83-90

Chapter 83

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

'Well, nothing unusual here. Except everything's black, and the only light source are the luminous minerals jutting out of the walls and ceilings. This isn't spooky at all,' Ho Sung said to himself, sighing heavily. His instincts told him that it would be next to impossible for him to get out of the dungeon alive, even with the champion by his side.

'Maybe I should've told him I wanted to go to the hospital instead,' he thought. Then, he shook off the thought as he remembered something, 'I'm not here just to mooch off of Min Sung. That was never the plan.'

When the champion had asked Ho Sung about raiding the labyrinth together, Ho Sung had had a number of reasons for taking up the challenge. First, he didn't want to seem weak in the eyes of the champion. Second, he wanted to become stronger by challenging his fears, even at the cost of his life. However, as the reality of the torment labyrinth set in, he couldn't help but second guess his decision. Fear washed over him and dug into the depths of his heart. Nevertheless, Ho Sung was still determined to overcome it.

'Don't be stupid, Ho Sung. You didn't make a mistake coming here. You have a powerful master and you will move forward. You just gotta trust him. Now, keep your guard up and focus on staying in one piece.'

With a determined look on his face, Ho Sung pulled the Death Knight's Sword out of his inventory. Glancing at it, the champion said to him, "I don't think so. Shields up."

"…Yes, sir," Ho Sung replied, putting the sword away quietly and pulling his shield out instead. Meanwhile, Min Sung stood in front of the door in order to exit the waiting room. At which point, the automatic door slid open and revealed a grand, majestic open dungeon. Under the dark sky, was an uneven terrain, and streams of the lava flowing underneath were visible through the cracks on the ground. Should anyone's feet land on the red molten liquid, their toes would surely melt away without a trace. Looking at the intimidating scenery, Ho Sung clenched his teeth tightly.

'This is friggin' terrifying,' Ho Sung thought, looking toward the champion. Despite being in the labyrinth of the highest possible difficulty, Min Sung, as per usual, was calm and collected. If anything, he seemed like he was all too familiar with situations like that.

'Come to think of it, he did say something about being in hell before,' Ho Sung thought. Then, while he was wondering what kind of life the champion had led, he realized that Min Sung was picking up the pace. At which point, he shook his thoughts away and rushed to catch up to the champion.

'Stay alert, Ho Sung. Focus. Don't let your mind wander off,' Ho Sung said to himself, gripping the handle of his shield tightly while running after the champion.

—

After getting out of the shower, the man in the robe walked out to the living room with a towel on his head. Then, standing in front of a full-body mirror, he pulled the towel down. The mirror showed a reflection of the man and his face. There was a long scar across his eye, which was blind, and that scar appeared to be from the blow that took his eye. Staring into the mirror, he passed his hand over the scar. At that moment, his phone started to ring. Looking toward it, he made his way for it, picked it up in order to check the caller ID, and answered the phone. A low, heavy voice came from the receiver.

"We have an order," the man in the wheelchair said on the other end of the receiver, adding, "There's been a conflict between Korea and the US. The order is to leverage the tension to our advantage."

"When do we start?" the man in the robe asked.

"Check your email for details. Your flight leaves in one hour from Gimpo International Airport."

Brushing the water off his hair, the man in the robe, staring intently at the newly-formed dungeon gate through the window, replied, "Do you think the Americans will respond the way

we expect them to?"

"Considering what's about to happen, I'm sure they will. It won't be an all-out war, but our job is to decrease the number of hunters they have at their disposal."

"Got it."

"The day isn't far off, my friend. Hang in there."

Staring into the air with his seeing eye, the man in the robe hung up. Then, after a brief thought, he prepared to leave for the airport.

—

Contrary to Ho Sung, who was holding on to his shield as if his life depended on it while looking around and walking nervously, Min Sung strode over the boiling lava in swift, unhesitant steps. While even catching up to the champion was exhausting for Ho Sung, the champion, paying no attention to Ho Sung's circumstances, looked around in search of monsters. However…

"Something's not right," the champion said while looking around.

"Sir?" Ho Sung asked nervously.

"The dungeon's open, yet I don't see a single monster around."

Just like Min Sung had said, their surroundings gave off the impression that the land was barren, dispossessed of even a single living thing.

"Do you think the monsters are hiding from you? Kinda like that one monster last time?" Ho Sung asked. Finding his speculation to be convincing, Min Sung started to grow aggravated. On top of the issue with American hunters, his plan to enjoy a meal after clearing the labyrinth kept getting delayed against his will, which further added to his stress. Even with heightened senses, Min Sung simply couldn't sense any presences in the area. From the looks of it, either the monsters had yet to spawn, or, just as Ho Sung had speculated, the monsters were hiding from him. At that moment…

"Wait, what's this?" Ho Sung asked, looking at the ground and adding, "It looks like a footprint."

When Min Sung looked on the ground, he saw a set of footprints just like Ho Sung had pointed out. However, it seemed to lead in a certain direction.

"Come on," Min Sung said, tracing the footsteps. Staying on guard, Min Sung followed the champion. Then, after what felt like a while, the trail went cold. At which point, the champion looked up slowly and saw what looked like a giant fish tank. Within it, were humanoid creatures that appeared to be unconscious. The apparatus looked like something that belonged in a lab where experiments were conducted on living things. The countless hoses connected to the creatures only furthered that look. Seeing as though the creature had breasts, it seemed to be female.

Just outside the tank, was another monster that looked similar to the ones submerged in the water. It was staring intently and warily at the champion and Ho Sung. At the sight of the creature's ash-colored skin, fiery-red eyes, horns, and feeling the dark, ominous presence exuding from it, Min Sung felt a certain piece of memory coming alive.

'A demon.'

It was a monster from the Demonic Realm. Although the monster hadn't fully matured, the very fact that there were demons around on Earth was more than enough to sour the champion's mood.

'Of course, it's you scumbags,' Min Sung thought, smiling bitterly. At that moment, the demon raised its hand. Followed by crackling thunder, a long, silver spear appeared in its hand.

"Alida Pen Tayaak Tuu," the young demon said. Unlike Ho Sung, who was bewildered by the foreign language, the champion understood almost immediately. Having spent over a century in the Demonic Realm, Min Sung was well acquainted with the demonic language.

"The monsters in the tank, are they your doing?" Min Sung asked in the demonic language.

Caught off guard from hearing the language of its kind coming from a human, the young demon asked, "How is it that a human is speaking our language?"

"It doesn't matter. You'll die soon enough," Min Sung said, hardening his face and swinging his Orichalcon Dagger. Soaring up to the sky, the demon dodged the projectile, which turned toward the tank. Soon, with an explosive sound, the ground shook, and the lava underneath it surged up through the cracks. However, despite the tremendous impact, there was not a scratch on the tank. Grimacing, Min Sung looked up at the demon, who was flapping its wings in the air while looking down at the champion.

"Tell me. How is it that you know our language, human?"

"We're from the same place, you and I. Ever heard of the Black Slaughterer?" Min Sung replied, scoffing condescendingly. At which point, a look of shock washed over the demon's fiery-red eyes. Then, just as Min Sung was about to leap into the air, the demon disappeared like smoke. The champion looked around, but there was no trace of the monster anywhere. At that moment, the female monster submerged within the tank started to give birth to an exponential number of monsters. Looking at the waves of monsters that started to crawl out of the tank, Min Sung clicked his tongue irritably. Unlike mature demons, who often showed hostile, combative behavior, the young demon fled as soon as he learned the identity of the champion.

'I should've been more careful,' Min Sung said to himself, annoyed that he had already forgotten something he had learned over the course of a century. At that moment…

"Uh… S-s-sir? What are those!?" Ho Sung asked, his voice shaking with terror. There was a throng of monsters charging at the two. The monster, which the female monster in the tank had birthed, were homogenous, and having seen them far more often than he would've liked in the Demonic Realm, the champion knew them quite well. They were called devil gargoyles. Resembling a large lizard with the wings of a demon, what set them apart from their ordinary counterpart, which was commonly found in ordinary dungeons, was that the devil gargoyles were made of a foreign substance that was highly-resilient.

Identifying Ho Sung as hostile, one of the devil gargoyles prepared to attack. Seeing the monster flying toward him at a frightening speed, Ho Sung was on the verge of wetting his pants. To make matters worse, his trust and faith in the champion could not save him of that threat.

Overcome with fear, Ho Sung gripped the handle of his shield tightly and desperately. Despite the urge to run for his life, his legs simply didn't respond to his desire. Although the monsters were only a tenth of Heckel's size, the fear they instilled in Ho Sung was several times greater than in Heckel's case.

With their mouths agape, the monsters shot black flames toward the pair. Conveniently called Black Breath, the black flames formed an even bigger flame in the air and came at the champion and Ho Sung. Staring at his impending doom, Ho Sung was seized with fear, his jaw clattering. At that moment, the champion pulled Ho Sung back by the shoulder, stood in front of him, and swung his dagger. Followed by what sounded like the sky tearing open, a white projectile went flying toward the gargoyles in the air, cutting through the Black Breath. Soon, the dozens of gargoyles in the air evaporated like darkness fading into light.

