(Chapter 31)

Sung Jin-Woo's left hand grabbed Guroktaru's mouth and jaw, and the Orc could only whimper pathetically as Sung Jin-Woo lift him up just like that and took one step forward before slamming the Orc's head against the building's wall, near the Gate.

If anyone with sharp sight, they will swear that they saw the whole building shivered just a millisecond from the thunderous boom as it reverberated to the whole building.

The Hunters near at them tried to voice out and tries to stop Sung Jin-Woo, but only to be stuck on their tracks after seeing shining red boney with blue feather arrows pointed at their necks.

"Don't..."

Shyrveen said simply which made all of the Hunters looked at him, but he ignored it and still watching Sung Jin-Woo's doing to the Chieftain of the Orcs.

The wall was destroyed and Sung Jin-Woo pulled the bleeding head of Guroktaru before glancing at the corpses that have been organized on the school ground that already inside of each black corpse bag.

Remembering each face of these kids that he all imprinted in his mind.

Then he shifted his eyes to Guroktaru before asking with a voice that was incomparably icy.

"Why?... Why does your kind want to kill humans to this extreme level?"

Guroktaru had long lost its desire to resist and could only tremble in fear. Compared to Shyrveen, he can sense the mana in Sung Jin-Woo's body that is too dense and so, he can only reply.

"In, in our heads... Someone... Telling us... To kill humans... Repeatedly..."

Sung Jin-Woo and Shyrveen became momentarily confused. They both looked at each other and Shyrveen nodded his head and Sung Jin-Woo continued asking in Orcish Language.

"Then? What about me?... Do you not hear the voice telling you to kill me?"

He brought his face closer.

It was inevitable that Guroktaru would look into Sung Jin-Woo's eyes.

The Orc began shaking its head and shivered hard as if it had discovered something in there.

"F, f-forgive... Forgive, me..."

Hunters and all of the viewers that can see this, felt that something impossible happened.

The brave and mighty great warrior of the Orc race began shedding tears like a little child.

Then Sung Jin-Woo felt the inside of his head suddenly cool off as he watched the terrifying monster cowering before him.

'So, that's how it is...'

"You're not seeing me as a human, was that it?"

Guroktaru can only close his eyes honestly even though he wants to shake his head to deny it and stop annoying Sung Jin-Woo.

Shryveen can only be amused by Sung Jin-Woo's question in his mind.

'... Well, it doesn't really matter.'

Sun Jin-Woo wasn't all that interested in how monsters viewed him. No, he simply killed them because they were out to harm humans.

Guroktaru shivered and continued to sob as the fear in his heart couldn't overcome and completely enveloped it.

"Please... Forgive..."

Sung Jin-Woo replied.

"I'll forgive you."

But Shyrveen squeezed to the conversation in the Orcish Language.

"... So I'm not strong enough to ask forgiveness from me too? For what you have done ten years ago?... Nevermind that..."

He asked but wave his hand to dismiss it since he knows that Guroktaru will only do that since Sung Jin-Woo is holding his jaws and added that his fear is caused by Sung Jin-Woo alone.

He shrugs and looks around for the people who were silent and confused at the same time that staring at his eyes while there are questions inside their stares.

Then Sung Jin-Woo summoned the 'Demon King's Shortsword' and speaks again to Orcish Langauge.

"However, do not think that the process will be a painless one for you..."

Then that was the time for the supervisors of the reporters to cut off their feeds to the public.

And at the same time, Hunters and reporters near Sung Jin-Woo, Shyrveen, and Guroktaru.

Saw how Sung Jin-Woo waved his shortsword and his arms became blurred to their eyes.

Except for Shyrveen, he can follow now the movement of Sung Jin-Woo's arms but the wrist, hand, and handle of the sword is still blurred for him.

And soon, Guroktaru's body, the Chieftain of the Orcs started to fall into uncountable pieces, bathing Sung Jin-Woo and the (4 Stars) dragon's scale in blood, and the Gate started to close and disappeared.

Shyrveen already saw it's coming and willed the body of his pet to be his umbrella against the blood then peek after several seconds and whistles.

"Noice~... Wait..."

