Chapter 167: Chapter 167
"It is indeed you."
The man sitting in the car confirmed that the person turning around to face him was Jin-Woo, and stepped out of the vehicle right away. As it turned out, he was actually quite a familiar face to Jin-Woo, as well.
Heck, he didn't even need to dig through his memories to recall this man's name, either. Because this man appeared almost non-stop in South Korea's financial news segments. Not to mention, he was also 'familiar' to Jin-Woo in another meaning of the word, as well.
"I'm Yu Myung-Han from Yujin Construction. It's a pleasure, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
Yu Myung-Han's back remained straight as he lightly lowered his head.
It was a greeting neither disrespectful nor lacking in confidence.
As if he had learned that this was how to greet someone properly, his action was tidy and disciplined. Jin-Woo was inwardly taken by surprise.
It was because he didn't expect a chairman of a huge corporation to greet a total stranger like himself in such a dignified manner.
Since the other party came out so dignified and respectful, Jin-Woo also returned a dignified greeting.
"I'm Seong Jin-Woo. It's also a pleasure."
After their brief introductions were over, Yu Myung-Han got right down to the topic.
"I apologise for coming to see you without prior communication, but if it's alright with you, can we speak in private?"
A small suspicion brushed past Jin-Woo's brain just then.
'If he wants to see me….'
It'd have been more convenient for the Chairman to contact Jin-Woo through his son rather than personally showing up here. Yet, why did Yu Myung-Han choose to come all the way out here at the cost of his valuable time?
Jin-Woo swallowed back such suspicions forming in his mind and asked something else.
"What can I help you with?"
Yu Myung-Han replied with an apologetic face implying that he had no choice but to do it this way.
"It is regarding a topic that's difficult to discuss here."
Now that Jin-Woo took a look around, he could see that, although no one recognised him in his current get-up of a comfortable tracksuit with a hood pulled up, several curious stares were rapidly landing on Chairman Yu Myung-Han.
There were a fair few passersby on the streets, so indeed, it was not possible to discuss something important in a place like this one. Jin-Woo understood that point very well.
The only problem was….
'….I don't have any important business to discuss with Chairman Yu Myung-Han.'
He couldn't even take a wild guess here.
If he were to really, really think about it, then maybe, something to do with the Chairman's second son and the Vice-Master of the Ah-Jin Guild, Yu Jin-Ho?
While Jin-Woo's reply got delayed, more and more people began looking at Yu Myung-Han now. Some even pulled out their smartphones to take snapshots as well.
The Chairman began feeling a bit more urgent compared to before, as more and more eyes were being directed in his way.
'If I miss this opportunity, it'll only become harder to converse with him.'
He had a very good reason why he needed to speak to Jin-Woo. So, he worked up his courage and asked for this favour.
"Seong Hunter-nim. If it's not too much trouble, would you like to accompany me for a little while? I promise that I'll never speak about a disrespectful subject."
Jin-Woo took a look behind him first.
He spotted Yu Jin-Ho's happy, no, 'troubled' mug as the kid was surrounded by the extreme levels of interest from the reporters. Jin-Woo hurriedly swallowed back his laughter once more.
'Looks like Jin-Ho will be preoccupied for the rest of the day, then.'
Since he had been monopolising high-ranking Gates lately thanks to the consideration of other major Guilds, he thought that now might be a good time to take a break from going on raids for a while.
Jin-Woo nodded his head.
"I will."
"Thank you."
Chairman Yu Myung-Han bowed slightly and, as if he was treating a super VIP, he even opened the rear door of the car for Jin-Woo.
"Please, get in."
Jin-Woo climbed aboard first, and the Chairman actually went around to the other side to enter the back seat next to him. The car was so big that even with two well-built men sitting on the back seat, there was still plenty of space left.
Before the car started, though, Jin-Woo asked first.
"Where are we going?"
"We haven't decided on a destination. Is there a place you'd like to go to, Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim….?"
Jin-Woo shook his head, prompting the Chairman to give the signal to his chauffeur. He then looked back at his guest.
"I know of a place where we can chat without worrying about the interruptions from other people. Allow me to take you there."
Jin-Woo leaned against the back of the seat. Maybe because this was a really expensive car, the suppleness of the cushions was indescribably amazing.
The car glided forward without making any noise and eventually, they arrived in their destination.
"We're here, Hunter-nim."
The chauffeur walked over to open the Chairman's door, but Yu Myung-Han shook his head, prompting the former to approach Jin-Woo's door, instead. He then opened it for the youth.
Jin-Woo stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the tall, tall skyscraper in front.
'So, this is where we can converse without worrying about others, is it…?'
As Jin-Woo stood there utterly speechless, a group of attendants suddenly came rushing out of the building to surround him and bowed their waists 90 degrees.
"Welcome back, sir!"
"Welcome back, sir!!"
Jin-Woo heard these six people shout out in complete harmony and could only express his admiration inwardly. Just how many times did they have to train together to match each other's timing this well?
"Let us head inside, Hunter-nim."
Chairman Yu Myung-Han displayed not one hint of putting on airs and took the lead, walking straight into the building. The words 'Yujin Construction' were clearly legible on the windows near the top of the building's roof.
'...'
Soon, Jin-Woo followed after Yu Myung-Han and entered the building. The Chairman had been waiting for the youth to enter and matched the latter's walking speed.
"This way."
Employees bent their backs immediately after discovering their Chairman.
Yu Myung-Han maintained an expressionless face but still didn't forget to reply to all the greetings coming his way with simple nods.
A real big shot – the atmosphere Jin-Woo once felt from the President of the Hunter's Association Goh Gun-Hui could also be felt from Chairman Yu as well.
Jin-Woo silently followed after him while gaining a rough understanding of the man named Yu Myung-Han's character through the gazes of these employees who seemed to wholeheartedly trust him.
Meanwhile, the employees bowing their heads to Yu Myung-Han naturally became interested in Jin-Woo walking alongside their boss.
'Who is he?'
'Huh? Isn't he….?'
'Could he be….?'
The jaw of every employee fell to the floor after they recognised the rank S Hunter, as he had taken the hood off upon entering the building.
The top Hunter of the nation and the top businessman of the nation. Two such people had stepped into the headquarters of Yujin Construction, so who would not be surprised by this amazing incident?
'Heok!'
The eyes of the employees nearly fell out of their sockets.
The hearts of the female employees began palpitating unsteadily, while the male employees nodded their heads in Jin-Woo's direction.
They didn't know why Hunter Seong Jin-Woo was standing next to their Chairman. However, when the two men who could be considered the best in their respective fields stood tall next to each other, their considerable age gap didn't seem to matter anymore, and this dazzling imagery now felt perfect and complete to the onlooker's view.
If you were a man, then you'd yearn to be a part of this amazing sight, too.
And so, as such adulating gazes fell upon them, the two men climbed aboard the executives-only elevator waiting for them with open doors. The assistance of the attendants lasted until here.
As the doors silently slid shut, only Jin-Woo and Chairman Yu remained within the elevator.
"…"
"…"
As Chairman Yu kept his mouth closed, Jin-Woo followed suit and didn't say anything. The elevator didn't stop and rose straight up to the top floor, the Chairman's office.
Ting.
Secretary Kim, the right-hand man of Chairman Yu, was waiting for their arrival in front of the office. He performed a quick nod of his head to Jin-Woo as his greeting and lowered his waist to his boss.
"My apologies, Chairman. There is a guest already waiting for you inside."
"A guest?"
The expression of Chairman Yu Myung-Han stiffened up.
"Didn't I say to not let anyone in whenever I'm not in the office?"
Secretary Kim rarely made mistakes, if ever. The reason why Yu Myung-Han's expression had stiffened wasn't because the emotion of anger but rather something much closer to surprise, instead.
Secretary Kim formed a troubled expression and blurred the ends of his sentence.
"Sir, I've already spoken to your guest regarding your wishes, but he was so insistent that I…."
"H-mm."
Yu Myung-Han only needed to hear that much to immediately figure out who the guest was. He shook his head helplessly and pointed towards the Chairman's office to Jin-Woo.
"It's nothing to worry about, so you don't have to pay any attention. Please, this way."
Wheeeiiing…
The door leading to the Chairman's office slid open.
An older gentleman sitting on the couch, passing the time by browsing through a newspaper, raised his head to look.
"Hyung-nim, why was it this hard to get in touch with you? You even cancelled our appointment for today, too."
The man sporting a smooth and reflective balding forehead was none other than the younger brother of Yu Myung-Han, Yu Seok-Ho.
As he got up to greet his older brother with a bright face, Yu Myung-Han returned a bit of a frown.
"Didn't I tell you that I have an important matter to deal with today? I'm currently occupied, so come back later."
"What do you mean? Hyung-nim, I know your schedule back to front, so what important matter could you be…..??"
Yu Seok-Ho's words came to a stop once he met Jin-Woo's gaze.
"Uh? Uh, uh???"
Didn't this young man's mug look familiar, somehow?
Other people would've recalled newspapers or images from the TV news broadcasts, but the first thing Yu Seok-Ho recalled was the SNS profile of his daughter, Yu Soo-Hyun, instead. He remembered seeing a photo of two young people looking quite comfy with each other.
'Is this really Hunter Seong Jin-Woo??'
In order to confirm the truth, he turned the newspaper in his hands to the front page. He kept blinking his eyes as he compared the front page photo and that of Jin-Woo's actual face.
This situation was weird enough to fluster Jin-Woo somewhat, but for some reason, he didn't find this unfamiliar half-bald uncle detestable at all.
'Is it because his eyes resemble Yu Jin-Ho's by a lot?'
Could a much older and balding Yu Jin-Ho look like this guy in the future?
