1827. Bring him out."

At the warden's command, a dumbfounded look appeared on the senior officer's face, and Ace snickered ominously. Soon, the senior officer, gritting his teeth and opened the cell door. Humming cheerfully, Ace came out and put out his hands, and the senior officer, shaking his head, uncuffed him. With that, Ace walked free, whistling.

—

As soon as he arrived in Korea, Min Sung made his way to the headquarters of BBK, one of the largest fried chicken franchises in the country. Located in the lobby of a large building in a major street, this particular location was much more spacious and

luxurious than most of the competing franchises.

As the Sun set, Bowl crawled out of Min Sung's pocket and looked around. Stroking the doll's head, the champion walked into the restaurant. At which point, he was greeted by young and energetic employees dressed in black uniforms.

"Hello! Welcome to BBK!"

Per his habit, Min Sung looked around the restaurant. Although it was early in the evening, there were quite a few customers chatting over fried chicken and beer. Walking further into the restaurant, Min Sung sat on a cozy-looking couch. Not only was it comfortable, but the table in front of it was also at the perfect height. With a satisfied look on his face, Min Sung studied the menu. Fitting to the size of the franchise, the restaurant had a very extensive menu. Starting with plain fried chicken, there were up to twenty-five different kinds of items. However, since he was about to have his first plate of fried chicken since returning to Earth, Min Sung decided to stick to the classics. Without further ado, he rang the bell. At which point, a young female waitress sporting a ponytail came running to his table.

"Hello! What can I get ya?"

"One half and half. One draft beer."

"Certainly! Did you want that in a sixteen-ounce cup, sir?"

Min Sung nodded quietly and affirmatively.

"Great! Your order will be ready in about thirty minutes or so. Would you like me to bring you your beer first?"

"No. I'll wait until the chicken's ready."

"No problem," she said with a healthy smile and walked away. Looking in her direction, Min Sung thought, 'She's not just friendly. She's full of life, just like all the other servers in here. Seems like they train their employees properly.'

Then, crossing his arms, Min Sung waited for his food patiently.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

For some reason, every second felt like a lifetime.

'This is starting to get a little painful,' Min Sung thought, rubbing his temple. Sitting in a restaurant filled with the intoxicating smell of fried chicken for thirty minutes was nothing short of torture. However, it wasn't anything unexpected. Mustering every bit of patience and self-control he had, Min Sung waited for his food to arrive at his table, and eventually, his patience was rewarded as the fried chicken and the beer made their way to the table. The enticing appearance of the fried chicken's cloud-like batter and the glistening surface of the sweet-and-spicy counterpart made the champion's heart thump with excitement.

'I loved every bit of the Schweinshaxe, but there's nothing like freshly-made, Korean-style fried chicken.'

Sitting alone in the noisy restaurant, Min Sung picked up a drumstick with his hand while his heart raced with excitement. At that moment, just as his teeth were about to sink into the crunchy surface of the fried chicken, an explosion came from above, and soon, a cloud of dust came down from the ceiling and covered the plate of fried chicken like snow.

"…"

It wasn't long before the restaurant fell into utter chaos. While the customers rushed out of the restaurant screaming, a series of additional explosions came out of nowhere and destroyed most of the restaurant. By that point, the champion's face had twisted into an angry scowl.

—

"Hehehehehehe!"

While watching the high-rise building collapsing from the top, Ace chuckled maniacally.

"Beautiful. Just beautiful," he murmured, staring at the ruins covered in a gray cloud of dust and smoke with eyes filled with excitement. At that moment, his phone started to ring. Smacking his lips, he answered it.

"We've sent you a driver."

"Aw, you just couldn't wait to see me, huh?" Ace replied in fluent Korean.

"We know that you're in need of enchanted stones."

"I sure am," Ace replied, grinning. At that moment, a loud screech came from behind him. When Ace looked in the direction of the sound, a clean-cut man in a suit got out of the driver's seat, bowed to him, and opened the door to the back seat of the luxurious sedan. Chuckling evilly, Ace said into the phone, "I'll see you soon, brother," and got in the car.