Yet to have made sense of the situation, Ho Sung stood in his place, blinking awkwardly. The dozens of nightmarish creatures that had been charging at him had disappeared without a trace, leaving only the champion, who was walking toward the water tank quietly.

Chapter 84

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

While observing the champion examining the water tank, from afar, the young demon placed his long, thin, black fingers on its chest. Its heart thumped, and fear and apprehension clouded its mind. Never before had the demon felt anything like it. The word had been that the Black Slaughterer was dead. Yet, there he was, alive and well, roaming about the dungeon.

'If that really is the Black Slaughterer, I won't stand a chance fighting him head on,' the young demon thought. Should it choose to do so, the demon was bound to meet the same fate as Heckel, whose dungeon had disappeared recently.

'I have to leave a trace. I have to let others know that the Black Slaughterer is still alive.'

Flapping its wings, the young demon made its way to a portal, which was floating in midair like a black hole. After carving a short message on a stone tablet with its razor-sharp claw, the demon tossed the stone into the portal. Then, remembering that the slaughterer was with another human, the demon looked in the direction of the slaughterer. At which point, an idea sprouted in the young demon's mind.

'Of course! The human! I'll snatch him and torture him until he spills everything there is to know about the Black Slaughterer!'

If death was inevitable, the young demon wanted it to be a meaningful one that would bring glory to the Demonic Realm. Then, with its eyes gleaming bright red, the demon soared up to the sky at an incredible speed.

—

Standing in front of the giant water tank, Min Sung tapped on the glass surface with his Orichalcon Dagger. Despite having released a tremendous amount of energy through his dagger, there was not a single scratch on the tank. No matter how carefully and thoroughly he examined the tank, there was nothing notable about it. No switch, valve, or device of any kind. Then, while he was examining the tank, what sounded like a gust of wind came out of nowhere. At which point, sensing a presence, Min Sung started moving toward the sound. At that moment, with a loud explosion, the ground split open, scattering dirt and a cloud of dust in all directions. When the dust cloud finally dissipated some time later, Ho Sung was nowhere to be found.

—

Finding himself in the depths of a cave, Ho Sung opened his eyes slowly.

'Where am I? What happened?'

As far as he could remember, Ho Sung had been examining the giant water tank with the champion. Then, after feeling something snatching him away, he lost conscience. Now, in a cave where he could see rivers of molten lava, was the monster that Min Sung had referred to as a young demon.

'Was I kidnapped? Did that thing just snatch me off the ground in the blink of an eye?' Ho Sung thought, feeling as though his heart was freezing. Then, bone-chilling cold wrapped around him, and his body started to shake. The young demon was staring down at Ho Sung with red, glaring eyes, and its presence was significantly more menacing than that of any monster he had come across up to that point. It felt as though he was suffocating from the demon's presence alone. At that moment, a flash of blue light came from the amulet around the demon's neck. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ho Sung backed away, only to hit his back against the wall. Thankfully, the light disappeared shortly after. At which point, Ho Sung opened his eyes slowly and looked at the young demon, who came toward him unhurriedly, locking eyes with him.

"What's your name?" the demon asked.

Standing nose-to-nose with the pair of burning red eyes, Ho Sung felt as though his stomach was twisting.

"Your name!"

"H-H-Ho Sung Lee," Ho Sung replied, fearing for his life. On the other hand, he was fascinated by the fact that the demon was speaking to him in Korean. Then, noticing that the voice sounded like it was resonating within his ears, he realized that the phenomenon could be the work of the amulet on the demon's neck.

"Tell me everything you know about the Black Slaughterer," the demon said. Swallowing nervously, Ho Sung asked, "The Black Slaughterer?"

"Yes. The man you were with."

Hearing that, Ho Sung

realized why the demon had kidnapped and brought him into the depths of the cave.

"Should you try anything, I will skin you alive."

"Ah! Huff! Huff!" Ho Sung let out, breathing rapidly while shaking uncontrollably. Being over level 500 seemed to be of little help in the situation at hand, and following the champion around seemed to often mean having to act as live bait or hostage. Despite being seized with fear and feeling like he was floating in the air, Ho Sung was clear-minded.

"That's what I thought," the demon said, its quiet voice resonating through the cave. Raising its hand, out of which grew black claws as long and sharp as swords, in front of Ho Sung's face, the demon clawed across Ho Sung's chest. As the wounds opened up, blood poured out of the five claw marks.

"Huff!" Ho Sung let out, gasping for breath, his face blue.

"Aaaaaaaaaaagh!" he let out once again from the scorching pain as blood gushing out of the wounds soaked his lower belly and pants. Soon, after losing large amounts of blood, Ho Sung started to feel light-headed.

"Eugh!" he let out yet again, a look of shock washing over his face. Then, grasping his face with its hand, the demon said, "Talk. Otherwise, I'll skin your face little by little."

Clenching his teeth, Ho Sung glared fiercely at the demon, whose hand was gripping his face, and said, "I hate to break it to you, but I know jackshit. I have nothing to tell you, even if I wanted to. Tough luck, you ugly piece of shit."

Just like he had said, Ho Sung knew nearly nothing about the champion.

'If I did know something that would put Min Sung at a disadvantage, would I have said it to this demon thing?' Ho Sung asked himself, smiling bitterly.

'Who knows?' he thought. At that moment, the hand wrapped around Ho Sung's head started to crush him.

"Eughhhh!" Ho Sung let out from the excruciating pain. Grimacing, the demon said, "Don't think that I'll make this quick. Your death will be a slow and agonizing one. Who knows? I might even let you live if you tell me what you remember," its claws slowly grazing down from the top of Ho Sung's head to his face. Then, as the claws reached his forehead after leaving his scalp in a mangled, bloody mess, Ho Sung started to chuckle while trembling from the pain. Extreme stress often enabled one to overcome their fears, and at the end of fear, was hope. In this case, that hope was Min Sung Kang.

"I guess demons aren't exactly smarter than ordinary monsters."

"… What?" the demon asked, furrowing its brow.

"You all take your sweet time with your prey," Ho Sung said.

"…"

"Why do you think I screamed so loudly? Ah, there it is, the three-minute mark," Ho Sung said, his face covered by the blood flowing down from his scalp, his lips curling into a sneer.

"…!"

Realizing its mistake, the demon grabbed Ho Sung by the neck in order to move to a different location. However, it was much too late. With what sounded like something cutting through the air echoing throughout the cave, the champion's dagger, which was glowing with aura, pierced through the demon's stomach and held it afloat in midair. Despite the demons' inherent healing ability, the wound started to eat away at the demon's body.

"Heugh!" the demon let out, trembling as if being electrocuted before eventually falling on its knees. In the cave lit by nothing but rivers of lava, echoed a series of even footsteps, and soon, the champion appeared behind the demon, glaring down at it with piercing, ice-cold eyes.

"I don't care to know anything else, but tell me this, why can't I break that fish tank of yours? Is that how I can clear this dungeon? By breaking it?"

Still on its knees, the demon turned its head in an unnatural and ghastly manner and looked up at the champion. Smiling painfully, it said, "I don't know how you're still alive, Black Slaughterer, but I know this: You will die here, in the land of your own kind, just as you died in the Demonic Realm."

Kneeling down to the demon's eye level unhurriedly, Min Sung smiled and said, "The fact that you're still smiling tells me that you never saw me while I was in the Demonic Realm."

At that, the demon's face hardened slightly. As the champion grabbed the demon by the neck, the demon's lips curled into a condescending smile.

"Do it. I'm not afraid of death…"

At that moment, white energy started to flow out of the champion's fingertips and into the demon. Soon, the demon started to writhe in excruciating, agonizing pain. Its eyes rolled up as it foamed from its mouth. An unfathomable terror started to eat away at the demon's brain, and soon, the champion's power trapped the demon's mind into a circus of fantasy and delusion.

"Ahhh! Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhh!" Choking from the tremendous pain, the young demon fell prey to the irresistible fear as it tore away at its mind. While the demon groaned in pain, its ash-colored skin started to peel away, and the muscles underneath started to burn.

"Not afraid of death, you say?" the champion said with a subtle smile on his face. The helpless demon was shedding tears like a human.

"Death means nothing," Min Sung said. At that moment, the energy flowing out of his fingertips intensified, and the demon started to writhe even more violently from the pain comparable to that of swimming in a pool of razor blades. Although demons naturally had a higher tolerance for physical pain, terror was not something that could be fought off with perseverance or something from which someone could gain immunity. What was occupying the demon's mind was hell itself, and it feeding the biggest fear existing in the creature's mind.

"S-s-s-stop. Slaughterer, I-I beg… you…!"

"How do I clear this dungeon?" Min Sung said, diminishing the amount of energy flowing into the demon. Looking at the champion with tear-filled eyes, the demon said, "I can't tell you that. That's my mother in that tank. Kill me. Kill me instead."