But raised an eyebrow after seeing the magic core of the Guroktaru, then remembered his pet ate Orc's meats and hurriedly jumps down and observes the dragon.

'... The small parts of this dragon's scales are more lively and detailed...'

"Hey, Jin-Woo..."

"... Yeah, Hyung-nim?"

Shyrveen pointed at the dragon and simply said one word.

"Mana."

"... It has now... But still low... E-Rank..."

Then Sung Jin-Woo glance to Shyrveen's eyes which Shyrveen nodded and reminded him something.

"Better clean yourself first before meeting with your family..."

"I will, Hyung-nim."

Then Shyrveen looked back to his pet and thought.

'... Mana can be compatible with the Beast Souls then?... But not for their mortal bodies?...'

Sung Jin-Woo turns around but before he can take one step away.

Go Gun-Hee appeared before them and stated that he will take both of them to see Sung Jin-Ah before handing over a clean little tower to Sung Jin-Woo.

Go Gun-Hee then stared at the dragon before to Shyrveen's eyes.

"Hunter Shyr... Can you pull back your arrows now?..."

"Oh, sorry sorry, Seonsaeng-nim. I forgot."

Shyrveen scratch his cheek while waving his other hand to control the arrows back to his quiver before it disappeared again.

Which made the Hunters that were pointed by the arrows sighed in relieves.

Some of them want to be angry and one of them is an A-Rank Hunter that wants to burst out, but only to meet Shyrveen's dead eyes after glancing at him with synchronized motion with his six-feet dragon, and that shut his mouth to be silent.

"..."

"..."

Go Gun-Hee felt the weird tensed air around them and waved to the Hunters to move and clean the place to break the said weird atmosphere before talking to Sung Jin-Woo and Shyrveen and started to walk to the car.

After getting inside, Go Gun-Hee sighed and pulled out his phone, and gave it to Sung Jin-Woo and Shyrveen.

"In a way, you could say that today's tragedy has been foretold in advance... This shows the increase in the Gate activity around the city of Seoul for the last six months..."

But there are two charts showing on the screen of the phone and Go Gun-Hee elaborated.

"And this side shows the stats from around the world."

That was how similar-looking the inclines in those two graphs were.

"The numbers of Gates appearing has spiked up noticeably throughout the world."

Go Gun-Hee's complexion got darker and darker.

"However, that isn't the only strange thing... Remember what I said to you Hunter Sung?"

"Yeah... Oh..."

Sung Jin-Woo got what Go Gun-Hee is pointing here, and looked at Shyrveen who is shrugging and mouthed.

'I told you...'

"We think that….."

And they heard Go Gun-Hee continued but ended his lengthy explanation while implying that it was only his personal hypothesis.

"... Something is changing."

Sung Jin-Woo nodded his head and sighed.

"... In that case, what you wish to talk with us about was?..."

As if he was waiting for that, Go Gun-Hee picked up a briefcase resting by the footwell and pulled out various documents from there.

"Japan, the States, China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany, and even from the Middle East..."

All the nations with some international clout were brought up abruptly.

"These are all the official documents sent in from those nations that wish to make contact with you, Sung Jin-Woo Hunter-nim. I'm fairly certain that some of them even have made unofficial contacts with you already."

Sung Jin-Woo briefly recalled the incident involving the American Hunter Bureau's people, but decided not to mention it.

"In all honesty, we at the Hunter's Association simply don't have any rights to stop these people. No, we can only protect your personal information according to your request."

Both of them silently listened to the older man's story.

"I know that everything depends on your decision, Sung Jin-Woo Hunter-nim, but... But, I fear that our country will not be able to adapt to the incoming changes if you decide to leave us."

Rather than a concrete answer, Sung Jin-Woo shifted his gaze out of the car's window, he fell deeper into a myriad of distracting thoughts.

"Then?..."

Shyrveen decided to take Hunter's Association's Chairman's attention and asked using one word.

Which made Go Gun-Hee looked at him in the rear mirror.

"Shyrveen Yñiguez... We both know that I only know your personal information in this country, or let's say that no one knows your true value yet other than Hunter Sung and me...

