Chapter 99
Amidst piles of hundreds of monster corpses.
A terrifying blue-eyed werewolf lets out a frenzied howl.
"Awooo-!"
As the howl spreads across the vast plain, hundreds of werewolves surrounding the area raise their heads high and begin to howl in response, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
"Awoooooo-!"
The resonating howls blanketing the area marked the moment of the werewolves' victory.
Rajaka, the king of the blue-eyed werewolves, pushes the giant ogre's head he was holding into his mouth.
Crunch-!
His razor-sharp teeth tear into the flesh and muscles of the ogre's head, crushing the bones.
As the bloody fluid and finely shredded meat pieces flow down Rajaka's throat, the once massive ogre head completely loses its original form.
The feast begins from the head, moving to the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Eventually, even the part that was once called the neck disappears completely, absorbed into Rajaka's body.
Crack-crack-!
The sound of flesh tearing echoes throughout Rajaka's body, as his muscles continue to swell.
Simultaneously, his skeletal structure reassembles, granting Rajaka an even more massive physique and strength.
"Awooo-!"
As he lets out a tremendous howl that shakes the air, Rajaka finally sheds what could be called his old shell.
By now, Rajaka's body had become a massive and sturdy physique comparable to Haroku, who was hailed as the king by the ogres he had just devoured.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had evolved, but the emotion reflected in Rajaka's eyes wasn't elation or joy.
Thirst and ambition continued to surge.
It's not enough!
The potential of the 'predation' power obtained through the world's selection wasn't just this much.
He could make a part of the strength and abilities originally possessed by his prey his own just by killing and consuming them.
It meant he could become endlessly stronger.
Ultimately, he could transcend the werewolf species and be reborn as a new being.
It meant he no longer needed to stay within his own territory, mindful of other predators around him.
War must be waged.
And through 'predation', he would gain new powers and reign as the true king.
A fierce desire overflows in Rajaka's eyes.
The first place his gaze turns to is the north, the land of corpse piles.
He wanted to seize that formidable power right away and aim for transcendence in one go.
However, it was premature now.
The king ruling in the north was on a different level.
A real king on the verge of transcendence!
Unless he had grown sufficiently through repeated predation, it was a being he couldn't handle right now.
Naturally, Rajaka's gaze begins to turn southward.
They are strong.
There were a few beings comparable to Haroku, the king of ogres who had waged war for years.
Normally, they would be too strong to even think about waging war against.
But with his current body that had absorbed Haroku's power.
There couldn't be better prey than this.
It could be used as a foundation to defeat the king ruling over the land of corpse piles in the north.
"Awoooooo-!"
Rajaka, with his blue eyes glowing, commanded the werewolves with his howl.
* * *
Ten days later. Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The key figures of the Korean Hunter Association, those at the branch director level and above, gathered in the conference room.
Normally, they would exchange light banter or at least greet each other, but the executives gathered here now couldn't easily open their mouths.
This was because they knew that the reason for this sudden meeting wasn't good.
In this situation where a heavy atmosphere had settled in the conference room.
Yoon Seong-jin, the director of the Magical Beast Management Bureau, carefully opened his mouth.
"As you all probably already know from the news you've received, but I'll explain it clearly once again. Rajaka, the king of werewolves, who was expected to perish in the battle with Haroku, the king of ogres, has survived."
The kings of monsters, beings who had created their own forces in places that were once human lands and now ruled over specific areas.
As they were currently classified as Earth's troublemakers and enemies, humanity was constantly monitoring the movements of these kings through satellites and maintaining vigilance.
"...After claiming victory, Rajaka immediately led his forces southward and clashed with the Great Spider forces, including Lyudmila, who had been inhabiting the Kaesong area."
Yoon Seong-jin paused briefly, then manipulated the remote in his hand, causing a video of the battle between werewolves and Great Spiders to appear in the center of the conference room.
"Although movement is difficult due to the spider webs, as you can see, the difference in power is overwhelming, so it's estimated that Rajaka will claim victory within 20 days at the earliest, or 30 days at the latest."
It could be dismissed as mere speculation.
Perhaps, with luck, Lyudmila and Rajaka might end up mutually destroying each other.
However, the Hunter Association, bearing the heavy responsibility of protecting citizens' safety and defending the nation, couldn't rely on vague hopes.
No, if it had been a problem that could be taken lightly, such an urgent meeting wouldn't have been called in the first place.
Vice Chairman Ko Tae-hyun, who had been wearing a grim expression, opened his mouth.
"What do you think is the minimum force required to subjugate Rajaka and his werewolf army?"
There was no compromise or coexistence.