Looking out the window at the view of the city, Ace, sniffling, moved his tongue up and down. Tapping on the window with his finger, he looked toward the driver and at the GPS. Then, recognizing the address of the destination, he pulled his head up to the front and said, "Let's make a pit stop at a convenience store. I could use a smoke."

Hearing that, the driver stopped the car in front of a nearby convenience store.

"Thank you," Ace said, patting the driver on the shoulder and getting out of the car. As soon as he paid for his pack of cigarettes, he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

"Uh…s-sir? You can't smoke in here," the young female clerk said nervously. Then, blowing smoke in her direction, Ace grinned slowly and said, "Hey, cutie. Wanna see a magic trick?"

"… sir?"

Then, he sat on the counter and pointed toward the black sedan outside.

"See the guy in that car over there?"

Swallowing nervously, the clerk looked toward the car. At that moment, Ace snapped his fingers, and the car exploded into flames.

"Ahhhhhh!" the clerk let out as her legs gave out. After that, Ace laughed maniacally and said to her, "Wasn't that great!? Huh? Wasn't it!? Hahahahahaha!"

However, seeing the clerk shaking uncontrollably, terrified and covered in tears, he stopped laughing abruptly, looked down at her and said, scratching his head, "No? I thought it was."

Tilting his head, he walked out of the convenience store, blowing smoke out of his mouth. Then, walking up to a cab, he took a pistol out of his chest pocket, pointed at the driver, and shot him repeatedly. After pulling the lifeless corpse of the driver out of the cab, he got in the driver's seat, which was soaked in blood, and stepped on the gas pedal. The car took off with a loud screech. Humming cheerfully, Ace looked at the black sedan in flames through the reflection of the rear-view mirror. Just like that, the yellow cab took the cold-hearted killer to the outskirts of Seoul.

Chapter 54

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

A large metal gate opened, and a yellow cab drove through a long courtyard. When the car stopped in front of a mansion, the driver got out of it and walked toward the front door, banging on it with his fist instead of ringing the doorbell. Shortly after, a maid answered the door and bowed to him politely.

"Where is my brother?"

"He's in the study upstairs, sir."

Hearing that, Ace, walking right past her, walked up to the second floor. Upon arriving at the study, he knocked, flinging the door open. In the dimly-lit room, there was a man wearing a black robe sitting at a long table.

"There, he is," Ace said, smiling and spreading his arms wide.

"Sit," the man in the black robe said, looking at Ace with cold eyes. Shrugging, Ace walked over to him and sat close to the man.

"I'm impressed. How did you find me?"

"It was hardly a challenge," the man in the black robe said. Then, he picked up a briefcase, which was widely recognized for its appearance in a certain spy movie franchise, and slammed it down on the table.

Ace pulled the briefcase toward himself with eyes filled with excitement and asked, "And the password?"

"Zero-zero-zero-zero."

"Heh! Cute."

After setting the combination, Ace opened the case. A high-quality enchanted stone came into view. After staring at it with excitement, he closed the briefcase audibly.

"I knew I could count on you, brother," he said, smiling and getting ready to leave. Then, just as he was about to leave the study, he stopped in his tracks and turned toward the man in the black robe. "Oh, just to make sure. You really don't mind if I go around blowing stuff up? You know how I like to play rough," Ace said.

The man in the black robe stared intently at him with emotionless eyes and replied, "Seems to me like you've already started."

"Man! You just know me so well! We really are like brothers! Oh, before I go. You know somethin'?" Ace asked, his smile turning upside down while he was shaking his head. "That robe's gotta go."

With that, Ace slammed the door shut behind him. Standing by the window, the man in the black robe stared quietly at the yellow cab driving off.

—

Dusting himself off, Min Sung stared dazedly at the chaos around him. While the emergency alarm blared unceasingly, the crowd of bystanders kept growing. Reporters started turning up, and the paramedics, in cooperation with the Institute, were busy at work moving the injured to the ambulance. Although the champion survived the explosion, there had to be countless civilians who had lost their lives. At that moment, a familiar voice called to the champion. It was Ho Sung.

"Sir!"

