The evaluation of the Hunter ranks known to the world is roughly as follows.
1 C-class person = 10 D-class people
1 B-class person = 10 C-class people
1 Class A = 10 Class B
In short, this means that in order to deal with a hunter of one rank higher, you need at least 10 hunters of
a lower rank.
But these are only rough statistics.
It was common knowledge to anyone in the hunter industry that numbers were just numbers.
Even within the same rank, the amount of magical power is different.
The types of skills also vary greatly.
There were too many variables and errors to fairly compare the gaps between Hunters, as it was impossib
le to make a one-on-one comparison based on the roles of Tank, Dealer, and Healer.
That's why organizing the Hunter's rank criteria based solely on pure magical power is the fairest yardstic
k.
However, even if you weren't an industry professional, everyone knew that 'S-class' was completely outsi
de of those obvious calculations.
In the first place, S-class wasn't a rank.
'Out of Grade'
'immeasurable'
The magic measuring devices developed by mankind 'dare' not to measure their vast power.
Those people are called 'S-class', so the idea that you need 10 A-class people to deal with one S-class w
as a completely wrong calculation from the beginning.
It takes at least 20 Class A's to deal with one of them, maybe more.
It is also impossible to estimate how many people would need to fight to win, depending on the situation,
the opponent, or the S-class hunter's condition that day.
It's not for nothing that the current era is called an era where the number of S-class hunters is equivalent
to national power.
In the past, it was similar to the principle of a nuclear state, but in reality, it was a much more practical an
d intuitive criterion than nuclear weapons.
After all, there are no human rights in nuclear weapons.
Before the launch button was pressed, nukes were little more than a political weapon.
But S-class hunters are different.
They are literally walking nuclear weapons.
It's a living core that could suddenly get pressed at any moment.
There was no way to suppress it.
Because the transformation of an S-class Awakened person into a villain overnight was something that d
epended entirely on their morality.
And that was the reason why Woo Jin-cheol had been so special and vicious in his control over the S-cla
ss villain Hwang Dong-soo… … .
Kookwakwakwakwakwa!
'That's fortunate.'
Woo Jin-cheol couldn't hide his satisfaction at seeing Hwang Dong-soo, who was a S-class variable, figh
ting on the same side as Grid.
In particular, Woo Jin-cheol's debuff skills had a synergy effect that was several times greater when used
with someone of his level of skill.
[Where are you running! Gather around, you little shits!]
bang!
'Skill, Sound of the Earth'
As Grid's foot hit the ground, a huge earthquake spread out in all directions, centered around that spot.
Caught up in the wave, the Chinese villains who were running away were sucked into Grid.
In addition, Woo Jin-cheol added a spoon.
"Chains of oppression."
Swaaaah!
The villains who were sucked in front of the grid were captured like a net by Woo Jin-cheol's magical chai
n.
What happened next was nothing short of catastrophe.
Kookwakwang!
As Grid swung the iron like a baseball bat and struck the men, some of them died instantly from the impa
ct.
Iron's solid body, originally a Class A tank, was a very excellent(?) blunt weapon in itself, so its attack pow
er was indescribable.
Of course, it was something that happened without my will, but the effect was excellent.
And Woo Jin-cheol took advantage of this confusion and gave orders to the Association Hunters.
"Take this opportunity to retrieve the 'foreign news' they are holding!"
"yes!"
Foreign news is dangerous.
It was a suspicious weapon that granted its user powerful, unidentified powers.
The fact that the villains coming from China right now can struggle just as much as Grid, who is an S-clas
s, was proof of that.
So Woo Jin-cheol left the fighting to Grid and focused on retrieving the foreign telescope from the corpse
s as quickly as possible.
While appropriately mixing in debuffs here and there.
Although we had never fought together before, we got along very well.
[...hmm.]
Grid felt a bit strange about that fact.
Even though he returned as a shadow soldier and all his old memories returned, the bad relationship with
Woo Jin-cheol in this life did not disappear.
How much have I suffered because of those annoying and irritating debuff skills?
Even though he had awakened to an S-class, he was covered in wounds and went into hiding cowardly fo
r a full two years.
It was all because of that Woo Jin-cheol.
If it had been just the last person, they would have just avoided meeting each other, but Woo Jin-cheol is
sued a warrant for the association to arrest him and chased after him relentlessly.
But you have to live long enough to see it.
As I lived, I realized that Woo Jin-cheol was on my side and was making my battles a lot easier with all s
orts of debuffs.
Shhh-
Grid laughed.
[… … Well, this kind of thing happens too.]
It's so comfortable because we're on the same side.
I didn't feel too bad.
More than that… … .
[Hmm. It's a foreign news agency... ]
Grid picked up one of the foreign telegraphs that had been in the hands of the villain he had just killed.
The shapes of the Chinese-made(?) foreign news agencies were not all the same.
If it was an item with this level of buffing function, it would be possible to mass-produce it and keep mak
ing them, but the fact that each one was so different gave off a strong feeling that they were making this an
d that as an experiment.
Woof-
[Huh?]
Is it because he is a former high priest?
Or maybe it's because he's a shadow soldier.
The moment Grid gets his hands on the foreign news.
Grid noticed that this alien was sucking his magic power.
There are plenty of weapons that suck up magic power, but this one felt a little different.
[He's not drawing out my magic power and eating it.]
[It seems to be sent somewhere.]
Iron, who was released from the grid, felt the sensation by touching one of the foreign news agencies.
And then I jumped right into the conclusion.
[… … It seems like it's something we shouldn't touch.]
Grid nodded in agreement.
[I see. Information about us will leak to someone.]
Kwajik!
They smashed the foreign news agency they were holding without hesitation.
And he retrieved his black mana that was about to fly away somewhere.