Chairman Yu Seok Ho didn't know that he had instantly become the aged Yu Jin-Ho in Jin-Woo's mind. He didn't even mind the sharpened glare his older brother was giving him and extended his hand out with a bright smile on his face.
"Aigoo! Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim!"
"Oh, hello."
Jin-Woo unwittingly grasped the offered hand and shook it.
Yu Seok-Ho energetically shook hands as if he was greeting someone he met again after going through many years of hardship. He then introduced himself.
"I'm sure you have heard a lot about me, but well, I'm Yu Seok-Ho from Yu-il Pharmaceuticals."
"….??"
And just where would Jin-Woo have heard a lot about this uncle now?
Still, it wasn't cool to shoot down someone greeting you so happily like this, so Jin-Woo said something suitable as his reply.
"Ah, yes. Hello. Nice to meet you."
Yu Myung-Han was worriedly watching on from the side, but he was now forming a surprised expression, instead. Meanwhile, Yu Seok-Ho's back straightened up in pride as if to show off a little, and he opened his chest up a bit more.
'See this? Hyung-nim, my little girl's standards for men are on this level.'
Yu Seok-Ho had been feeling a slight case of an inferiority complex over the fact that Yu Myung-Han's daughter possessed a genius-level talent in music. But now, he thought he could definitely regain his self-esteem with this event.
Because, well, there wouldn't be that many men as amazing as this youth in the whole of South Korea, after all.
'….Seok-Ho's connections run pretty deep, I see.'
Yu Myung-Han was planning to raise his voice at his little brother once Jin-Woo had left, but now, after seeing that these two seemed to have 'heard' of each other, his anger had rapidly melted away and disappeared completely.
It seemed that the talk could go down favourably because of this.
"Oh, my goodness. Where are my manners at?"
Yu Seok-Ho finally released Jin-Woo's hand.
"Right, you said that you two have something to discuss, didn't you? Looks like this is where I make my exit, so please, don't mind me."
He smiled in satisfaction and turned around to leave the office, but stopped next to Jin-Woo.
"Ah, and by the way, Seong Hunter-nim?"
"Ah, yes?"
"Please, do stop by at my home if you have some time in the near future. I shall eagerly await for you, if it's you paying us a visit!"
"…..??"
Stop by if he had time?
He'd eagerly await??
"Huhuhuhuht!"
The good-natured uncle said some mysterious things and left the office like a refreshing breeze passing by.
Even though his loud voice and bright expression ensured that he didn't come across as unlikeable, that uncle still came across as a weird quandary to Jin-Woo.
He stood there tilting his head a bit, and Chairman Yu Myung-Han cautiously asked him.
"Your relationship with my younger brother is….?"
Since the uncle in question was no longer around, was there a reason to mind his feelings anymore?
Jin-Woo's answer was rather straightforward.
"It's my first time meeting him today."
His reply caused Yu Myung-Han's expression to harden instantly.
'Yu Seok-Ho, you fool….'
Just as he suspected it. Unfortunately, there was an important guest present here. As befitting the nickname of 'Pokerface', Yu Myung-Han immediately masked his emotions and suggested that they take a seat.
"Please, have a seat."
Yu Myung-Han settled down on the opposite side to Jin-Woo. Secretary Kim entered the office with excellent timing and asked the Chairman.
"Sir, would you like some tea?"
"I'm fine, so please ask Hunter-nim."
"I'm also fine, thank you."
Jin-Woo shook his head.
Yu Myung-Han addressed Kim with a grave tone of voice.
"I wish to speak privately with Hunter-nim here, so can you leave us alone for a while?"
"Understood, sir."
Secretary Kim exited from the office and stood before the door to guard it. He had received the orders to do so earlier on.
From here onwards, no one could enter the office, even if it was the President of the nation coming for a visit. That was how heavy the weight of the matter today was.
"…"
"…"
Just like how it was back in the elevator, another bout of silence flowed between Jin-Woo and Yu Myung-Han. However, there was a certain difference in the weight of the silence this time.
Yu Myung-Han needed some moment to compose himself. This wasn't going to be a carefree conversation to catch up on old times or some such.
That was why Chairman Yu Myung-Han could only open his mouth after such a long time had passed by. Enough that one might start to get slightly bored by it, even.
"Seong Hunter-nim."
Jin-Woo had been patiently waiting until then and replied calmly as well.
"Yes?"
Yu Myung-Han pulled out a cheque from his inner pocket, issued under his name by a bank that often had dealings with Yujin Construction.
However, this cheque was somewhat different from a normal one.
Where there should have been numerical letters denoting the value of money represented by this slip of paper, there were none to be found.
"Here."
He pushed such a cheque forward.
Jin-Woo looked at this blank cheque for a little while before raising his head back up again.
Yu Myung-Han continued on with some difficulty.
"I'm not some arrogant fool who thinks he can buy anything with money. Especially even more so, when I'm dealing with a rank S Hunter such as yourself."
His mouth was drying up even further.
Compared to when he buried his father and inherited the corporation, back when he was about to give his first speech in front of tens of thousands of his employees, even when he was surrounded by hundreds of reporters and had to suffer from ignoble insults to his name – this moment made him tremble more than any of those times in the past.
But, it was obvious why. The importance of this matter greatly outstripped those moments in his past, after all.
Because, his desire to live, to see the future of the company he raised up by sacrificing his entire youth, and then, and then, the greed of a father wanting to see the growth of his offsprings for just a little bit longer – all of those were hanging in the balance right now.
"That is why… I'd greatly appreciate it if you consider this as nothing more than a small gesture of my sincerity."
Chairman Yu's eyes were burning in a determined light.
Jin-Woo could now guess the reason for him choosing this venue to hold this conversation. The things to be discussed from now on could not be leaked outside of these walls, that was why.
'This isn't about me joining his Guild or something like that.'
That was why the Chairman had chosen his own territory that he could control 100% per cent unless some kind of a natural disaster was to befall them.
Jin-Woo had always been quick on the uptake.
That was why he simply asked this question.
"Chairman. Just what is it that you wish to buy from me?"
Chapter 168: Chapter 168
Yu Myung-Han spoke frankly about his current situation.
"Actually, I also suffer from the exact same illness as your mother, Hunter-nim."
That completely unexpected reply took Jin-Woo by surprise and he froze up momentarily.
"….Does Jin-Ho know?"
Yu Myung-Han shook his head.
"Aside from my personal physician, only three others know of my condition. Myself, my wife, and my secretary."
"And now, it's four."
"Indeed."
Jin-Woo nodded his head.
Only now did he understand why Chairman Yu didn't bother to go through Yu Jin-Ho and instead contacted him secretly like this. Yu Myung-Han wanted to hide his own illness from the rest of his family.
'But then again – his shoulders are carrying the fate of several tens of thousands of employees, aren't they….'
If the rumour of the days that Chairman Yu could freely move about being numbered got out, then it didn't take a genius to see what might happen to Yujin Construction as well as its subsidiaries in the near future.
The reason for hiding the status of his illness even from his family and keeping a tight leash on the information – Chairman Yu simply carried far too much weight on his shoulders to accept his reality as it was.
Even then…
'He revealed this secret to me.'
It was probably because he had figured out that he needed to take the risk this time.
Yu Myung-Han was a businessman. Not only that, he was someone whose vocabulary didn't include the word 'failure'. He was, simply put, a general undefeated in all of his battles so far.
Such a man would not jump into anything while carrying significant risk if there was nothing to gain from it.
Jin-Woo could pretty much guess what Chairman Yu was about to say.
Sure enough – the older man spoke up with a determined expression.
"I have been scouring the world for a cure, a method, to rid myself of this illness for a while. In the process, I was able to discover that a single patient has gained her freedom from this dastardly illness."
As Jin-Woo expected, the conversation was heading down the path he thought it might.
"I don't think it a coincidence that the sole patient recovering from the illness happens to be your mother, Seong Hunter-nim."
Jin-Woo had left many in sheer shock and astonishment with his never-before-seen mysterious abilities. Could he have somehow cured his mother's illness with his strange but wonderful abilities?
Chairman Yu had used various avenues to investigate Jin-Woo, which meant that him arriving at such a deduction wasn't so far-fetched at all.
'....'
Jin-Woo didn't deny nor agree with the claim and quietly stared at Chairman Yu. The latter swallowed his saliva.
'I cannot afford to make a mistake here.'
If the talk so far was nothing more than a practice match, an appetizer, then the real game was about to kick off now. This was the most important moment.
Yu Myung-Han let out a deep but short breath and spoke up with some conviction.
"What I'd like to earn from you is the truth, Hunter-nim."
He then pushed the cheque forward a little bit more with his hand.
"And as your compensation, this is just merely a small part of what I'm willing to provide you with, Seong Hunter-nim."
Not everything, but merely a part, he said.
Meaning, he was prepared to hand over something else besides money if that's what Jin-Woo wanted.
"If you help me out on this matter, Hunter-nim, I shall never forget this favour for the rest of my life.��
The tiger of the financial world lowered his head and asked for help. If those people who knew Chairman Yu saw this spectacle, they would have cried out in sheer shock just then.
However, perhaps surprisingly, Jin-Woo remained calm even though he was on the receiving end of this plea. His collected gaze quietly studied Chairman Yu.
'Doesn't seem like he's lying to me.'
The older man's raised heart rate, his quickened breathing, and the desperately pleading expression hidden beneath the facade of unflappable calm told Jin-Woo everything he needed to know.
Chairman Yu was being truthful here.
However, just because someone earnestly wished to get his hands on something, that didn't mean he'd be successful every single time. After a short deliberation later, Jin-Woo finally opened his tightly-shut mouth.
"I'm sorry."