Running toward the champion, Ho Sung stood next to him and said, "I heard about the explosion. I had a feeling that you would be here. Were you inside?"

"Yes, I was."

"Wait, what's that in your hand?"

"A drumstick," Min Sung said, showing it to Ho Sung. It was burned to a crisp.

"So… you were treating yourself to some fried chicken, and that's when the building exploded," Ho Sung said, looking at the drumstick in the champion's hand and swallowing nervously.

"Something tells me that this was an act of terrorism. The blast was much more powerful than an ordinary explosive."

"Wait, are you saying that somebody actually blew up the building!?" Ho Sung asked. Then, seeing Min Sung's eyes glowing white, he shuddered at the champion's intimidating presence.

—

"Heeheehee!" Ace chuckled ominously with his creation in his hand. It was a special bomb made using the high-quality enchanted stone, which was powerful enough to reduce anything within a hundred-meter radius to ashes, including hunters. While he was sitting on the safety rail on the rooftop of a building, a question rose to his mind.

'Wait a minute… How did that bastard survive the explosion?' he asked himself, remembering a mysterious man who had walked out of the ruins alone. However, with his new toy in hand, his curiosity didn't last.

'Now, what should I blow up next?'

After immersing himself

in thought, he opened his eyes and smiled evilly as he thought of his next project.

—

Since the explosion made it impossible for him to experience the dish in its freshest state at the restaurant, Min Sung ordered himself more fried chicken on the car ride home. After he got out of the shower and changed into comfortable clothing, the fried chicken delivery arrived at the champion's door. Taking the box of half and half chicken and a can of beer, Min Sung sat on the couch, turned the news on, and opened the box. Thankfully, the chicken was still warm.

Listening to the news, Min Sung removed the foil on top of the chicken, revealing the half-golden-brown, half-fiery-red glory of the pieces. The anchor was reporting on the explosion that day. After opening the lid of the pickled radish, which was soaked in vinegar, Min Sung walked over to the kitchen sink, drained about half of the liquid in the container, and came back to his seat. Then, he picked up a piece of plain fried chicken.

'Always start with a drumstick.'

When it came to eating, the champion didn't believe in the philosophy of saving the best for last. Unless he was having a course meal, he firmly believed that the best part of the dish was best enjoyed while his appetite was still intact. With that, he bit into the drumstick. The cloud-like batter on the outside shattered with a satisfying crunch, revealing the succulent, meaty inside.

Since it had been delivered to his door, the chicken wasn't exactly fresh out of the kitchen. However, the delay seemed to have no effect on the crunch and juiciness of the chicken.

Without waiting any longer, Min Sung bit into the drumstick again and let the savory flavors linger in his mouth, leaving only the bone. When he opened his eyes, the news was reporting on the possible cause of the explosion.

[This just in: The cause of the recent explosion has been identified as a terrorist attack. According to the experts, the bomb made using an enchanted stone can be devastating enough to kill even high-level hunters despite the short radius of its explosion.]

Fixing his eyes on the TV, Min Sung picked up a wing.

"A terrorist attack, huh?" he murmured as anger welled up from within. Countless innocent civilians had lost their lives to a mindless terrorist. Even worse, the fact that his authentic fried chicken experience had been ruined by the same terrorist made the champion furious.

'Whoever you are, you and I have a score to settle,' Min Sung thought while eating the chicken wing, followed by a piece of pickled radish.

Then, the photo of the potential suspect appeared on TV. The man had a hooked nose, long, thin eyes and lips, and a very skinny face. Although not exactly good looking, his face was covered in knife scars. On top of that, the fact that he was a foreigner made it even easier to recognize him. Glaring fiercely at the suspect's face on the TV, Min Sung threw the bone away and moved on to the sweet-and-spicy half of the chicken.

The succulent, tender meat with the sweet, spicy, and savory sauce on the outside created a delightful harmony of flavors in his mouth. While chewing the chicken by the mouthful, he brought a piece of pickled radish up to his mouth.