"I will break that tank sooner or later. Do you want your mother to experience the same pain that you've just experienced?" the champion said. At that point, the demon's face hardened.

"If you know who I am, death should seem like an easy way out."

Trembling, the demon vomited blood from its mouth and said, "Is that a promise?"

"If that means getting out of this place."

Then, with its eyes half-closed, the demon gave in, "There are four seals across the dungeon, one at each of the four directions. Release them, and the tank will open. Now, promise me…"

"Good," Min Sung said. At that moment, an intense light emanated from the champion's hand and illuminated the cave, and the demon started to melt away in his hand.

"Aaaaaaaaaaagh!" the demon let out as it became reduced to a puddle of blood. In its place, an array of items fell to the ground, each and every one of them legendary. Flicking his dagger to get the blood off of it, the champion rose to his feet and said, "Let's go."

Chapter 85

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Backed against the wall and frightened, Ho Sung shook uncontrollably, a visible look of shock on his face. Being in the vicinity of the champion and the demon was more than enough to show just how great of a fear the demon had experienced.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. I'm having trouble getting up. So sorry. Just give me a moment…" Ho Sung said, still in panic. However, his legs didn't seem to respond to him.

"Potions?" the champion asked.

"I have some."

"Take as many as you need, get some rest, and meet me in front of the water tank," the champion said, turning around and walking out of the cave. After that, Ho Sung looked toward the demon, who had been reduced to a puddle of red liquid seeping into the ground. Staring into the air dazedly, Ho Sung hyper-ventilated.

—

Moving across the dungeon like the wind, the champion went searching for the seals that the demon had mentioned. Although the demon's vague description of the seals' whereabouts made the search somewhat difficult, Min Sung was able to find one of the seals eventually. On a large magic circle, was a statue of a demon and an altar, where a stone about the size of the champion's fist lay. That had to be one of the keys that opened the water tank.

Walking up to the altar, Min Sung picked the stone up without hesitation. At which point, the seemingly average-looking stone started to glow gold, and the altar turned to powder. As the wind carried the powdered debris of the altar away, the stone returned to its dull appearance.

'Three more to go,' the champion thought. At that moment, Min Sung furrowed his brow at the growling sound coming from his stomach. Looking down, Min Sung realized that he hadn't eaten since he had started hunting the monsters that were threatening the city and living within the labyrinth. Although it was nowhere near the level of hunger he had experienced during his time in the Demonic Realm, the champion had simply grown too accustomed to his life on Earth. With an irritable look on his face, Min Sung put the stone in his inventory and resume the search, anxious for a meal.

—

Standing in front of the water tank, Ho Sung waited for the champion to arrive. While fixing his gaze on the tank in case the monster within it started giving birth to more monsters, he couldn't help but replay the memory of the champion killing the young demon over and over again in his head. For one, Ho Sung was fascinated that even the demon had had a mother, whom the demon had tried to protect desperately from pain. Yet, the champion had tortured the demon without a trace of hesitation, eventually killing it. It had been a chilling sight, and just thinking about the champion gave Ho Sung goosebumps. Shaking with fear, Ho Sung swallowed nervously. At that moment, he heard what sounded like something cutting through the air. It had to be Min Sung. When Ho Sung looked toward the sound, the champion was already stopping, leaving a trail behind him like a racecar coming to a sudden halt. Sparks jumped out of the river of molten lava underneath the trail. At which point, Ho Sung backed away in order to stay away from the lava.

'What? Is he immune to lava too?' Ho Sung asked himself, sighing deeply while shaking his head.

"Ho Sung Lee. See if this fits anywhere," Min Sung said, showing Ho Sung a set of four stones.

"Is that what that demon was talking about?" Ho Sung asked.

"Get moving. I'm starving," Min Sung said irritably.

"Yes, sir!"

Ho Sung started looking around the tank in a hurry. However, there was no place to put the stones, not anywhere. At that moment, a set of hieroglyphs

came into his view.

"Sir! Do any of those stones have anything written on them?"

"Yes, they do," Min Sung replied, tossing one of the stones to Ho Sung. Catching it with both of his hands, Ho Sung compared the hieroglyph on the stone to the ones of the lower part of the tank. At that moment, the matching letters started to glow gold.

"I think I figured it out!" Ho Sung said. Although he had put the stone down, the matching letters were still glowing gold. Getting the rest of the stones from the champion, Ho Sung walked around the tank, searching for the letters matching the ones of the stones. Then, when he found all four, the ground started to quake, and the tank started to crack.

"Step back," Min Sung said as he pulled out his dagger. At which point, Ho Sung backed away in a hurry. Soon, the tank shattered, and the fluid that had once filled the tank flooded out of it. At that same moment, the demoness that had been submerged within the tank opened her glowing red eyes. Coming out of the tank, the demoness looked at Ho Sung first and then at the champion. At which point, her jaw dropped open, and a look of shock washed over her face.

"The Black Slaughterer… You're not dead,' the demoness said to Min Sung, who was staring at the creature with uninterested eyes.

"Your time's up," he said. Looking around, the demoness cried out desperately as if looking for someone.

"Agnes?! Agnes!"

"I promised your child that I'd make your death a painless one," the champion said. Infuriated, the demoness glared at the champion piercingly and let out a thunderous roar, her mouth gaping open like a crocodile. Then, with energy surging from her hands, the demoness charged at Min Sung, who remained unfazed as he swung his dagger diagonally. A white projectile shot out of the dagger and flew toward the demoness. However, having reached her full physical maturity, the demoness possessed combat ability that was incomparable to that of her child.

Hitting the projectile away with her devilish claws, the demoness charged at the champion yet again. Jerking his shoulder away from the curved claws of the demoness, who was looking to feast on the champion's heart, Min Sung drove his Orichalcon Dagger into the creature's side. However, despite having a dagger stuck to her side, the demoness remained undeterred, fighting through the pain and attacking the champion fiercely. Her powerful claws, which were surging with a black aura, fell on the back of the champion's neck. Raising his arm, Min Sung blocked her claws, pulled the dagger out of the demoness' side and drove it into her heart, and then into her stomach.

The critical wounds slowed the creature's movements down noticeably. Then, just as Min Sung pulled his dagger back in order to deliver the final blow, the demoness' red eyes turned black, and flames shot out of her mouth, coiling around the champion's torso. However, when the flames died down, the demoness was shaken to find the champion unscathed, his lips curled into a sneer. At that point, he swung his dagger horizontally, cutting the demoness in half at the waist. As the torso fell to the ground, Min Sung drove his hand through the demoness' chest and grasped her heart.

"Ughh…" the demoness groaned in pain.

"You'll join your friends soon enough," Min Sung said, sneering condescendingly at her. Then, pulling his hand out of her chest cavity, the champion incinerated the heart in his palm, killing the demoness instantly and, similarly to what had happened to her child, turning her into a puddle of blood that trickled into the molten lava. Then, following the array of items that had dropped on the ground, a loud chime sounded off out of nowhere.

[Labyrinth cleared!]

[Special reward given to: Min Sung Kang.]

After that brief message, a portal out of the labyrinth appeared in front of Min Sung and Ho Sung. Pointing at the items, Min Sung ordered Ho Sung to pick them up and made his way toward the portal, rubbing his growling stomach while furrowing his brow. No matter how hard he thought about it, he simply couldn't think of what to eat.

'I'll just have Ho Sung decide for me.'

—

When the champion and Ho Sung came out of the labyrinth, the officers and soldiers of the Institute erupted into explosive applause, as if greeting a victorious war hero. Nevertheless, Min Sung remained undeterred, and Ho Sung followed him, still looking traumatized from his experience in the labyrinth.

"We were wondering why there weren't any more monsters coming out of the dungeon gate. I didn't know you'd clear the dungeon this quickly! Thank you so much, Mr. Kang. Marvelous work," Ji Yoo said, greeting the champion with a bright smile.

"Save it. Just tell everyone that they're safe now, will you? All the restaurants are closed, and I haven't eaten anything since I started hunting."

"Of course! The reporters won't bother you, so you can rest assured, Mr. Kang. Get some rest, and we'll have a debriefing tomorrow."

"Whatever it is, count me out. You're more than welcome to ask him though," Min Sung said, pointing toward Ho Sung, who was still staring into the air in a daze, with his chin. After looking at Min Sung getting in the car in disbelief, Ji Yoo turned toward Ho Sung.

"Hm?" Ji Yoo let out. Ho Sung didn't look well for some reason.

"Are you OK, Mr. Lee?" Ji Yoo asked, and Ho Sung, who had been in a daze up to that moment, snapped out of it and replied, "Huh!? Yeah, yeah. Wait, what did you say?"

"I asked if you were OK," Ji Yoo said with a beautiful smile.

"Oh, right. Haha, I'm fine. Wait, where'd he go?"

At that, Ji Yoo, smiling bitterly, pointed toward Ho Sung's car and said, "He's in the car."

