Chapter 51 – Attack Dungeon (3)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
Sung Joon went underground while stealthed. He was able to enter easily, as there were no stealth detecting or nullifying items in place.
Although two otherworlders, who looked to be a part of the Investigation Squad, blocked the passageway, they weren’t skilled enough to see through Sung Joon’s stealth.
The door was locked, but he waited until it opened and then entered.
‘I’m killing their commander first.’
Sung Joon confirmed his plan. He wasn’t in South Korea right now, so Jung Chul wouldn’t be there to cover for him.
So cleaning up the aftermath would be difficult. He could ask the Central Hunter Bureau for help, but explaining the whole story would be a pain.
‘I’ll start with the commander and then kill everyone underground.’
He could also try to snatch the ‘Riodan Crystal’ without killing everyone, but if he went with that method, then the enemies would pursue him once they figured out the crystal was gone.
‘Killing them all is the best choice.’
Sung Joon’s eyes gleamed with killing intent. He didn’t know how everything was set up underground, but he just followed the powerful mana he felt.
He knew the ‘Riodan Crystal’ radiated powerful mana.
‘I found it,’ Sung Joon thought delightedly.
At the end of the long hall, there was a wide clearing with a crystal at its center.
And there were two men conversing beside the crystal. Based on the quantity of their mana, one of them was likely to be the base’s commander.
‘A first class assassin is here too.’
He couldn’t see the assassin, but Sung Joon could sense their stealthed presence.
‘Should I ambush them?’
He secretly drew his dagger, but he soon shook his head. Sung Joon had become curious about what the commander and his subordinate were talking about. He took a few steps towards them and listened in.
“Base Commander Anfels. Is it true that the Species Alliance’s expeditionary force will be coming soon?”
“So you’ve heard, Sir Belloc. It’s true.”
“Wasn’t the Empire supposed to lead the expedition?”
“It’s the Emperor’s orders. We have no way of knowing what he’s thinking.”
“In any case, if a large expeditionary force arrives, then New York will become a bloodbath. I’ve just come to like New York, yet... What a waste.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Surprisingly, their conversation was referring to the Species Alliance’s invasion. Sung Joon felt intensely anxious.
They were so confident that he could tell how large the Species Alliance’s expeditionary force would be.
“You two. I apologize for interrupting, but I believe someone is here.”
The first class assassin, whose face was hidden by a black mask, emerged from the darkness. He warned Anfels and Belloc of the threat and scanned his surroundings. He wasn’t completely sure, but he thought he needed to inform them.
“Sir Belloc. Since you’re a part of the Knight Brigade, you should be able to...”
“I’m not so sure.”
Belloc shook his head once Anfels looked at him. He gathered his mana and looked around, but he couldn’t feel any presences.
“Assassin Leader. Are you sure?”
Once Belloc refuted him, Anfels looked at the Assassin Leader and asked.
“I might’ve sensed wrong, but it’s better to be cautious,” the first class assassin said and Anfels acknowledged him.
“I believe you’ll have to make your move soon,” Rishubalt said. If things went on like this, then the Base Commander, Anfels, may warn the entire base.
Because he was still stealthed, Sung Joon threw a dagger at the first class assassin, rather than reply.
“An enemy!”
He threw his dagger and simultaneously, his stealth was released. Anfels, Belloc, and the first class assassin noticed the surprise attack and moved.
“You’re too slow!”
The first class assassin noticed how slow the dagger was and moved leisurely. Seeing that, Sung Joon laughed and said.
“Acceleration.”
“Huh?”
His dagger was accelerated. By the time the assassin noticed, it was already too late; there was a hole in his stomach, spurting red blood.
“To arms!”
Belloc and Anfels yelled together, summoning their weapons and armor.
Belloc had summoned a short spear and a shield, while Anfels had summoned a sword.
“Assassin Leader, hurry and call for reinforcements...” Anfels activated his aura and said. The assassin nodded silently and retreated.
Since he was severely injured, the assassin wouldn’t be much help to them. Their best option right now was to call for reinforcements. However, Sung Joon had no intention of letting him go.
“Blink.”
“H-How...!?”
Sung Joon, who’d instantly closed the distance with an unexpected spell, flustered the assassin.
“Damn it!” Belloc cursed and charged while covering his body with his shield.
He must’ve used high-speed movement, as he moved incredibly fast, but Sung Joon was faster. Sung Joon had already killed the assassin.
“Ugh!”
Sung Joon cut his neck, inflicting a severe wound. The assassin cried out and fell. He was probably dead. Sung Joon used his Illusionary Sword on Belloc, who was one step too late.
“T-This is Roukel’s technique... Ugh!”
Belloc recognized the Illusionary Sword as Roukel’s technique and simultaneously died.
“Y-You... What is your relationship with Sir Roukel?”
Once he saw the Illusionary Sword, Anfels’s reaction was strange. Although he hadn’t laid down his weapon, it didn’t seem like he had any intentions of attacking him either. Sung Joon decided to talk with him for now.
“You know about Sir Roukel?”
“Please, tell me. Please! What could your relationship to him have been to be able to use... the ‘Illusionary Sword’...”
Anfel raised his wrinkled, middle-aged face and continued. He was suspicious of Sung Joon’s relationship with Roukel due to his showing of the ‘Illusionary Sword’.
He used to be rank 226 of the Knight Brigade. That’s why he knew about the Illusionary Sword.
‘That was definitely the Illusionary Sword...’
It was much too fast, so he couldn’t see it all, but he had seen enough to know that it was Roukel’s lost technique.
“Please tell me!”
He could tell that Anfels respected Roukel, unlike most of the knights in the Empire.
“Is Sir Roukel still alive?”
His voice was tinged in desperation. He prayed that Sung Joon would say that Roukel was still alive. Seeing that, Sung Joon couldn’t help but feel doubtful.
He remembered some bits about the 226th ranked knight, but he’d never really talked to him before.
Above all, Anfels was in the Empire’s Investigation Squad base. Although the Brigade’s knights could be dispatched, only the high ranking officers of the Investigation Squad could be in command of the base.
And Belloc had called Anfels the Base Commander.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing him in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains...”
“He might have been demoted,” Rishubalt said.
Sung Joon carefully muttered to himself. If he’d killed him, then he’d definitely have remembered him.
Rishubalt gave his opinion, but his synchronization rate wasn’t at 100%. There was a chance that he wouldn’t remember, so he couldn’t be sure either way.
“I inherited Roukel’s will. My usage of the Illusionary Sword is proof of that,” Sung Joon replied.
Anfels’s next response was paramount. If he became hostile, then he would just kill him.
“More enemies are coming this way,” Rishubalt reported.
Several presences were approaching. Anfels activated the controls and closed the entrance.
Sung Joon looked as though he wanted an explanation. Anfels stifled his tears and spoke.
“Now we have some time to talk.”
“Can you hurry it up? Since it doesn’t seem like we have much time.”
“My name is Anfels. I used to be rank 226 of the Knight Brigade,” Anfels began.
“Hurry up. Since I have to kill them all.”
“All the partitions are closed shut. These partitions can even withstand ‘aura’ for a long time.”
“I see.”
Sung Joon nodded his head. Although aura was renowned for its cutting power, it wasn’t absolute, as magic and materials existed which could block it.
“Let me continue. I used to be a part of the Knight Brigade, but I was demoted as I refused to take part in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains.”
“Why did you refuse to take part? Were you afraid?”
Sung Joon asked and Anfels shook his head.
“I’m no coward. I just didn’t want to cross blades with the greatest knight, Roukel.”
“A knight of the Brigade disobeyed the Emperor’s orders? You could’ve been summarily executed for that offense.”
Sung Joon couldn’t understand. Disobeying an imperial command was a serious offense.
“The knights who refused to take part, including those of the Brigade, numbered in the thousands. It was impossible to kill all of them, even for the Empire.”
This was something Sung Joon, or Roukel and Rishubalt hadn’t known about. Roukel was highly respected and there were several knights that couldn’t take part in the battle, as they didn’t want to fight against him.
The Empire tried to execute them all, but there was a chance the situation would get out of hand, so the Empire instead removed them from their positions.
Of course, some didn’t take part in the battle for other reasons. Instead of not wanting to face him in battle, several just agreed with Roukel’s stance on the Species Alliance.
“Zelos should know a lot about this. We can make a decision after consulting with Sir Zelos,” Rishubalt said. Sung Joon slightly nodded his head.
“If you were stripped of your position, how did you get it back?” Sung Joon asked and Anfels spoke with a calm expression.
“The situation in the Empire has worsened, so I was summoned. They didn’t reinstate me as part of the Knight Brigade and I was instead put in charge of the Investigation Squad’s base.”
“The Empire’s not in good shape?”
Anfels nodded his head.
“That’s correct. If you’ve truly inherited Sir Roukel’s will, then I will assist you.”
“Good. Then first, answer my question.”
“Understood.”
“It’s simple. Is the Species Alliance arriving in New York today?”
It was the most important question. If it were true, then he would have to inform the Central Hunter Bureau immediately. If the raid spread and the U.S. fell, then the Earth would be occupied.
“Yes. A huge army, led by the Orc Chief Kalleak is arriving in New York. According to our info, they have ‘procured’ a dimensional fissure already. In twenty four hours, a warp gate will be opened in New York.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know, unfortunately.”
Anfels shook his head regrettably. Although he was a high ranking officer in the Investigation Squad and was in charge of the base, he didn’t know much about the Species Alliance. It hadn’t even been very long since he’d been told that the Species Alliance was attacking.
“I believe this attack signals the start of the invasion plan.”
“That won’t happen.”
Sung Joon’s eyes shined sharply and grabbed onto the Riodan Crystal. Anfels didn’t try to stop him.
“Since I’ll kill them all.”
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (1)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
“I’ll secure an escape route.”
“Will you be ok?” Sung Joon asked.
If he could, he would’ve killed all of the forces here, but if he did, he might not have enough time to warn the Central Hunter Bureau of the invasion.
“You don’t have to worry about me. As you’ve seen, our main force consists of the first-class assassin and Sir Belloc. I can take care of the rest.”
Though the Investigation Squad collected information from the frontlines, their combat abilities wasn’t very high. Anfel sounded extremely confident.
“Please remember that I wasn’t demoted due to my skill,” Anfels said.
Sung Joon was reminded that Anfels was once rank 226 of the Knight Brigade. Thus, he felt a bit relieved.
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you,” Sung Joon said as he placed the ‘Riodan Crystal’ into his dimensional pouch.
Anfels nodded his head and operated the magic circle. Then, the wall opened up, revealing a narrow passageway.
“I’m the only one who knows about this secret passageway. It’s connected to the outside.”
“I’ll go scout and come back,” Rishubalt said.
Sung Joon quietly looked at Rishubalt. He wanted Rishubalt to scout, as he couldn’t completely trust Anfels just yet. Rishubalt, who understood his intent, scouted and came back in just three minutes.
“It is indeed connected to the outside. There are no traps or ambushes.”
Sung Joon moved after Rishubalt gave his report. As soon as he entered the secret passageway, Anfels operated the magic circle to seal the wall.
“Before you go, I’d like to know your name.”
“I’d like to say ‘I’ll tell you if you survive’, but I suppose I can just tell you. My name’s Kang Sung Joon.”
“I hope to see you again.”
Once the way was sealed shut, the passageway’s magic lamps lit up and Sung Joon began to walk through.
He found the exit after walking for about five minutes. Once he got out, he found himself in a New York back alley.
Sung Joon could hear faint sounds of battle from the Investigation Squad’s base, but it was quiet enough that normal people wouldn’t hear it.
“I think we can just leave this to Anfels,” Rishubalt said.
“Yeah. That’s probably for the best.”
Sung Joon agreed with Rishubalt and hurriedly got away from the base. And then he took out his phone and called Jennifer.
“It seems like you’ve arrived in New York.”
“Now’s not the time for small talk.”
“Did something happen?”
Jennifer became serious once she heard the urgency in his voice.