'I wonder who came up with this ingenious combination,' he thought, impressed by the new dimension of flavors the pickled radish brought about. After tasting the fried chicken, Min Sung naturally found himself comparing the experience to that of the Schweinshaxe, the German roasted pork hock. In the end, the champion decided that his experience with the fried chicken was much more memorable. Although he recognized that the two were completely different dishes and that his trip to Germany hadn't necessarily been a waste, there was something riveting about Korean-style fried chicken that made it relevant at an international level.

After wiping his hands with wet tissues, Min Sung opened the can of beer and brought it up to his mouth without delay.

'Gluck-gluck, gluck-gluck!'

The cold, refreshing liquid came flooding into the champion's mouth and washed the lingering greasiness away.

"Ah…!" Min Sung let out, biting down on his lower lip inadvertently and thinking, 'I see how this dish has become something almost sacred in Korea.'

With that, he picked up another piece of plain fried chicken: the breast. Because it had been cooked perfectly, it was moist, juicy, and tender. Then, after following up with a piece of thigh, he picked up a piece of drumette, which had a completely different texture to drumsticks. Though slightly tougher, it had a satisfying chew to it and a flavor distinct from that of drumsticks. For those reasons, drumettes were one of the most popular parts of the chicken among chicken lovers. Going back and forth between the plain and its sweet-and-spicy counterpart, Min Sung had a feast of his own. Two seemingly contradicting flavors came together to create a foolproof experience.

—

Ji Yoo Kim, the miscellaneous type in charge of the Central Institute, walked into a massive conference hall within the Institute's building. Her black suit gave her a weighty appearance. As the miscellaneous type walked into the hall, all of the high-ranking hunters rose from their seats at the same time. Walking past them, Ji Yoo went up to the stage and stood in front of the mic. Scanning the audience with a hardened expression, Ji Yoo started off, "A terrorist who threatens the safety of our citizens with a bomb is roaming freely in Korea. As you all know, there was an explosion recently that caused a substantial number of civilian casualties. We're talking hundreds of innocent lives here. Massacred."

The audience remained silent. Then, with eyes filled with grief and sadness, Ji Yoo kept on, "Now, with the deepest condolences to the victims of the incident, we will proceed with our meeting on the recent terrorist attack."

—

After the end of the meeting, the Central Institute declared that they would do everything they could to bring Ace, the terrorist, into custody. Because of that, a bounty had been placed on him, and a whopping 40 percent of the Institute's military was being put to work across Seoul to investigate and set up a security network by collaborating with the police. Because of the explosion, the entire country was now trembling in fear.

—

Within the lowest basement of the Central Institute building, was a special jail designed for serious criminals, who were often psychopaths, called 'Villains' Detention Center.' In order to prevent the inmates from using their powers, every arriving inmate was implanted with a device called 'Black Hunt' under their skin. Black Hunt sapped them of every bit of power coursing through their bodies, making them no different from civilians. On top of that, the entire prison was made of mithril of the highest quality, making it impossible for the powerless hunters to escape.

Chapter 55

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Late at night, at a time when everyone was asleep, there was a quiet vibration in the Villains' Detention Center. Shortly after, a wave of rats poured out of a vent and onto the ground. After looking around curiously, the rats started to run.

"What the hell…?" one of the inmates, who had woken up with the sound of the rats, let out, tilting his head in confusion while standing in front of the metal bars of his cell. Then, noticing that parts of the rats were glowing like fireflies, the inmate furrowed his brow, dumbfounded.

'Am I having a nightmare?' the inmate thought. At that moment, the rats that were running around the prison started to explode simultaneously, triggering the emergency alarm and waking up all the inmates. Before long, the detention center fell into chaos as flames and black smoke started to spread. Amid the chaos, a mysterious man walked out of the smoke. His grin revealed his yellow teeth. It was Ace.

Moving through the smoke like a ghost, the killer drove a knife into the vulnerable inmates while they were coughing uncontrollably in order to extract the Black Hunt planted within them. The inmates fell to the ground,

"Free at last! Get outta here ya rascals!" Ace shouted at the inmates. With the Black Hunt removed, the inmates started to regain their powers and abilities, among which were hunters who specialized in healing. Walking around, they healed their fellow inmates who had been wounded in the extraction process of the Black Hunt.