"Ah, right. Well, I'm gonna get going now."

With that, Ho Sung made his way to his car in a hurry, his legs still shaking. It seemed like he still hadn't fully recovered from the traumatic experience inside the labyrinth. Looking at Ho Sung with concern, Ji Yoo breathed a small sigh as the car started and drove off into the distance. While she was relieved that the crisis was over, she couldn't help but feel burdened by her responsibility as the Great Lord.

"… Well, look at you, Ho Sung Lee. Your level's going through the roof," Ji Yoo said with a subtle smile while looking in the direction in which Ho Sung had driven off.

Chapter 86

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

While driving, Ho Sung checked his status window.

[Name: Ho Sung Lee]

[Level: 871]

[Title: Head of the Diamond Clan]

[Property: Metal]

[Luck: N/A]

[Pet: N/A]

[HP: 3247]

[MP: 1221]

The explosive growth felt extremely surreal. It was as if a stock he had invested in have skyrocketed overnight. However, joy was far from what Ho Sung was feeling. If anything, the surreal level at which he found himself reminded him that levels were just mere numbers, and that they held no significance whatsoever when it came to his journey with the champion.

The reality was that the stronger Ho Sung became, the more his chances of getting killed in action increased, making him far more vulnerable to danger than ordinary thugs.

'I better go to a psychologist one of these days,' Ho Sung thought. At that moment, his car came to an abrupt, loud, screeching stop in front of Min Sung's house.

"We're here, sir."

"Ho Sung Lee."

"Sir?" Ho Sung replied, looking toward the champion, who handed him a card and said, "I'm gonna take a shower. Go get me something to eat."

"… You mean now?"

"Yes, now," Min Sung said, glaring fiercely at Ho Sung. At which point, Ho Sung dropped his gaze.

Looking at the champion getting out of the car and walking into his home, Ho Sung stuck a cigarette in his mouth. Then, he stared outside with troubled, wary eyes and muttered, "Sigh… I could use a break."

Tossing the cigarette butt out of the window, Ho Sung drove off in search of food.

—

Despite knocking on the door a number of times, there was no response coming from within the restaurant. Breathing a heavy sigh, Ho Sung got in his car. There was not a single restaurant that was open for business in the area.

'This is not good,' Ho Sung thought, taking his phone out of his pocket in order to call restaurants nearby. It wasn't until he was about forty phone calls in that someone finally answered.

"Hello?"

When he heard a voice coming from the other end of the receiver, Ho Sung nearly jumped from his seat, where he was sitting wearily.

"Yes, hello. Are you guys open?"

"No, not exactly…"

"Oh…" Ho Sung let out, deeply disappointed.

"… But, we can work something out if you're in a bind. I know it's dangerous to be out these days, but do you think you can come to the restaurant in person?"

Hearing that, Ho Sung's face lit up. He replied, "Of course, I can! I'll be right there!" Looking at his watch, he added, "Twenty. I'll be there in about twenty."

"All right. You be safe now."

As the call came to an end, Ho Sung clenched his hand into a tight fist.

'Where there's a will, there's a way!'

Thinking that he'd get his well-deserved break after delivering the food to the champion, Ho Sung drove the car with a smile on his face.

—

When showering in hot water, Min Sung was often reminded of just how big of a blessing it was to be alive. Contrary to the Demonic Realm, where every waking moment had been a living hell, his life on Earth had enabled him to be grateful for even the smallest things in life.

'Better to be alive and miserable above ground than to die below,' Min Sung thought.

After the hot, refreshing shower, Min Sung made himself a cup of iced Americano and sat on the couch. Upon taking a sip of his iced coffee, the champion felt the caffeine spread throughout his body. However, as thirst-quenching as it was, it did little to satisfy his hunger. Waiting for Ho Sung, Min Sung turned on the TV. Every channel showed news on the Central Institute clearing the labyrinth, while the citizenry remained traumatized from the monster attack in spite of the Institute's success. While the citizens' response was understandable, it wasn't a subject of interest for the champion. Then, while he was flipping through the channels, Min Sung finally came across a show that had nothing to do with the recent event.

It was a cooking competition show, where a number of world-class chefs competed against each other within a short time limit. Since the competitors needed to complete their dishes in fifteen minutes, the tension was immense, and the intensity with which the chefs worked gave the champion the impression that he was watching a movie. The dishes made by gourmet chefs were enticing in every sense, commanding the champion's attention.

—

When he arrived at Min Sung's house, Ho Sung looked at the plastic bag of food on

the passenger's seat.

'I got lucky,' he thought, smiling. As far as he was concerned, failing to bring the champion food and getting the beating of his life because of that was no longer an issue.

'Oh, he will like this,' he thought, excited to see the satisfied look on the champion's face. However, his face fell as a certain thought entered his mind, 'Man! Why am I getting all excited? Damn… I might as well find him a personal chef or something…' he grumbled. Then, a smile appeared on his face as another thought struck him, '… wait a minute!'

There was a way to escape the grasp from hell that was Min Sung Kang.

"Yeah…! That's it! Ho Sung Lee, you're a genius!" Ho Sung said to himself, rubbing his face and patting his own shoulders. Suppressing his laughter, he got out of the car.

—

By the time the show was coming to an end, Ho Sung arrived in front of the champion's house.

"That was sooner than I thought," he said as he rose from the couch.

"Yep. I got lucky," Ho Sung replied.

"Stay and eat."

When the champion unexpectedly suggested that, Ho Sung's eyes widened.

While Ho Sung stood in a daze, Min Sung made his way to the kitchen. When he sat at the table, Ho Sung put the bag of food down and unwrapped the contents, revealing the riveting, golden-brown glory. It was jokbal: braised and chilled pork hock.

After that, a series of fresh vegetables and condiments followed. By that point, Min Sung felt as though his stomach was screaming for food. Rubbing his lower belly, the champion took a deep, slow breath. Reminding himself that it was not good to eat too fast, Min Sung decided to savor every last bit of the dish.

"Better go wash my hands," Min Sung said, making his way to the sink while Ho Sung was peeling away the wrappers. When the champion returned to his seat, the table was completely set. Opening a bottle of soju, Ho Sung filled Min Sung's glass to the brim and took a seat.

"What a productive day, am I right!? Hunting down monsters roaming about the city, driving those arrogant Americans away, clearing the labyrinth…" Ho Sung said with a genuine smile on his face.

"Good work today. Take care of the loot and send me the money when the Sun comes up. I expect every bit of change from it. I don't have to remind you what would happen to you if you tried to take some of it, do I?"

"Yeah, yeah. Off goes my head. Right?" Ho Sung said, clinking his shot glass against the champion's. After that, the two poured the clear liquid into their mouths simultaneously. When Min Sung put the glass down, Ho Sung handed him a pair of wooden chopsticks. Taking them from Ho Sung's hand, Min Sung looked down at the jokbal on the table. The thick slices of glistening skin and fat attached to the lean meat made him feel as though he had poured oil down his throat.

'Oh, how I've been waiting for this moment,' the champion thought. Meanwhile, Ho Sung watched Min Sung quietly, waiting for him to have his first bite. Amid the silence, Min Sung's chopsticks made their way toward the slices of pork. After picking up a slice, Min Sung dipped it in soy sauce and brought it up to his mouth.

"…!"

The second his teeth sank into the tender piece of pork, Min Sung couldn't resist the shock. With a dazed look on his face, Min Sung looked down at the bed of pork filling the styrofoam dish and asked, "How can pork be this tender?"

Braised long and slowly, the pork was unbelievably tender. The skin, in particular, had a gratifying chew to it, and it almost felt like it was made of sticky rice.

"I was lucky enough to find a restaurant that was known for its jokbal," Ho Sung said with a confident smile, and Min Sung nodded affirmatively. The restaurant's reputation was a well-deserved one, as the dish it was known for was bursting with flavor and deeply satisfying.

'Who would've thought I'd be this impressed by some pork hock?' Min Sung said to himself, chuckling. Picking up a perilla leaf, he placed a slice of pork, pickled shrimplets, and a slice of garlic on it.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked, giving Ho Sung a puzzled look.

To which, Ho Sung smiled and replied, "Don't get me wrong, but I feel full just looking at that satisfied look on your face."

"Well, do me a favor and do something about that smile of yours. It's killing my appetite."

"Right. So, uh… sir?"

"What?" Min Sung asked with a mouthful of the perilla-leaf-pork concoction.

"I've been thinking… You know how the terrorist attacks have been getting more frequent and the monsters are becoming more and more unpredictable?"

"And?"

"And that means the restaurants might close down more often. So, on that note, I was wondering what your thoughts were on hiring a personal chef?"

Chewing by the mouthful, the champion immersed himself in brief thought. Soon, he nodded and said, "Not bad. No, that's an excellent idea."

From time to time, Ho Sung was capable of scratching where it itched.

"Right!? I'll look into it, then!" Ho Sung said with excitement.

"Good."

