Chapter 135
The Hunter Association moved faster than ever before.
They mobilized all available personnel and used every means at their disposal to move towards Dobongsan mountain, where the battle was taking place.
Unfortunately, they couldn't immediately enter the interior of Dobongsan, their destination.
"What on earth...?"
How fierce of a battle was being waged to emit such massive waves of qi?
Though their steps faltered, feeling their breath catch just from sensing it from afar, they had to press forward.
'...We must protect Hunter Lee Seong-jun.'
He was someone who had achieved unfathomably high levels in the other world.
He was the future of Korea.
He absolutely must not fall to the likes of Tae Sang-cheon.
Determination solidified in Yoon Min-su's eyes as he nodded once.
"We don't know what dangers lurk within the flames, so everyone needs to move while maintaining the highest level of alertness."
Just as the members of the security detail following close behind nodded with grave expressions, it happened.
Whoosh-
With a fierce gust of wind, the hot flames blocking their path began to die down rapidly.
"Could it be...?"
As they stared with wide eyes, unable to hide their surprise at the sudden change, not only the flames before them but also the inferno covering the Dobongsan area began to subside.
There was only one thing this situation could mean.
The fight was over!
A victor had emerged.
"I'll go ahead, please follow quickly!"
Yoon Min-su shouted as he moved towards where he felt the powerful waves of qi.
As he hurried along, a deep shadow fell across Yoon Min-su's face.
'Damn it...! We're too late.'
Given the worst possible matchup, it was safe to assume Hunter Lee Seong-jun had no chance of victory.
It was a terrible and horrific reality, but what's done was done. They couldn't turn back time and change the past.
However, this was no time to wallow in self-blame and despair.
'At the very least... I must avenge Hunter Lee Seong-jun.'
It was a duty of loyalty as a subordinate and a choice for Korea's future.
Tae Sang-cheon was a man with the nature of a hungry ghost. If left unchecked, he would devour all of Korea.
'...Even if it costs me my life, I will eliminate Tae Sang-cheon here today.'
Although he hadn't reached the Manifestation Realm, there might be a chance now that Tae Sang-cheon was weakened from the fierce battle with Hunter Lee Seong-jun.
With a resolute heart, Yoon Min-su increased his speed even more.
Finally, Yoon Min-su arrived at the place where the massive qi waves had originated.
And at that moment.
Yoon Min-su's eyes widened like full moons.
"What?!"
Understandably so, as the scene before him was completely different from what he had imagined.
"You arrived faster than I expected."
Hunter Lee Seong-jun, whom he had assumed would surely be defeated, was addressing him with a relaxed smile.
"What... what happened to Tae Sang-cheon...?"
Yoon Min-su's gaze, as he looked around with a shocked expression, came to rest on one spot.
Though burned beyond recognition, the faint qi emanating from the man sprawled on the ground and the remaining traces identified him as Tae Sang-cheon.
This meant that Hunter Lee Seong-jun had emerged victorious against Tae Sang-cheon.
'This is impossible.'
He had thought it was an insurmountable matchup.
It wasn't just him, Yoon Min-su.
Any martial artist who had to engage in close combat using fists, kicks, or swords would have thought the same.
But Hunter Lee Seong-jun had proudly claimed victory.
This alone was unbelievable, but Hunter Lee Seong-jun's face showed no sign of urgency or fatigue. Even his breathing seemed perfectly steady.
It meant he still had energy to spare after facing Tae Sang-cheon.
'How on earth...?'
There were some hypotheses that came to mind.
Considering the qi waves felt earlier, he could somewhat deduce that Lee Seong-jun had faced Tae Sang-cheon with qi techniques rather than martial arts.
But this aspect made Yoon Min-su even more surprised.
'He can handle not only sword techniques but qi manipulation as well?'
It wasn't for nothing that martial artists who honed their skills stubbornly stuck to one path.
'The path of martial arts is endless.'
Thus, mastering even one discipline was overwhelming.
Yet Lee Seong-jun had perfectly mastered both sword techniques and qi manipulation.
'Is this even possible?'
The answer came quickly to such a simple question.
By common sense, it was 'impossible'.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have accepted it even seeing it with their own eyes.
But because it was Hunter Lee Seong-jun, he could somewhat accept it.
'Come to think of it, this isn't the first time.'
Hunter Lee Seong-jun had been accumulating achievements that couldn't be measured by common sense.
From the beginning, applying the yardstick of common sense to him made no sense.
'...The strongest. Truly worthy of the position of the strongest.'
He had thought Hunter Lee Seong-jun had already accumulated numerous achievements and grasped tremendous honor.
But that was merely his, Yoon Min-su's, perception.
'This is just the beginning.'
He would accumulate achievements, no, myths that not only ordinary people but even those called geniuses wouldn't dare to attempt.
'Hunter Lee Seong-jun is a being who will create new history.'
Seeing Hunter Lee Seong-jun's true capabilities like this naturally led to one thought.
'I truly was like a puppy not knowing to fear a tiger.'
As long as Hunter Lee Seong-jun existed, Cosmos and he, Yoon Min-su, could never become the strongest.
How could one overcome a being who would become history itself and an unstoppable absolute flow?
'If I had been consumed by excessive greed or blinded by jealousy and tried to oppose Hunter Lee Seong-jun...'
