"… … Yes, then I will ask you to do it."
Stop.
Suho put down his phone after finishing his call with Ryu Zhikang.
Tiring.
[The Apostle of Paradise has been defeated.]
Thanks to the system, I was able to find out who the Itarim apostle that Ryu Zukang had just discovered a
nd killed was.
It's a shame that he lost his experience points because he died from afar, but it was still a good thing that
he died at the hands of Ryu Zukang.
If he had absorbed the Apostle of Paradise, it would have been of great help to Ryu Zukang, who was a n
ational power-level hunter, in regaining his former strength.
In order to find and deal with the Itarim apostles spread across the Earth one by one, it was naturally mor
e effective to do it in groups than alone.
Especially, if these former national power-level hunters regain their former strength, they will be an incre
dible force against the Apostles.
"By the way, this guy is so unlucky."
Suho hung up the phone and chuckled.
The apostle of paradise who had run away sharpening his sword of revenge died alone after not lasting ev
en a day.
"They say there is no paradise where you run away."
[Your Majesty, this is not the kind of thing you would use in a situation like this… … Ki-eok? Now that I thi
nk about it, it seems right.]
Berga, who was giving advice to Suho, tilted his head for a moment, but eventually had no choice but to n
od in great admiration.
There must have been paradise where the apostle of paradise fled, but now it was no more.
[I guess it's because you majored in art! Now you have the literary talent to enjoy using such poetic expre
ssions… … .]
Kekekekekeke… … !
And as always, Suho listened to Ber's constant barrage of complaints with one ear and let it go out the ot
her.
Soo-ho, who had shaken off the longing for the Apostle of Paradise from his mind, turned his gaze and lo
oked at the pile of corpses he was sitting on.
Then the sight that unfolded there was… … .
Hell too.
Because it was what it was.
Fire and ice.
The scorching winter created by Suho and Sirka.
In front of that overwhelming disaster, the corpses of high elves piled up like a mountain filled the entire f
ield of vision as far as the eye could see.
Their condition was so dire that it was difficult to describe it simply as a mess.
Some were charred black and scattering ashes, while others were frozen blue and shattered into pieces.
There were also many corpses that were so badly mangled that it was impossible to tell what they had ori
ginally looked like.
puck!
Just then, Grid's ferocious fist crushed the head of the last remaining high elf.
Tiring.
[Number of enemies to kill: 0]
[Number of enemies killed: 2,918]
The quest is finally over.
At the same time, the winter of the high elves who betrayed their clan and hid behind the war also ende
d.
[You have completed the 'Urgent Quest: Defeat the Enemy'.]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
… … .
Tiring!
[Quest reward has arrived.]
Before checking the quest reward, Suho turned his gaze to look at Sirka's condition.
"… … Not yet?"
"… … ."
There was no answer from Sirka.
Sirka has been trapped in a giant ice pillar with her eyes closed for some time.
[It is explained that this is the result of the King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, trying to control to
o many spirits at once.]
In short, it was said that this was the result of Sirka's vessel not being able to contain this amount of spirit
s.
But since this wasn't the first or second time this had happened, Suho immediately understood Silad's ex
planation and asked back.
"Are you saying that Sirka is not yet fit to become a monarch?"
Gooooo-
As if responding to Suho's words, the ice pillar that had engulfed Sirka's body was still emitting a terrible c
old even at this moment.
But Silad refuted Suho's words.
[The King of the Snowmen, the Lord of the Cold, says that he has enough vessels, and that for now he m
ust simply wait until he can fully control the power he has mastered.]
"Wait? How long?"
Silad remained silent in response to Suho's question.
In the end, he said he didn't know either.
"Okay, okay."
Suho nodded, stretched, and got up from the pile of corpses.
"We can't wait here forever, so let's leave him here and move on our own."
[That's a great idea. Let's leave a sentry here.]
"Let's do that."
As Ber had said, Suho turned his gaze to choose one shadow soldier to leave here.
Then, all of a sudden, his eyes met with Ha-seul's, who was looking at him from afar with an indifferent e
xpression.