"Then, uh… sir? Would you mind if I turn in for today? I really need to shower…"

"Go ahead. I'll be expecting a chef by lunchtime."

"You mean today?"

"Yes."

With sunken eyes, Ho Sung looked at his watch and replied, "But it's five in the morning! Are you telling me to bring you a chef by lunchtime?!"

"Precisely. Do you have a problem with it?" Min Sung asked, staring piercingly at Ho Sung while waiting for a reply. Looking at him, Ho Sung, who was pale by that point, smiled and said, "Of-of course not! I'll be glad to be of help in any way possible, even if it means running around barefooted."

"Good. Go on," Min Sung said, still chewing by the mouthful while nodding with satisfaction.

"Sir," Ho Sung replied, rising from his seat slowly and bowing to the champion. "Well, enjoy your meal, sir," he added, and the champion, preoccupied with eating, responded with a haphazard wave.

While the pork hocks were delectable on their own, the best way to enjoy the dish was to wrap them in the leafy vegetables along with some condiments. After placing a perilla leaf on a lettuce leaf, Min Sung put a slice of jokbal, a dollop of pickled shrimplets, onions pickled in soy sauce, a slice of garlic, and a slice of hot pepper on the lettuce and wrapped it all into a ball. Then, after downing a shot of soju, he brought the concoction up to his mouth. Tasting the parade of flavors, the champion squeezed his eyes shut.

'This is one of the best things I've eaten.'

The intense saltiness of the pickled shrimplets, the bitterness of the garlic, and the fiery heat of the pepper filled his mouth like fireworks as his teeth sank into the leaves of lettuce and perilla.

"Phenomenal," Min Sung said to himself, savoring the flavors and aromas in the comfort of his quiet living room.

Chapter 87

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

In the plane that was about to take off, the man in the robe checked his email on his phone. The plan was a simple one: forge an ID upon arrival, send a message to the US government through the means of terrorism, and return home.

Should the message get across, the US government would surely start searching for the suspect. Then, once they confirmed that the suspect was of Korean descent, the conflict between the two countries was bound to evolve into something unresolvable. Turning his phone off, the man in the robe leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to the announcement saying that the plane was about to take off.

—

Upon arrival, the man in the robe got in a car at a predetermined spot and made his way to his destination. After a two-hour car ride, the man arrived in a certain city. Getting out of the car, he took his phone out. Looking at the map on it, he made his way to a certain destination, his steps getting gradually faster. On a night with a full moon, the man traversed the streets like a cat moving through the dark. After some time, the man arrived at a small house with a door painted blue. Lifting a flower pot next to the door, he picked up a key underneath it, opened the door, and entered the house. Standing in the small living room, he checked the items laid out on the table one by one.

Putting the forged ID in his wallet, he moved the bag of explosive enchanted stones next to the door, picked up a mask and made his way to the bathroom. Shortly after, the man came out of the bathroom, looking like a completely different person. There was nothing awkward about the way he looked. Comparing himself to the picture on the ID, he made sure that he looked exactly like the person in the picture. He was truly a master of disguises.

With all preparations out of the way, the man returned to the living room and turned on the TV, which showed news on the recent labyrinth incident and the conflict between the Americans and the local hunters in Korea. After he turned off the TV, the man checked the watch. Confirming that there was still about half an hour to spare, the man leaned back against the couch, only the ticking sound of his wristwatch between him and silence.

—

Upon arriving home, Ho Sung threw himself on the bed, his body aching all over as if it had been beaten with a hammer.

"Min Sung Kang, that piece of shit… asshole…" he muttered. Then, springing up from his bed, he set an alarm. After doing some math, he realized that he could get two hours of sleep at the most.

"Bastard…"

It wasn't until Ho Sung set alarms on five different clocks that he fell sound asleep. Then, just as his sleep started to become deeper, the alarms started to go off. At that point, Ho Sung glared fiercely at the clock with blood-shot eyes. Fighting the urge to crush it to pieces, Ho Sung forced himself out of the bed.

"I. Am. SO FRIGGIN TIRED! AGHHHHHH! THAT ASSHOLE!" Ho Sung shouted. Although feeling slightly better, the shouting did little to wake him up. "I should've waited before bringing up the idea of hiring a chef. Damn it… DAMN IT!"

Reminding himself to think before making a suggestion to the champion, Ho Sung went into the bathroom. After scrubbing the stench of monster blood out of his skin with every bit of strength left in him, Ho Sung came out of the shower. He still felt like he had fought hundreds of monsters.

"Man…

I'm dying."

With a look of weariness on his face, he dried his hair, changed into a fresh set of clothes and drove to a fast-food chain nearby. Because it was between breakfast and lunch hour, there were hardly any customers in the restaurant. After ordering himself a burger combo meal, Ho Sung brought his laptop out and turned it on while munching on his burger.

"'I'll be expecting a chef by lunchtime…' Seriously? What? Am I goin' grocery shopping?' he muttered. While massaging his forehead, which was throbbing with pain, Ho Sung started looking for a private chef for the champion. However, most renowned chefs seemed to be focused on building their careers. Because of that, convincing a professional chef to work as a private chef for the champion was becoming less and less likely, no matter how much money Ho Sung offered. Grasping at straws, Ho Sung contacted each and every one of them only to be rejected by the chefs, who were against the idea of working privately.

"This isn't as easy as I thought," Ho Sung mumbled, sipping his Coke, his face twisting into a frustrated scowl. It was clear to Ho Sung by that point that he would find himself in a world of trouble should he return to the champion empty-handed. It didn't help that the champion hadn't been able to eat on time because of his hunt for monsters.

"What do I do?" Ho Sung asked himself, his eyes shaking apprehensively. Then, his eyes sparkled as an idea struck him, "Yeah! Maybe I should look into retired chefs!"

Typing away on his laptop in a hurry, Ho Sung looked up any possible information on renowned chefs who were no longer active. It was then that a certain chef caught Ho Sung's eyes.

"Three Michelin Stars, huh?"

Despite his jaw-dropping achievements as a chef, the chef had since left his restaurant to a younger chef and set out on an adventure in order to study a culinary world that was unknown to him, seeking to expand his field of specialty as a chef. Being someone who had mastered a slew of cuisines, the chef seemed to be the perfect fit for someone like Min Sung. However…

"72 years old, huh…"

Looking at the profile of the legendary chef on the screen of his laptop, Ho Sung scratched his neck. Then, a thought occurred to him.

"Wait a minute… What does age have to do with anything? Besides, what choice do I have at this point?"

At that point, instead of calling, Ho Sung decided to pay the chef a visit. Whether the chef would accept the offer or not was not on his mind.

"Now, how do I go about convincing this old man?" Ho Sung asked himself, brushing his hair up, which was still damp. He rose from his seat and left the restaurant to meet the legendary chef. The pressure of success snapped him out of his drowsiness. In fact, it made him clear-headed.

'Consider this your last opportunity, Ho Sung! You got this!' Ho Sung reminded himself, bolting toward his car.

—

Woong Jang. Chef (retired). Seventy-two years old.

After inquiring about the legendary chef through the Shadow Guild, Ho Sung learned that the chef's residence wasn't that far from Seoul. Following the information he had received from the Shadow Guild, Ho Sung arrived at an enormous, three-story house.

"Hope he's home," Ho Sung said. With a nervous look on his face, he rang the doorbell. However, no matter how many times he rang the bell, there was no response. "Huh. Maybe he's out."

After backing away from the gate slowly, Ho Sung stuck his neck up like a meerkat. However, that proved to be of little help. Taking his phone out, he tried calling the number that supposedly belonged to the chef. Of course, to no success. The chef's phone seemed to be turned off. At that moment, while Ho Sung was scratching his head in frustration, a large shadow cast across the ground. When Ho Sung turned around, puzzled, he was met with a startling image. He saw a silver-haired man, massive and muscular, holding a white grocery bag, which had stalks of scallion jutting out of it.

Looking up at the man's face, Ho Sung realized that he had come to the right place. It was Woong Jang, the legendary chef.

'Holy crap, this guy's big…' Ho Sung murmured internally as he stared intently at the chef, who looked down at Ho Sung with dry, emotionless eyes.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the chef asked. Despite looking like a civilian, he had a presence comparable to that of a hunter. While it was clear to Ho Sung that the man wasn't just an ordinary old man, there was something strange about the chef's appearance.

'Isn't this guy supposed to be a legendary chef? I mean, it's hot out, but a celebrity chef wondering about the streets in a tank top, shorts, and sandals?'

The chef looked nothing like what Ho Sung had imagined. Then, shaking those thoughts away, Ho Sung greeted the man, "Ah, where are my manners? Hello, sir. Ho Sung Lee."

Instead of greeting him back, the chef stared at Ho Sung as if he wanted him to cut to the chase.

"I have a very important matter to discuss with you. I understand you're a busy man, but do you think you can work me in?" Ho Sung said, thinking, 'This guy looks intense. What if he says no? No, I'm confident that he will. What do I say to him then?'