“There’ll be a large-scale SS-rank raid in New York.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“I’ll tell headquarters immediately. I’ll contact you again later.”
The National Guard is mobilized in the case of a large-scale raid, but because Jennifer didn’t have jurisdiction over them, she had to report to her superiors first.
“Now it’s only a matter of time...”
Sung Joon gazed at the sky and muttered.
* * *
Jennifer finished her call with Sung Joon and went to the Beta headquarters, which was responsible for all matters regarding the raids in the U.S.
Each of the Central Hunter Bureau’s respective headquarters were within walking distance of each other.
She was a part of the Delta division, so she would normally have to report to her director, Louis, but he was currently out.
“Agent Jennifer? What brings you to Beta headquarters?” the security agent asked, acting amicably.
They were acquaintances. Once she was cleared to enter, Jennifer said.
“There’s something urgent that I need to report.”
“There are no problems. You can go in.”
As soon as she was finished with her security clearance, she rushed over to the director’s office.
Jennifer had already contacted the Beta headquarters, or in other words, the interested parties. Because of that, she could meet the Beta Director, Echid, without going through any special procedures.
If she were still just a regular agent from the Delta division, then she wouldn’t have been able to meet with a director so easily, but when she became solely responsible for Sung Joon, she was promoted and was now treated as though she was a director.
“Agent Jennifer? What’s wrong?”
Once she got into the director’s office, the A-rank Supporter Hunter, Echid (who was also the Beta Director) asked. He didn’t have a lot of time to waste.
“I’ve gotten word that there will be an large-scale SS-rank raid in New York.”
“That info... Where did you get it?”
Echid no longer looked so annoyed. He asked her with a surprised expression.
“Do you know something?”
Jennifer felt intensely anxious. Once she saw Echid’s reaction, she realized that Sung Joon’s assertion wasn’t ridiculous after all.
“We got a report from the Observation Bureau that they’ve found a dimensional fissure. I’m sure you already know, but a dimensional fissure is a sign that a raid will occur.”
Jennifer nodded her head. She was a Hunter as well, so she knew a bit about dimensional fissures.
“If they’ve already seen it, then why haven’t they alerted us?”
“They’ve determined that the dimensional fissure is much too small for a raid to occur.”
They had to be careful when alerting people of a raid. Once the alert is issued, troops are stationed in the relevant areas and all the citizens begin to take refuge, so it would do a lot of damage to the economy.
The Observation Bureau was like the Dungeon Bureau’s Situation Room, where only the best of the best were gathered to watch for dimensional fissures, but if they weren’t precise, then they would often send out an alert right before the raid occurred.
“Agent Jennifer. Where did you get this information?”
“From South Korea’s SS-rank Hunter, Kang Sung Joon.”
“I don’t know how Kang Sung Joon found out about this, but I guess we can’t just sit by and do nothing.”
Echid picked up his phone. Sung Joon wouldn’t have given them this information for no reason and without any evidence to back it up.
Plus, they’d seen an actual dimensional fissure, so they needed to do something about it.
“I’ll announce the raid and issue an alert. Agent Jennifer, could you ask for Mr. Kang Sung Joon’s assistance?”
“Do we need his help?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, there are no SS-rank Hunters nearby.”
There being no SS-rank Hunters near New York when the Species Alliance was sending their expeditionary force was by no means a coincidence.
The Central Hunter Bureau hadn’t noticed this, but this had all been orchestrated by the Empire.
“Agent Jennifer. I give you full authority over this. We need Kang Sung Joon’s help.”
“I’ll do my best,” Jennifer replied. Echid nodded his head with a satisfied expression. He then placed his phone to his ear and said.
“I’m declaring the outbreak of a raid.”
* * *
The raid was announced and an alert was issued. The National Guard entered from downtown and the Hunters were called as well. The U.S. gathered their Hunters quickly, befitting a developed country.
In the midst of this chaos, Sung Joon picked up his phone.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon? We’ve declared the outbreak of a raid.”
“I just saw,” Sung Joon replied.
Military planes flew through the air, and armed soldiers began taking control of the roads. It was obvious that a raid was going to occur.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon. Let me explain the current situation to you.”
Jennifer explained that there were no SS-rank Hunters nearby. Hearing that, Sung Joon furrowed his brow.
‘Is this what they were aiming for?’
He couldn’t be sure, but if the Species Alliance had pulled the strings... It was scary to even think about. While Sung Joon was incredibly anxious, Jennifer finished her explanation.
“The closest SS-rank Hunter is two hours away. The U.S. needs your help, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
The battlefield would spread too much in two hours. If it was really an SS-rank raid, then it wouldn’t be easy for the S-rank Hunters to take down the boss. Even if they did manage to take it down, there would be several casualties.
They needed Sung Joon’s help.
“If I help, what can you (the U.S.) do for me?” Sung Joon asked.
It was almost fate for him to fight against the Empire and the Species Alliance, but if he could profit from it, then he would.
“We have nothing specific in mind, but if there’s something you want, then we’ll do our best to fulfill that request.”
“That’s plenty.”
That response was good enough. Sung Joon smirked. The U.S. would uphold their end of the bargain.
“I’ll help.”
“Military headquarters would like you to stop the monsters that come out of the warp gate. The Beta division’s Raid Special Task Force and the National Guard will support you.”
“How reassuring.”
“I’ll send you a message detailing where a helicopter is waiting.”
Once their call was over, Jennifer sent him a message. And Sung Joon began to move to the location.
In the center of a park, a Chinook helicopter, as well as the Raid Special Task Force were waiting for him. There was a formation of attack helicopters waiting in the air.
“It’s a pleasure, Mr. Kang Sung Joon. I’m the Raid Special Task Force’s Team Leader, Idun.”
A blonde haired Hunter approached him and greeted him amicably. He could tell that they were using Translation Magic.
“He’s an S-rank Hunter. Based on his clothes, he must be a Mage,” Rishubalt said.
“My name is Kang Sung Joon. I’ll be in your care.”
After they were done exchanging greeting, they felt a powerful mana response spreading. A giant warp gate opened in the sky and a huge flying ship slowly came out of it. Monsters flooded out from a warp gate that opened on the ground as well.
The National Guard attacked them with everything they had to stop their advance, even by a little.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon! We have to leave now!” Idun yelled urgently.
Once he confirmed that Sung Joon and the rest of the Special Task Force had gotten in the Chinook helicopter, he gathered his mana and said.
“Fly!” he spoke the activation words and his body rose into the air.
The helicopter also took off. While the propellers spun, making a huge commotion, Idun spoke.
“We’ll (Special Task Force) will take you to the operation area!”
At the same time, he gave the pilot the signal. The Chinook helicopter flew towards the largest warp gate while being protected by the formation of attack helicopters.
“They’ve already formed a blockade with their ships!”
“Raise the altitude!”
He could hear the captain and the vice-captain. A tense atmosphere hung over them. Because the Orcs had already formed a blockade with their ships, they wouldn’t be able to get through while flying at low-altitude. The captain thought briefly and raised the helicopter’s altitude.
Two of the attack helicopters went with it, but they were brought down by offensive spells.
The attack helicopters that crashed emitted dark red heat, and the nearby Orcs rushed over to them. It sounded like they were urgently asking for support, but the captain just shook his head.
“We keep going. Our job is to bring Hunter Kang Sung Joon to the ‘source’.”
No one refuted the Captain.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (2)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
“Orc Wyvern Riders in front!” someone yelled.
Orc Wyvern Riders were A-rank monsters and threw explosive javelins, so they posed a significant danger to helicopters.
Sung Joon moved towards the cockpit area and looked forward. There were more than 30 Orc Wyvern Riders flying towards them. They looked incredibly menacing.
He focused mana into his eyes, temporarily boosting his eyesight. The Wyvern Riders’ javelins hung off their saddles and he could see the explosive magic engraved upon them.
If even one of the helicopters was hit by one of those, then it would cause a chain reaction and all of them would explode.
“Please, don’t be so worried! Hunter Idun will take care of them!”
Although the helicopter formation had been destroyed, the First Officer didn’t give in to despair. After all, they had Idun with them, an S-rank Hunter noted for his potential.
Idun saw the incoming Wyvern Riders and flew in front of the Chinook helicopter. He looked as though he was a gatekeeper blocking all from getting to Sung Joon.
“My mission is to protect you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon, keeping you at full strength until you reach the warp gate. I’ll take care of this,” Idun said and raised his hands.
He gathered his mana and said ‘transform’ softly. Then, his ring emitted light and transformed into a staff. At the same time, he began casting a spell.
“Wind Cutter.”
Tens, no hundreds of wind blades covered the azure sky.
“He’s multi-casting. That’s not all; he cast fifteen Wind Cutters simultaneously,” Rishubalt said in awe.
Multi-casting was a higher level technique than Double-casting.
It was an extremely complex technique, so only those who were either talented or possessed incredible senses could perform it.
Of course, the number of spells a Mage could cast simultaneously depended entirely on how talented they were, and from Sung Joon’s point of view, it seemed like Idun was incredibly talented.
‘He seems more talented than Na Joon Yeol,’ Sung Joon thought.
While he briefly let his mind wander off, Idun’s Wind Cutters sliced the incoming Orc Wyvern Riders into pieces, spewing blood into the air.
“There are more coming this way!”
Idun was an extraordinary Mage Hunter, but there were too many of them.
There were dozens of Orc Wyvern Riders flying over to them, and at least a hundred monsters gathered on the ground.
“That’s close enough. I’ll go down now.”
“However... Hunter! We still have a long ways to go before we reach the warp gate. Plus, monsters have already captured this area!”
When Sung Joon said he’d leave, the Captain voiced his concerns. Since they were deep into enemy territory, they were surrounded by monsters.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take it from here. Please return with the Special Task Force.”
Sung Joon ignored the Captain and jumped out of the helicopter. It was quite high, but since he was an SS-rank Hunter, he was able to safely land without any injury.
He expected the Special Task Force to retreat, but they followed suit and descended from the helicopter.
Once Idun was finished taking care of the last of the Orc Wyvern Riders, he descended and said.
“We can’t go back. Since we were ordered to support you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Sung Joon shook his head. It would prove difficult to get through to him, and he didn’t want to waste time in the middle of enemy territory.
“Please don’t fall behind.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Idun replied confidently. Sung Joon merely nodded his head, and ran towards the powerful mana source he felt.
Idun and the Special Task Force followed him. A Supporter Hunter cast a Haste buff, allowing them to keep up with Sung Joon.
They were deep in enemy territory, but they didn’t encounter monsters for the first ten minutes, as Sung Joon actively avoided them.
But soon, the monsters began to surround them, and they were no longer able to avoid confrontation.
“There are sixteen Orc Blademasters and a Chieftain; there are at least three hundred monsters total!” Rishubalt hurriedly reported.
It wasn’t a small force, considering the fact that there were sixteen S-rank Orc Blademasters.
What’s worse, there was an SS-rank Orc Chieftain mixed in as well.
Considering what the Orc Chieftain did after coming out of the warp gate, he wasn’t the boss. If that’s the case, there was a high chance that the Orc Chieftain was a low tier SS-rank. Even so, it was still an SS-rank monster. He couldn’t afford to be careless.
“We’ll open a path for you!” Idun said.
He stood in front and swung his staff, casting a explosion of fire that devoured the Orcs.
“Ugh!”
Most of the Orcs were swept away by the flames, but the Orc Blademasters and the Chieftain swung their swords and exited the flames. Their skin had blackened a bit, but they hadn’t been burned at all.
“I’ll leave the Orc Blademasters to you. I’ll help you after I’m finished taking care of the Orc Chieftain.”
“I’ll do my best,” Idun replied anxiously.
Even though Sung Joon would take on the SS-rank Chieftain, he and the Special Task Force would have to deal with 16 S-rank Orc Blademasters. He was the only one amongst the Special Task Force that was S-rank.
“I’ll cut down their numbers.”
Sung Joon rushed forward and infused mana into Rishubalt.
“Die! You monster filth!”
