Chapter 80
Earth, back in his original world, Seong-jun Lee calmly looks at the reporters surrounding the treasure gate.
"..."
He doesn't say anything special or exude any particular aura.
However, the dignity of a ruler ingrained in his soul and body instantly captures the reporters' attention.
At the same time, the reporters' eyes begin to shake violently.
"Seong-jun Lee?!"
"W-what? He's already completed the conquest?"
Woong-!
The entrance of the treasure gate that had been emitting a red light behind him swirled like a whirlpool and disappeared.
"Didn't he enter around 1 PM earlier?"
The reporters hurriedly glance at the watches on their wrists and begin to mutter in a dazed state.
"Im-impossible... He conquered the treasure gate in just 3 hours?"
Even for parties composed of fairly renowned hunters, it typically took an average of 6 hours to conquer a treasure gate.
'It's known that even the party of Sandra Block, the Grand Magician, who holds the current world record, took 3 hours and 10 minutes to conquer a treasure gate.'
Yet Seong-jun Lee managed to succeed in the conquest in the same 3-hour range, despite doing it alone.
To be precise, it took him 3 hours and 9 minutes, meaning he succeeded 1 minute faster than the world record held by Sandra Block's party.
'Which means...'
The reporters' eyes lit up, and thunderous voices erupted from their mouths.
"Hunter Seong-jun Lee was faster than Sandra Block's party!"
"He broke the world record!"
This was a mega-scoop, a tremendous news story that could attract the attention of not just Koreans, but people around the world.
In an instant, the surrounding air heated up, and reporters with burning enthusiasm in their eyes began to shower Seong-jun with questions.
* * *
Radiant Star Guild Headquarters, Top Floor.
In Kim Dong-hyun's eyes, as he stares at the screen of the TV hanging on the wall, a shimmering madness was swirling.
He showed no sign of doubting that he was completely incapable of rational judgment.
"Haha! As expected, as expected! He succeeded in the conquest!"
From ordinary citizens to self-proclaimed experts, everyone thought Seong-jun Lee would fail to conquer the treasure gate.
It was the orthodox answer, knowledge gained through information accumulated by humanity over time.
'But that's something you can say only if you don't know that guy Seong-jun well.'
Having seen and experienced him directly, as well as investigating him endlessly, he could say it clearly.
'Seong-jun Lee was an incredibly cunning human.'
He wasn't the type to recklessly start something without any basis or confidence.
'...He must have had something he was relying on.'
Of course, he didn't know the details of the method.
It wasn't something he could figure out just by racking his brains without any information or evidence.
What was important now was that Seong-jun had survived the treasure gate and was continuing his winning streak.
'It means I've gained an opportunity to recover the spilled water.'
Recently, due to the continuous pressure from the Association, the Radiant Star Guild, which he had painstakingly nurtured, was greatly shaken.
Naturally, large guilds like Kingdom and Pegasus, which had been waiting for such an opportunity, wouldn't miss this chance.
In fact, they were pressuring the Radiant Star Guild in various ways.
He had barely been able to fend them off with the wealth and power he had accumulated over the years, but even this was reaching its limit.
Now, it wouldn't be strange if they lost their position as one of the top 5 guilds at any time.
No, the problem wasn't just with the Radiant Star Guild.
Due to the incompetence shown by repeated failures, he had fallen out of favor with his father, Kim Seok-hoon, and the smooth progression of the succession battle had been overturned.
The tower he had carefully built over many years was crumbling.
But it wasn't over yet.
'Seong-jun Lee... If only you die, I can return everything to how it was before.'
As much as he had accomplished great achievements, he could receive his father Kim Seok-hoon's favor.
With the Myeongye Group backing him, he would be able to correct the mistakes of the past.
Of course, it wasn't something that could be called easy by any means.
Seong-jun Lee had not only captured Jo Se-hyuk, an SS-rank villain, but he was also skilled enough to clear an S-grade treasure gate alone.
'In terms of skill alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to consider him an SS+ rank hunter.'
He couldn't even dare to try anything with ordinary methods.
That's why he had made thorough preparations, offering tens of billions of won in cash, shares in the Radiant Star Guild, and even the condition of providing future backing.
'The Shadow Operative, Yang Jun-hyuk.'
As his alias suggests, Yang Jun-hyuk was a villain specialized in assassination and an S+ rank powerhouse.
Looking at just the rank, he might seem weaker than Jo Se-hyuk, but due to the characteristics of an assassin, if given the right conditions, he could instantly assassinate even an SS+ rank powerhouse.
'Moreover, Seong-jun Lee has just come out after clearing the treasure gate.'
This means he must be in a greatly fatigued state.
No matter how great Seong-jun Lee was, there was no way he could avoid Yang Jun-hyuk's assassination in such a state.
'There's no need to even think about failure.'
Naturally, a sinister smile began to form on Kim Dong-hyun's lips as he watched the screen of the TV.
* * *
As expected, or rather, beyond expectations, the reporters' reactions were intense.