That one short sentence caused Yu Myung-Han's eyes to tremble quite powerfully.
"It is unfortunate, but that's not something I can help you with."
"I-in that… case."
As his hopes riding on this talk had been far too great, Chairman Yu couldn't easily accept his defeat here.
"…How did… your mother become cured, Seong Hunter-nim?"
"Chairman."
Jin-Woo's expression became rather serious.
The surrounding air began to grow chilly all of a sudden. That was enough to remind Chairman Yu just what kind of a person he was dealing with right now.
Jin-Woo continued on.
"Hypothetically speaking, if I knew how the illness had been cured and I wished to get rich from that, why would I have kept my mouth shut until now?"
A handful of possible answers fleeted in and out of Chairman Yu's mind. Was it because Jin-Woo was scared of becoming a target of someone influential? But, that couldn't be.
Chairman Yu immediately shook his head.
Jin-Woo was the currently-active rank S Hunter. Not only that, he was an especially powerful one, too. Just who would dare to think of him as a target, then?
Did this mean he wanted something else besides money?
Unknown to himself, Chairman Yu's own head moved from side to side once more. The current Hunter Seong was capable enough to get all the fame and recognition one could desire, if that was what he wanted. But then, he hadn't done that, either.
'….Ah.'
Chairman Yu belatedly realised what his mistake was this time 'round.
One of the basics in negotiation was finding out what the other party wanted in advance. You'd bring in something the other side wanted and in turn, you got what you wanted from them. That was how a negotiation worked.
However, Chairman Yu didn't know what Jin-Woo wanted. Not even one thing. It was only obvious that the negotiation would fail like this.
'So, it must be one of the two possibilities.'
Either Jin-Woo really didn't know what cured his mother, or Yu Myung-Han simply didn't have what he wanted. Whatever the case may have been, it was still a despairing result for Chairman Yu either way.
"….I see."
Chairman Yu no longer clung onto Jin-Woo.
"Well, in that case."
The older man saw that Jin-Woo was getting up to leave, so he also got up in haste and summoned Secretary Kim. The latter guarding the door quickly entered the office.
"Chair…"
The moment he took his first step inside, he immediately read the frozen atmosphere flowing between Jin-Woo and Chairman Yu. This meeting was the final ray of hope for his boss so even Kim's complexion darkened rather quickly.
"Sir, have you called for me?"
Chairman Yu powerlessly nodded his head.
"Hunter-nim wishes to return. Please take him back to his residence."
"No, I'll be fine. Thank you."
Jin-Woo tactfully declined the offer, and after leaving short goodbyes to both Yu Myung-Han and Secretary Kim, he climbed aboard the elevator all alone.
Weeeiing…
The lift moved at a frightening pace from the penthouse floor right down to the lobby.
He hadn't noticed it while riding it with someone else, but now that he was alone, he could tell for sure – this elevator was simply far too large and wide for only one person to ride in.
Jin-Woo spat out a long sigh,
"Fuu…."
He didn't feel so well after rejecting the request. Wasn't that man the father of someone he treated like a little brother? He could've extended his helping hand while pretending to be defeated by his emotions.
However….
'I don't know him.'
He didn't know just what kind of a man Chairman Yu Myung-Han was. He didn't know whether he was really suffering from the illness, or he was scheming something else.
The 'Divine Water of Life' used to cure his mother might possess an otherworldly healing property, but its supply was also limited. And that was why he simply had to be more circumspect with their usages.
The terms put forward by Chairman Yu indeed had been incredibly tempting, but in the end, they failed to change Jin-Woo's mind. This was the end result.
Ting.
The elevator arrived on the ground floor in no time at all and opened its doors. Jin-Woo pulled his hood up and got out of the lift. Unlike when he was accompanied by Chairman Yu, no one seemed to recognise him now.
Even those giving him cursory glances simply carried the looks of 'Who could he be that he's using the executives-only elevator?'
Jin-Woo paid them no mind and walked over to the exit. One of the waiting employees tasked with guiding people spotted Jin-Woo's approach and opened the door for him to pass through.
Jin-Woo continued on and crossed the lobby, but then, his steps came to a halt after he heard a voice coming from somewhere.
[This is the latest update coming from Japan.]
Jin-Woo's head shifted in the direction of that sound. A giant TV in the lobby that had been switched off earlier was now showing the real-time footage of the situation in Japan.
It was the breaking news regarding the dungeon break and the massive calamity spreading at an alarming rate.
Jin-Woo walked to the front of the TV.
The sight of the ruined city captured from the TV station's helicopter was truly gut-wrenching.
The Giant monsters were demolishing the buildings. Those unfortunate citizens failing to evacuate in time were captured and immediately thrown into the mouths of these Giants. What little remained of armed forces poured out all their firepower but that proved to be a useless endeavour.
It was still impossible to kill monsters without the powers of Hunters, after all.
Although it was impossible to accurately calculate the death toll, the rough estimate had come out to well over a million.
In a word, it was an unspeakable tragedy.
Jin-Woo's expression hardened. This would be his first time seeing the current status with his own eyes. But then, that made sense.
It was only yesterday that, after emerging from the dual dungeon, he asked Woo Jin-Cheol to take care of the aftermath and went back home to crash into a deep, deep slumber.
He half-expected the worst, but the situation in Japan was far graver than his initial expectations. This whole thing reminded him of the nightmare unfolding on Jeju Island four years ago.
Maybe one could claim that it was a silver lining among the storm of misfortunes. The dungeon break back then occurred on an island and the uniqueness of landscape meant that Korea was spared of the situation possibly becoming even worse than before.
However, it was a different story for Japan.
It was far too large to simply be called an island. A whole country was facing total destruction at this rate.
Ba-thump, ba-thump, ba-thump!
Jin-Woo's heart quickened as he watched those Giants.
He was feeling rather displeased right now. When he thought about how such weaklings were stepping on humans like that, a powerful sense of disgust welled up from deep inside of him.
But then….
'Wait a sec….'
Jin-Woo quickly broke out of his reverie.
What did he mean, such weaklings?
He had never fought Giant-type monsters before. And he couldn't sense its magic energy through a TV screen. So, why did he subconsciously think of the word 'weakling' almost right away when he saw a Giant monster?
Was this coming from his self-confidence?
Jin-Woo tilted his head this way and that, before shaking it altogether.
'Huh. Because my head's so messy right now, I'm even beginning to think up some weird stuff, too.'
He turned around to leave.
He managed to slip out of the cordon of people watching the broadcast with worried expressions, and quietly left the building.
***
The second day of the dungeon break.
The attention of the entire world was focused on Japan. What was their plan of action against the dungeon break? Did Japan have any methods left to employ, anyway? If not, would America really step up to help them?
And then…
Was there a possibility that the Giants, having finished laying waste to Japan, would cross the ocean and start causing destruction in other countries, too?
Worried gazes and ones filled with concern descended upon Japan as it continued to crumble.
Of course, those nations that held an antagonistic relationship with Japan inwardly thought of different matters altogether, but outwardly at least, they sent over some token words of sympathy.
Unfortunately, what the Japanese needed weren't some words of comfort. No, they needed actual, physical help.
They needed comprehensive power to rescue Japan from the monsters. Indeed, they needed the power capable of 'saving' them.
As the announcement from the Americans was nowhere to be heard, the grim news of one-tenth of Japan already being destroyed became public. The plight of Japanese refugees filling up the highways continued to travel in the airwaves. They all abandoned their homes in order to survive and travelled to the east and west.
However, just as it was the case with every nation on Earth, the landmass of Japan wasn't infinite, to begin with. In the end, these people would eventually be pushed to a corner. The prophesied end was drawing near for them.
And the world began asking more questions as it watched this pitiable sight unfold.
– What is South Korea doing?
– Why isn't South Korea helping Japan?
– Do they not know what owing someone means?
The world remembered seeing the Jeju Island raid that took place only a few weeks ago.
Japan had lost over half of their participating rank S Hunters for the sake of the Koreans. So, the world was asking, why were the Koreans only watching on the crisis unfolding in their neighbouring country and not doing anything to help?
The scale of destruction and the death toll continued to be revised hourly. People grew outraged and grieved for the losses.
As the feelings of sympathy grew larger and larger for the Japanese, the criticisms towards Korea grew harsher and harsher in turn.
– Make a move already, South Korea!
– Do they not know of the concept of loyalty?
– Have the Koreans forgotten about Jeju Island?
The mass media of the world was boiling over.
And before long, another question rose up – the one about why Japan hadn't requested South Korea with the subjugation of the monsters.
And so, as the fourth day dawned on this tragedy….
The Association President Goh Gun-Hui, having decided that now was the right time, stepped in front of the crowd of reporters.
Noisy, noisy….
Goh Gun-Hui swept his gaze over the tightly-packed wall of reporters as well as the cameras pointing at him and quietly opened his mouth to speak.
"I express my condolences at the tragedy unfolding in Japan. And also, I'd like to reveal the position of South Korea's own Hunter's Association."
And also….
A little earlier in the day, the American Hunter Bureau also released a statement, as well.
Chapter 169: Chapter 169
In the venue for the press conference held by the American Hunter Bureau.
The United States of America had opened her mouth to make her statement.
"We're currently gathering Hunters to one location."
Was America finally revealing her hand in order to save Japan?
Reporters had all rushed to attend this press conference after the Hunter Bureau announced that they would clarify their position. They all cried out in elation from this announcement as if this matter concerned them personally.
No one alive would wish for tens of millions, no, hundreds of millions of people to die a gruesome death. That was why these reporters were so enthusiastic about this announcement.
As the atmosphere within the press conference venue heated up to an astounding degree, the spokesperson ruefully shook his head.