Rishubalt, who now had a physical form, rushed forward and swung his sword. He had managed to ambush one of the Orc Blademasters.
“Ugh!”
The Orc Blademaster bled from his neck and fell. As he broke through their formation, Sung Joon swung his sword, killing three more Orc Blademasters.
He had gotten close to the Orc Chieftain instantaneously. The green skinned Orc Chieftain wielded two greatswords, one in each hand.
Once Sung Joon got close, the Orc Chieftain crossed his greatswords and enveloped them in a powerful aura. The aura was menacing, as though it could cut through anything.
“Welcome to Earth.”
“You can speak our language?”
The Orc Chieftain looked amazed, as Sung Joon could fluently speak their language, but it only lasted for an instant. He then swung his greatswords at Sung Joon.
He shot aura slashes at Sung Joon and simultaneously rushed forward like a bullet. If he avoided the aura slashes, then the Chieftain would aim for his vital areas. If he did the opposite, then he would be hit by the aura slashes. However, he had a way to block both.
‘The best defense is a good offense.’
He could use his ‘Dimension Slash’ to cut through both the aura and the Orc Chieftain. Sung Joon didn’t avoid it. On the contrary, he used his high-speed movement, instantaneously closed the distance, and unleashed a ‘Dimension Slash’.
“Huh?”
Dimension Slash, which could even cut through dimensions, cut through both the aura slashes and the Orc Chieftain’s greatswords and upper body.
“And goodbye.”
A red line formed upon the Orc Chieftain’s upper body and widened. Then, he fell and rolled onto the floor. The lower body, which had lost its upper half, spurted blood akin to a fountain and helplessly fell to the floor.
“H-How can this be!? He killed the Orc Chieftain with a single blow?” a certain Special Task Force member said in shock.
They couldn’t see it, as the process was much too quick, but they knew exactly what had transpired. The SS-rank monster, the Orc Chieftain, had been killed in a single blow.
“Absorb.”
Sung Joon absorbed the mana and stamina from the Orc Chieftain’s body, but he wasn’t able to recover all the mana he’d spent on the ‘Dimension Slash’.
“Your synchronization rate has become 62%,” Rishubalt reported.
‘As I thought, Dimension Slash isn’t a technique I can use often...’
Dimension Slash expended more mana than the Illusionary Sword, so it couldn’t be used frivolously. He wanted to minimize the damage to Idun and the Special Task Force, so he was forced to use it, but he knew he’d have to use it sparingly.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
He heard screams of agony. Half of the twenty Special Task Force members were on the ground. It was obvious this would happen.
They were fighting against several elite enemies. There were ten S-rank Orc Blademasters left, so there was nothing else that needed to be said.
“Heal!”
Some of them were still alive. Sung Joon didn’t hesitate and used his mana to heal them.
Most of them were grievously injured, but with an SS-rank Healer Hunter’s overwhelming healing power, they were immediately healed.
A few of the collapsed Special Task Force members were completely healed and raised their weapons once more.
“I’ll help!”
Sung Joon used his high-speed movement. Its speed was akin to lightning.
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
When Sung Joon swung his sword, an afterimage was left behind. And whenever he swung his sword, an Orc Blademaster would fall. In just five minutes, Sung Joon had annihilated the Orc Blademasters. Sung Joon turned his head towards Idun.
“Mr. Idun! Please use wide area magic!”
The remaining monsters were agitated, as the Orc Chieftain and the Blademasters were killed.
They could take care of all the monsters with a wide area spell. Since the warp gate was still a ways away, he needed to reserve his magic and stamina as best as he could.
“Blizzard!”
While Sung Joon and the rest of the Special Task Force fought, Idun finished casting his wide area spell.
The ice storm swept through the monsters. At least a hundred monsters were killed, with the remaining monsters panicked and ran away.
“Let’s move!” Sung Joon pressed.
It was regrettable that they couldn’t collect their fallen comrades’ bodies, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Idun knew that destroying the warp gate was their top priority, so he didn’t say anything.
Eventually, they arrived near the warp gate. The monsters setting up camp swarmed them to protect the warp gate.
“It’s the Blood Red Wind Tribe. My lord, you killed the previous chieftain, Baralrod, in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. It’s likely that Kalleak has assumed the position of chieftain.”
There was a flag attached to the gateway, signifying that they were a part of the Species Alliance, as well as being the main force of the ‘Orcs’, commanded by the Blood Red Wind Tribe Chieftain.
“There are only thirteen of you fighting against us?” an Orc said strongly, wielding a glaive.
He had the tribe’s flag on his back, and as Rishubalt had expected, it was indeed Kalleak.
Kalleak was once a ‘Great Warrior’, but after the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains, he assumed the post of Chieftain following Baralrod’s death.
“Yeah, there are only thirteen of us, but it’s enough to crush you.”
“You know our language? I heard that some of you knew, but it’s strange meeting one of you in person.”
Kalleak smirked.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter. Since you’re going to die either way.”
“That’s enough.”
The moment Kalleak raised his glaive... a clear voice resounded out. Simultaneously, Sung Joon sensed an enormous flow of mana. Lightning descended from the sky.
An extremely large lightning bolt at that.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (3)
TL: Boko
Kwang!
Hundreds of Orcs ‘ceased to exist’ from the explosion. No, it merely looked that way. They were instantly reduced to ashes and disappeared, so it only looked that way.
“Shit!” Kalleak cursed.
Before he’d been hit by the lightning bolt, he had used high-speed movement to get out of the way.
He sensed a powerful mana reaction from above. Just a short while ago, it was as quiet as the night sea, but now, the air was shaking, as if a tsunami was coming. It was a huge flow of mana.
“I told before. That ‘that’s enough’, Orc.”
He hadn’t heard it that well before, but now he heard it clearly. It was definitely the otherworld language.
She warned, and landed upon the bloodstained road.
“Y-You’re...” Idun said. He knew who she was.
“Ms. Leia...”
He had his suspicions when he saw her kill hundreds of Orcs, which included at least twenty Orc Blademasters with a single spell. Leia was the name of the only SSS-rank Hunter in the world.
“Y-You damn human!”
“Shut up.”
Leia expressionlessly swung her staff, as if it were a pain to even do so. And then, with a wave of mana, a aura clad blade storm struck Kalleak.
It was already too late by the time Kalleak had sensed the mana reaction. Since the sharp, aura clad winds had already passed him.
By the time he felt the pain, his left arm and right leg had been severed.
“Her casting speed’s incredibly fast. So this is an SSS-rank Hunter, huh?”
Even Sung Joon was surprised by her casting speed. Seeing that, Rishubalt smiled faintly and said.
“Have you forgotten? You were much stronger, my lord.”
Sung Joon smiled, as Rishubalt’s words hand caused him to reminisce.
“Thanks.”
While they spoke, Leia continued to use lightning magic to attack Kalleak.
Kalleak wasn’t able to deal with Leia’s repeat high-speed casting. The lightning raged without rest and ultimately, Kalleak was burnt black and fell to the floor.
“Hmm.”
Leia cast another lightning spell to confirm Kalleak’s death, and once she was sure he was dead, she turned her head towards Sung Joon.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
She spoke in Korean. He could tell that she was using Translation Magic based on the flow of mana.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“First off, thanks. If you hadn’t warned us beforehand, then I wouldn’t have been able to get here so soon.”
She was going to do some covert operation for the U.S. government, but the Central Hunter Bureau had asked for help, so she’d come to New York. If she had been contacted while in the middle of her operation, then it would’ve been difficult to get out of it.
“There’s a lot I’d like to say, but I’ll take care of the warp gate first,” Leia said, and immediately destroyed the crystal maintaining the warp gate.
Idun received a report stating all the monsters that had crossed over were being unsummoned.
“Mr. Idun. Where are the other warp gates?”
Idun raised his map to answer Sung Joon’s question, but then, Leia raised her hand as if to stop him and said.
“That’s not necessary.”
“The battlefield will continue to spread if we leave the other warp gates...”
Sung Joon furrowed his brow.
“My guild will take care of this from now on.”
The Hunters of the Witch guild (America’s rank 1 guild) had appeared in New York.
* * *
The situation in New York had been dealt with. Jennifer visited Sung Joon in the hotel he was staying at and told him he’d be paid normally for the raid.
Three days after the raid, Sung Joon called Anfels.
“This is Kang Sung Joon.”
“I heard you fought in the New York raid. You’re amazing,” Anfels said.
Leia, the SSS-rank Hunter, was the one who’d dealt the fatal blow to the boss, but it was true that Sung Joon had fought in the raid.
“I’d like to meet with you... Are you free?”
He wanted to know how the Empire was faring right now. Although Zelos had some connections inside of the Empire, it was difficult for him to access that information, as he was on the run.
However, Anfels had been appointed as a commander of the Empire’s Special Forces (Investigation Squad) just a little while ago, so he had access to high rank information.
“I was ‘dismissed’ a short while ago, so I have plenty of time.”
“Is that so...?”
Sung Joon smiled bitterly. He knew what being ‘dismissed’ meant.
The fact that he was alive meant that everyone in the base was dead. While the Empire didn’t know he was cooperating with Sung Joon, he wouldn’t be able to escape punishment for failing his duties.
“How did you take care of the aftermath?”
“They’ll find out once they send an investigator from the Special Forces, but until then, I’m ‘dead’.”
That meant that he wouldn’t be followed for the time being. There wouldn’t be any problems with meeting him.
“We’ll meet tomorrow at two in the afternoon. Once you’ve decided on a place, send me a message,” Sung Joon said.
Sung Joon wasn’t familiar with New York, so he needed to use his smartphone’s app to get around.
“I understand.”
Once he heard Anfel’s reply, Sung Joon immediately hung up. Eventually, he received a message regarding where they would meet. Sung Joon used his smartphone’s map app to figure out where they would meet.
“It’s not very far from here.”
He was able to find the location with ease by using his smartphone’s map app. However, it wasn’t what he had expected.
The next day, he confidently left the hotel, but he ended up getting lost.
“I’ll scout out,” Rishubalt said.
“No. That’s not necessary.”
Sung Joon shook his head. He asked people passing by for directions with his basic English and managed to find where he needed to go.
He entered the cafe and checked his watch. Fortunately, he wasn’t late. If he hadn’t left early, then he would’ve been late for sure.
Sung Joon didn’t like being late. After he’d gotten some coffee, he sat down and a man wearing a brown coat sat in front of him. It was Anfels.
“You came right on time.”
Anfels raised his coffee and said.
“I came ten minutes early and was inspecting the area.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being careful.”
Anfels nodded in agreement.
“Anyway, did you call me to ask about the Empire?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have anyone helping you from the Empire?”
“The more information, the better.”
Anfels asked. Sung Joon avoided answering concretely. He still couldn’t completely trust Anfels yet, so he didn’t talk about Zelos. For the time being, he wouldn’t tell him about Zelos.
“I agree. However, just having a lot of information doesn’t necessary help. You need to be able to discern what’s true and what’s not.”
“I have a question.”
“You’re going straight to the point? Then I’ll ‘block out’ our surroundings.”
Sung Joon knew what he meant, so he silently nodded his head. Then, Anfels placed a small crystal onto the table.
It was a high rank item that would stop their communication from being leaked to the outside. He’d seen it several times in the past, as it would often used by the Empire’s Special Forces.
Buzz-
Once Anfels infused his mana into the item, it let out a tiny buzzing sound and activated.
“Now we can talk freely.”
“It’ll keep us safe, right?”s
“If someone with the ability to see through this comes, you should be able to detect them.”
Anfels had seen Sung Joon take down Belloc (rank 231 of the Knight Brigade), as well as the first-class assassin from the Ghost Squad.
So he knew that Sung Joon was much more powerful than he was, albeit much weaker than Roukel.
“Probably.”
Sung Joon nodded his head and took a sip of his coffee. He could taste how bitter it was, so he ripped a sugar packet on the table and poured it in.
“Before we go to the main topic, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Is Sir Roukel still alive?” Anfels asked.