"You cleared the treasure gate alone, which is challenging even for parties. What's your secret?"
"How did you handle the monster waves?"
"Can you tell us what kind of boss monster appeared?"
"Please give us your thoughts on breaking the world record!"
They were swarming like bees, pouring out questions.
Usually, this wouldn't be a very pleasant situation.
But now, with a clear purpose, it was a desirable situation.
Seong-jun Lee, wearing a relaxed expression, shifts his gaze towards the reporters.
According to the original plan, he would have shown a clear presence and firmly displayed the dignity of a ruler.
However, Seong-jun shows no action.
He was merely scanning the reporters with narrowed eyes.
'What's this?'
Amidst the reporters exuding hot enthusiasm, a cold killing intent was flowing.
It was concealed well enough to be called decent, but it couldn't deceive Seong-jun's sharp sense.
It was the moment when Seong-jun's busy eyes stopped on one man, Yang Jun-hyuk.
Shwick-!
With the sound of wind, a black shadow stretches like a snake, brushing past the reporters and reaching Seong-jun's front in an instant.
At the same time, Yang Jun-hyuk explodes the killing intent he had been suppressing and thrusts a sharp dagger towards Seong-jun's neck.
"Die."
Yang Jun-hyuk, pronouncing the death sentence to Seong-jun in a low voice, was full of confidence.
After all, there was no reason to think about failure, was there?
Endless monster waves, powerful boss monsters - Seong-jun must have reached his physical limit due to the relentless battles in the treasure gate.
'...It's somewhat unexpected that he read my presence midway.'
But the result won't change anyway.
Of course, this wasn't baseless bravado or confidence.
'Contract of Swiftness.'
This was the representative skill of the S-grade Shadow Dancer, increasing the agility stat by as much as 30 and dramatically boosting the body's speed.
'There's no way he can react to my attack with a tired body.'
No, even if he reacts, he won't be able to dodge.
Seong-jun is surrounded by numerous reporters, meaning there's no space to escape.
It was a situation where it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say death was approaching.
'But, why...?'
In his view, Seong-jun's expression, wrapped in a golden energy, was showing composure.
'Why on earth?'
When question marks were blooming in Yang Jun-hyuk's mind at this incomprehensible situation,
Woong-!
Along with a sudden resonant sound, a red form that appeared before his eyes instantly takes on a human shape.
At the same time, it forcibly twists the trajectory of the dagger that was extending in a straight line.
'What?!'
A summon - this wasn't among Seong-jun's abilities that he had investigated beforehand.
It meant an unexpected variable had occurred.
'Damn it...'
It was a situation that could be called the worst without exaggeration, but even time to show confusion was a luxury.
Yang Jun-hyuk immediately regains his posture and hurriedly swings his dagger, trying to slash Seong-jun's neck.
However, it was a futile struggle.
Whoosh-!
Seong-jun's hand, imbued with the subtlety of the Golden Mystic Arts, extends like flowing water and wraps around Yang Jun-hyuk's wrist.
Naturally, the trajectory of Yang Jun-hyuk's extended dagger is twisted.
Consecutive failed attacks - unless he was a fool, he could tell the assassination had failed.
'I need to escape...'
It could be said to be the wisest judgment he could make at the moment, but unfortunately, his opponent was not favorable.
"Too late."
Just as the cold voice echoes in his ears, the view before his eyes spins and the world turns upside down.
Thud-!
A heavy pain transmits from his back.
"Kuhk."
Yang Jun-hyuk barely suppresses the groan trying to escape and hurriedly tries to regain his posture.
However, there was no way Seong-jun would allow that.
In an instant, Seong-jun closes the distance, infuses his clenched fist with the power of the Golden Dragon Strike, and extends it towards Yang Jun-hyuk's chest.
Bang-!
Barely managing to deploy his qi barrier before the attack landed, he was able to save his life.
But he couldn't absorb all the shock.
"Kuhup-!"
Spitting red blood from his mouth, Yang Jun-hyuk's form collapses like a puppet with its strings cut.
* * *
You might have experienced it at least once in your life.
A state where your thoughts don't work properly because you're too shocked.
That was the state of the reporters watching Seong-jun Lee's appearance now.
"W-what...?"
"What on earth happened?"
The confusion is only momentary.
As most of the people in the area were journalists by profession, they quickly began to judge the situation.
"Was it an assassination attempt?"
"In a place with so many people?"
It was shocking.
It could be said that such a public assassination was rare even on a global scale.
But what surprised the reporters most was something else.
"Isn't that Yang Jun-hyuk?"
"The Shadow Operative Yang Jun-hyuk?"
"He's an S+ rank villain, isn't he?"
The reporters, now understanding the situation and their thoughts starting to move, couldn't close their gaping mouths.
"Good heavens, he took down Yang Jun-hyuk in one hit?"
"He still had strength left after clearing the treasure gate alone?"
In the reporters' gazes as they looked at Seong-jun Lee, there was an emotion closer to shock than admiration.