"However, it's not for Japan's sake."
What was that?
The gathered reporters began exchanging glances as hushed murmurs grew louder. It seemed that no one present here had received any prior warning about this as they were all cautiously looking at each other's reactions right now.
The spokesperson pointed to the giant screen behind him.
���….Heok!!"
"What the hell…"
The mouths of the reporters were clamped shut by the image now shown on that screen.
The chaotic atmosphere cooled down in an instant and it was replaced by deathly silence instead. And then, as this weighty silence persisted, shocked gasps could occasionally be heard in between.
The prepared footage indeed carried that much of an impact.
"This is the image of the Gate discovered earlier today in eastern Maryland."
The size of the Gate was not normal. It was smaller than the one in Japan, but still, its sheer scale was uncommonly massive.
The rank of a Gate didn't always match up to its size. But then again, a Gate with an enormous size never led to a low-ranked dungeon, either.
The spokesperson continued on with his explanation.
"According to the measurement taken by our investigative team, this Gate is also a rank S, exactly like the one that has appeared in Japan. This nation's top Hunters will focus all their efforts in closing this Gate, instead."
Some reporters covered their faces, some shook their heads in helplessness, some spat out pained sighs to display the despair each of them felt in that moment.
An unprecedented event of two rank S Gates being generated close to one another had taken place.
Of course, the United States of America wasn't worried in the slightest. It was now time for the dozens of rank S Hunters she had reeled in from all over the world to step forward and easily take care of this Gate.
The problem was with Japan.
'America doesn't have the spare manpower to aid Japan.'
When this horrifying piece of news finally made its way over to Japan, the Japanese people desperately praying for the Americans' aid all cried out in despair.
Japan was finished.
The Giant-type monsters were advancing south as it destroyed everything in their path. People escaping up north were slowly but surely being forced onto a cliff, as well.
In this situation, Korea finally broke her silence over the matter and clarified her position as well.
Goh Gun-Hui stood in front of the reporters and spoke up.
"We will not get involved in Japan's matters."
***
A day before the press conference.
Just like any other day, the wide-open office space of the Ah-Jin Guild was occupied by only two people – Jin-Woo and Yu Jin-Ho.
The latter's eyes sparkled brightly.
"Hyung-nim? A rank B Gate just became available. Should I book it?"
"Is it within the Hunters Guild's jurisdiction?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes it is, hyung-nim."
"In that case, don't."
"Oh…. okay. I got it, hyung-nim."
Having sacrificed a lot of her elite Hunters, the Hunters Guild would be going through a seriously hectic time now. It'd not look good if Jin-Woo's Guild swooped in to take advantage of the situation and stole a Gate from under their noses.
Yu Jin-Ho scratched the side of his head before shifting his head over to Jin-Woo.
"Hyung-nim? What have you been you looking at so intently like that?"
Jin-Woo tore his eyes away from the computer screen and leaned his back against the chair.
"Hey, Jin-Ho?"
"Yes, hyung-nim?"
"Should I go over to Japan for a while?"
"Excuse me?"
Yu Jin-Ho's expression hardened.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten just who was saying those words. He had seen hyung-nim's amazing feats closer than anyone else out there.
However, common sense simply didn't apply to rank S Gates. It was impossible to measure, to begin with. Didn't that imply such a Gate was beyond the scope of what's considered normal?
Just like how there was an unscalable wall even among the rank S Hunters, no one could tell just what kind of dangerous monsters would pop out from a Gate that was impossible to measure.
And that was why Yu Jin-Ho simply couldn't think of Jin-Woo's words of going to Japan as him simply kidding around.
Abruptly, his head shifted over to the computer screen Jin-Woo was looking at.
��Ah….'
It was filled with the breaking news regarding Japan.
'Hyung-nim was worried about them.'
Unlike Yu Jin-Ho, hyung-nim possessed incredible powers. It was quite obvious that he'd also suffer from the distress that the responsibility of his power level brought along.
"Hyung-nim, hold up."
"Mm?"
Jin-Woo only lightly threw that suggestion out but Yu Jin-Ho's reactions were rather serious.
Yu Jin-Ho vacated his spot and hurriedly extracted a photo album from the file cabinet before bringing it over. When he flipped that thick book open, all sorts of newspaper articles were clipped onto its pages.
'What's this….?'
All of them were articles related to Jin-Woo.
From the incident of the Red Gate – which the media still didn't know that Jin-Woo was a part of – to the raid of Jeju Island; when he solved the issue of the traffic jam; and even when he took care of the strange, unidentifiable stone statues alongside the Hunters Guild recently, too.
Jin-Woo was dumbfounded by this spectacle and asked Yu Jin-Ho.
"You were collecting all of these?"
"Yes, hyung-nim."
Yu Jin-Ho's face was slightly flushed red.
"Okay, fine. But, why are you showing me this all of a sudden?"
"You know what the common theme among these articles is, hyung-nim?"
"I wonder….?"
'….Surely, he's not trying to say that I'm involved in all these incidents.'
A short while later, Yu Jin-Ho spoke with a voice softer than the buzzing of a mosquito.
"It's that I'm nowhere to be found in all of them, hyung-nim."
If it weren't for Jin-Woo's high Perception reinforcing his hearing, he'd have missed that voice.
"What?!"
Jin-Woo looked back, and Yu Jin-Ho raised his drooped head and stared straight into the former's eyes.
"Hyung-nim. If you're planning to go to Japan, please take me along with you."
"….??"
Jin-Woo was baffled here.
He expected Yu Jin-Ho to either stop him or cheer him on when he said he'd be heading over to Japan, but never did he imagine the kid would say 'Take me with you!'
However, Yu Jin-Ho was being dead serious.
"Although it is embarrassing to say this out loud, hyung-nim, you're my pride. You're the only thing that I can proudly boast about to other people, you know."
"But, you…."
Jin-Woo quickly shut his mouth up.
Yu Jin-Ho looked outwardly as if he had possessed more than anyone else in the world. According to his own words, however, all of those were shackles that only managed to torment him, and to him, they were nothing to be proud about.
But then, it was Yu Jin-Ho's own decision to stick around Jin-Woo, and then to continue developing the Ah-Jin Guild. All his, and no one else's.
Jin-Woo could more or less understand where Yu Jin-Ho was coming from when he said this was his sole source of pride.
"That is why I'd like to be there where you are, hyung-nim. Please, please take me with you, hyung-nim."
"You, you haven't forgotten where I want to go, right?"
Even if Yu Jin-Ho was a naïve, immature kid, he surely would have heard about what was happening in Japan.
That place was currently a true hell on earth. Demons called 'Giants' were judging mankind in the most gruesome manner imaginable.
Even then, Yu Jin-Ho nodded his head with a determined expression on his face.
"As long as you're unhurt, hyung-nim, I'll be alright as well. If you get hurt somehow… eiii, I don't wanna even think about that."
Yu Jin-Ho looked back with a strong light of trust burning in his eyes.
The feeling you'd get from someone trusting you to such an extent certainly couldn't be described as bad in any shape or form.
Jin-Woo felt this strange warmth tickling him in his chest and he happily ruffled Yu Jin-Ho's hair. The latter was flustered but he didn't withdraw his head.
"H-hyung-nim?!"
"I was only joking, you know? Why would ever I go to Japan when times are like this?"
Jin-Woo stood up from his spot.
"Hey, that's enough for today. Let's just go home. You worked hard anyway."
"Uh? You're going home already, hyung-nim?"
Jin-Woo stepped outside the office door while waving his hands. Yu Jin-Ho bowed his waist deeply to send him off.
"I'll see you tomorrow, hyung-nim!"
***
Clunk.
Jin-Woo stepped into his house.
A truly mouth-watering savoury scent of stew tickled his nostrils. He stood on the spot and soaked in the evening's smell.
'This is so good.'
One of the great things about mom being discharged from the hospital was that now, he had someone to welcome him back home every day. The dark and quiet home of the past no longer existed in his life. Not anymore.
"Son, you're home?"
He heard his mother's voice coming from the kitchen.
"Yes, Mom."
He took off his shoes and neatly arranged them before walking into the kitchen himself. His mother was looking behind her and he sent her a smile as a greeting.
"I'm home."
"Will you eat dinner?"
"Yes. What about Jin-Ah, though?"
"She says she's got no appetite."
Jin-Woo's hand suddenly stopped before it finished pulling out his chair.
"Even now?"
"She couldn't get a wink of sleep last night. She only fell asleep not too long ago."
"…"
Jin-Woo hid his presence and cautiously opened the door to his sister's room.
"Mm… Mm….."
Jin-Ah was rolling around in her bed, struggling to fall into a deeper slumber. She normally maintained such a bright appearance, but it seemed that she hadn't gotten over her mental trauma yet.
'Then again…. She had to go through such an experience, didn't she.'
His rage towards monsters boiled over whenever he saw how much his sister was struggling like this.
Why were those things endlessly tormenting humanity?
It was then, Jin-Woo recalled the sight of those silver-clad winged soldiers pouring out from the Gates in the sky to sweep away the monsters. The army with its unfathomable size, burning with clear animosity against the horde of monsters. If such an army actually existed, then….
'Are they our allies?'
Wasn't there an old saying about an enemy of an enemy being a friend?
Jin-Woo studied his sleeping sister quietly for a little while, before closing the door behind him.
*
"Thank you for the meal."
After finishing his dinner, Jin-Woo headed off to the Association's gymnasium to get a little bit of exercise in. It indeed proved to be really convenient to have a Shadow Soldier stationed inside the gymnasium.
Sweating a lot was the best cure when one's head became clogged full of complicated thoughts. And so, he wanted to sweat buckets for the first time in a while.
Jin-Woo summoned Beru out.