Then, while Ho Sung was lost in thought, the chef said, "… I saw you on TV. You're famous a hunter, aren't you?"

"Haha! Yeah, something like that," Ho Sung said, laughing awkwardly.

"A national hero visiting an old man like me? I don't know what to say. Come on in, it's hot out," the chef said, walking ahead of Ho Sung and opening the door. Confused, Ho Sung followed him through the well-maintained garden.

'Well, I guess being famous can be useful at times. This is good! Very good!' Ho Sung said to himself, wiping the smile off of his face to appear calm and composed.

"Thank you," Ho Sung said to the chef as he took his shoes off and walked into the house.

Meanwhile, having already put the groceries in the refrigerator, the chef started preparing some tea and a light snack. After that, the chef said to Ho Sung, "I hope you're a tea person. Why don't you come and join me?"

Chapter 88

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

The table was not too big or small. When the chef offered him the tea, Ho Sung took a seat next to him and drank it.

'I wonder what kind of tea this is?' Ho Sung wondered as he savored the deep, subtle aroma of the tea, followed by a soothing sensation.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the chef asked. Putting the cup down, Ho Sung sat up nervously and replied, "I'm currently serving under a master and I wanted to know if you would be interested in cooking for him as a private chef."

"A private chef, huh? You're not part of the Institute as far as I'm aware. Who is this man you're serving under? A man of wealth, perhaps?" the chef replied. Then, with a hardened expression, he put his cup down quietly and added, "My plan is to spend what's left of my life studying cuisines I've yet to familiarize myself with. That being said, I have no intention of working, earning more money or fame."

Smiling bitterly, the chef kept on, "I'm not sure who this master of yours is, but I'm starting to find your presence invasive."

After the chef's emphatic reply, Ho Sung stared intently at him with heavy eyes and said, "Do you have children, Mr. Jang?"

"Why do you ask? You're not gonna try to threaten me, are you?" the chef asked, chuckling as if he found Ho Sung's question strange.

"No, sir. So, Mr. Jang, do you have children?" Ho Sung asked again.

"I have a granddaughter."

"There will be a catastrophe soon," Ho Sung said, and the chef's face hardened.

"What do you mean? Tell me more."

"I'm afraid it's classified, so there isn't much I can tell you, but I can tell you this much: there will be monsters incomparably stronger than the ones that currently live within the dungeons."

"So, that's what brought you here?"

Locking eyes with the chef, Ho Sung smiled subtly and replied, "Yes, sir."

"And remind me how they're related?"

"Because the master I'm serving holds the future of not only this country but humanity in its entirety."

Staring intently at Ho Sung, who had a look of complete certainty in his face, the chef remained silent. Then, shortly after, he broke the silence by asking, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Because my master values eating above everything else."

"…"

"I don't see how my cooking could be valuable to someone who holds the future of humanity in his hands."

"Frankly, he just doesn't give a damn about the future of humanity… Unless it has something to do with eating," Ho Sung said, clenching his lips tightly and realizing that he had said too much. Hearing that, the chef scoffed and said, "I can tell that this man has a deep appreciation for food. That's a good thing in my book."

After taking another sip, the chef put the cup down, leaned his head back and immersed himself in deep thought. After a while, he broke the silence by saying, "But, I don't see why I should be the one to cook for him. There are plenty of talented chefs out there."

"It's an important task, so I couldn't pick just anyone," Ho Sung replied.

"Seems to me that you came to me as a last resort. Let me guess, they were all busy?" the chef asked.

Pricked in the heart, Ho Sung looked away in a hurry. After regaining his composure, Ho Sung replied, "Ha! Haha! Now, what would make you say that?"

At Ho Sung's nervous remark, the chef chuckled and said, "All right. I'll meet with him, but don't get your hopes up. I'm very picky when it comes to whom I work for."

"Great! We'll head out right this moment," Ho Sung said while checking the time on his watch.

"You mean now?"

"Haha! Better sooner than later."

"It just feels so sudden…"

"Mr. Jang, this is a far more serious issue than you perceive it to be," Ho Sung said.

Laughing as if dumbfounded, the chef replied, "I just don't see how my cooking can contribute to the future of humanity."

"Please, Mr. Jang," Ho Sung said in a serious

tone. "There will be a calamity, and we don't have much time."

Seeing the serious look on Ho Sung's face, the chef sighed a deep sigh. Then, with a brief nod, the chef smiled subtly and replied, "OK, you win. Give me a moment to get ready. You can do that, right?"

"Of course. I'll be waiting outside," Ho Sung said, bowing to the chef politely.

Staring intently at that, the chef said, "You're different from all the other hunters I know."

"Sir?"

"Most hunters are privileged and tend to look down on people. I'm not getting that vibe from you."

"Haha… If only," Ho Sung said, smiling bitterly.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see once you meet him."

Confused, the chef chuckled and replied, "Well, I'll be out in a minute."

"Yes, sir."

Although the chef hadn't fully agreed to come on board, Ho Sung felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

—

Looking at the house of the man who held the future of humanity in his hands, the chef couldn't help but be caught by surprise by the sheer size and majesty of the place, which was comparable to that of a CEO of a conglomerate.

"After you, sir," Ho Sung said, leading the way. Not too long after he rang the bell, the front gate opened, revealing a wide, open front yard. Following Ho Sung through it, the chef arrived at the door and went inside. It was then that a man came into view, sitting on the couch while watching TV and drinking his coffee.

Looking at the champion, the chef's eyes sparkled with interest. Having met countless people in his lifetime, the chef's life experiences made him far more than just an experienced cook. His instincts were telling him that there was nothing ordinary about the aura exuding from the champion, who was sitting completely still, without moving a muscle. It was an astounding experience, even for someone as experienced as Chef Woong Jang.

"Sir?" Ho Sung called out to the champion. At which point, Min Sung looked back while remaining on the couch. Then, locking eyes with the champion, the chef was struck by the strange sensation of his heart skipping a beat as if it had been struck by a rock. There was unfathomable grandeur in the champion's eyes, and the chef couldn't dare approach the champion. With that, the chef greeted the champion by bowing to him, convinced that he was meeting the future of humanity.

"Woong Jang. Pleased to meet you."

Rising from the couch, Min Sung walked up to the chef and said, "Min Sung Kang," reaching out for a handshake. Looking down at the champion's hand, which was covered in scars and calluses, the chef grabbed it and shook it politely. After that, the champion handed the empty mug to Ho Sung, who took it quietly and made his way out after studying the two cautiously. Meanwhile, the chef looked straight into the champion's eyes.

"Ho Sung told me that you were going to decide if you wanna cook for me or not after we've met. So, what's it gonna be?" Min sung asked, locking eyes with the chef, who smiled warmly and said, "I'll see to it that your meals are as satisfying as the last."

At the chef's confident reply, a subtle smile appeared on the champion's face.

"You can discuss the pay with Ho Sung. If there's anything you want, don't hesitate to let me know."

"Of course. If you don't mind, I'd like to start tomorrow. I have some preparations to do beforehand."

"As you wish," Min Sung said, and the chef responded with an affirmative bow. After that, the champion made his way to the front and walked about the yard while enjoying the Sun.

Looking at that, the chef let out a long sigh, and at that same moment, Ho Sung came up to him and said, "I didn't think you'd come to a decision this soon. Thank you, Mr. Jang."

"We all come to a crossroads every now and then. I learned to be quick in those moments early on. I felt that this was one of those moments. I knew what I had to do as soon as I saw him."

Tilting his head in confusion, Ho Sung chuckled and said, "Well, that's very admirable, Mr. Jang. I sure wish I could be as bold and decisive as you in life. Do you have any advice?"

"I have a granddaughter who means the world to me. How's that for an answer?" the chef replied, smiling bitterly.

"More than enough," Ho Sung said, scoffing.

Patting him on the shoulder, the chef said, "Looking forward to working with you."

—

"Ready?"

"Yes," the man in the robe replied, looking up at a skyscraper.

"As soon as the power cuts off, you'll have five minutes."

"Should be plenty."

"Good. We'll start in five. Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Go."

At that moment, the man in the robe took his bluetooth receiver out of his ear, put it in his chest pocket, and bolted across the street, causing the cars to come to an abrupt stop. While the cars blared their horns, the man kicked the ground. The ground quaked, and a crater formed on the ground from the impact. At which point, there was a tremor in the air, and the blaring horns stopped abruptly. Having reached the middle point of the skyscraper, the man broke the window and entered through it, catching all the office workers within it by surprise. At that moment…

'Click!'

The power went out and swallowed the office in darkness. Then, without hesitation, the man in the robe tossed the bag of explosive enchanted stones toward the center of the office. After rolling across the floor, the bag came to a stop with five seconds until the explosion. After that, the man jumped out the window through which he came, and just like that, all hell broke loose. The papers in the office fluttered about the office from the gust of wind coming in through the broken window, and the bomb threw the office workers into a terror-induced panic, causing them to scream and run for their lives. Soon, while the office workers were rushing to the exit, beams of light shot out from the enchanted bomb.