When they’d first met, Sung Joon hadn’t confirmed whether Roukel was alive or not.
“No, he’s not. However, I’ve inherited his will.”
“As I thought. I ask only because I didn’t participate in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. Please forgive me if I was being rude.”
Sung Joon answered clearly, and Anfels bowed his head, looking regretful. He hoped that Roukel was still alive.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. Please ask me whatever you wish,” Anfels responded weakly while raising his coffee cup; he looked really lonely.
But since Sung Joon still had some questions he needed to ask, he asked with a calm expression.
“I want to know about the Empire’s current state of affairs.”
Anfels had expected that question and his eyes shined.
“Well... a lot of time has passed since the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. The Empire has changed significantly.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Empire’s structure or the Emperor hasn’t changed. But internal matters have become a bit complicated. It’s become quite chaotic.”
The greatest knight that everyone in the Empire revered was killed, and the Emperor had formed an alliance with their longstanding enemy. Although the Emperor had power of the Empire, there was no way that people in the Empire would remain quiet.
“Explain.”
“After Sir Roukel died in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains, the Emperor formed an official alliance with the Species Alliance and began his purge.”
“Who were the targets of his purge?” Sung Joon asked.
Even if he didn’t say anything, Sung Joon had an idea as to who the Emperor targeted. Still, he needed to know for sure.
“Anyone associated with Roukel, as well as those who opposed the alliance with the Species Alliance were targets of the purge.”
As he expected. Even Roukel, known as the greatest knight of the Empire, was labeled a traitor for opposing the alliance with the Species Alliance.
The Emperor’s position was clear, and didn’t hesitate with the purge.
“Were they all killed?”
Some should’ve escaped the purge like Zelos. He wanted to know about them.
“I’m not sure since I didn’t look into it. I believe someone from the Executive Squad would know.”
The Executive Squad, one of the squads under the Empire’s Special Forces, was responsible for taking care of and cracking down on rebels.
“I know where the Executive Squad’s base is. If you launch an attack on the base, you should be able to steal the data as well.”
“It’s been some time... Do you think I can?”
Sung Joon didn’t really like the idea. Too much time had passed for him to go looking for information now. According to Zelos, time flowed similarly, but also differently between Earth and the otherworld. It felt as though fifteen years had passed since the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains.
“Don’t you want to learn the whereabouts of your comrades?”
Anfels final statement caused Sung Joon to waver. He returned to his hotel after parting ways with Anfels.
The moment he entered the lobby, he felt a powerful magical energy. The owner of this magic was hiding themselves, but they couldn’t fool him.
“What do you want?”
They didn’t sense any hostility, so he didn’t draw his weapon. Then, the person pushing down on their broad-brimmed hat stood up from their seat.
“Amazing. You truly are the ‘rising star’ of South Korea, aren’t you?”
The young lady, whose wavy blonde hair fell to her waist, took off her hat, revealing a quick-witted but also cute face.
Sung Joon knew who she was.
“Leia...”
“The White House wants you. Let’s go together.”
“Why does the White House suddenly want me...”
“Apparently, they’re going to give you an SS-rank item.”
They had only met twice, but Sung Joon knew that that explanation was nowhere near enough.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (4)
TL: Boko
“Let’s go. The car’s waiting outside.”
“W-Wait a sec...”
Before he could even respond, Leia grabbed his hand and dragged him outside.
Although Leia was a Mage Hunter, she was still an SSS-rank Hunter. Sung Joon instinctively tried to resist, but she was too strong for him, so he was helplessly dragged outside.
If he really tried to resist, he might be able to stop her, but since they were giving him an SS-rank item, he just obediently followed her.
“Here!”
Leia pointed towards a parked black sedan. She and Sung Joon got into the car and drove to the airport.
Since Washington and New York weren’t close, they needed to use a plane to get there quickly.
They boarded a plane that the U.S. government had prepared for them and landed in the airport in the Washington suburbs. There was a worker standing by at the airport to accompany them.
“You get off first. Since you’re the star.”
Sung Joon nodded his head and stood in front of the exit. Then, the crewman smiled, opened the door, and said.
“Welcome to Washington.”
Once the door opened, Sung Joon took a down the stairs.
There were lines of honor guards beneath the stairs that led to a luxurious sedan, adorned with the national flags of the United States and South Korea.
“This is a bit excessive.”
“The U.S. government prepared this for you. Since New York would’ve been annihilated if not for you. It’s only natural.”
Sung Joon commented and Leia replied. He began walking and felt something soft beneath his feet. When he looked down, he saw a red carpet.
He looked around and saw several cameras; perhaps they were covering this as news.
“How grand.”
“That’s how it is in the U.S,” Leia naturally waved her hand and said. She was familiar with this kind of thing.
“Why don’t you wave at them? You’re the star today.”
Sung Joon looked at the camera and waved. The cinematographers did their best to get more shots of Sung Joon, the hero of New York.
They wanted to get some closer shots of him, but they couldn’t, as the airport employees were stopping them from getting too much.
“You can go down now,” Leia said after Sung Joon had waved his hand for quite some time.
Then, Sung Joon went down the stairs.
He was inspected by the honor guard and walked to the luxurious sedan. Sung Joon got into the rear passenger seat while Leia sat in front.
“Are you coming with me to the White House?”
“Yep.”
Sung Joon asked. Leia looked forward and then replied. The driver anxiously grabbed the steering wheel, as an SSS-rank and SS-rank Hunter were speaking to each other.
The sedan left the airport and immediately began to drive to the White House.
“What’s wrong?”
Leia looked curious, as Sung Joon looked like he was deep in thought and asked.
“I didn’t think they’d send an SSS-rank Hunter as an escort,” Sung Joon replied.
Since Leia didn’t speak politely, Sung Joon decided to do the same.
“You’re different from other Hunters. You’re special.”
“Special?”
“Your growth rate is really fast. You can definitely become an SSS-rank Hunter. I told the U.S. government that I wanted to meet you, and that I’d be your escort.”
She looked at Sung Joon through the rear view mirror and grinned. Sung Joon briefly sighed and shook his head.
Leia had a cooperative relationship with the U.S. government, but she never did anything that didn’t interest her. If she hadn’t been interested in Sung Joon, then the U.S. government would have sent someone else.
“I never do anything I don’t want to do.”
That statement alone told him what position she held in the U.S.
She was in her early twenties, but she was the world’s sole SSS-rank Hunter. Although she couldn’t be a part of the army due to the international treaty, she was still invaluable.
No one knew when an SSS-rank raid would occur, but Leia would be able to deal with it. Thus, her cooperative relationship with the U.S. was both politically and economically valuable to them.
“We’ve arrived.”
The driver notified them that they’d arrived at the White House. Bodyguards wearing suits came rushing over, opening the doors for them so that they could exit comfortably. Once the two disembarked, the driver drove off.
“Let’s go.”
“Where exactly are we going?”
Just like before, Leia grabbed Lee Shin Woo’s hand and dragged him away. The bodyguards followed the two. Sung Joon just noticed that the bodyguards were all Hunters.
“To see the President,” Leia said. Like always, she didn’t explain enough.
“Can we see him while armed?”
Protocol dictated that a Hunter go unarmed when meeting the president of a foreign nation, but Leia shook her head and said.
“I’m going to be there, so it’s fine,” she said confidently. As a SSS-rank Hunter, she could afford to be confident.
She probably thought that she’d be able to overpower Sung Joon easily if it came to that.
‘At the very least, I wouldn’t lose.’
Sung Joon was confident. Leia beat him in terms of magic and firepower, but Sung Joon was better at killing people, as he’d developed his killing techniques over dozens of years on the battlefield.
Leia had also undergone training at the Central Hunter Bureau, but she couldn’t match up to Roukel’s swordsmanship.
They’d have to fight to iron out the details, but he was confident that he wouldn’t lose helplessly.
“Ms. Leia. I’ll take you there.”
“No need.”
A White House worker rushed out and offered to lead them, but Leia shook her head, took Sung Joon’s hand and led him herself.
It seemed like she had been to the White House quite often, as she was familiar with its interior. She kept advancing unimpeded with Sung Joon in tow.
They passed a long corridor and Leia stopped in front of a luxuriously decorated door. She turned her head towards Sung Joon and said.
“We’re here.”
It was the president’s personal office. He sensed several presences within. Sung Joon calmly straightened himself out and then opened the door.
A man at the door noticed Sung Joon first and approached him with a joyous expression. The man was Korean; he wore a suit and glasses, and had short hair.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m your interpreter, Lee Shin Tae. It’s an honor to meet you in person, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Shin Tae spoke curtly, but came out strong nonetheless.
“I will be your interpreter while you’re here in the White House.”
“Ah... I see.”
Sung Joon nodded his head. There was one person who particularly stood out amongst the people behind Shin Tae.
The kind looking man was the U.S. President. He could recognize him immediately, as he’d seen him often on the TV.
“Welcome, Mr. Kang Sung Joon,” the U.S. President, Aiden, greeted him.
Although he spoke in English, Shin Tae was right next to Sung Joon and translated the President’s words. It was such a simple greeting that Sung Joon didn’t really need the translation.
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Kang Sung Joon,” Sung Joon shook Aiden’s offered hand and replied.
He knew some English, but he continued to speak in Korean since he had an interpreter.
“I’d like to speak with you in private. Could you all please leave for a moment?”
The figures gathered within President Aiden’s office looked disappointed. It seemed like they wanted to meet Sung Joon, the hero of New York.
“I’ll set up a place where you can speak with him later.”
“I understand.”
“Please do.”
Aiden promised that they’d be able to talk to him later. The president himself had made a promise, so they all put their regret behind them and left the office.
Now, the only ones left in the office were Aiden, Shin Tae, Sung Joon, and Leia.
Shin Tae remained as an interpreter, while Leia wasn’t someone the president could control very easily.
She walked around the office while swinging her arms around and sat down comfortably into a soft looking chair.
Seeing that, Aiden sighed. However, he didn’t look displeased. Rather, he looked like a father watching his daughter joke around.
“Would you like to sit?”
Aiden turned his attention to Sung Joon. Although he was the President of the United States, he was still polite to Sung Joon.
Then again, he really didn’t have any other choice. Just the fact that Sung Joon was an SS-rank Hunter meant that he was invaluable. Plus, out of all the Hunters, he was most likely to become SSS-rank, so there was nothing wrong with being cautious.
“Pardon me.”
Sung Joon spoke politely as well. If the president was going to be polite, then he’d be polite as well.
“I’m truly thankful for what you did for New York City. I thank you on behalf of the United States.”
“Please don’t mention it. I just did what anyone else would’ve done.”
He’d profited from the raid, but it was true that he’d helped. Sung Joon replied and Shin Tae relayed what he’d said word for word.
“If it weren’t for you, Ms. Leia and the Witch guild wouldn’t have arrived on time. The damage to New York would’ve been greater had that happened. According to Beta headquarters, at least half of New York City would’ve been destroyed if not for your help, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Sung Joon nodded his head.
It’s not like SS-rank Hunters were common in the U.S. At the time, there weren’t any SS-rank Hunters nearby, and the SS-rank Orc Chieftain, Kalleak, had appeared through the warp gate.
If the battlefield couldn’t be contained early on, then the raid would spread like a forest fire. It would’ve been impossible to deal with with the Hunters in New York alone.
“You’re too kind,” Sung Joon said modestly, yet he was smiling. He always felt great from being complimented.
“Mr. President is right. I took him down easily, so he seemed weak, but with that much mana, you would need at least four S-rank Hunters like Idun to barely beat him. But before I arrived, there were only three S-rank Hunters in New York.”
“Ms. Leia is right.”
Aiden nodded his head and agreed with Leia. The United States possessed several S-rank Hunters, but because Hunters liked to be independent, the U.S. couldn’t station them wherever they wished.
However, the U.S. government had several Hunters, so they could somewhat evenly spread them around.
“I see,” Sung Joon smiled and replied. He didn’t think it was such a big deal, but it seems like the situation had been worse than he thought.