I don't know when is the exact date that you will be declared S-Rank Hunter officially, but you're catching up with Hunter Sung after I saw the summoned dragon of yours too...

Even though the mana inside of it is too low... But this weird presence it's carrying is no joke and comparable to S-Rank Hunter while you on the other hand, already reached the presence of an A-Rank Hunter in just a couple of weeks after we meet...

And the fact that standing still, you don't have a single mana inside your body..."

'Who will let go such a person?... Not just as the Association's Chairman, but as the citizen of this nation after knowing his circumstances... I will definitely want both of them to remain in South Korea...'

Then the car turn left and one of the biggest hospitals in the country entered their views.

It was the very hospital where Sung Jin-Ah had been admitted to before Sung Jin-Woo waited for Shyrveen to get out from the Gate.

Go Gun-Hee continued and sighed.

"We will provide you both with every convenience we can possibly provide..."

Goh Gun-Hui stuffed the documents back inside the briefcase and asked both of them with a tense expression.

"So... Would you two please remain in South Korea?..."

Shyrveen massages his chin and opens his mouth.

"... Well, honestly speaking, my country needs help too in this time of crisis... But personally speaking? I really don't mind where I stay... And something came up here, and I joined with Jin-Woo to be in his Guild... So you may say so that I'll remain here... And that's only for my own..."

That made Go Gun-Hee sighed in relief for one thing, but there's another one that making his heart race this madly.

Sung Jin-Woo thought for a little while, before opening his mouth.

"If that's the case... Will you let my Guild enter high-ranking Gates all by ourselves in the future? Me or him, by ourselves, alone?"

"Pardon me?"

When he was faced with a completely unexpected demand, Go Gun-Hee's eyes opened up wide.

"Are you asking me to exclude you both from the minimum headcount rule?"

Sung Jin-Woo nodded his head.

"Will it be difficult?"

Go Gun-Hee immediately shook his head.

"It's not going to be impossible."

'Indeed, it wouldn't be impossible, but it'd be quite difficult, nonetheless...'

That was what Go Gun-Hee's thoughts but then he heard a second confusing conversation from both of them, he already watched the video a few days back.

But he can't get a full picture from it, something as a main ingredient is needed for the information in the video to make them connected.

"... Jin-Woo..."

Shyrveen called Sung Jin-Woo's attention and continued once he looked at him.

"... That would clash with our planning..."

"But, Hyung-nim... You're the one who was late, and I need to move since I thought that you forget about our deal already..."

Shyrveen facepalmed and remembered the thing.

"... Then we should clear and decrease some of high-ranking Gates as much as possible first within three or two days before we go to that place..."

Then Shyrveen looks at Go Gun-Hee.

"Seonsaeng-nim... Does approving Jin-Woo's request can be done within two days?..."

Go Gun-Hee choked on his own saliva after hearing the most incredulous thing from Shyrveen.

"No... Even though I'm the Chairman of the Hunter's Association, an S-Rank Hunter, and a member of the National Assembly... That's too absurd, Hunter Shyr..."

"Too bad then... So, I was saying... Wait, Jin-Woo... Can you dress your shadows like real people while hiding their faces and they will disguise as humans for the headcount then?..."

"Chairman!"

Called so suddenly by the personal chauffeur of Go Gun-Hee that is currently behind the wheel.

Go Gun-Hee choked harder by his saliva again and lightly tapping his chest while gesturing for the chauffeur that he is fine, after hearing this outrageous thing from Shyrveen again.

"Hunter Shyr!... I don't know what to think about you... An idiot that voicing out those things while in my presence, or an amazing schemer that will do anything to find loops in the laws?..."

"I was just teasing you, Hal-Abeoji. Chill. Your heart might stop..."

Shyrveen said while acting as a normal and caring grandson of Go Gun-Hee.

"You!... Wasn't this because of you?..."

That made some nerves on Go Gun-Hee appeared on his forehead.

While Sung Jin-Woo snickered.

And soon, the large saloon carrying the three stopped at a bit of distance away from the hospital's entrance.

"Let us speak again soon, Hunter Sung and... Hunter Shyr..."

"Of course."

After sharing simple goodbyes, Sung Jin-Woo and Shyrveen climbed out of the car...