Based on the information gathered through satellites so far, Rajaka, the king of werewolves, had a very violent and belligerent personality.
This was the opposite of Lyudmila and the Great Spiders, who only operated within their own territory.
If Lyudmila, who could be considered a breakwater, disappeared, this tyrant could invade human, Korean territory at any time.
From the perspective of the Korean Hunter Association, which had to protect citizens' safety and defend the country, Rajaka was an extremely dangerous monster.
It was wise to make the first move and subjugate him as quickly as possible.
Of course, it couldn't be said to be an easy task.
"Based on the data accumulated by the World Hunter Association so far... I think the minimum force for subjugation would be one SSS-rank hunter who can face King Rajaka head-on, and about 100 hunters of A+ rank or higher to support him."
This meant that the combined forces of 2-3 of Korea's top 5 guilds would need to be mobilized.
Since all guilds act for their own benefit as private enterprises, it would be unlikely for them to easily reach an agreement.
Normally, they would have had to rack their brains to find a point of agreement between the guilds.
But now, there was no need to struggle to find a point of agreement.
This was because there was currently a central figure in Korea who could simultaneously lead White Tiger and Phoenix, which belonged to the top 5 guilds.
'We just need to persuade one person, Hunter Lee Seong-jun.'
If Hunter Lee Seong-jun officially declared that he would form a subjugation team, White Tiger and Phoenix wouldn't stand idle.
They would certainly join the subjugation team, if only to ensure the safety of Hunter Lee Seong-jun, who could be considered the future of their guilds.
This meant they could instantly meet the force requirements for the subjugation team that Yoon Seong-jin had mentioned earlier.
Ko Tae-hyun, who had drawn a smile on his lips, turned his head to look at Team Leader Jo Kang-hyun and opened his mouth.
"Request Hunter Lee Seong-jun to subjugate Rajaka. There are no restrictions on compensation. I'll do whatever it takes to get the government's approval, so make sure to get unconditional acceptance."
The branch directors who could be considered Ko Tae-hyun's confidants were generally calm, as if they had been briefed in advance.
But some branch directors couldn't maintain such composure.
"Vice Chairman, does that mean...?"
Ko Tae-hyun, after confirming the faces of the branch directors who were turning to ask questions, quietly spoke.
"It's exactly as you're thinking. I'm saying I'll go to the Blue House myself to have a conversation with the President."
The branch directors' eyes widened.
Recently, he had been gathering forces by using political and business figures for the fight against the Honor Group, but that was as far as it went.
He had always maintained a neutral stance and tried to maintain balance.
In fact, Ko Tae-hyun had been drawing a clear line when it came to matters that could be considered political issues and those related to the current government.
But just now, Ko Tae-hyun had declared that he would personally have a conversation with the President at the Blue House.
This meant he had crossed the line he had set for himself.
This was tantamount to Ko Tae-hyun expressing his intention and declaring clear support.
This alone was a surprising situation, but Ko Tae-hyun's actions, once set in motion, were relentless.
Ko Tae-hyun, who had been calmly gazing at the branch directors, quietly posed a question.
"What do you all intend to do?"
"..."
The branch directors swallowed hard.
This wasn't a simple question.
The opinions of the branch directors gathered here represent the will of the Korean Hunter Association.
Depending on what they say, the Korean Hunter Association as a group could officially declare its support for Hunter Lee Seong-jun.
'As much as I'd like to immediately oppose this...'
To be precise, under normal circumstances, they would have immediately raised objections and expressed their individual opinions.
This was inevitable because they had personal connections with guilds or hunters.
But what if the Korean Hunter Association officially supports Lee Seong-jun?
They would have no choice but to sever their existing personal relationships.
As this meant losing various vested interests they had been securing for themselves, this situation itself couldn't help but be viewed unfavorably.
However, the branch directors sitting in the conference room now couldn't raise objections to Ko Tae-hyun's question.
This was inevitable because Vice Chairman Ko Tae-hyun was already a figure with strong power and authority within the association, and recently, due to Lee Seong-jun's continued achievements, Ko Tae-hyun had further solidified his position.
Moreover, the main branch directors who could have been considered Ko Tae-hyun's checks and balances in the past had all been expelled from the association.
Furthermore, those who newly assumed the position of branch director were all figures who could be considered Ko Tae-hyun's confidants.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Korean Hunter Association was now completely in Ko Tae-hyun's grasp.
Ko Tae-hyun must have made this bold declaration knowing this fact from the beginning.
It meant that from the start, there was no situation where opposing opinions could be voiced.
Eventually, the branch directors, wearing expressions that seemed resigned, began to nod one by one.
"...We will follow the Vice Chairman's will."