“What we are sure of is that because of you, the damage to New York City was minimized to about 10%. Several lives and assets were protected, and everyone is appreciate of your efforts.”
He wasn’t done with the compliments. It felt great, but Sung Joon wanted something else.
“So we plan on giving you one of the eight SS-rank items that the U.S. possesses: the ‘Righteous Shield’.”
“The Righteous Shield?”
“That’s correct.”
Aiden nodded his head. When Leia had told him he’d be getting an SS-rank item, he thought it might be a joke. So he felt like he’d caught a huge fish.
//
Chapter 53 – Otherworld Entity (1)
TL: Boko
The ‘Righteous Shield’.
It was one of the eight SS-rank items that the U.S. possessed. It was called a ‘shield’, but it was an item in the shape of a necklace.
There was a reason it was called a shield despite that. It possessed an ability called the ‘Absolute Shield’.
He’d never seen or used it before, but he’d read information about it on Hunter.com before.
“I’m not sure I can accept this.”
He felt great, but he also felt burdened by it. This would be the second time someone has gotten one of the U.S.’s SS-rank items, with Leia’s ‘Heaven’s Strike’ staff being the first.
“Who else could accept it other than you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
“Was this a decision made by Congress?”
“Of course. There are limits to what I can do alone.”
Congress wanted to reward Sung Joon so that he’d have a favorable impression of them.
“Then, I’ll accept it graciously.”
Declining out of excessive modesty was disrespectful, and although there was little chance of it happening, Aiden could still change his mind, so Sung Joon just nodded his head.
“Since it’s an SS-rank item, we plan on having a conferment ceremony. We’ll proceed with it as soon as possible, but it’ll still take a few days before it’s ready. For the time being, please stay in the Blair House.”
“Isn’t that only for state guests?” Sung Joon asked. He knew about the Blair House, as he’d heard about it a few times before.
“It’s fine. Whenever I come here, I stay there too.”
Leia jumped in. Aiden smiled and said.
“From this day forward, we’ll be treating you as a ‘state guest’. It’s the least we can do for the hero of New York.”
“Thank you.”
“I took too much of your time. I’ve heard that Hunters must rest sufficiently following a raid or a dungeon. I won’t take any more of your time. I’ll make sure the people who just left know as well.”
Shin Tae relayed Aiden’s words and Sung Joon nodded his head. Due to his ‘Absorption’ ability, he didn’t need to rest for very long, but having some personal time wouldn’t be so bad.
He had to contact his guild as well, since his stay in the U.S. would be longer than he’d planned.
“I’ll take you there.”
Shin Tae took the lead. They were about to leave the office, but Leia, who had been quietly watching them, suddenly stood up and followed them. Sung Joon turned his attention to her.
“You’re going to follow us to the Blair House?”
“I told you. That I sleep over there when I come to the White House.”
“Yeah...”
Leia replied, her expression seemingly saying ‘why are you asking something so obvious?’. Sung Joon nodded his head. He’d heard that the Blair House had several rooms, so he shouldn’t bump into her.
“We’re here.”
Sung Joon followed Shin Tae and arrived at the Blair House. Then, the workers there led them to their allotted rooms.
“There are no wiretaps or surveillance cameras here. You should have no problems staying here, my lord.”
Rishubalt, who’d been silent up until now, quickly surveyed the vast interior of the room and reported.
Sung Joon calmly looked around the room, and Shin Tae, who had briefly gone out, returned and approached him.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon. My room’s right next to yours. Feel free to call me whenever you need me. I’ll be standing by.”
The U.S. government was being considerate; they placed his interpreter, Shin Tae, in the room right next to his, as they knew his English wasn’t up to par. He didn’t know when Leia had disappeared, as he couldn’t find her.
“Did Leia go somewhere else?”
“She’s quite an independent individual, so she’s probably picking a room she likes right now,” Shin Tae replied.
In other words, she was being selfish. He could understand; after all, she had reached such a lofty position when she was in her early twenties.
If Sung Joon had become South Korea’s only SS-rank Hunters without his memories, then he would’ve become conceited.
Cha Kyu Tae, the S-rank Hunter he’d killed, had been in his mid-twenties, yet he had turned out to be such scum.
Leia was quite eccentric and did as she pleased, but she didn’t seem like a bad person.
“I’d like to rest.”
“Yes. If you need me, please don’t hesitate to call.”
Sung Joon spoke curtly, but his intent was relayed. Shin Tae nodded his head and left Sung Joon’s room.
Now that he was alone, he sat on a soft chair and took out his smartphone. He called his father, Soo Hyuk, first.
He explained simply, saying that he was in the U.S. for work. Then, he called Han Seok.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
“How’s the guild doing?” Sung Joon asked.
Han Seok took care of guild matters when Sung Joon was absent. Originally, Jung Chul oversaw such matters, but because of the ‘Rune of Loyalty’, Han Seok was more trustworthy right now. When both Sung Joon and Han Seok were out, Jung Chul or Shin Chul would take care of matters.
“There are no problems here.”
“What about my dad’s security? No one suspicious?”
“Security is perfect. There’s no suspicious activity nearby,” Han Seok replied with absolute confidence.
Although he’d been humiliated by Sung Joon, he was still South Korea’s top S-rank Hunter.
Not many people were skilled enough to plot some sort of scheme without him noticing. At the very least, there was no suspicious activity around the mansion.
Joon Yeol promised that White Tiger would keep an eye on any suspicious activity that took place far away from the mansion, so he could relax for now.
Though they weren’t very efficient, they were still an armed intelligence agency and South Korea was their ‘home ground’.
At the very least, they would act as a ‘stabilizer.’
“Alright. Keep up the good work.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Once Han Seok was finished, Sung Joon immediately ended the call. Han Seok was completely obedient to him due to the ‘Rule of Loyalty’.
“Who else do I need to call...”
Sung Joon called White Tiger’s leader, Na Joon Yeol, and requested that he keep his residence safe. Sung Joon checked his contacts and muttered.
“Shouldn’t you call Yoon Seol Ah?”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Rishubalt said, and Sung Joon nodded his head in agreement. Nothing bad would come of maintaining a close relationship with the Blue Dragon Group’s granddaughter; the Blue Dragon Group that had close ties with politicians. He called Seol Ah without hesitation.
“Ah... Mr. Kang Sung Joon...”
It sounded like she woke up and picked up her phone, but she soon sounded energized.
“I saw the news. They said an SS-rank raid broke out in New York. Are you hurt anywhere?” Seol Ah asked.
SS-rank raids were quite rare, and it seemed like the U.S. government was doing their utmost to paint Sung Joon as a hero. All of the news channels were covering the raid in New York.
Leia was the one who’d done the most work and was thus the MVP, but the news was reporting that she wouldn’t have arrived if not for Sung Joon. So, the more time passed, the more the U.S. citizens liked him.
“I’m alright. Anything going on in South Korea?”
“Not really. There are no problems with the guild, either.”
Seol Ah was the manager of the Lord guild, but she wasn’t very busy, as there weren’t that many guild members.
That’s why she was able to maintain her position in the Blue Dragon Group. Although she oversaw the guild’s operations, it didn’t really amount to much; she would help the handful of guild members with their dungeon matching or deliver the magic stones to the Blue Dragon Group as promised.
“Now that I think about it, I have some good news.”
Seol Ah aroused his curiosity.
“Good news? There’s nothing I can think of...”
“I was promoted. I’m the director of the guild business now,” Seol Ah said.
She had settled the contract between the Blue Dragon Group and the Lord guild for the magic stones, so she had been promoted from head of the guild plan to director of the guild business.
“Really? Congratulations.”
Sung Joon genuinely congratulated her. After all, her getting promoted was good news for him.
The higher her position in the Blue Dragon Group, the more they’d accommodate the Lord guild.
If he could, he would make her Blue Dragon Group’s chairman.
“It’s all because of you. Thank you.”
She could tell he was being genuine. That’s why she was so happy. She liked him more and more as time passed. Sung Joon had greatly influenced her advancement to director of the guild business.
“You were promoted because you did your best. You don’t need to thank me.”
“If it weren’t for you, then I wouldn’t have even tried.”
It was the truth. She had always done her best so that she’d be noticed by her grandfather and chairman of the Blue Dragon Group, Yoon Tae Seok, but he would never acknowledge her. It was only after she met Sung Joon did she begin to shine.
“Thank you.”
Sung Joon didn’t reply back. He could hear soft laughter from his phone. However, the laughter soon stopped and she continued to speak.
“Please come back soon. It feels quite empty without our guild leader. I don’t want to be alone.”
She didn’t sound drunk. Perhaps she was showing some parts of herself that she normally kept hidden.
Sung Joon spoke with her for a bit longer, and then ended the call.
He’d called internationally for quite some time, so his bill would be high. But it wasn’t something he had to worry about. Sung Joon remained in the chair and rested, but then, he felt someone’s presence.
Knock. Knock.
Sung Joon raised his head and heard someone knocking. It was a familiar presence, but it wasn’t Shin Tae.
He wasn’t confident in his English, so he spoke with an anxious expression.
“Please come in.”
His English was poor, but he could hold a simple conversation. Once he allowed them in, the door opened and a blonde haired woman came in.
Sung Joon was relieved when he saw her face. It was Jennifer.
Jennifer, an A-rank Hunter from the Central Hunter Bureau, didn’t know how to use Translation Magic, but she could speak fluent Korean. He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to speak in English or call Shin Tae.
“Ms. Jennifer. What’s the matter?”
“I’ve been assigned as your interpreter.”
“Wasn’t Mr. Lee Shin Tae supposed to be my interpreter?”
When he was inside the president’s office, he had heard that Shin Tae would be his interpreter during his stay at the White House. In response, Jennifer grinned and said.
“There’s been a change in personnel. I am now the head of a department, and I was also substituted as your interpreter.”
“The head of a department?”
“Yes. We just created it. Please just think of it as a department designed to help you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
The Delta Director, Louis, had created this unusual department to help Sung Joon.
One could tell just how much the U.S. government and the Central Hunter Bureau valued him.
“Ah... is that so?”
“Yes. I have taken Lee Shin Tae’s room. If you need something, feel free to call me.”
“I understand.”
Once he nodded his head, Jennifer grinned and left the room. Now, Sung Joon was able to rest. And a few days passed by.
He wasn’t very good at speaking English, but because Jennifer stayed close and interpreted for him, he didn’t feel any discomfort in the Blair House.
And it was finally the day where he would receive the SS-rank item, the ‘Righteous Shield’.
The conferment ceremony would be held in the same place as President Aiden’s inauguration ceremony. Once he left the Blair House, he was greeted by honor guards decked out in their uniforms.
Chapter 51 – Attack Dungeon (3)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
Sung Joon went underground while stealthed. He was able to enter easily, as there were no stealth detecting or nullifying items in place.
Although two otherworlders, who looked to be a part of the Investigation Squad, blocked the passageway, they weren’t skilled enough to see through Sung Joon’s stealth.
The door was locked, but he waited until it opened and then entered.
‘I’m killing their commander first.’
Sung Joon confirmed his plan. He wasn’t in South Korea right now, so Jung Chul wouldn’t be there to cover for him.
So cleaning up the aftermath would be difficult. He could ask the Central Hunter Bureau for help, but explaining the whole story would be a pain.
‘I’ll start with the commander and then kill everyone underground.’
He could also try to snatch the ‘Riodan Crystal’ without killing everyone, but if he went with that method, then the enemies would pursue him once they figured out the crystal was gone.
‘Killing them all is the best choice.’
Sung Joon’s eyes gleamed with killing intent. He didn’t know how everything was set up underground, but he just followed the powerful mana he felt.
He knew the ‘Riodan Crystal’ radiated powerful mana.
‘I found it,’ Sung Joon thought delightedly.
At the end of the long hall, there was a wide clearing with a crystal at its center.
And there were two men conversing beside the crystal. Based on the quantity of their mana, one of them was likely to be the base’s commander.
‘A first class assassin is here too.’