As he began to lightly loosen his body, the former king of the ants politely knelt before him and lowered his head.
"Oh, my king…"
Beru was the sole soldier among Jin-Woo's Shadow Army that could withstand his attacks, at least for a little while. But even he flinched grandly after sensing the extent of Jin-Woo's change and shuddered where he stood.
"I offer my unreserved congratulations, my king. I sense from you a far greater amount of power than ever before."
Beru sensed an electrifying shiver run down his body after sensing that incredible amount of magic energy oozing out of the 'Black Heart'. His head, still lowered to the ground, was trembling noticeably now.
Jin-Woo didn't summon his Shadow Soldier out to boast of his growth, though. He gestured to Beru to stand up.
"….??"
The former ant king tilted his head after picking up Jin-Woo's worried eyes, which would be the first time he had sensed such a thing ever since becoming a part of the Shadow Army.
Jin-Woo spoke under his breath.
"Attack me with everything you have."
"Oh, my king. How dare I even….."
"It's fine. I just want to shed some sweat for a little while. And you know no one else besides you can do that."
"I… I am truly honoured…."
Feeling touched, Beru was about to kneel down again, but then, Jin-Woo glared at him with a pair of very sharp eyes.
"Hang on a minute. You know, your vocabulary seems to be increasing every day. You haven't devoured someone else somewhere, have you?"
Beru's shoulders flinched somewhat, but Jin-Woo soon let go of the matter. He clenched his fists and issued his order again, instead.
"Remember to hit me with everything you have."
"If my Sovereign's wills it, then I shall follow…."
Beru raised his head as his claws lengthened.
"Kiiiieeehhk-!!"
There was no burden on Beru as he knew that his claws would never touch his Sovereign. Jin-Woo grinned after seeing that and nodded his head. This was what he wanted, anyway.
"Kiiieehhk!"
Along with the thunderous roar that shook the interior of the gymnasium, Beru pounced on his master.
*
Boom!
Beru slammed down on the floor and was laid out flat on his back.
"K-kiiieck…."
127 times fought, 127 times defeated.
Indeed, even though he threw everything he had, he failed to touch even the hair on his master's body. In the last few days that Beru didn't see his king, Jin-Woo had become far stronger than ever before.
The display of power today only deepened the level of respect and loyalty Beru held towards his king.
While the former ant king remained sprawled on the floor unable to move, Jin-Woo settled down next to him. There were a few strands of sweat on his forehead. But this was as far as he could take it.
If he moved any harder than this, then this gymnasium would have been demolished in no time at all.
Jin-Woo remained seated and stared into the far distance.
Beru silently sat back up and knelt down before asking him.
"Oh, my king… Is there a matter that's troubling you?"
"Troubling me, is it?"
"A portion of our consciousness and the Sovereign's are connected as one. The king's troubles are transmitted as pain to us, the subjects."
"…"
To think, he'd get consoled by a Shadow Soldier. Not only that, from a dude who originally was an insect, too. Jin-Woo couldn't help but form a wry smirk.
Now normally, he'd simply chuckle and put the matter to bed, but this time, things were a little different.
"There's something I want to do, but I'm not sure how I should go about doing that."
The events taking place in Japan were, strictly speaking, someone else's troubles.
Who knew what kind of dangers were in hiding and waiting for him there? Besides, it wasn't as if he could resolve every single incident that happened in the world, either.
And not to forget, there was that resolved emotional baggage between the Korean Hunter's Association and its Japanese counterpart to consider, as well.
All these thoughts only served to make the inside of his head more complicated than ever before.
It was then, Beru suddenly raised his head.
"Oh, my king!"
Jin-Woo looked at Beru with surprised eyes. This was the first time this guy expressed his thoughts this strongly ever since becoming a Shadow Soldier.
"Nothing must become a hindrance in the path of my king."
Beru's voice filled with conviction made him sound more like a close aide that stayed by Jin-Woo's side for a long time rather than a monster that got turned into a Shadow Solder recently.
"The one that does what he wants to. That is what it means to be a king."
"Hold on. I keep telling you, I'm not a king."
Indeed, the Class he got coincidentally through the System just so happened to be the Shadow Sovereign. That was all.
However, Beru strongly denied Jin-Woo's assertion.
"That is incorrect, my king. My king, you possess the power to achieve anything you desire."
Jin-Woo's eyes shook around heavily.
Ba-thump.
For some reason, his heart began pounding away rather violently.
"You are, without a doubt, a king."
'That stuff about being a king again.'
However….
However, his heart that began racing on its own didn't want to calm down that easily at all.
'Anything I desire, is it…..'
Jin-Woo shifted his gaze back to the distance, but his eyes were gleaming with a cold light now.
***
Next day.
The United States of America made her announcement, and the Association President Goh Gun-Hui also clarified the position of the Korean Association.
"We will not get involved in Japan's matters."
Click, click, click, click!!
Camera flashes ceaselessly exploded all around him.
The Association President then proceeded to reveal every little detail of what the Japanese Hunters were trying to do back then to these reporters. The proofs he presented only solidified the inscrutable truth even further.
The CCTV footage of the President of Japanese Association, Matsumoto Shigeo, brazenly yelling at the top of his lungs at his Korean counterpart even after he put into motion such a dastardly scheme left a serious shock to all the reporters watching on.
And the Japanese reporters, hoping for South Korea to come to their aid, could only watch the footage with utter devastation.
Before long, their hands holding the cameras were pointing down to the floor.
Only a short moment ago the Americans said that they couldn't help Japan. In such a situation, the explosive revelations from the Korean Hunter's Association were no different from passing a death sentence to the Japanese people. Thick, burning tears began falling from the eyes of the Japanese reporters.
"…..This is everything I wanted to say."
The Association President Goh Gun-Hui finished saying what he came to say.
Normally, this would be the time when countless questions started inundating him, but no reporter present here could unshackle their mouths from the nasty shock and astonishment to do so.
The poor atmosphere of the press conference was broadcast live to the rest of the country through the various TV cameras. Only then did the viewers watching on realise why the Koreans had maintained their silence over the crisis unfolding in Japan.
But then….
"However…."
Goh Gun-Hui looked as if he'd be turning around to leave as the press conference had come to an end but then, he continued to speak on.
"This is the decision of the Hunter's Association, and ours alone. We won't stop any individual Hunters from doing what they wish to do."
What was he even talking about now?
Noisy, noisy….
Like animals lazily waking up from their winter hibernation, the reporters still frozen in shock began slowly exchanging glances with each other again.
"There is one such person. There is one Hunter who wishes to go to Japan and get rid of the Giant monsters."
Who could that be?
Who wanted to head to Japan under the current situation all by himself?
The bottomed-out atmosphere of the press conference venue suddenly began boiling over. Even the Japanese reporters shedding tears raised their cameras with their trembling hands.
'Please… Please….!'
The lone strand of hope was busy hammering away in their hearts now.
One of the Korean reporters raised his hand up. The Association President pointed to this man. Perhaps fearing that his turn would be snatched away from him, he quickly asked his question.
"Just who is this Hunter?"
The attention of everyone present in the venue was directed to Goh Gun-Hui. He took his time for a moment or two, before pressing his lips as close to the mic as possible.
"It's Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
Click, click, click, click, click, click!!
That one sentence caused hundreds of cameras to explode in a wall of blinding flashes.
Chapter 170: Chapter 170
"It's Seong Jin-Woo Hunter-nim."
Hunters of the world got to hear the voice of the Association President, Goh Gun-Hui. Some through the breaking news coverage, some through being contacted by someone else, and some through video file sharing sites.
And their reactions were almost identical.
– He wants to go to Japan in such times?
– What is he thinking?
These Hunters also knew.
They knew that it'd be difficult to imagine just how grand the Japanese government's financial reward be like if they managed to put out the urgent fire burning down their country right now.
However, no sane-minded governments out there would want to throw their top-ranked Hunters into a crisis of an unprecedented scale like this one.
The lessons learned from subjugating the monster of the rank S Gate, 'Kamish', the creature that managed to decrease the number of top Hunters in the world by a great deal, had made the Hunter communities rather closed and uncooperative in nature.
So, the current situation was, no one could go even if they wanted to. But then again, who'd actually want to go even if they were allowed in the first place?
"It's just sheer madness."
Rank S Hunters possessing American citizenship had begun gathering in the most luxurious hotel in the State of Maryland by the time news broke from South Korea and indeed, they all got to hear it.
Most of them had received a boost to their abilities through the power of 'Upgrader', Madam Selner.
It wouldn't be much of a stretch of one's imagination to call this gathering as the world's greatest armed force.
And, it was precisely a gathering of such individuals that they could simply laugh off the story of some nameless Hunter living in a small Asian nation.
"It hasn't been long since his Re-Awakening, and he's already drunk with his own powers."
"That idiot, maybe he thinks fighting some measly bugs is the same as fighting against Giant monsters?"
"A Hunter who overestimates his ability will die 100% of the time. Who knew that the fame he got from killing the ants would end up shortening his life. How ironic."
All these people had seen Jin-Woo's brilliant performance in Jeju Island.
The power 'Seong Jin-Woo' possessed was certainly quite strong. However, the race of Giants was a whole different ball game.
Ants pushed forward with their overwhelming advantage in numbers, and that was why his ability to summon out countless creatures worked so well against them.
Even if he was physically strong, could he be able to fight alone against the Giant monsters, each one of them powerful enough to appear as bosses of the hardest difficulty dungeons found in the rank A Gates?
Besides, what about the boss-level Giant that used some truly astonishing agility to snatch up Yuri Orlov? That movement reminded one of a wild beast, not a humanoid creature.
