Chapter 123
He was an insurmountably high demon, impossible to approach.
There was no chance of victory.
'I, I need to run away.'
Though his mind knew this, he couldn't bring himself to actually do it.
After all, he was being overwhelmed even in aerial combat, which was supposed to be his strong point.
In the end, there was only one choice left.
'...I have to fight and defeat him.'
Of course, the chances of victory were slim.
But it wasn't completely hopeless.
'In terms of total power, I still have the advantage.'
Judging by sheer force alone, he, Kabilo, had the upper hand.
In truth, even this wasn't certain.
There could be hidden powers concealed within the veil of darkness and demon magic.
However, there was no other choice.
Having confirmed through their earlier exchange that the gap in skill was too great to even attempt to bridge, this was the only hope left.
Clinging to this thread of hope, Kabilo hypnotizes himself.
'I can win... I too am of royal blood, a queen who leads and commands the harpies.'
He was a being born with the qualities of a ruler, just like the Demon King before him.
As he embraced pride in his own existence, the rising fear began to recede.
Certainly, the Demon King before him was powerful, but not an insurmountable wall.
So he would clash head-on.
Kugunggung-!
As fierce gales began to whirl around Kabilo's sword, they scattered in all directions, clawing at the earth.
Kwagwagwang-!
The winds shot out from Kabilo's sword, rapidly rotating in a circular shape to create a typhoon.
The cliffs that had been precariously holding their position couldn't withstand the raging typhoon and were torn apart.
The finely shredded rocks turned to sand and scattered into the air.
The red eyes within narrowed.
"...It seems you have more to show."
"Heaven Earth Wind Quake Sword. Until now, no one who has seen this sword has survived, and none ever will."
It was certainly a sword to be proud of.
In terms of sheer power, it could be said to be more powerful than any technique seen since returning to Earth.
No, it was a threatening sword that could be counted among the best even on the Thousand Continents.
But this time, he had met a poor match.
If Kabilo's sword could be counted among the best, the Blood Demon's martial arts were unrivaled under heaven.
After all, the Blood Demon's martial arts were power created from blood energy, the foundation of life itself.
When martial arts of the same level clashed, it would inevitably have the absolute advantage in destructive power.
"I'll give you credit for your spirit, at least."
Even facing an insurmountable wall, he refused to give up until the very end.
Rather, he gripped his mind even tighter and walked towards a way out.
As a martial artist, he was worthy of at least minimal respect.
"Hup..."
Taking a deep breath, Lee Seong-jun stretched out his hand, condensing red energy in the air to form the shape of a red rod.
'...Devour it all.'
He left no room for complacency.
He even converted his own blood into energy and fed it all in.
Thus, he bestowed upon the red blade in his grasp an edge sharper than any other sword.
At last, a sword was completed that could prove its demonic nature through the threatening aura it exuded.
A gleam flashed in Lee Seong-jun's alluring red eyes as he gazed at Kabilo.
'All-Devouring Blood Demon Sea, Fourth Form, Asura Soul-Reaping Sword, Waning Moon's Mark, Heaven-Piercing Fang.'
In this world, all things have a grain, a path that connects lines and allows them to maintain their shape.
Simply put, it was the fatal weakness that could fell any being in a single strike.
Normally, it moved so quickly with the flow of the world that even following its speed was difficult.
However, Heaven-Piercing Fang was a martial art that had the power to pierce through this essence, as its name suggested.
This meant that no matter how powerful a typhoon Kabilo created, it could be torn apart in an instant.
Kwarung!
With a short thunderous roar, the red line shot forth, becoming a bolt of lightning that swept through the area, cutting across the fierce gales and tearing apart the massive typhoon in one breath.
At that moment.
Jjeojeojeok-!
With the sound of something tearing, the fierce typhoon that had enveloped the area scattered into the air like grains of desert sand, disappearing in an instant.
It was a strange sight that could only be described as dumbfounding, but what was truly astonishing was that it wasn't just the typhoon that had been pierced.
Kabilo, who had been standing at its center, also wore an expression of shock as his heart was pierced.
"Ah...!"
For a brief moment, an astonished exclamation escaped Kabilo's lips as he witnessed the grain pierced by Heaven-Piercing Fang.
But even that was only for a moment.
Thud.
Kabilo's eyes sank into deep oblivion as he collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Ding-!
[You have defeated the SSS-rank named boss monster, Kabilo the Deathwind.]
[Experience will be distributed according to hunting contribution. Analyzing contribution now.]
[User 'Lee Seong-jun' has acquired 100% contribution.]
[A large amount of additional experience will be awarded.]
[Experience is rising sharply.]
[Congratulations! You have reached the required experience and leveled up to 147.]
[You have successfully cleared a Red-grade Frenzy Gate solo for the first time in dimension 'Earth'.]
[You are awarded the title 'Conqueror' as an honorary reward.]
An incredible number of hologram windows were popping up before his eyes, but Lee Seong-jun had no time to check them.
'...I overdid it a bit.'