He couldn’t see the assassin, but Sung Joon could sense their stealthed presence.
‘Should I ambush them?’
He secretly drew his dagger, but he soon shook his head. Sung Joon had become curious about what the commander and his subordinate were talking about. He took a few steps towards them and listened in.
“Base Commander Anfels. Is it true that the Species Alliance’s expeditionary force will be coming soon?”
“So you’ve heard, Sir Belloc. It’s true.”
“Wasn’t the Empire supposed to lead the expedition?”
“It’s the Emperor’s orders. We have no way of knowing what he’s thinking.”
“In any case, if a large expeditionary force arrives, then New York will become a bloodbath. I’ve just come to like New York, yet... What a waste.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Surprisingly, their conversation was referring to the Species Alliance’s invasion. Sung Joon felt intensely anxious.
They were so confident that he could tell how large the Species Alliance’s expeditionary force would be.
“You two. I apologize for interrupting, but I believe someone is here.”
The first class assassin, whose face was hidden by a black mask, emerged from the darkness. He warned Anfels and Belloc of the threat and scanned his surroundings. He wasn’t completely sure, but he thought he needed to inform them.
“Sir Belloc. Since you’re a part of the Knight Brigade, you should be able to...”
“I’m not so sure.”
Belloc shook his head once Anfels looked at him. He gathered his mana and looked around, but he couldn’t feel any presences.
“Assassin Leader. Are you sure?”
Once Belloc refuted him, Anfels looked at the Assassin Leader and asked.
“I might’ve sensed wrong, but it’s better to be cautious,” the first class assassin said and Anfels acknowledged him.
“I believe you’ll have to make your move soon,” Rishubalt said. If things went on like this, then the Base Commander, Anfels, may warn the entire base.
Because he was still stealthed, Sung Joon threw a dagger at the first class assassin, rather than reply.
“An enemy!”
He threw his dagger and simultaneously, his stealth was released. Anfels, Belloc, and the first class assassin noticed the surprise attack and moved.
“You’re too slow!”
The first class assassin noticed how slow the dagger was and moved leisurely. Seeing that, Sung Joon laughed and said.
“Acceleration.”
“Huh?”
His dagger was accelerated. By the time the assassin noticed, it was already too late; there was a hole in his stomach, spurting red blood.
“To arms!”
Belloc and Anfels yelled together, summoning their weapons and armor.
Belloc had summoned a short spear and a shield, while Anfels had summoned a sword.
“Assassin Leader, hurry and call for reinforcements...” Anfels activated his aura and said. The assassin nodded silently and retreated.
Since he was severely injured, the assassin wouldn’t be much help to them. Their best option right now was to call for reinforcements. However, Sung Joon had no intention of letting him go.
“Blink.”
“H-How...!?”
Sung Joon, who’d instantly closed the distance with an unexpected spell, flustered the assassin.
“Damn it!” Belloc cursed and charged while covering his body with his shield.
He must’ve used high-speed movement, as he moved incredibly fast, but Sung Joon was faster. Sung Joon had already killed the assassin.
“Ugh!”
Sung Joon cut his neck, inflicting a severe wound. The assassin cried out and fell. He was probably dead. Sung Joon used his Illusionary Sword on Belloc, who was one step too late.
“T-This is Roukel’s technique... Ugh!”
Belloc recognized the Illusionary Sword as Roukel’s technique and simultaneously died.
“Y-You... What is your relationship with Sir Roukel?”
Once he saw the Illusionary Sword, Anfels’s reaction was strange. Although he hadn’t laid down his weapon, it didn’t seem like he had any intentions of attacking him either. Sung Joon decided to talk with him for now.
“You know about Sir Roukel?”
“Please, tell me. Please! What could your relationship to him have been to be able to use... the ‘Illusionary Sword’...”
Anfel raised his wrinkled, middle-aged face and continued. He was suspicious of Sung Joon’s relationship with Roukel due to his showing of the ‘Illusionary Sword’.
He used to be rank 226 of the Knight Brigade. That’s why he knew about the Illusionary Sword.
‘That was definitely the Illusionary Sword...’
It was much too fast, so he couldn’t see it all, but he had seen enough to know that it was Roukel’s lost technique.
“Please tell me!”
He could tell that Anfels respected Roukel, unlike most of the knights in the Empire.
“Is Sir Roukel still alive?”
His voice was tinged in desperation. He prayed that Sung Joon would say that Roukel was still alive. Seeing that, Sung Joon couldn’t help but feel doubtful.
He remembered some bits about the 226th ranked knight, but he’d never really talked to him before.
Above all, Anfels was in the Empire’s Investigation Squad base. Although the Brigade’s knights could be dispatched, only the high ranking officers of the Investigation Squad could be in command of the base.
And Belloc had called Anfels the Base Commander.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing him in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains...”
“He might have been demoted,” Rishubalt said.
Sung Joon carefully muttered to himself. If he’d killed him, then he’d definitely have remembered him.
Rishubalt gave his opinion, but his synchronization rate wasn’t at 100%. There was a chance that he wouldn’t remember, so he couldn’t be sure either way.
“I inherited Roukel’s will. My usage of the Illusionary Sword is proof of that,” Sung Joon replied.
Anfels’s next response was paramount. If he became hostile, then he would just kill him.
“More enemies are coming this way,” Rishubalt reported.
Several presences were approaching. Anfels activated the controls and closed the entrance.
Sung Joon looked as though he wanted an explanation. Anfels stifled his tears and spoke.
“Now we have some time to talk.”
“Can you hurry it up? Since it doesn’t seem like we have much time.”
“My name is Anfels. I used to be rank 226 of the Knight Brigade,” Anfels began.
“Hurry up. Since I have to kill them all.”
“All the partitions are closed shut. These partitions can even withstand ‘aura’ for a long time.”
“I see.”
Sung Joon nodded his head. Although aura was renowned for its cutting power, it wasn’t absolute, as magic and materials existed which could block it.
“Let me continue. I used to be a part of the Knight Brigade, but I was demoted as I refused to take part in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains.”
“Why did you refuse to take part? Were you afraid?”
Sung Joon asked and Anfels shook his head.
“I’m no coward. I just didn’t want to cross blades with the greatest knight, Roukel.”
“A knight of the Brigade disobeyed the Emperor’s orders? You could’ve been summarily executed for that offense.”
Sung Joon couldn’t understand. Disobeying an imperial command was a serious offense.
“The knights who refused to take part, including those of the Brigade, numbered in the thousands. It was impossible to kill all of them, even for the Empire.”
This was something Sung Joon, or Roukel and Rishubalt hadn’t known about. Roukel was highly respected and there were several knights that couldn’t take part in the battle, as they didn’t want to fight against him.
The Empire tried to execute them all, but there was a chance the situation would get out of hand, so the Empire instead removed them from their positions.
Of course, some didn’t take part in the battle for other reasons. Instead of not wanting to face him in battle, several just agreed with Roukel’s stance on the Species Alliance.
“Zelos should know a lot about this. We can make a decision after consulting with Sir Zelos,” Rishubalt said. Sung Joon slightly nodded his head.
“If you were stripped of your position, how did you get it back?” Sung Joon asked and Anfels spoke with a calm expression.
“The situation in the Empire has worsened, so I was summoned. They didn’t reinstate me as part of the Knight Brigade and I was instead put in charge of the Investigation Squad’s base.”
“The Empire’s not in good shape?”
Anfels nodded his head.
“That’s correct. If you’ve truly inherited Sir Roukel’s will, then I will assist you.”
“Good. Then first, answer my question.”
“Understood.”
“It’s simple. Is the Species Alliance arriving in New York today?”
It was the most important question. If it were true, then he would have to inform the Central Hunter Bureau immediately. If the raid spread and the U.S. fell, then the Earth would be occupied.
“Yes. A huge army, led by the Orc Chief Kalleak is arriving in New York. According to our info, they have ‘procured’ a dimensional fissure already. In twenty four hours, a warp gate will be opened in New York.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know, unfortunately.”
Anfels shook his head regrettably. Although he was a high ranking officer in the Investigation Squad and was in charge of the base, he didn’t know much about the Species Alliance. It hadn’t even been very long since he’d been told that the Species Alliance was attacking.
“I believe this attack signals the start of the invasion plan.”
“That won’t happen.”
Sung Joon’s eyes shined sharply and grabbed onto the Riodan Crystal. Anfels didn’t try to stop him.
“Since I’ll kill them all.”
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (1)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
“I’ll secure an escape route.”
“Will you be ok?” Sung Joon asked.
If he could, he would’ve killed all of the forces here, but if he did, he might not have enough time to warn the Central Hunter Bureau of the invasion.
“You don’t have to worry about me. As you’ve seen, our main force consists of the first-class assassin and Sir Belloc. I can take care of the rest.”
Though the Investigation Squad collected information from the frontlines, their combat abilities wasn’t very high. Anfel sounded extremely confident.
“Please remember that I wasn’t demoted due to my skill,” Anfels said.
Sung Joon was reminded that Anfels was once rank 226 of the Knight Brigade. Thus, he felt a bit relieved.
“Then I’ll leave the rest to you,” Sung Joon said as he placed the ‘Riodan Crystal’ into his dimensional pouch.
Anfels nodded his head and operated the magic circle. Then, the wall opened up, revealing a narrow passageway.
“I’m the only one who knows about this secret passageway. It’s connected to the outside.”
“I’ll go scout and come back,” Rishubalt said.
Sung Joon quietly looked at Rishubalt. He wanted Rishubalt to scout, as he couldn’t completely trust Anfels just yet. Rishubalt, who understood his intent, scouted and came back in just three minutes.
“It is indeed connected to the outside. There are no traps or ambushes.”
Sung Joon moved after Rishubalt gave his report. As soon as he entered the secret passageway, Anfels operated the magic circle to seal the wall.
“Before you go, I’d like to know your name.”
“I’d like to say ‘I’ll tell you if you survive’, but I suppose I can just tell you. My name’s Kang Sung Joon.”
“I hope to see you again.”
Once the way was sealed shut, the passageway’s magic lamps lit up and Sung Joon began to walk through.
He found the exit after walking for about five minutes. Once he got out, he found himself in a New York back alley.
Sung Joon could hear faint sounds of battle from the Investigation Squad’s base, but it was quiet enough that normal people wouldn’t hear it.
“I think we can just leave this to Anfels,” Rishubalt said.
“Yeah. That’s probably for the best.”
Sung Joon agreed with Rishubalt and hurriedly got away from the base. And then he took out his phone and called Jennifer.
“It seems like you’ve arrived in New York.”
“Now’s not the time for small talk.”
“Did something happen?”
Jennifer became serious once she heard the urgency in his voice.
“There’ll be a large-scale SS-rank raid in New York.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“I’ll tell headquarters immediately. I’ll contact you again later.”
The National Guard is mobilized in the case of a large-scale raid, but because Jennifer didn’t have jurisdiction over them, she had to report to her superiors first.
“Now it’s only a matter of time...”
Sung Joon gazed at the sky and muttered.
* * *
Jennifer finished her call with Sung Joon and went to the Beta headquarters, which was responsible for all matters regarding the raids in the U.S.
Each of the Central Hunter Bureau’s respective headquarters were within walking distance of each other.
She was a part of the Delta division, so she would normally have to report to her director, Louis, but he was currently out.
“Agent Jennifer? What brings you to Beta headquarters?” the security agent asked, acting amicably.
They were acquaintances. Once she was cleared to enter, Jennifer said.
“There’s something urgent that I need to report.”
“There are no problems. You can go in.”
As soon as she was finished with her security clearance, she rushed over to the director’s office.
Jennifer had already contacted the Beta headquarters, or in other words, the interested parties. Because of that, she could meet the Beta Director, Echid, without going through any special procedures.
If she were still just a regular agent from the Delta division, then she wouldn’t have been able to meet with a director so easily, but when she became solely responsible for Sung Joon, she was promoted and was now treated as though she was a director.
“Agent Jennifer? What’s wrong?”