Such a huge creature possessing incredible speed and agility – how could a single Hunter kill a monster like that?
These American Hunters jokingly began making bets.
"I bet my yacht on him getting killed in less than one day."
"I bet my mansion on two days."
"Well then, I…."
It was then.
"Will that really happen, I wonder?"
Thomas Andre, quietly dining all by himself in the corner, lowered his utensils and opened his mouth. He was one of the five Special Authority-rank Hunters in existence.
Strong Awakened continued to appear after the 'Kamish' subjugation operation had ended, but none were able to exceed the levels of those Hunters who managed to survive the worst crisis to go down in the history of mankind.
When such a man formed a smirk, everyone else ceased their useless banter right away.
"I shall bet the Scavenger Guild on him surviving till the end."
He leisurely scanned the other Hunters from beneath his sunglasses and left the restaurant.
"…"
"….."
Once he left, the uncomfortable silence descended on the crowd. Eventually, though, one of the Hunters frowned in dissatisfaction and broke this stifling quietness.
"That man, he just knows how to ruin the atmosphere, doesn't he?"
"This ain't the first time that freak did this, anyway. It's better to just forget about him, man."
"Right. Even if that Korean Hunter is really strong, it's almost impossible for him to stop all those rank S Giants alone."
A Hunter listening quietly to the side chimed in just then.
"I heard that he's not alone, though? That another Hunter is going with him?"
It was as they suspected. Even if that Korean was a madman, surely he'd not think of walking into hell all by himself. Other Hunters nodded their heads, and one of them threw a question.
"Which other stupid rank S is following him now?"
"No, I hear it's not a rank S."
The three Hunters listening began exchanging strange glances.
That Korean was going to fight rank S Giants, yet he was taking along a Hunter who was ranked below S?!
"Is he taking a rank A Healer, then?"
"Nope. A rank D Tanker named Yu Jin-Ho or something."
As if they had made a prior arrangement, the three Hunters all forgot what they wanted to say and kept their mouths shut.
This Hunter named Seong Jin-Woo, he must've misplaced not just one screw, but several of them in his head. Maybe, these crazies all shared some sort of an understanding?
A single thought brushed past the brains of these three Hunters that just maybe, it might not be a coincidence that Thomas Andre happened to support Seong Jin-Woo's endeavour.
***
Incheon International Airport.
"Ah, hold on. We're passing through!"
Yu Jin-Ho parted the sea of people blocking his path and walked forward in an imposing manner.
A huge pair of sunglasses hid his face, and both of his hands were carrying two suitcases packed full of their gear.
The determination oozing out of his expression was serious enough to shame the top movie star about to make his grand appearance in the climactic battle scene.
"We're passing through-!!"
Yu Jin-Ho carved out a path, and Jin-Woo wordlessly followed behind.
Click, click, click, click, click!!
Reporters continued to click away with their cameras, afraid that they might miss even a second of Jin-Woo. Quite unlike Yu Jin-Ho, who was quite clearly excited about the trip, he remained calm and collected, though.
Japan had sent a private plane once they heard the news of Jin-Woo wanting to go there. And of course, all entry procedures had been wavered away, as well.
Just before he climbed aboard the plane, Jin-Woo discovered a couple of familiar faces coming to see him off. They belonged to the Association President Goh Gun-Hui as well as Section Chief Woo Jin-Cheol.
They exchanged simple nods as their greeting and huddled together to converse among themselves. It was rather chaotic inside the airport, but all three of them were top Hunters with highly-attuned senses. So, there was no need for them to raise their voices high.
Goh Gun-Hui was first to speak, his expression still one of rueful unwillingness.
"Even now, I wish I could change your mind."
Jin-Woo could be seen as the strongest fighting force out of all the Hunters that South Korea currently possessed. Rather obviously, Goh Gun-Hui didn't want to let such an asset travel somewhere else.
Put bluntly, who could tell what might happen in South Korea during his absence? Unfortunately, Jin-Woo had made up his mind already.
"I'm sorry. I want to go there."
He wanted to kill those Giants and raise his level, as well as to increase the number of his Shadow Soldiers.
This was the reason why he demanded all rights to these monsters be handed over to him, and the Japanese government welcomed that very obvious demand with wide open arms.
Goh Gun-Hui let a genial chuckle escape from his mouth.
"Is it because of the monsters over there?"
Jin-Woo grinned as well.
"I simply wish to fight against the monsters."
"If that's what you wish for, then there's nothing we can do."
Goh Gun-Hui extended his hand out and Jin-Woo firmly shook that hand. As their clenched hands rose and fell, the former bade his earnest goodbye.
"I pray that you'll come back to us safe and sound."
Click, click, click, click, click!!
Hundreds of camera lenses captured the sight of these two men shaking their hands in its full glory.
***
The news of Jin-Woo coming over became the sole ray of hope in the storm of darkness for the Japanese survivors. Those few still-remaining TV stations continued to play the footage related to Jin-Woo over and over again.
People watched his feats and continued to hold on to this renewed thread of hope.
They all felt this electrifying jolt course through their bodies whenever the rank S ant monsters were swept away in their TV screens. Many Japanese who didn't show much interest during the Korea-Japan united raid operation now clung desperately to the rebroadcast of that raid.
And as the news that the Giants' relentless march southward had picked up its pace entered their ears, their desperation also grew heavier and heavier as well.
"They said that Hunter Seong Jin-Woo has arrived in Japan!"
A young boy shouted out as he listened to a radio. The complexions of people around him brightened in an instant.
However, not everyone had discovered the ray of hope, unfortunately.
Those trapped in locations where electricity and gas supply had been cut off from the attacks of the Giants, they weren't able to hear about the arrival of the timely help.
Instead, their sole ray of hope remained with the arrival of the rescue party.
"The JSDF is here!"
Two soldiers carrying pale faces stepped into a small rural nursing hospital run by an old couple.
The aged doctor and his wife let out a sigh of relief after seeing the young soldiers, as they had been praying for the rescue parties to come by.
Unfortunately for them, the situation was not as good as they have been hoping for.
The soldiers shook their heads helplessly.
"We simply don't have the space to carry every patient you have. At a push, we can only accommodate three, four more."
The old lady addressed the soldiers.
"But, that can't be…. We have over ten patients who suffer from mobility issues."
The old doctor nodded his head in agreement. Regardless, the young soldiers from the JSDF stomped their feet in anxiety.
"Now isn't the time to worry about those people who might die any second, anyway! Giants are heading this way as we speak!"
The young JSDF soldier, his face caked with sweat, got angry and shouted out.
The residents of the surrounding area had been evacuated already. This was the sole place where the scent of humans could be found, so it was only a matter of time before a Giant would show up here.
The old doctor looked down at the floor for a moment or two, before raising his head up.
"I can't abandon my patients. My wife and I have promised that we'll stay by the sides of our patients until the end."
The doctor's voice carried his strong determination. The two young soldiers glared angrily at the doctor, but in the end, had no choice but to pick up their walkie-talkies.
"….Civilians have refused to be evacuated. We are withdrawing from this location."
They deliberately spoke loudly as if to let others hear them, and urgently left the building once they finished their communication. Soon, the sound of the car's ignition coming to life could be heard. The old couple sighed at length and quietly consoled each other.
But then, one of the soldiers they thought had left suddenly rushed back inside. He was carrying a cocked rifle to boot, as well.
"W-what are you doing?"
The old couple was taken greatly by surprise and held onto each other. The soldier yelled out loudly, veins popping up on his throat.
"If you stay here, Giants will rip you to death! Rather than dying such gruesome deaths, it's better to just die by my hand!"
The muzzle was pointed at the old doctor before shifting over to his wife next. The old couple flinched every time that happened.
"This is your final warning. Will you come with us? Or will you die by my hand?"
The young soldier stopped talking there and took aim with his gun.
The old couple didn't say anything for a long while. How could they not know that the young man in front of their eyes wanted to take them with him?
However, the old couple couldn't reply that easily. Because, doing that would be akin to turning his back on his belief, the one that led him to serve his community and its people for his entire life.
"…"
"…"
Moments that felt like an eternity passed them by.
The young soldier's face was already a mess of dried sweat, but then, another thick strand of fresh sweat rolled down his forehead. It travelled along his brow and entered his eye, blurring his vision and stinging him somewhat in the process.
He furrowed his brows just then. Then, this happened.
Growl.
The young soldier's stomach let the world know of his hunger. However, he didn't pay any attention to that and maintained his murderous gaze. But then….
"Excuse me, young man."
The young soldier was taken greatly by surprise by the sudden voice coming from his side and quickly took aim at the sickbed.
"W-what do you want?"
In that darkened corner of the hospital ward, a grandmother was sitting on one of the sickbeds. She quietly pushed forward a tray. There was a couple of 'onigiri' on it.
The grandma offered them with a gentle smile.
"If you're hungry, eat these. I just can't work up an appetite nowadays."
"…"
Only then did the young soldier lower his rifle.
"Come. Hurry."
As he received the onigiri, the young soldier's hands trembled. At that moment, he remembered the reason why he decided to put this uniform on in the first place.
Didn't he choose to become a soldier so he could protect and fight for these kind-hearted citizens? Yet, to think, he was about to ignore them and run away just because some monsters were coming to attack this place.
He became so deeply ashamed of his powerlessness.
Tears he couldn't understand began streaming down his face.
He quietly picked up his walkie-talkie and sent his comrade away. The old doctor was taken by surprise and hurriedly grasped the young soldier's shoulder.
"What are you planning to do, young man?"
"I'll stay behind with you."
The young soldier of the JSDF slung the rifle over his shoulder.
"I am a soldier, sir. I can't run away by myself knowing that there are citizens remaining here."