Unable to withstand the blast, the building collapsed to the ground, and the people around the building started to run away in a panic. Standing in the fear-stricken street, the man in the robe removed his hood, staring up at the building quietly, with his eyes visible, while it fell to pieces with thunderous roars.

Chapter 89

Translated by: Shawn Suh

Edited by: SootyOwl

The world was flipped upside down with the news about the terrorist attack in the US and the suspect being of Korean descent. Of course, a terrorist attack tended to carry far more impact than a monster attack of similar severity.

With great power came great responsibility, and the voices of those with that power were often significant. Focusing on the racial aspect of the matter, the US Institute made an official statement that Korea would be held accountable for the recent terrorist attack on US soil, adding further conflict to the preexisting tension between the two countries.

—

Watching the news while eating an apple, Ho Sung scoffed. Having witnessed the atrocity caused by Ace, the terrorist, in person, Ho Sung was dumbfounded that the US was shifting the blame to Korea.

'So, it's OK for an American terrorist to blow up half of our capital, but it's not OK for a Korean terrorist to blow up a single building? C'mon,' Ho Sung said to himself, shaking his head. After tossing the core of the apple into the trash can, he looked around. Woong Jang, the newly-hired private chef for the champion, was busy organizing the kitchen while Bowl was busy cleaning the house. Min Sung had yet to return from his walk. At that moment…

'Tap, tap.'

"Move your feet, will ya?" Bowl told Ho Sung with a rag in hand. As Ho Sung moved his feet, Bowl started wiping the spot where Ho Sung's feet had been.

"Man, you're like a servant, huh?" Ho Sung said, scoffing at the doll.

Looking up at Ho Sung, Bowl replied, "Better than being a dog, you know?" and resumed wiping the floor. Paying no attention to Ho Sung, who had a vein bulging out of his forehead, Bowl kept wiping while humming cheerfully.

Then, while Ho Sung was glaring at the doll piercingly, his phone started to ring. At which point, he answered without delay.

"Yes, sir."

"Start the car."

"You got it. Going out for a meal?"

"No, we're going on a date. Of course, I am going out to eat."

"O-of course. I'll have the car ready, sir," Ho Sung said, hanging up the phone and sighing heavily.

'He's gonna ask about what to eat for sure. Where do I take him this time?' he thought, scratching his head. Then, he looked up suddenly as an idea struck him. Since the recent monster attack had left the citizenry traumatized, there weren't that many restaurants that were open for business. Smiling, Ho Sung nodded with satisfaction.

—

Upon getting in the back seat of Ho Sung's car, Min Sung said, "Let's go," and the car carried the champion away.

"Sir, if you don't have a preference as to what you wanna eat, what do you think about giving the Warp Gate a try?"

"I was just thinking about going overseas," the champion replied while looking out the window.

"Ah, right. Haha! All right then, off we go," Ho Sung said, typing 'Warp Gate' on his GPS. Then, looking at Min Sung through the reflection of the rearview mirror, Ho Sung asked, "Sir, have you heard about the recent terrorist attack in the US?"

"No."

"Apparently, the suspect might be Korean. Things have been a little tense between the US and Korea since you beat up that hunter from the American support team, and now, this."

With no interest in what Ho Sung was telling him, Min Sung fixed his gaze at the scenery outside the window.

"All right. What do you say we visit Japan today?"

"Doesn't matter."

Hearing that, Ho Sung breathed a sigh of relief internally when he realized that the champion wasn't going to the US.

—

Upon arriving at the Warp Gate, the champion and Ho Sung found themselves facing a setback. It being a newly-introduced technology, there was a tremendous crowd surrounding the Warp Gate facility. To make matters worse, Ho Sung's fame was working against them, causing them even

more inconvenience.

"Oh! That's Ho Sung Lee!"

"Ho Sung Lee? Where?!"

"He must be here for the Warp Gate!"

"I guess it takes a celebrity to afford the trip."

Due to its exorbitant cost of one to two hundred million won per trip, the crowd stared longingly at the Warp Gate. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Ho Sung's fame started to spread even further.

While Ho Sung was still befuddled, he found himself surrounded by layers of people, who were busy taking photos of the hunter with their phones. Sounds of the shutters going off filled the air. Meanwhile, leaving Ho Sung behind, Min Sung went ahead and walked into the building where the Warp Gate was.

"S-sir!? Sir!" Ho Sung cried out while deterred by young, fanatical fans, who were pulling on his hair, and kissing him on the cheeks. Having great fame also meant it was easy to become the target of criticism. Reminding himself of that, Ho Sung forced himself to smile while desperately trying to get away from the fans.

—

Walking up to the front desk, Min Sung demanded access to the Warp Gate from the clerk sporting a ponytail.

"May I see your ID, sir?" the clerk asked, and the champion took his ID out of his wallet and showed it to her. Then, upon scanning the barcode of the ID, a look of shock washed over her face as the champion turned out to be a free pass holder, which was an extremely limited pass granted only to the VVIPs such as presidents of different countries. Of course, the fact that a person who had never been mentioned by the media had such an exclusive access to the Warp Gate was nothing short of mind-boggling. On top of that, there was additional information given by the barcode called Secret Code, which meant the holder was a classified individual whose records of using the Warp Gate were to remain confidential.

Memorizing the bored look on the champion's face, the clerk printed a ticket out in a hurry and handed it to him politely.

"Where do I go from here?"

"Allow me, sir," the clerk replied, leading the champion to the VVIP guest room, which was one of the most luxurious rooms he had ever been in. In the room decorated with nothing but top-of-the-line materials and furniture, were refreshments. Confused by the champion staring intently at the refreshments, the clerk looked at him cautiously.

"Is there a schedule?" Min Sung asked.

"No, sir. You may come and go as you please. If you're in a hurry, we can always tell you about our facility another time."

"I have time. Let's hear it," Min Sung said as he made his way toward the refreshments.

"Of course, sir."

At that moment, two more clerks appeared out of the Warp Gate and came into the room. Looking toward them, the clerk sporting the ponytail said with a welcoming smile, "Should you need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know."

Responding with a brief nod, Min Sung looked away and at the refreshments, which consisted of a variety of fruits, salmon, roasted asparagus, caviar, bread, wine, salad, tuna, macarons, cheesecakes, cookies, and chocolates.

At that moment, while the champion was contemplating what to eat first, Ho Sung came into the room and said, "I'm here."

"What happened to you?" Min Sung asked, glancing at Ho Sung, whose hair was unkempt. The neckline of his T-shirt stretched out beyond repair, and his face and neck were covered in what appeared to be lip marks.

"I guess I'm kinda famous, haha! Oh man, that was exhausting!" Ho Sung said while straightening his hair and clothes. Clicking his tongue irritably, Min Sung put some food on a smaller plate and sat by the window. Although his initial plan was to hold off on eating until he was out of the country, having a small appetizer before the meal didn't seem like a bad idea.

While Min Sung was slicing the smoked salmon, the clerk came closer, knelt next to him, and started telling the champion about the facility. From the swimming pool to the gym, premium massages, sauna, rooms, and access to a helicopter, there were countless services offered by the facility. Just the description alone resembled that of a seven-star hotel.

"Any questions?" the clerk asked in a friendly tone of voice. Despite the champion seemingly waving her away, the clerk kept a smile on her face, bowed to him at a ninety-degree angle, and left the room in order to allow the champion to enjoy his refreshments in peace.

—

The smoked salmon melted away as soon as it touched Min Sung's tongue. There was no trace of fishiness whatsoever. In fact, it was almost refreshing. The perfectly roasted asparagus had a fresh crunch to it, which further accentuated the smoky aroma that filled the champion's nose. Then, the champion moved on to the desserts. When he sank his teeth into the crumbly crust of a macaron, Min Sung felt his tongue going numb from the intense sweetness.

'I better leave room for the meal,' the champion thought, looking out the window and savoring the sweetness of the food along with the classical music in the background.

—

After the brief personal tea time, Min Sung followed the clerk to the Warp Gate. After passing through a long hallway, a door appeared. When the clerk opened it, a large, spacious room that looked like it was straight out of a sci-fi movie appeared. However, to the champion's confusion, there were hardly any devices or any sort of apparatuses in the room. Because the Warp Gate was a technology based on magic often used by hunters within dungeons, the few devices that were in the room were mostly there for the purpose of absorbing the impact of the Warp Gate activation.

After looking around, Min Sung stood at a certain spot in the room. Through the PA system, the clerk explained what kind of phenomenon to expect after the Warp Gate was engaged, "Just think of it as a quick nap. Try to relax, and the Warp Gate will take you to your destination."

Soon after that, a magic circle appeared on the floor and started to glow. Then, just as the clerk had said, after thirty seconds, an aura surged from the magic circle and coiled around the champion. Disabling his elemental resistance, the champion let the aura wrap around his body. At that moment, when he closed his eyes, the champion disappeared in plain sight, transcending the time-space continuum.