Having used too much blood to unleash Heaven-Piercing Fang, his vision was spinning and he felt dizzy.
Of course, it was only a temporary phenomenon.
"Phew..."
Lee Seong-jun shook his head and took a deep breath, finally stabilizing himself by circulating the blood in his body.
Unfortunately, there was still no time to check the messages that had appeared.
Woowoong-!
With a resonant sound, pure white light rose around his body, guiding his physical form outwards.
* * *
Seodaemun District, temporary headquarters near the entrance of the Raid Gate.
Yoon Min-su, who had been staring out the window at the gate entrance exuding an ominous aura, covered his face with both hands.
'As expected... I shouldn't have sent him in like that.'
The boss monster, Kabilo, was literally a monster.
He displayed swordsmanship that could rival even Arthur Davil, the swordsman among the Guardians, who were considered some of the strongest on Earth.
Most attacks wouldn't even touch Kabilo's body, and even if one used a hidden trump card, it would only inflict a few scratches at most.
This meant that Hunter Lee Seong-jun's defeat was a foregone conclusion.
Naturally, a deep shadow fell over Yoon Min-su's face.
'Can I defeat Kabilo alone...?'
He would form an attack squad and enter with other hunters, but hunters who couldn't handle energy wouldn't be of much help.
'At best, they'll only serve as distractions.'
This meant that he, Yoon Min-su, would have to handle Kabilo alone.
Shudder.
His palms trembled like aspen leaves due to the fear ingrained in his instincts by the overwhelming difference.
He wanted to leave his seat and run away right now.
But he couldn't.
'If I give in to fear and back down, Korea is truly finished.'
The lives of tens of millions of people were at stake.
Using the sense of duty rising in one corner of his mind to steel himself, Yoon Min-su clenched his fist tightly to suppress his trembling.
'I can defeat him... No, I must defeat him.'
Having steeled his resolve, Yoon Min-su began to organize in his mind what he needed to do.
'First, gather all the domestic hunters in one place... and ask for help from overseas guilds that have good relations with the Korean government or association.'
He would make thorough preparations using everything at his disposal.
Just as Yoon Min-su had finished organizing his plans in his head and was about to turn his gaze to Jeon Seok-won, the planning director who was waiting behind him:
"The, the gate!"
Jeon Seok-won and the other Cosmos executives waiting nearby cried out in surprised voices, their eyes wide open.
"It's changing!"
"The veil has been lifted!"
Hearing the voices coming from all around, Yoon Min-su bit his lower lip hard.
"Has he already been defeated...?"
It hadn't even been an hour since Hunter Lee Seong-jun had entered the Raid Gate.
Though he had expected defeat, it was too fast.
He felt as if his heart was sinking, but even time to despair was a luxury he couldn't afford.
'The lives of tens of millions of citizens are resting on my shoulders right now.'
With his eyes blazing, Yoon Min-su organized the plans in his head and chose the best course of action available.
'...I'll have to move much faster than I thought.'
Yoon Min-su turned his head urgently.
"Planning Director, arrange a meeting with the Vice President and the President right now. And have the strategy team gather all the attack squad members in Seodaemun District."
Normally, they would have responded as soon as he gave the order.
But no one answered.
Though questions arose in his mind at this unprecedented situation, fortunately it didn't last long.
"Over there!"
"The gate is closing!"
Yoon Min-su's eyes widened like full moons as he turned his gaze urgently.
"What is this...?!"
It was a natural reaction.
At the gate entrance, as the white light dissipated, Lee Seong-jun's figure was revealed.
Lee Seong-jun, whom he had thought would surely be dead, had returned alive!
It meant that he had defeated Kabilo, the monster that even he, Yoon Min-su, couldn't touch with all his might, and successfully conquered the Red Gate alone!
"Impossible!"
Yoon Min-su, who had been wearing a dazed expression, hurriedly gathered his wits and moved towards the Raid Gate entrance.
* * *
"..."
As it was currently the hottest issue in South Korea, numerous reporters and hunters were surrounding the Raid Gate entrance.
But none of them dared to move.
The silence that fell was so heavy that even faint breathing could be heard.
They simply stood there blankly, as if their minds had stopped.
Lee Seong-jun's conquest was that unbelievable.
It was too difficult to accept as reality.
That's why the people around were exchanging glances or pinching their own cheeks.
As the quickly exchanged glances and the stinging pain in their cheeks made them realize that the current situation was clearly reality, people's eyes began to shake violently as if an earthquake had struck.
"Lee, Lee Seong-jun...?"
"He came out alive?!"
Just as exclamations of shock were bursting from people's mouths:
Woong-!
The entrance of the Raid Gate, which had been emitting an eerie aura, turned gray and then completely vanished.
There was only one thing this situation could mean.
"Hunter Lee Seong-jun has conquered the Raid Gate!"
Naturally, the exclamations of shock turned into cheers.
"Waaah-!"
"Lee Seong-jun! Lee Seong-jun!"
In an instant, the surrounding space began to heat up intensely.