He then somehow managed to chew and swallow down the onigiri, even though his throat was currently choked up with emotion. He deeply bowed towards the grandmother.
"Thank you for the meal. It was really delicious, ma'am."
It was then.
Thud, thud, thud!!
The ground began quaking all on their own.
The young soldier formed a resolute expression as he ran out of the nursing hospital. He found a single Giant monster approaching this location at a frightening speed. It was crawling on all fours like an actual wild beast.
'Isn't that….??'
As the young soldier took aim, his sights spotted something off.
The Giant was currently biting on his comrade that had set off a little earlier. The eyes of the young soldier reddened in an instant.
"Uwaaaahhh-!!"
The soldier fired his rifle at the approaching Giant.
Blam, blam, blam, blam, blam!!
Unfortunately, the weapons of modern civilisation couldn't harm these monsters. The Giant easily brushed off the hail of bullets and arrived before the young soldier in the blink of an eye.
Click, click…
The ammo-less rifle could only spit out empty coughs and nothing else. More tears formed in the eyes of the young soldier.
'Oh, dear god, please….'
The Giant monster raised its head to swallow the human it was gnawing on, before leaping towards the young soldier.
It was right at that moment.
A massive Naga slammed into the side of the Giant monster without warning.
Chapter 171: Chapter 171
The Giant monster was flung away and violently rolled on the ground, before bouncing back up again with a spring-like movement that didn't really suit its large frame.
���Gururuk."
The Giant monster didn't immediately counterattack, instead opting to bare its fangs as it remained prone on the ground. Meanwhile, the giant Naga responsible for flinging it away stood before the growling monster.
It was none other than 'Jima', previously the boss-level monster of the Naga species that were inducted into the Shadow Army not too long ago.
Jima reached his right hand out next to him. When he did, a black spear slowly rose up from the shadow on the ground.
Grab!
Jima powerfully grasped the spear and aimed the weapon at his front. One could sense his unbreakable will to not let anything pass by him.
"Uh….? Uh…..??"
The young soldier from the JSDF couldn't quite figure out whether the spectacle unfolding before his eyes was a dream or reality.
To think, a monster was protecting him from another monster right now.
He thought he'd end up inside the Giant monster's mouth for sure. But, having taken a look at the wide, imposing back of the other monster, he felt several powerful emotions welling up from deep within his heart.
"Just what is going on here…"
Could they survive?
Could they survive against the Giant monster?
Not just the young soldier, but the old couple and the patients, too?
The soldier's thoughts reached this point, and suddenly, all the built-up tension left him and tears rushed up to his eyes.
"Use this."
Someone pushed forward a colourful handkerchief towards the young soldier. He turned his head to the side to take a look.
A youth who looked to be way younger than the soldier pointed at the handkerchief with his chin and nodded his head afterwards.
Since this youth didn't speak in Japanese, the soldier didn't understand him, but it wasn't all that hard to figure out what he wanted to say in the first place.
'Is he Korean?'
The young soldier wiped the streaming tears away with the offered handkerchief and asked his questions.
"By the way…. just who are you? Wait, why are you even here?"
The Korean youth silently shook his head before raising his thumb up high.
"Good."
"Excuse me?"
"Very Good."
"T-thank…. you, I guess?"
While the young soldier dazedly expressed his gratitude, another man who seemed to be the comrade of this Korean youth appeared from behind him.
Even though this soldier didn't know a whole lot about Hunters, he saw all the blood splatters on this man's clothing and realised that he was now looking at a powerful being who existed on another realm altogether from everyone else.
"This might get dangerous."
Jin-Woo had taken a look inside the rural clinic before showing up here, and he told Yu Jin-Ho while pointing behind him.
"Looks like we'll have change locations. We're too close."
Yu Jin-Ho had witnessed the battle against the Giants a few times by now so he figured out what Jin-Woo was saying almost immediately.
"I'll be on standby over here, hyung-nim."
"Right."
Jin-Woo looked at the young soldier next and saw his scared eyes.
He walked past the soldier and lightly patted the scared, tearful Japanese man on the shoulder. The gesture meant to say that the soldier had done excellent work.
What he did, standing off against a monster all by himself with just a single rifle, was not something any regular person could even try to imitate.
Jin-Woo had entered many dungeons as a rank E himself so he knew better than anyone just how courageous this soldier had been.
The young JSDF soldier looked at the back of Jin-Woo walking by and let out a gasp of admiration.
"Ah."
That weightiness brushing past his shoulder, and that warmth from his hand. Just a single touch, and the terror he felt forcing him to get ready for his demise completely washed away.
A powerful sense of relief rushed out from the deepest part of his heart.
It was then, the young soldier recalled the story of two Koreans roaming around in his country while subjugating the Giants.
He recalled the name of one of the two. The name of the Hunter who also subjugated rank S monsters almost all by himself in South Korea, was…..
'Seong Jin-Woo…. Hunter Seong Jin-Woo….'
It had to be. That man had to be him.
Ba-dump!
The soldier's heart began pounding hard after running into a person he only heard about in passing. He quickly questioned the Korean youth still standing next to him.
"Is he that person? The rank S Hunter from South Korea??"
Yu Jin-Ho nodded his head and provided his answer.
"Good."
Meanwhile, Jin-Woo walked over to where the two monsters were in a violent melee. His forehead was creasing up.
"Kiiaaaahhk-!!"
The Giant dug deep into Jima's front in the blink of an eye and proceeded to powerfully rip into the Naga's shoulder.
He used to be a boss-level monster of a rank A dungeon. Even if his attention had been diverted a bit in order to protect the humans behind him, he should still be a much more powerful being than other, regular Shadow Soldiers.
To think, he was being suppressed by a regular monster that wasn't even on the same 'boss-level' as he used to be. This situation easily demonstrated how strong these Giant-type monsters were.
Besides all that, Jin-Woo never enjoyed the sight of his soldiers getting beaten down like this at all. His expression hardened as he bent his knees. An unbelievable amount of strength filled up his thighs and shins.
Crack, crack….
The asphalt below that was supporting his legs began splitting as cracks ran underneath his feet.
Ka-boom!
Jin-Woo exploded up from the ground and shot right towards the Giant's face in an instant. In that short moment, the monster's darting eyes discovered him flying straight at it.
A glint of understanding filled the flying human's eyes.
'As I thought, these guys aren't your average monsters at all.'
Jin-Woo's fist slammed into the forehead of the Giant. However, the damage dealt was less than he had expected. The monster pulled its head back just before the hit landed to minimise the impact as much as it could, that was why.
The monster possessed a massive frame, as well as surprisingly agile movements. From the perspectives of the Hunters who had to face off against these b*stards, those two aspects alone would have been enough to give them a sense of helplessness.
The thing was, though, that only applied to regular Hunters.
Jin-Woo immediately summoned a 'Demon King's Shortsword' in the air. And then, he extended his other free hand not holding anything towards the Giant's face.
'Ruler's Authority!'
An invisible hand yanked at the Giant's face with irresistible force. The distance between Jin-Woo and the monster rapidly closed up.
"Kureuk??"
The monster didn't expect the airborne opponent to immediately start attacking again, and it began thrashing about in a panicked frenzy, but in the end, it was all for naught.
Jin-Woo flew in front of the Giant's nose in an instant and activated his skill.
"Violent Slash."
Dududududududu!!
Rapid-fire attacks so fast that they left behind a series of afterimages turned the Giant's face into a complete mess.
"Kuwaaaak!!"
Boom!!
The monster covered its face and rolled around on the ground. It lost its eyesight from that attack and wildly thrashed about in unbridled pain.
Tap.
After lightly landing back on the ground, Jin-Woo looked on and sensed that this hunt was drawing to a close.
'It's done.'
But then, the Giant sensed Jin-Woo's approach; its shoulders flinched greatly before it began running away in haste, without even bothering to look behind it.
'It can also sense the presence of others?'
The more Jin-Woo fought these things, the more surprised he got.
He was speaking from his observations, and it said that these Giant-type monsters were like specialised weapon systems that happened to possess large biological bodies.
The Giant quickly distanced itself. Of course, he wasn't planning on letting it go.
'Quicksilver.'
Jin-Woo's frame slid forward like a bolt of lightning.
The Giant monster ran with all its might on all fours, but rather than the distance increasing, it rapidly shrank, instead.
The monster felt terror. It sensed a bone-chilling aura emanating right behind its back.
The Giant creature belatedly realised that it could never escape no matter how much it struggled. So, it came to an abrupt stop, spun around, and tried to pounce on its enemy, but…
'...??'
The presence of the human that had been closing in at a scary velocity suddenly vanished. And then….
'….!!'
The presence reappeared behind the creature.
Even though its eyes were not working anymore, the Giant reflexively turned its head around.
That made it easier for him to slice up the monster, however.
Jin-Woo jumped up straight and powerfully swung down the 'Demon King's Shortsword'.
Swish-!!
The blade overflowing with the magical energy oozing out from the 'Black Heart' vertically split the face of the Giant monster in one slice.
Slice!
"Gu-urk…."
Like a tree that got hacked by an axe, the monster slowly tipped over backwards, not even able to scream out properly.
THUD!!
With that, the third Giant was successfully hunted down.
Jin-Woo cleanly landed back on the ground and let out a light sigh filled with lingering emotions of victory from his lips.
"Fuu…"
"Hyung-nim!!"
Yu Jin-Ho had been standing far, far back while waiting for the battle to finish. Once it was safe, he hurriedly ran over and presented the lid of the thermos containing refreshingly cool tea.
Jin-Woo grinned brightly and accepted the lid.
"Thank you."
The tea in the lid slid down his throat while issuing the familiar gulping noises.
'Mm?'