"… … Oh, right. That guy was there."
Suho was so absorbed in the battle that he completely forgot about Hasul's existence.
And Ha-seul was there watching everything Su-ho had done from beginning to end.
That's why I couldn't say anything right now.
I couldn't do anything.
At first, he tried to help in some way.
But this was the spot where I had quietly retreated when a small shadow ant suddenly appeared and start
ed to nag me to get out of the way.
And it didn't take long for him to realize why he was a nuisance.
At first I thought a large-scale war had broken out.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by thousands of troops.
I think I briefly imagined the summoned creatures of the guardians fighting against him breaking through t
he siege and waging a defensive battle.
He also raised one hand next to him.
But when the battle actually began, the reality that unfolded before Hasul's eyes was completely different
from what he had imagined.
It wasn't a war.
'Just hunting… … .'
Yes, that's right.
What happened here was nothing more or less than hunting.
No matter how many prey gather before the hunter, what does it matter?
Anyway, nothing would have changed the outcome.
Rather, it was a good thing that he could hunt, and Seongsuho simply hunted the demons here 'in a very
hunter-like manner'.
And in front of that, Ha-seul… … had nothing to do but just watch.
What could you do in the first place?
Even if you are an S-class hunter.
Hasul just stared blankly, his mouth open, taking in each and every aspect of the overwhelming battle and
the wondrous sight.
And it was a reminder once again.
'A hunter is someone who hunts demons.'
Heart pounding.
As she recalled what Chairman Woo Jin-cheol had once said, Ha-seul tapped her sore left chest with her
fist.
The name 'Hunter' has a special meaning to Ha Seul.
Hasul became an S-class Awakener faster than anyone else, but because it happened so quickly, he foun
d out much too late that he was an S-class.
Even after awakening, he immediately crossed over to North Korea, missing the opportunity to become a
hunter.
Perhaps because of the sins he had committed in the past, even if he had remained, he would not have b
een able to become a hunter in Korea anyway.
He would have just become a villain and been locked up in prison.
I heard that a S-class villain named 'Hwang Dong-soo' is also living in hiding in an unknown place, avoidin
g the Association's fierce pursuit in that way.
… … Ha Seul was sure that his own future would not be much different from that villain named Hwang D
ong-soo.
What was even more surprising was that it was actually a happy ending.
The only happy ending that would have happened if Hasil had remained in Korea.
That is why, to Ha-seul, the name 'Hunter' was both a regret for the past that he could have achieved but
missed, and an object of longing that he could only vaguely look up to.
The more I learned about the lives of the hunters from the villains who came over to North Korea one by o
ne, the more my feelings grew.
The person I met then was none other than the president of the association, Woo Jin-cheol.
-You're lucky. If this were Korea, we'd have to fight each other. As an association, we can't just let an S-c
lass hunter who committed murder live among the citizens.
But this was North Korea.
It wasn't Korea.
Perhaps for that reason, Chairman Woo Jin-cheol did not show hostility to him as soon as he saw him.
Rather, he approached it cautiously, as if he were a herbivore, and offered to accompany it.
And of course, Hasul never let her guard down with him.
Isn't it only natural to be suspicious when an adult you're meeting for the first time suddenly approaches y
ou and shows kindness?
Besides, why are you trying to recruit me without any reason just because you saw me?
Anyway, he is a villain wandering around North Korea.
But when asked the reason, Woo Jin-cheol adjusted his black sunglasses and smiled faintly.
-Well, just. I have a good eye for many things. I've lived a pretty twisted life, so I have a pretty good eye f
or people.
… … It's just 'that'.
It was a really pointless reason.
Hasul was left feeling empty after hearing an answer that was completely unconvincing.
In the life of Ha-seul, who was born in an orphanage and escaped from a rather harsh orphanage on her o
wn, the word 'adult' was a name that was synonymous with disaster.
In front of such a person, an adult named Woo Jin-cheol shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, saying that h
e has lived a life of his own.