"Be free!"

At that moment, another explosion came out of nowhere and blew up the entrance to the prison. Even mithril, the best defensive substance known to mankind, provided little protection against the explosive power of the enchanted stones implanted within the mice.

—

"Sir! There was an explosion at the Villains' Detention Center, and the inmates are attempting to escape!"

Hearing the urgent report, Tae Gyum clenched his teeth tightly. While the Central Institute was preoccupied with catching Ace, the terrorist had struck at them where they least expected.

"It's Ace. Seal all entrances and exits!"

At that moment, another subordinate came rushing toward Tae Gyum and delivered yet another piece of urgent news.

"S-sir! Most of the inmates have already escaped the premises! We don't have nearly enough manpower to…"

"What the hell are you doing standing there and telling me about it!? Get in contact with the dispatched units and catch the bastard! Find out where this psychopath is!"

"Y-yes, sir!" the subordinate replied and rushed off. Similarly, Tae Gyum also equipped himself with an aura-enchanted spear and charged toward the window, shattering it as he jumped off a height equivalent to twenty-seven floors. Upon landing, the asphalt underneath shattered and a gust of wind swept over the area from the impact. Looking toward the inmates who were trying to escape, Tae Gyum's eyes burned with anger.

"Ace, you WILL die by my hands."

Tae Gyum launched himself toward the inmates. Then, when he had nearly reached them, a cheerful voice echoed out of nowhere.

"Here's your present!"

When Tae Gyum looked up, he saw a bundle of dynamite falling on his head. Biting down on his lower lip, he swung his glowing spear. However, just moments before coming into contact with the spear, the dynamite exploded, causing a wave of explosive flame to spread in all directions.

—

By the time Ji Yoo arrived at the scene, the institute had suffered catastrophic damage, and all of the inmates had already escaped. Looking at healers and the paramedics treating the wounded soldiers, her face twisted into a scowl. Although the Institute was made of experienced fighters who were high level and

equipped with some of the most expensive items in the market, they were all critically injured by the explosion caused by the terrorist's bombs. Looking at soldiers that had suffered severe burns, Ji Yoo clenched her hands into tights fists and murmured, "I'll get you, Ace." With a hardened expression on her face, she turned around and rushed off.

—

Coming out of the dungeon after reaching level 210, Ho Sung exhaled and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Becoming an aura user had given him momentum, enabling him to hunt and train more efficiently, which then, allowed him to earn more experience points more efficiently. As a result, he had been able to earn himself another ten levels.

Because he had hunted fiercely and frantically, Ho Sung simply couldn't move a muscle. However, the weariness couldn't be more rewarding that day.

"At this rate, I'll reach level 300 in no time," Ho Sung said with excitement, smiling as he wiped the blood off of his sword. Then, while he was cleaning his weapon, a man approached him.

"Sir."

Hearing the voice calling to him, Ho Sung put his weapon away and looked up. It was Min Wook Cho, his right-hand man.

"Eh? What are you doin' here?" Ho Sung asked.

"I've been waiting for you."

"Me? What for? Aren't you guys collecting payment around this time of day?"

"There's… a much more pressing matter at hand." Min Wook said with a dark expression on his face.

"What is it?" Ho Sung asked, scratching his chin.

"Ace is on the loose. He blew up the Villains' Detention Center and pulled all of the inmates out of there. They're killing hunters and innocent civilians at random while Ace is keeping the Institute busy, and…" Min Wook dragged on, his face growing even darker. He added, "… taking out all of our business affiliations."

Hearing that, Ho Sung spat on the ground irritably and said, "Somebody doesn't like to play by the rules. Better teach this guy a lesson. What's his level?"

"There's no telling. It's not visible."

"…"

Looking slightly intimidated, Ho Sung looked away from Min Wook.

"What do we do, sir? At this rate, all of our business partners in Seoul will lie in ashes."

"So, his level isn't visible, huh? That means he's a miscellaneous type," Ho Sung said.