He sensed a presence and looked behind him, only to find Jima and his slumped shoulders approaching him. The Shadow Soldier was evidently depressed from losing the one on one fight earlier.
'You fought well, regardless. Get some rest.'
Jin-Woo encouraged his underling and had it return. Jima returned to being a shadow and got absorbed back below Jin-Woo's feet.
Yu Jin-Ho stared at that process before raising his voice.
"Hyung-nim?"
Jin-Woo returned the empty lid and replied.
"Yeah?"
"You sent out all your other summons on their own, but well, is there a reason why you decided to act alongside your Nagas?"
Yu Jin-Ho was feeling puzzled by this.
Just now, hyung-nim was almost solely responsible for killing this Giant. It seemed as if he didn't really need the Naga's help at all.
Even then, he always sent out the Naga first, in the beginning of the battle, and only participated after his summon was pushed to its backfoot.
Yu Jin-Ho was curious as to what Jin-Woo's aim could be. The actual reason was simple enough, though.
'Because, I just wanted to level these guys up, you know.'
The Naga Shadow Soldiers had become a part of the Shadow Army relatively recently, and as a result, their levels fell quite behind that of his other soldiers.
That was why he figured that, since he would be fighting these Giants anyway, he'd raise the levels of the Nagas in the process as well. However, as it turned out, these Giant-type monsters weren't easy enough opponents for his new recruits to deal with by themselves.
Although it was a bit tedious, this method was still the best one if he wanted to increase the Nagas' battle experience.
'Of course, I can't really tell Yu Jin-Ho any of this, now can I?'
Jin-Woo formed a smirk.
"Well, I feel like I'm still not too familiar with these Nagas, you see? If I keep them around me for a little longer, wouldn't I become friendlier with them?"
"Oh."
Yu Jin-Ho nodded his head.
What an easy kid to lie to, this guy – thought Jin-Woo.
But then, Yu Jin-Ho suddenly fell into deep contemplation, before raising his voice as his eyes sparkled brightly.
"You even make sure to look after every single one of your summons, hyung-nim. As expected of you!"
'.....'
And also, Jin-Woo felt really bad for lying to him, as well.
"Excuse me…."
Jin-Woo's head shifted to his side.
The young soldier who courageously stood up against the Giant was walking closer while continuously glancing at the dead monster's mountainous corpse. Jin-Woo could also see the old couple responsible for protecting the hospital behind the soldier's shoulder, too.
He hadn't spoken to them yet, but he could already tell what they wanted to say simply from their expressions alone.
That was all he needed.
For now, he didn't have enough time to receive their gratitude one at a time. Even as he stood around here, these Giants were busy going on a rampage in other locations.
Jin-Woo took a long look at the Giant's corpse.
The biggest reason why he came to Japan was lying on the ground right in front of his face.
"Stop! Stop!!"
Yu Jin-Ho quickly stopped the Japanese survivors from approaching the location.
Jin-Woo had been feeling it lately, but well, Yu Jin-Ho's wits seemed to have quickened up considerably since their first meeting. Thanks to that, the job of extracting shadows had become that much easier.
He smirked and looked at Yu Jin-Ho for a bit, before shifting his gaze back to the dead Giant.
He extended his hands out and quietly murmured to himself.
"Rise up."
***
"Dear viewers at home…. It's hard to believe, but the scene before me is truly happening!"
Tatatatatatata-!!
The reporter riding on the helicopter continuously spat out gasps of astonishment as if he could hardly believe his own eyes.
The camera began transmitting the scenes below. Several hundreds of ant monsters were uniformly marching towards a certain direction. And in front of them, there was a mutated ant monster with wings on its back.
Of course, it was none other than 'Beru'.
He had been advancing up ahead of the marching ant army, but he abruptly raised his head high up in the air.
"Kiiiiieeehk-!!"
The loud explosion of his screech prompted the reporter to hurriedly cover his ears. Meanwhile, the ants marching behind all came to a stop right when they heard Beru's call.
There were three Giants to their front.
The differences in size were like looking at an elephant and a mouse.
However, Beru displayed not one hint of fear as his claws extended out like lengthy blades, and he dashed forward.
"Kiiieeehhhck!!"
And behind him, the army of ants began covering the land in black.
The intense and bloody battle ended not too long afterwards.
"Oh my god!! Oh my GOD!!"
As the reporter cried out in sheer astonishment over and over again, the ants successfully brought the Giants down. They then began chomping down with their sharp mandibles and ate the corpses.
Wooduduk!!
Kwajeeck!!
Of course, under Beru's orders, they didn't forget to leave some part of the monsters behind so more Shadow Soldiers could be created later. As for those ants that got too greedy for their own good, swift kicks from Beru flew in to sort out the situation immediately.
The reporter was shouting out in a clearly-excited voice now.
"The Giants are being devoured right now!! These Giants are being devoured by the insects right now!!!!"
These Giants that instilled unbridled shock and fear with the actions of devouring humans were in turn, getting devoured by the ants. The Japanese people watching this scene felt a certain sense of inexplicable gratification.
That was perhaps the reason why the most amount of interest was focused on the ant army, since Jin-Woo himself refused to be filmed from the get-go.
The only problem being….
"Heok!!"
The reporter and the cameraman flinched in surprise and hurriedly backed away after spotting Beru flying right next to the helicopter.
The former ant king didn't even hesitate and snatched away the camera pointing at him and destroyed it immediately.
Kwajeeck!!
"Keok!"
The reporter and the cameraman embraced each other and shuddered pitifully in fear.
"….."
Beru alternated his quiet gaze between the two trembling humans before returning back to the ground below.
"Whew…."
"Pant, pant…."
Both men spat out sighs of relief right away.
There was a reason why they followed around the monster ant army even as the cameras worth tens of thousands of dollars were being lost every single time. The countless viewers were going absolutely crazy with ardent fervour for these creatures, that was why.
The cameraman quickly picked up the spare camera prepared for this eventuality, while the reporter spoke the closing words to the mic as if he was already used to this whole situation.
"….I'm Kitamura, reporting from the location."
***
"Kkyaaahk!"
She must've graduated from elementary school not too long ago. This young girl was running away screaming with a tear-strewn face.
"Ah, ah ah!!"
Right behind her, a Giant gave chase with a disgusting smile on its face.
How far could she go when running on her still-short legs? The distance between them closed up in an instant.
The Giant must've found this game of tag with a certain winner set in stone rather amusing to play, because it continued to form a toothy grin.
It reached out with its arm that was at least 1.5 times longer than other Giant's. And, just before such a rough hand got to snatch the young girl up, a cold flash streaked past the monster's wrist.
And the blue-coloured lightning that exploded out afterwards began burning up the cut surface of the now-missing wrist with extreme heat.
Crackle!!!
"Guwaaaaahahk!!"
The Giant shot up to its feet and screamed out in pain as it held its wrist.
The owner of the blue-coloured blade was none other than 'Igrit'.
He spun around and lifted up the pale-faced girl that was on her knees shivering, before quickly evacuating from that place.
The Giant angrily glared below. The creature that had cleanly severed its wrist was busy escaping with its prey.
The eyes of the enraged Giant were quickly dyed in red.
"Gureuk…."
The scene was scary enough for any observers to wet their pants. But even then, someone still stood before such a terrifying monster. It was, of course, 'Iron'. His armour had become even more enhanced after his grade rose up to 'Elite Knight'.
Iron stabbed the shield down on the ground and stood proudly with his chest wide open. And then, a truly loud roar exploded out from beneath his helm.
Wooooowuuuuuhhh-!!
[Iron has activated 'Skill: Roar of Provocation'.]
[The enemy has fallen into a provoked state.]
The glare of the Giant previously aimed at Igrit was instantly switched over to Iron.
As if to say 'Come if you dare', Iron pounded on his chest vigorously and raised up high the shield as huge as himself.
"Guwuuurk!"
The fist of the enraged Giant mercilessly punched down on Iron.
Ka-boom!
However, Iron was not forced back an inch. The effects of his grade rising up had pushed him to a whole new plateau of power.
Boom! Slam! Bam!
Iron ably defended against dozens of punches and loudly cried out again.
"Wuuoouuhh!!"
When he did, the army of Shadow Soldiers and Ice Bears, the ones that had been with Jin-Woo the longest, attacked at the same time from either side of the Giant.
The leader of the Ice Bear troops, Tank, shook its head around and roared out loudly as if he got excited by the prospect of entering the battlefield after a long time of inactivity.
"Krrroooarr!!"
His roar was so loud and explosive that even those far away could feel the faint tremor in the air.
The reporter watching this scene unfold from afar with bated breath shouted at the camera next to him.
"Can you see this, everyone? These summons, these creatures summoned by Hunter Seong Jin-Woo, are raiding the Giant by themselves!"
Could this truly be reality?
This very reporter didn't believe Yuri Orlov's claims from the word go, and quite obviously, he also didn't hold much hope with Jin-Woo, as well.
But then, not just Seong Jin-Woo himself, but even the summoned creatures he ordered to go out on their own were speedily hunting down these Giants, as if they were nothing.
Maybe, just maybe….
When the reporter thought that, just maybe, Seong Jin-Woo could possibly save this country all by himself, something warm and powerful gushed up from the deepest part of his chest.
It was precisely then.
"L-look! Over there!"
The cameraman pointed at the Giant. The reporter hurriedly shifted his tear-soaked gaze in the general direction of the monster.
"How could this be…..!!"
The reporter spat out a moan.
The Giant's posture was already crumbling. Countless screaming bolts of lightning, shooting out from the tip of Igrit's sword, were pounding down on the faltering monster's head.
It was such a mesmerizingly beautiful sight that all those who looked upon it forgot what they wanted to say next.