It was terrifying just to imagine, and he wanted to applaud the choices his past self had made.
As Yoon Min-su drew a smile on his lips, the Hunter Association's security detail arrived behind him.
Their reaction was no different from Yoon Min-su's earlier.
"Wh-What...!"
"What on earth happened?!"
They exclaimed in shock and asked questions.
But Yoon Min-su, not having witnessed the fierce battle directly, couldn't provide accurate answers. However, he could affirm one thing.
"Hunter Lee Seong-jun has emerged victorious against Tae Sang-cheon. No, he overwhelmed him!"
Yoon Min-su's astonished words rang out loudly, striking their ears.
No further questions were necessary.
Waaah-!
A massive cheer erupted throughout the Dobongsan area.
* * *
That dawn, in the Presidential office.
President Do Min-jun's eyes shook violently as he skimmed through the report Ko Tae-hyun had brought.
"...Is everything written here true?"
"Yes. There's not a single lie."
Seeing Ko Tae-hyun answer without hesitation, a wry smile crossed Do Min-jun's lips.
"Huh..."
To be honest, it was hard to believe, but Ko Tae-hyun had no reason to lie.
It was clearly the truth.
'I never imagined... he'd defeat Tae Sang-cheon alone.'
Having continuously received news, he knew that Hunter Lee Seong-jun was incredibly impressive.
From the beginning, if Lee Seong-jun had been an ordinary person, he wouldn't have provided such extensive support.
But he thought there must be limits after all.
'Tae Sang-cheon... he was a perfect absolute being.'
The image of Tae Sang-cheon he had faced right after taking office as President could be described as the very embodiment of an absolute being.
Therefore, he thought none of Korea's top hunters could surpass Tae Sang-cheon.
No, in reality, they hadn't been able to surpass him.
That's why he thought that even Lee Seong-jun, despite holding the title of the strongest, would be insufficient to handle Tae Sang-cheon.
'I had planned to use him as an opponent to keep Tae Sang-cheon in check...'
He had far exceeded expectations.
'How long has it been since my judgment was this off?'
His, Do Min-jun's, judgment could be called a natural talent.
In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his judgment was the reason he had been able to rise from nothing to the position of President.
Yet Hunter Lee Seong-jun had far surpassed his expectations.
'A treasure... truly an incredible treasure.'
In fact, even calling him a treasure seemed insufficient.
In an era where a hunter's strength directly translates to national power, his mere presence in Korea was something to be grateful for.
And he had even uprooted the Returners' Union, the biggest headache and cancer-like existence eating away at Korea.
'To me, he's a benefactor and a precious gem.'
He felt immensely grateful, which naturally led to anxiety rising in a corner of his mind.
"How is the World Returners' Union reacting?"
"As only security detail members with high loyalty to the association and tight lips were dispatched, the news shouldn't have spread externally yet."
"So no media outlets have received news of Tae Sang-cheon's defeat yet."
"They might be able to make some guesses, but without clear evidence or announcements, they wouldn't have been able to report directly."
"Then... let's just treat last night's incident as a forest fire."
Unlike Do Min-jun, who spoke with a calm expression, Ko Tae-hyun couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"Is that alright...?!"
Since there were no civilian injuries or major damage to residential areas, they could sweep the incident under the rug.
But Do Min-jun was a figure who had risen to the presidency through honesty and transparent politics.
Covering up the incident would be an act that tarnished the image he had built.
"If by any chance today's events become known externally..."
Not only would he lose public support, but he would also face criticism and condemnation from numerous politicians.
It meant that everything President Do Min-jun had worked for his entire life could vanish like bubbles.
However, there wasn't the slightest wavering in Do Min-jun's eyes.
"As you know, Hunter Lee Seong-jun is Korea's hope and future."
This wasn't just a metaphor.
Right after Hunter Lee Seong-jun's appearance, the attitudes of neighboring Japan and China had completely changed.
It was truly a joyous thing.
But in other words, it meant that if Hunter Lee Seong-jun were to disappear, they could revert to their previous attitudes at any time.
"We must protect Hunter Lee Seong-jun so that the likes of the World Returners' Union can't touch him."
The diplomatic benefits that could be gained thanks to Hunter Lee Seong-jun's presence alone were considerable.
But it wasn't solely for diplomatic benefits that he wanted to protect Lee Seong-jun.
'The current Earth is in a very unstable state.'
From the sudden invasion of Razaka to the changes in the Red Gates, unprecedented anomalies were appearing.
Moreover, these changes weren't happening only in South Korea.
Compiling information revealed that anomalies were occurring one after another all over the world, regardless of Asia, Europe, or America.
Some might think it's just making a fuss over coincidental events.
But this was truly the words of someone who didn't know.
Before a terrible large-scale disaster occurs, there are dozens of signs.
It means we shouldn't neglect even small things.
We must be thoroughly prepared.
It meant we must do everything in our power not to lose a precious gem like Hunter Lee Seong-jun with his immense strength.
"From now on, make matters related to Hunter Lee Seong-jun the top priority of the Hunter Association and ensure they are resolved immediately. Furthermore, I, Do Min-jun, will allow anything within my authority regarding matters related to Hunter Lee Seong-jun, so provide full support without holding back."