"… Probably, but we can't just sit here…"

"Maybe the Central Institute will take care of it."

"But, sir! Aren't you gonna do anything about this!?"

"As much as it pisses me off to see this Ace character goin' around causing a ruckus in our territory, there's just no realistic way for me to stop him. Besides, I just came out of the dungeon. I'm spent."

"Well, there has to be something we can do without fighting Ace directly!"

Looking at Min Wook nervously, Ho Sung said, "I guess that's true."

When Ho Sung stuck a cigarette in his mouth, Min Wook lit it with a Dupont lighter. Smoking his cigarette, Ho Sung immersed himself in deep thought about ways to protect his turf from Ace. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't think of anything.

'Damn it!' Ho Sung said to himself, smoking his cigarette anxiously. At that moment, he was struck by a certain realization. Seeing the startled look on his face, Min Wook asked, "Is everything OK…?"

"… I think losing our business partners in Seoul is the least of our worries."

"What do you mean? Is there something even more important than that?"

Sweating profusely, Ho Sung remained silent, feeling as though his autonomous nerves were giving out.

"… Sir?"

"We have to stop him."

"Sir? What are you…"

"We have to stop that maniac from causing any more destruction! How bad is the damage?"

"… I-I don't think I follow, sir," Min Wook said, tilting his head in confusion. Immediately, Ho Sung shouted impatiently, "HOW. BAD!?"

"If this Ace figure keeps up his pace, we could lose anywhere up to a third of our business rights within several hours."

"What the hell are those idiots from the Institute doing letting this nutjob roam around the country!?"

"It seems like he really knows how to stay below the radar."

"Son of a bitch. What now, then!? We can't fight the guy! We can't just sit here like sitting ducks either!" Ho Sung said. Seeing the head of the clan in a state of panic, Min Wook let out a deep sigh and said, "Sir, try to remain calm…"

"How am I supposed to be calm at a time like this!? No, no… I can't just stand here and not do anything. I have to go. Tell the boys to keep their heads down for a while," Ho Sung said, scurrying off to his car. As Ho Sung drove off in a hurry, Min Wook stared in his direction, puzzled.

—

Swallowing nervously and repeatedly, Ho Sung thought to himself, "There's still time to figure things out, even if we lose all of our revenue for a while. The Central Institute isn't made of incompetent fools. They wouldn't let some random psychotic hunter run amok and bring the whole damn country down. There's always time to get the trading rights back… What I really have to worry about is Min Sung Kang! Losing my turf to that nut job would mean that all of the restaurants would get destroyed, which means Min Sung Kang has no reason to keep me around. I'd be worthless! Or… Maybe he won't go as far as killing me just because I don't have any restaurants to take him to. Yeah! After all the time we've spent together? No way…"

Ho Sung knew how extraordinary of a person the champion was. He knew it better than anyone else out there.

'I have to convince him. I have to turn him against Ace before that nutso destroys all of the restaurants in my turf!'

At that moment, Ho Sung stomped on the brakes, causing the car to spin and drift and come to a stop in front of the champion's house.

Chapter 56

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Irritated by the loud knocking coming from his door, Min Sung, who was enjoying his morning coffee made using his cutting-edge coffee machine, furrowed his brow. When he opened the door, Ho Sung's panicked face appeared.

"S-sir! We have a problem!"

Looking nonchalantly at Ho Sung, Min Sung sipped on his cup of Americano.

"The terrorist behind the explosion! He's roaming around Seoul, blowing everything up!"

"And?" Min Sung asked, cold and uninterested.

"And that means the restaurants are no exception."

Hearing that, the mug in the champion's hand fell to the ground and shattered, splattering the liquid within it like paint. Darting back and forth between the champion, who appeared to be shaken, and the broken shards on the ground, Ho Sung licked his lips anxiously and said, "Sir, we have to stop him."

"Ho Sung Lee," the champion said.

"Sir?"

"Find him."

"Sir??"

"Find him and hold him until I get there."

"But, sir! That nutso doesn't even have a level! It could mean that he's a miscellaneous type!" Ho Sung said nervously.

"And?"

"It means I might not stand a chance against the guy!"