Once she got into the director’s office, the A-rank Supporter Hunter, Echid (who was also the Beta Director) asked. He didn’t have a lot of time to waste.
“I’ve gotten word that there will be an large-scale SS-rank raid in New York.”
“That info... Where did you get it?”
Echid no longer looked so annoyed. He asked her with a surprised expression.
“Do you know something?”
Jennifer felt intensely anxious. Once she saw Echid’s reaction, she realized that Sung Joon’s assertion wasn’t ridiculous after all.
“We got a report from the Observation Bureau that they’ve found a dimensional fissure. I’m sure you already know, but a dimensional fissure is a sign that a raid will occur.”
Jennifer nodded her head. She was a Hunter as well, so she knew a bit about dimensional fissures.
“If they’ve already seen it, then why haven’t they alerted us?”
“They’ve determined that the dimensional fissure is much too small for a raid to occur.”
They had to be careful when alerting people of a raid. Once the alert is issued, troops are stationed in the relevant areas and all the citizens begin to take refuge, so it would do a lot of damage to the economy.
The Observation Bureau was like the Dungeon Bureau’s Situation Room, where only the best of the best were gathered to watch for dimensional fissures, but if they weren’t precise, then they would often send out an alert right before the raid occurred.
“Agent Jennifer. Where did you get this information?”
“From South Korea’s SS-rank Hunter, Kang Sung Joon.”
“I don’t know how Kang Sung Joon found out about this, but I guess we can’t just sit by and do nothing.”
Echid picked up his phone. Sung Joon wouldn’t have given them this information for no reason and without any evidence to back it up.
Plus, they’d seen an actual dimensional fissure, so they needed to do something about it.
“I’ll announce the raid and issue an alert. Agent Jennifer, could you ask for Mr. Kang Sung Joon’s assistance?”
“Do we need his help?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, there are no SS-rank Hunters nearby.”
There being no SS-rank Hunters near New York when the Species Alliance was sending their expeditionary force was by no means a coincidence.
The Central Hunter Bureau hadn’t noticed this, but this had all been orchestrated by the Empire.
“Agent Jennifer. I give you full authority over this. We need Kang Sung Joon’s help.”
“I’ll do my best,” Jennifer replied. Echid nodded his head with a satisfied expression. He then placed his phone to his ear and said.
“I’m declaring the outbreak of a raid.”
* * *
The raid was announced and an alert was issued. The National Guard entered from downtown and the Hunters were called as well. The U.S. gathered their Hunters quickly, befitting a developed country.
In the midst of this chaos, Sung Joon picked up his phone.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon? We’ve declared the outbreak of a raid.”
“I just saw,” Sung Joon replied.
Military planes flew through the air, and armed soldiers began taking control of the roads. It was obvious that a raid was going to occur.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon. Let me explain the current situation to you.”
Jennifer explained that there were no SS-rank Hunters nearby. Hearing that, Sung Joon furrowed his brow.
‘Is this what they were aiming for?’
He couldn’t be sure, but if the Species Alliance had pulled the strings... It was scary to even think about. While Sung Joon was incredibly anxious, Jennifer finished her explanation.
“The closest SS-rank Hunter is two hours away. The U.S. needs your help, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
The battlefield would spread too much in two hours. If it was really an SS-rank raid, then it wouldn’t be easy for the S-rank Hunters to take down the boss. Even if they did manage to take it down, there would be several casualties.
They needed Sung Joon’s help.
“If I help, what can you (the U.S.) do for me?” Sung Joon asked.
It was almost fate for him to fight against the Empire and the Species Alliance, but if he could profit from it, then he would.
“We have nothing specific in mind, but if there’s something you want, then we’ll do our best to fulfill that request.”
“That’s plenty.”
That response was good enough. Sung Joon smirked. The U.S. would uphold their end of the bargain.
“I’ll help.”
“Military headquarters would like you to stop the monsters that come out of the warp gate. The Beta division’s Raid Special Task Force and the National Guard will support you.”
“How reassuring.”
“I’ll send you a message detailing where a helicopter is waiting.”
Once their call was over, Jennifer sent him a message. And Sung Joon began to move to the location.
In the center of a park, a Chinook helicopter, as well as the Raid Special Task Force were waiting for him. There was a formation of attack helicopters waiting in the air.
“It’s a pleasure, Mr. Kang Sung Joon. I’m the Raid Special Task Force’s Team Leader, Idun.”
A blonde haired Hunter approached him and greeted him amicably. He could tell that they were using Translation Magic.
“He’s an S-rank Hunter. Based on his clothes, he must be a Mage,” Rishubalt said.
“My name is Kang Sung Joon. I’ll be in your care.”
After they were done exchanging greeting, they felt a powerful mana response spreading. A giant warp gate opened in the sky and a huge flying ship slowly came out of it. Monsters flooded out from a warp gate that opened on the ground as well.
The National Guard attacked them with everything they had to stop their advance, even by a little.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon! We have to leave now!” Idun yelled urgently.
Once he confirmed that Sung Joon and the rest of the Special Task Force had gotten in the Chinook helicopter, he gathered his mana and said.
“Fly!” he spoke the activation words and his body rose into the air.
The helicopter also took off. While the propellers spun, making a huge commotion, Idun spoke.
“We’ll (Special Task Force) will take you to the operation area!”
At the same time, he gave the pilot the signal. The Chinook helicopter flew towards the largest warp gate while being protected by the formation of attack helicopters.
“They’ve already formed a blockade with their ships!”
“Raise the altitude!”
He could hear the captain and the vice-captain. A tense atmosphere hung over them. Because the Orcs had already formed a blockade with their ships, they wouldn’t be able to get through while flying at low-altitude. The captain thought briefly and raised the helicopter’s altitude.
Two of the attack helicopters went with it, but they were brought down by offensive spells.
The attack helicopters that crashed emitted dark red heat, and the nearby Orcs rushed over to them. It sounded like they were urgently asking for support, but the captain just shook his head.
“We keep going. Our job is to bring Hunter Kang Sung Joon to the ‘source’.”
No one refuted the Captain.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (2)
TL: Boko
Editor: Frost
“Orc Wyvern Riders in front!” someone yelled.
Orc Wyvern Riders were A-rank monsters and threw explosive javelins, so they posed a significant danger to helicopters.
Sung Joon moved towards the cockpit area and looked forward. There were more than 30 Orc Wyvern Riders flying towards them. They looked incredibly menacing.
He focused mana into his eyes, temporarily boosting his eyesight. The Wyvern Riders’ javelins hung off their saddles and he could see the explosive magic engraved upon them.
If even one of the helicopters was hit by one of those, then it would cause a chain reaction and all of them would explode.
“Please, don’t be so worried! Hunter Idun will take care of them!”
Although the helicopter formation had been destroyed, the First Officer didn’t give in to despair. After all, they had Idun with them, an S-rank Hunter noted for his potential.
Idun saw the incoming Wyvern Riders and flew in front of the Chinook helicopter. He looked as though he was a gatekeeper blocking all from getting to Sung Joon.
“My mission is to protect you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon, keeping you at full strength until you reach the warp gate. I’ll take care of this,” Idun said and raised his hands.
He gathered his mana and said ‘transform’ softly. Then, his ring emitted light and transformed into a staff. At the same time, he began casting a spell.
“Wind Cutter.”
Tens, no hundreds of wind blades covered the azure sky.
“He’s multi-casting. That’s not all; he cast fifteen Wind Cutters simultaneously,” Rishubalt said in awe.
Multi-casting was a higher level technique than Double-casting.
It was an extremely complex technique, so only those who were either talented or possessed incredible senses could perform it.
Of course, the number of spells a Mage could cast simultaneously depended entirely on how talented they were, and from Sung Joon’s point of view, it seemed like Idun was incredibly talented.
‘He seems more talented than Na Joon Yeol,’ Sung Joon thought.
While he briefly let his mind wander off, Idun’s Wind Cutters sliced the incoming Orc Wyvern Riders into pieces, spewing blood into the air.
“There are more coming this way!”
Idun was an extraordinary Mage Hunter, but there were too many of them.
There were dozens of Orc Wyvern Riders flying over to them, and at least a hundred monsters gathered on the ground.
“That’s close enough. I’ll go down now.”
“However... Hunter! We still have a long ways to go before we reach the warp gate. Plus, monsters have already captured this area!”
When Sung Joon said he’d leave, the Captain voiced his concerns. Since they were deep into enemy territory, they were surrounded by monsters.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take it from here. Please return with the Special Task Force.”
Sung Joon ignored the Captain and jumped out of the helicopter. It was quite high, but since he was an SS-rank Hunter, he was able to safely land without any injury.
He expected the Special Task Force to retreat, but they followed suit and descended from the helicopter.
Once Idun was finished taking care of the last of the Orc Wyvern Riders, he descended and said.
“We can’t go back. Since we were ordered to support you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Sung Joon shook his head. It would prove difficult to get through to him, and he didn’t want to waste time in the middle of enemy territory.
“Please don’t fall behind.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Idun replied confidently. Sung Joon merely nodded his head, and ran towards the powerful mana source he felt.
Idun and the Special Task Force followed him. A Supporter Hunter cast a Haste buff, allowing them to keep up with Sung Joon.
They were deep in enemy territory, but they didn’t encounter monsters for the first ten minutes, as Sung Joon actively avoided them.
But soon, the monsters began to surround them, and they were no longer able to avoid confrontation.
“There are sixteen Orc Blademasters and a Chieftain; there are at least three hundred monsters total!” Rishubalt hurriedly reported.
It wasn’t a small force, considering the fact that there were sixteen S-rank Orc Blademasters.
What’s worse, there was an SS-rank Orc Chieftain mixed in as well.
Considering what the Orc Chieftain did after coming out of the warp gate, he wasn’t the boss. If that’s the case, there was a high chance that the Orc Chieftain was a low tier SS-rank. Even so, it was still an SS-rank monster. He couldn’t afford to be careless.
“We’ll open a path for you!” Idun said.
He stood in front and swung his staff, casting a explosion of fire that devoured the Orcs.
“Ugh!”
Most of the Orcs were swept away by the flames, but the Orc Blademasters and the Chieftain swung their swords and exited the flames. Their skin had blackened a bit, but they hadn’t been burned at all.
“I’ll leave the Orc Blademasters to you. I’ll help you after I’m finished taking care of the Orc Chieftain.”
“I’ll do my best,” Idun replied anxiously.
Even though Sung Joon would take on the SS-rank Chieftain, he and the Special Task Force would have to deal with 16 S-rank Orc Blademasters. He was the only one amongst the Special Task Force that was S-rank.
“I’ll cut down their numbers.”
Sung Joon rushed forward and infused mana into Rishubalt.
“Die! You monster filth!”
Rishubalt, who now had a physical form, rushed forward and swung his sword. He had managed to ambush one of the Orc Blademasters.
“Ugh!”
The Orc Blademaster bled from his neck and fell. As he broke through their formation, Sung Joon swung his sword, killing three more Orc Blademasters.
He had gotten close to the Orc Chieftain instantaneously. The green skinned Orc Chieftain wielded two greatswords, one in each hand.
Once Sung Joon got close, the Orc Chieftain crossed his greatswords and enveloped them in a powerful aura. The aura was menacing, as though it could cut through anything.
“Welcome to Earth.”
“You can speak our language?”
The Orc Chieftain looked amazed, as Sung Joon could fluently speak their language, but it only lasted for an instant. He then swung his greatswords at Sung Joon.
He shot aura slashes at Sung Joon and simultaneously rushed forward like a bullet. If he avoided the aura slashes, then the Chieftain would aim for his vital areas. If he did the opposite, then he would be hit by the aura slashes. However, he had a way to block both.
‘The best defense is a good offense.’
He could use his ‘Dimension Slash’ to cut through both the aura and the Orc Chieftain. Sung Joon didn’t avoid it. On the contrary, he used his high-speed movement, instantaneously closed the distance, and unleashed a ‘Dimension Slash’.
“Huh?”