After that, Grid approached Woo Jin-cheol and said.
[I think I know why that 'doctor' told these things to humans.]
"Yes. When I didn't know the truth about the foreign religion, I could only guess, but I think they want to
gather as much information as possible from here and there."
[Did you already guess?]
"Yes. The doctors I've met seem to have a great interest in the Awakened, or rather, humans."
[Did you meet him in person? What did he look like?]
The grid was genuinely curious.
How dare you allow yourself, a soldier of the great Shadow Lord, to be bewitched by a cult.
If I knew the face of that damned thing, I would be able to help him out the next time I meet him.
"Well, if you're curious about his appearance, he was just an ordinary-looking old man."
[An ordinary old man?]
"Yes. He was old enough to be called 'Doctor'… … an old man in a wheelchair."
* * *
That moment.
Suho was asking while staring intently at the face of the 'Doctor', the apostle of evolution.
"I asked who gave the rest of the weapons to."
"… … Hmm. Well."
Even under the pressure of Soo-ho, the expression on the face of the boy, who was only about ten years
old, was still full of composure.
The apostle of evolution shrugged his shoulders and replied.
"I don't remember every single one of them because I used them so spontaneously. Besides, they were
all failures for me, but they were pretty effective weapons for humans, so people started killing each other a
nd stealing them out of greed."
"You didn't do it on purpose?"
"Why would I do that? I just need to extract the information I need, no matter who's holding it."
"So, did you get the information you needed?"
"Yes. Quite a bit. In particular, the S-class villain Hwang Dong-soo of Korea was a very useful test subjec
t."
"… … Hwang Dong-soo?"
Suho and Ber made subtle expressions at the same time at the unexpected name.
But the Apostle of Evolution continued speaking without paying any attention.
"As expected, the S-class is different. Thanks to the luck of recruiting Hwang Dong-soo as a foreigner, I
was able to create humanoid weapons from then on."
[Grid… … Let's see later.]
Berga gritted his teeth softly.
At that moment, Grid, who was far away, felt an inexplicable chill and looked bewildered.
Suho also asked questions about things he was curious about, looking forward to the next time.
"So what is this humanoid weapon? Did it create humans?"
"Creation… … That is the realm of God. It is a power that mere creatures cannot approach. However, we
have definitely become able to imitate it."
"similarly?"
"Yes. Because evolution to its extreme is not much different from creation. Now, look at the 47th one I ga
ve you as a gift."
The Apostle of Evolution reached out and proudly pointed to the woman standing next to Suho.
"As you can see, No. 47 is a human being who thinks and speaks for himself, but he has no soul. No mat
ter how hard I try, I can't seem to create a soul."
At those words, Suho realized the identity of the strange sensation he had felt when he first encountered
No. 47.
"So-called AI with flesh and blood."
"The concept is similar, but isn't it much more human? And a much more evolved version. Even if it gets
hurt, it heals quickly. It's like… … ."
"Like the Shadow Legion?"
"...flaw."
At Suho's one word that pierced through the core, the corners of the Apostle of Evolution's mouth split op
en for a moment.
"That is correct."
The Apostle of Evolution, smiling with utmost satisfaction, nodded his head vigorously and spread both hi
s hands wide.
"Look! How hard I have worked! All these failures were research that began the moment the great Shado
w Lord's immortal legions saw them from afar across the universe."
He looked back on the shock of the moment when he had first seen the Shadow Legion, with an expressi
on of utter rapture.
An immortal army that continues to live no matter how many times they are killed.
The sight of the soldiers of God dying helplessly before the power of that deep darkness.
To be honest, it was a shock.
This is especially true for the apostles of evolution who, until then, had regarded the 'god' who created th
em as an absolute being and served him with all their loyalty.
And this question arose:
Is the Creator you serve really an absolute being?
Still, even in the face of such a great and absolute death?
"Do you know? Creation and immortality! Those two are opposing concepts. I am not a god, so creation is
absolutely impossible, but what if it were immortality? If we continue to evolve, if we continue to experimen
t, wouldn't it be possible someday? That was the beginning of my research, and the reason I volunteered to
come to this Earth. I don't know about other people, but at least that was my purpose from the beginning."
"So? Did you achieve your goal?"
"Half the success is achieved."
Half success.
Suho immediately understood what that meant.
If the Shadow Soldiers are an immortal legion made of souls.
No. 47 was an experimental subject created in a similar state with only a body and no soul.
An immortal soldier who can quickly recover from any injury.
They succeeded in producing results that were almost identical in appearance, with only differences in ma
terials.
"However, there is nothing I can do about the half-failure. Perhaps because I am a mere creature, the cre
ation of a soul seems absolutely impossible to me."
An empty vessel without a soul.
However, the Apostle of Evolution, who had created an immortal soldier whose shell could be recycled for
ever, was disappointed and licked his lips.
But Suho wasn't fooled.
Clearly his experiments were astonishing.
And as long as he lived, his research would be.
Then one day, his research will bear new fruit.
'I will become my father's enemy.'
Suho immediately concentrated his magical power into his fist.
The Apostle of Evolution, who noticed the momentum, asked.
"Why are you suddenly like that?"
"Let me ask you one last question."
Thud thud.
Suho walked towards the Apostle of Evolution and raised his fist.
"You created an immortal soldier from an empty vessel without a soul… … Then which test subject are yo
u?"
"ah."
At those words, the expression on the apostle of evolution's face, which had been relaxed from the begin
ning, changed for the first time.
Kookbang!
… … !
Suho threw a punch.
At that moment, everything fell apart.
All these illusions that were spreading around the Apostle of Evolution.
And beyond that… … .
There was a 'brain'.
A pink brain locked in a small fishbowl.