"How about I end you right here, right now? Would that be a better option?"

"…I'll find him. I'll give you a call as soon as I find…"

Before Ho Sung finished his sentence, Min Sung slammed the door shut.

—

Smiling bitterly, Ho Sung stared up at the clear sky.

"… It's a perfect day to die."

Sticking a cigarette in his mouth, Ho Sung got in his car, started the ignition, and turned on the air conditioner in order to cool his sweat-soaked body. No matter how much he smoked, he simply couldn't calm himself.

Scratching his eyebrow, he murmured, "Oh, what the hell. What's the difference if I'm gonna die either way? I was already dead meat when I met Min Sung Kang anyway. I came this far. Might as well go all the way. Besides, what other choice do I have?"

—

After instructing his clansmen to inform him upon discovering Ace's location, Ho Sung drove around the city in search of the terrorist. However, there was no sign of him anywhere. The streets were filled with cops on patrol and hunters from the Central Institute. In the end, Ho Sung pulled over to the shoulder and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Where the hell is this guy?"

At that moment, the news came on the radio.

'This just in: We just received a report that the Central Institute is in pursuit of Ace, the terrorist behind the recent bombings.'

Straightening his back, Ho Sung, with a nervous look on his face, raised the volume.

'The terrorist is assumed to be moving toward Cheongdam-Dong. We advise the residents in the area to be…"

Hearing that, Ho Sung's heart started to race as though it was about to tear his chest open.

"Son of a bitch! What did I do to deserve all this crap!?" Ho Sung grumbled, tearing his hair out while contemplating. Then, he jerked the steering wheel and stomped on the gas pedal. The car took off, the engine blaring, and the cars that nearly crashed into Ho Sung's car sounded off their horns. Paying no attention to them, Ho Sung weaved in and out of the lanes and passed any cars that were in his way.

—

While the Institute was chasing after Ace, the inmates who had escaped from the detention center interfered as a means of revenge against the Institute. While the Institute was fighting off the inmates, Ace took off on a high-performing motorcycle, chucking explosives while laughing maniacally.

"Hahahahahahah!"

Every time a bomb hit the ground, the surrounding areas became engulfed in flames. While he was enjoying himself, he looked back and found the Central Institute soldiers on his tail. They had to have already fought off the inmates.

"Hm?"

Chuckling ominously, he jerked the handlebar to one side.

"Heeheeheeee!"

At that point, the motorcycle scraped across the ground, spun a hundred and eighty degrees and came to stop in the middle of the road. Looking toward the hunters charging toward him, Ace brushed his sweat-soaked hair

up, pressed a button on a small remote controller and said, "Buh-bye."

After that, there was a massive explosion, far more powerful than that of a grenade. The impact left the ground shattered and sent pieces of debris along with the Institute soldiers off the ground and into the air. Thrilled by the sight of the explosion, Ace laughed maniacally.

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

Then, with a loud screeching noise, the bike spun around and took off, carrying the killer away.

—

While driving in the same direction as Ace, Ho Sung saw the massive explosion from the other side of the road. Ace had to be wreaking havoc while running from the Institute.

"Gahh! I'm scared shitless!"

Staring ahead, Ho Sung contemplated on whether he should call the champion or not. If Ho Sung were to give a location that was inconsistent with Ace's whereabouts, Min Sung would surely beat Ho Sung to death.

'I gotta keep him captive and stall as long as I can until Min Sung Kang arrives,' Ho Sung thought.

"Today just might be my last on this planet."

Making a cross on his forehead and chest, Ho Sung drove off.

—

With a loud screech, the car came to an abrupt stop. Then, when he rolled the window down, Ho Sung swallowed nervously, a hardened expression on his face. It looked as though there had been a storm. There were buildings of various heights with holes in them, if not in ruins. Around them, were countless hunters and even civilians who had been burned to a crisp by the enchanted stone bomb explosion. It was almost as though the city had been deserted.

A blue light flashed across Ho Sung's eyes. Although he acknowledged that he hadn't exactly been an exemplary citizen, never had he killed innocent civilians. Yet, Ace was on a rampage, massacring civilians and hunters alike. Hunters were those who protected the world from the monsters of the dungeons.