It was definitely the number one target for surveillance.
Besides, Woo Jin-cheol, that name is a notorious name that I've heard countless times from the mouths
of villains I've encountered in North Korea.
However, Woo Jin-cheol seemed to completely understand Ha-seul's wariness, and just smirked, coverin
g his sharp gaze, reminiscent of a bird of prey, with his black sunglasses.
Then, instead of accompanying her, he made another offer to Hasul.
-Well, it's okay. In this world, it's good to be cautious. Then what do you think? After all, it's not good stra
tegy to have two S-class hunters moving around at the same time in this vast land.
-… … ?
-I'll give you this radio. Let's just use it to say hello to each other every now and then. Without anyone els
e knowing.
-… …Secret friend?
-Ugh! Oh, no! Don't use such suspicious-sounding expressions! Aren't there many expressions that soun
d much better? Something like spy or intelligence agent!
-… … ?
Wouldn't a spy be much more suspicious?
Isn't it?
Woo Jin-cheol is suddenly flustered by Ha-seul's words.
And seeing the atmosphere of other hunters surrounding him, giggling and teasing him, Hasul's guard wa
s slightly lowered.
-That, that's right! How about this expression instead? Unofficial Hunter!
-Hunter?
-Yes, become a Hunter. Of course, you may not be able to work in Korea due to circumstances, but our a
ssociation will not spare any support for S-class Hunters… … .
I didn't even hear what happened next.
The important part is the beginning.
Because it was said to become a 'hunter'.
And because those words came directly from the mouth of the Hunter Association's president, their weig
ht was felt even greater.
From that day on, Ha-seul became the unofficial hunter of the Korean Association, and as Woo Jin-cheol
had suggested, he wandered around North Korea alone and kept in touch with her from time to time.
In fact, since he had been wandering around North Korea the same way before, nothing had really change
d in Ha-seul's daily life.
But it was different.
In this desolate apocalypse, having a sense of 'belonging' gave me a much greater sense of relief than I e
xpected.
Especially for Ha-seul, who was abandoned by her parents and spent her adolescence in an orphanage.
After escaping from that hellish orphanage on her own, she began to enjoy true freedom, but ironically, as
she began to feel a sense of belonging in her new place, her anxiety melted away like snow.
And Woo Jin-cheol… … .
Surprisingly, he didn't ask Hasul to do anything.
Unlike other adults who approached Ha Seul and stayed by her side.
True to their initial promise, Woo Jin-cheol only occasionally contacted them.
And now, at this moment.
Gulp.
A 'real' hunter appeared in front of Ha-seul.
Seong Su-ho, a Korean S-class hunter who overwhelmingly shows what a true hunter is and what it mea
ns to be a hunter.
After he finished all the hunting, he looked into my eyes and asked me.
"Oh, yeah. You were there."
Just like Woo Jin-cheol back then.
"Was your name Guseul?"
"… … Haseul."
"Okay, anyway."
It's canceled.
Woo Jin-cheol never called his own name like that.
He always used polite language as if he respected me as a person.
"So, Sky. What are you going to do from now on?"
"… … Haseul."
"What are you going to do? If you're going to stay here, watch over Sirka. If you're going to follow me, the
n follow me."
With that suggestion, Suho pointed to Hasul and said, pointing to the collapsed Alfheim and the scenery
beyond it.
"The apostle of Paradise just died. That's how things turned out."
"… … ."
Hasul turned her gaze in the direction Suho was pointing.
Then, an amazing sight unfolded there that had never been seen before.
When the Apostle of Paradise died, the cognitive inhibition magic that had been hiding his flower pots all
along disappeared.
North Korea, China, Russia… … .
The countless Elvenwoods that had been growing tall and towering over this enormous, super-sized apoc
alypse were revealed to the world.
in result.
The giant sacred trees that had been growing in secret were made available for the entire world to see.
"I'm going to cut down all those trees and head to where Chairman Woo Jin-cheol is. Do you want to foll
ow me? If you can just tell me the location, that would be fine."