Chapter 90

Translated by: ShawnSuh

Edited by: SootyOwl

Unlike the way the clerk had described, traveling through the Warp Gate was nothing like taking a nap. When the champion opened his eyes after what felt like a brief second, he found himself in the Japanese Warp Gate terminal.

Following the friendly guidance of the Japenese clerk, Min Sung walked out of the building and saw a luxurious sedan and a chauffeur awaiting him. Thinking that he'd spend some time in a hot springs after the meal, Min Sung made a phone call to Ho Sung.

"Sir! How was the trip?" Ho Sung asked.

"Good. Look into a restaurant and a hot springs nearby."

"Right away, sir."

After hanging up, Min Sung got in the car. Upon receiving a text from Ho Sung almost at the same time, which included the address to a certain restaurant that was also a hot springs, the champion showed the phone to the driver, who responded with a friendly smile and started driving. As the car took the champion away, the Japenese clerks bowed toward the car at a ninety-degree angle.

On the car ride to the restaurant, Min Sung rolled the window down. The breeze came rushing into the car, blowing against the champion's hair. At that moment, Bowl crawled out of Min Sung's pocket and peeked out the window as if it wanted to see the view.

The sky was getting cloudier and darker, making it seems like it would start raining within the next few hours. While Min Sung and Bowl were looking out the window, enjoying the scenery of Japan, the driver informed them that they were getting close to the destination. When the car came to a stop and Min Sung got out of it, he found himself in front of a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. After getting himself a room, Min Sung headed for it. The room came with tatami flooring, and it gave off a cozy, relaxing atmosphere.

'Time to relax.'

After requesting a meal and the preparation of the hot spring, Min Sung changed into a yukata, a traditional bathrobe provided by the inn, while Bowl crawled into a blanket to rest. Then, when he opened the sliding door to the outside of his room, a serene garden came into view. It was filled with trees, and water trickled into a pond from a bamboo pipe. While he was staring at the mesmerizing view, a clerk came by to inform the champion that dinner was about to start.

—

Upon arriving in the dining area, which almost resembled a bar, the clerk said to the champion in a warm, friendly tone of voice, "This is our VIP dining room. Enjoy your meal, sir."

After greeting the chef, who greeted the champion with a bright smile, Min Sung took a seat. Shortly after, a woman in a kimono started setting up the table in a gentle, polite manner. Watching the table getting filled by an array of dishes he had yet to try filled the champion's heart with excitement.

'I wonder what they're like?'

With a look of anticipation on his face, Min Sung prepared to eat.

—

First, Min Sung started off with corn soup. The sweetness and nuttiness of the corn created an exquisite harmony, an experience similar to that of listening to a yodel singer in Switzerland. While familiar, the experience felt new and refreshing.

'We're off to a good start.'

Next, Min Sung moved on to the smoked roast beef, which practically melted in his mouth. Then, following up with grilled eggplant with housemade miso, with which he fell in love, the champion was filled with a sense of deep comfort. The experience was comparable to sleeping on a bed after having slept on dirt for a century.

'This is mind-bogglingly good,' he thought.

With that, Min Sung went for the Caesar salad with black pig bacon. The fresh crunch of the vegetables brought about a refreshing sensation, followed by the rich, complex flavor of the bacon that warmed his stomach.

'So, this is what Japanese cuisine is like,' Min Sung thought, deeply satisfied. At that moment, the main dish made its way to the table: steak. The pink, perfectly cooked

meat glistened under the light like a piece of art. To his surprise, Min Sung realized that the dish came with a bowl of white rice.

'I guess people eat their steaks with rice here,' he thought, placing a slice of the steak on the bed of white rice. A piece of rare steak resting on the glistening surface of the rice made for a breathtaking image.

'They say you eat with your eyes for a reason,' Min Sung thought, scooping a spoonful of rice up with the piece of steak on it and bringing it up to his mouth. The soft, subtly sweet rice combined with the juicy, perfectly cooked piece of steak was truly a festive experience.

'This is life,' Min Sung said to himself, completely engrossed by the ryokan dining experience. Should anyone find the meal unsatisfying, there would definitely be something wrong with them. Contemplating ordering more food, Min Sung picked up the menu. However, being illiterate in Japanese and feeling sufficiently satisfied, Min Sung chose not to proceed.

—

After the meal, Min Sung ordered a can of beer to drink while in the hot spring. With the can of beer in hand, Min Sung made his way outside. Despite it being summer, the shadows cast by the trees kept the place at a pleasantly cool temperate. Walking into the hot water, Min Sung sat there, savoring the intense yet refreshing heat warming his body. With that, he opened the can of beer and started gulping away.

'Gluck, gluck! Gluck!'

The slight burning sensation of the ice-cold beer passing down his throat was incredibly refreshing. Having guzzled down half of the can in a single breath, the champion let out a long, satisfied sigh and scrubbed his face with the spring water. After that, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

'Hm?'

Noticing Bowl dragging a tub several times its size outside, filling it with spring water using black magic and enjoying itself a bath, Min Sung chuckled. Then, his phone started to ring nearby. The caller ID showed Ji Yoo Kim, the Great Lord of the Central Institute. Rejecting the call, Min Sung put the phone down and let out another satisfied sigh.

"Whew!"

The steaming hot water brought about a soothing, relaxing sensation. At that moment, his phone rang yet again, that time, indicating it had received a new text message. Furrowing his brow, Min Sung checked the text.

'Don't make me go there. I know you're in Japan.'

Breathing a small sigh, Min Sung gave Ji Yoo a call.

"What?" Min Sung said into the receiver of his phone irritably.

"How was your first Warp Gate experience?" Ji Yoo asked in a bright voice, contrary to the seemingly threatening text she had just sent him.

"Not bad."

"Like I promised, you're free to use the Warp Gate whenever and as often as you want. The Institute will cover the fees, so you don't have to pay a dime."

"Surely, you're not calling to remind me of that."

"Sigh… OK, fine. It's just… there's gonna be a global-scale war when the whole thing with the demons and the Tower of Demons happens. Assuming what you said is true, that is."

"…"

"Once that happens, all of the hunters that exist on Earth will make their way to the Tower of Demons. Do you think they'll have a chance if they work together?"

"Who knows?"

"Well, I can't blame you. You don't much care about other hunters from other countries. Tell you what? I'm gonna send you a video. Call me back after you watch it."

With that, the call came to an end, and Min Sung received a video clip just as promised. From the look of it, it had to be classified data.

The video showed a team of hunters hunting a white dragon as a group. Then, when the team of hunters defeated the dragon after long, spectacular combat, the video ended. At which point, Min Sung called Ji Yoo without delay.

"So, what did you think?" she asked. There was anticipation in her voice.

"It's child's play."

With the champion's disappointing response, Ji Yoo was at a loss for words.

"They won't last ten minutes against a single demon."

"Ten minutes?!"

The team of hunters in the video was called the Raid Unit, which consisted of some of the most well-renowned hunters in the world. Needless to say, the champion's analysis that such a team would be wiped out within ten minutes by one single demon was more than enough to shock the Great Lord.

"… I would like to know more about these demons in detail."

"No, thanks," Min Sung said irritably.

"Please, Mr. Kang… This isn't just about Korea anymore. The entirety of humanity is in danger."

"Even if I were to tell you, it wouldn't change anything," Min Sung said, pulling the battery out of his phone, tossing it over his head and submerging himself up to his chin. As the steam wafted past the champion's face, he wet his face again and let out a long sigh. It felt like he was getting a massage.

'Japan was a great choice.'

—

With her hand on her forehead, which was burning hot, Ji Yoo looked out the window, stunned by what the champion had told her. The news that a team of top, world-class hunters wouldn't last ten minutes against a single demon also meant that humanity would be completely wiped out by the demons. Biting down on her lower lip, Ji Yoo clenched her hand into a tight fist.

"How can he say something that scary while sitting in a hot spring!?"

While infuriated on one hand, she was also able to understand the champion's confidence on the other. Her fluctuating emotions made her feel like she was on a roller-coaster ride. Besides, she couldn't criticize the champion when the demons, let alone their tower, were yet to even appear. It was looking more and more likely that the future of humanity would depend on the man named Min Sung Kang. However, taking a hands-off approach didn't exactly seem like the best solution either.

'Even if I were to tell you, it wouldn't change anything.'

The champion's voice echoed in Ji Yoo's head.

'I can't just rely on Min Sung Kang. The Institute needs to be prepared, prepared to fight against the calamity that's about to befall humanity.'

Currently, working with Korea was the last thing on the US' agenda, as they were outraged by Korea's seeming betrayal. Needless to say, talking with them was going to be anything but easy. Nevertheless, there was a desperate need for a plan for the incoming catastrophe. At that moment, the door to Ji Yoo's office opened, and her secretary walked in.

"Ma'am. We have the Great Lord of the American Institute on the line."

Taking her silver-framed glasses off, Ji Yoo took the jacket hanging from the coathanger, put it on, and said, "Patch me through."

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