'I earned my hunter title, and I wear it proudly. For the sake of humanity, Ace must die.'

"I will feed that crazy son of a bitch to the lions," Ho Sung said.

—

Drinking his vodka, Ace sat and looked down from the rooftop of a high-rise building at the fires across the city, the people evacuating, and the Institute soldiers who were looking for him.

"Worthless," Ace said, standing up slowly. Then, with a blank expression on his face, he tossed a bomb at the cars on the street. Upon hitting the ground, the bomb, enhanced with an enchanted stone, exploded, causing dozens of cars within its radius to explode. After that, while he was staring down at the street, which was now filled with the stench of death, Ace sensed a presence and raised his eyebrow.

'Click!'

When Ace looked back, he saw a man standing at the door.

[Lv213 Ho Sung Lee: The Head of the Diamond Clan]

Looking at Ho Sung, Ace curled his lips into a sneer.

—

"Why… Hello, baby!" Ace said with beaming eyes.

At that point, Ho Sung let out a small sigh and said, "That didn't take as long as I thought it would. Nice to meet you too, you crazy son of a bitch,"

Taking his phone out, he smiled at Ace, who stared intently at Ho Sung like a curious child. Noticing his piercing gaze, Ho Sung made the phone call with shaky hands.

"Who you callin'? The Institute?" Ace asked.

"Not exactly," Ho Sung replied, smiling bitterly. At that point, the smile on Ace's face started to fade.

"Maybe you're calling your mama."

"Well, aren't you awfully curious… If you must know…" Ho Sung dragged on. Then, he hardened his face upon looking down at his phone.

'Shit! Why isn't he answering!?'

When the call went to voicemail, Ho Sung clenched his eyes tightly, caught off guard by the champion's absence.

'I came up here risking my life, and he's not even picking up the phone…' Ho Sung thought, swallowing nervously and texting the champion his location and situation. At that moment, Ace started to walk toward Ho Sung unhurriedly. Ho Sung put the phone back in his pocket in a rush and pulled a blood-red sword out of his inventory, the Warlord's Sword.

Clenching the sword's handle tightly, Ho Sung glared fiercely at the terrorist and said, "Yo, Ace." Hearing that, Ace stopped in his tracks, about three paces away from Ho Sung.

"Don't you think you've caused enough damage already? All these buildings and stores within them… Do you realize the magnitude of your actions?" Ho Sung said condescendingly in order to hide his fear of facing the psychopathic killer.

"Magnitude of my actions, you say?" Ace asked, tilting his head in confusion. Ho Sung nodded and replied, "That's right. You've made a grave mistake. All those buildings and stores you've destroyed? Those are the least of your concerns. You've meddled with something you shouldn't have."

After blinking awkwardly, Ace gave Ho Sung a blank stare. Then, he chortled and asked, "And who do you say that I've meddled with?"

"The devil himself."

"The devil, huh? And who might this be?" Ace asked, and Ho Sung shrugged and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

At that moment, Ace started to back away slowly, saying, "Nope," and Ho Sung swallowed nervously, thinking, 'What the hell's this guy doing? Why is he backing away? Wait a minute…'

"There is no such thing as the devil. There's only the living and the non-living," Ace said, standing on the safety rail. Then, he tossed a bomb on the ground like he would a ball, spread his arms, and jumped down as if bungee jumping.

'Well, shit,' Ho Sung thought, looking at the bomb with wide eyes. The bomb exploded, and waves of energy and flames rushed out. At that moment, the memories of his past flashed in his mind like a film.

'I guess this is it… ' he thought, clenching his eyes tightly with his sword in his hand. However…

"Wait… what?"

He felt no pain. When Ho Sung opened his eyes, wondering if he was still alive, he heard a mechanical voice, and a series of messages appeared before his eyes.

[The Warlord's Sword has successfully dispersed the impact of the exploding enchanted stone.]

[The Warlord's Sword has been damaged.]

[The Warlord's Sword's durability: 95%]

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