Dimension Slash, which could even cut through dimensions, cut through both the aura slashes and the Orc Chieftain’s greatswords and upper body.
“And goodbye.”
A red line formed upon the Orc Chieftain’s upper body and widened. Then, he fell and rolled onto the floor. The lower body, which had lost its upper half, spurted blood akin to a fountain and helplessly fell to the floor.
“H-How can this be!? He killed the Orc Chieftain with a single blow?” a certain Special Task Force member said in shock.
They couldn’t see it, as the process was much too quick, but they knew exactly what had transpired. The SS-rank monster, the Orc Chieftain, had been killed in a single blow.
“Absorb.”
Sung Joon absorbed the mana and stamina from the Orc Chieftain’s body, but he wasn’t able to recover all the mana he’d spent on the ‘Dimension Slash’.
“Your synchronization rate has become 62%,” Rishubalt reported.
‘As I thought, Dimension Slash isn’t a technique I can use often...’
Dimension Slash expended more mana than the Illusionary Sword, so it couldn’t be used frivolously. He wanted to minimize the damage to Idun and the Special Task Force, so he was forced to use it, but he knew he’d have to use it sparingly.
“Ugh!”
“Cough!”
He heard screams of agony. Half of the twenty Special Task Force members were on the ground. It was obvious this would happen.
They were fighting against several elite enemies. There were ten S-rank Orc Blademasters left, so there was nothing else that needed to be said.
“Heal!”
Some of them were still alive. Sung Joon didn’t hesitate and used his mana to heal them.
Most of them were grievously injured, but with an SS-rank Healer Hunter’s overwhelming healing power, they were immediately healed.
A few of the collapsed Special Task Force members were completely healed and raised their weapons once more.
“I’ll help!”
Sung Joon used his high-speed movement. Its speed was akin to lightning.
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
When Sung Joon swung his sword, an afterimage was left behind. And whenever he swung his sword, an Orc Blademaster would fall. In just five minutes, Sung Joon had annihilated the Orc Blademasters. Sung Joon turned his head towards Idun.
“Mr. Idun! Please use wide area magic!”
The remaining monsters were agitated, as the Orc Chieftain and the Blademasters were killed.
They could take care of all the monsters with a wide area spell. Since the warp gate was still a ways away, he needed to reserve his magic and stamina as best as he could.
“Blizzard!”
While Sung Joon and the rest of the Special Task Force fought, Idun finished casting his wide area spell.
The ice storm swept through the monsters. At least a hundred monsters were killed, with the remaining monsters panicked and ran away.
“Let’s move!” Sung Joon pressed.
It was regrettable that they couldn’t collect their fallen comrades’ bodies, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Idun knew that destroying the warp gate was their top priority, so he didn’t say anything.
Eventually, they arrived near the warp gate. The monsters setting up camp swarmed them to protect the warp gate.
“It’s the Blood Red Wind Tribe. My lord, you killed the previous chieftain, Baralrod, in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. It’s likely that Kalleak has assumed the position of chieftain.”
There was a flag attached to the gateway, signifying that they were a part of the Species Alliance, as well as being the main force of the ‘Orcs’, commanded by the Blood Red Wind Tribe Chieftain.
“There are only thirteen of you fighting against us?” an Orc said strongly, wielding a glaive.
He had the tribe’s flag on his back, and as Rishubalt had expected, it was indeed Kalleak.
Kalleak was once a ‘Great Warrior’, but after the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains, he assumed the post of Chieftain following Baralrod’s death.
“Yeah, there are only thirteen of us, but it’s enough to crush you.”
“You know our language? I heard that some of you knew, but it’s strange meeting one of you in person.”
Kalleak smirked.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter. Since you’re going to die either way.”
“That’s enough.”
The moment Kalleak raised his glaive... a clear voice resounded out. Simultaneously, Sung Joon sensed an enormous flow of mana. Lightning descended from the sky.
An extremely large lightning bolt at that.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (3)
TL: Boko
Kwang!
Hundreds of Orcs ‘ceased to exist’ from the explosion. No, it merely looked that way. They were instantly reduced to ashes and disappeared, so it only looked that way.
“Shit!” Kalleak cursed.
Before he’d been hit by the lightning bolt, he had used high-speed movement to get out of the way.
He sensed a powerful mana reaction from above. Just a short while ago, it was as quiet as the night sea, but now, the air was shaking, as if a tsunami was coming. It was a huge flow of mana.
“I told before. That ‘that’s enough’, Orc.”
He hadn’t heard it that well before, but now he heard it clearly. It was definitely the otherworld language.
She warned, and landed upon the bloodstained road.
“Y-You’re...” Idun said. He knew who she was.
“Ms. Leia...”
He had his suspicions when he saw her kill hundreds of Orcs, which included at least twenty Orc Blademasters with a single spell. Leia was the name of the only SSS-rank Hunter in the world.
“Y-You damn human!”
“Shut up.”
Leia expressionlessly swung her staff, as if it were a pain to even do so. And then, with a wave of mana, a aura clad blade storm struck Kalleak.
It was already too late by the time Kalleak had sensed the mana reaction. Since the sharp, aura clad winds had already passed him.
By the time he felt the pain, his left arm and right leg had been severed.
“Her casting speed’s incredibly fast. So this is an SSS-rank Hunter, huh?”
Even Sung Joon was surprised by her casting speed. Seeing that, Rishubalt smiled faintly and said.
“Have you forgotten? You were much stronger, my lord.”
Sung Joon smiled, as Rishubalt’s words hand caused him to reminisce.
“Thanks.”
While they spoke, Leia continued to use lightning magic to attack Kalleak.
Kalleak wasn’t able to deal with Leia’s repeat high-speed casting. The lightning raged without rest and ultimately, Kalleak was burnt black and fell to the floor.
“Hmm.”
Leia cast another lightning spell to confirm Kalleak’s death, and once she was sure he was dead, she turned her head towards Sung Joon.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
She spoke in Korean. He could tell that she was using Translation Magic based on the flow of mana.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“First off, thanks. If you hadn’t warned us beforehand, then I wouldn’t have been able to get here so soon.”
She was going to do some covert operation for the U.S. government, but the Central Hunter Bureau had asked for help, so she’d come to New York. If she had been contacted while in the middle of her operation, then it would’ve been difficult to get out of it.
“There’s a lot I’d like to say, but I’ll take care of the warp gate first,” Leia said, and immediately destroyed the crystal maintaining the warp gate.
Idun received a report stating all the monsters that had crossed over were being unsummoned.
“Mr. Idun. Where are the other warp gates?”
Idun raised his map to answer Sung Joon’s question, but then, Leia raised her hand as if to stop him and said.
“That’s not necessary.”
“The battlefield will continue to spread if we leave the other warp gates...”
Sung Joon furrowed his brow.
“My guild will take care of this from now on.”
The Hunters of the Witch guild (America’s rank 1 guild) had appeared in New York.
* * *
The situation in New York had been dealt with. Jennifer visited Sung Joon in the hotel he was staying at and told him he’d be paid normally for the raid.
Three days after the raid, Sung Joon called Anfels.
“This is Kang Sung Joon.”
“I heard you fought in the New York raid. You’re amazing,” Anfels said.
Leia, the SSS-rank Hunter, was the one who’d dealt the fatal blow to the boss, but it was true that Sung Joon had fought in the raid.
“I’d like to meet with you... Are you free?”
He wanted to know how the Empire was faring right now. Although Zelos had some connections inside of the Empire, it was difficult for him to access that information, as he was on the run.
However, Anfels had been appointed as a commander of the Empire’s Special Forces (Investigation Squad) just a little while ago, so he had access to high rank information.
“I was ‘dismissed’ a short while ago, so I have plenty of time.”
“Is that so...?”
Sung Joon smiled bitterly. He knew what being ‘dismissed’ meant.
The fact that he was alive meant that everyone in the base was dead. While the Empire didn’t know he was cooperating with Sung Joon, he wouldn’t be able to escape punishment for failing his duties.
“How did you take care of the aftermath?”
“They’ll find out once they send an investigator from the Special Forces, but until then, I’m ‘dead’.”
That meant that he wouldn’t be followed for the time being. There wouldn’t be any problems with meeting him.
“We’ll meet tomorrow at two in the afternoon. Once you’ve decided on a place, send me a message,” Sung Joon said.
Sung Joon wasn’t familiar with New York, so he needed to use his smartphone’s app to get around.
“I understand.”
Once he heard Anfel’s reply, Sung Joon immediately hung up. Eventually, he received a message regarding where they would meet. Sung Joon used his smartphone’s map app to figure out where they would meet.
“It’s not very far from here.”
He was able to find the location with ease by using his smartphone’s map app. However, it wasn’t what he had expected.
The next day, he confidently left the hotel, but he ended up getting lost.
“I’ll scout out,” Rishubalt said.
“No. That’s not necessary.”
Sung Joon shook his head. He asked people passing by for directions with his basic English and managed to find where he needed to go.
He entered the cafe and checked his watch. Fortunately, he wasn’t late. If he hadn’t left early, then he would’ve been late for sure.
Sung Joon didn’t like being late. After he’d gotten some coffee, he sat down and a man wearing a brown coat sat in front of him. It was Anfels.
“You came right on time.”
Anfels raised his coffee and said.
“I came ten minutes early and was inspecting the area.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being careful.”
Anfels nodded in agreement.
“Anyway, did you call me to ask about the Empire?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have anyone helping you from the Empire?”
“The more information, the better.”
Anfels asked. Sung Joon avoided answering concretely. He still couldn’t completely trust Anfels yet, so he didn’t talk about Zelos. For the time being, he wouldn’t tell him about Zelos.
“I agree. However, just having a lot of information doesn’t necessary help. You need to be able to discern what’s true and what’s not.”
“I have a question.”
“You’re going straight to the point? Then I’ll ‘block out’ our surroundings.”
Sung Joon knew what he meant, so he silently nodded his head. Then, Anfels placed a small crystal onto the table.
It was a high rank item that would stop their communication from being leaked to the outside. He’d seen it several times in the past, as it would often used by the Empire’s Special Forces.
Buzz-
Once Anfels infused his mana into the item, it let out a tiny buzzing sound and activated.
“Now we can talk freely.”
“It’ll keep us safe, right?”s
“If someone with the ability to see through this comes, you should be able to detect them.”
Anfels had seen Sung Joon take down Belloc (rank 231 of the Knight Brigade), as well as the first-class assassin from the Ghost Squad.
So he knew that Sung Joon was much more powerful than he was, albeit much weaker than Roukel.
“Probably.”
Sung Joon nodded his head and took a sip of his coffee. He could taste how bitter it was, so he ripped a sugar packet on the table and poured it in.
“Before we go to the main topic, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Is Sir Roukel still alive?” Anfels asked.
When they’d first met, Sung Joon hadn’t confirmed whether Roukel was alive or not.
“No, he’s not. However, I’ve inherited his will.”
“As I thought. I ask only because I didn’t participate in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. Please forgive me if I was being rude.”
Sung Joon answered clearly, and Anfels bowed his head, looking regretful. He hoped that Roukel was still alive.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. Please ask me whatever you wish,” Anfels responded weakly while raising his coffee cup; he looked really lonely.
But since Sung Joon still had some questions he needed to ask, he asked with a calm expression.
“I want to know about the Empire’s current state of affairs.”
Anfels had expected that question and his eyes shined.
“Well... a lot of time has passed since the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains. The Empire has changed significantly.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Empire’s structure or the Emperor hasn’t changed. But internal matters have become a bit complicated. It’s become quite chaotic.”
The greatest knight that everyone in the Empire revered was killed, and the Emperor had formed an alliance with their longstanding enemy. Although the Emperor had power of the Empire, there was no way that people in the Empire would remain quiet.
“Explain.”
“After Sir Roukel died in the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains, the Emperor formed an official alliance with the Species Alliance and began his purge.”
“Who were the targets of his purge?” Sung Joon asked.
Even if he didn’t say anything, Sung Joon had an idea as to who the Emperor targeted. Still, he needed to know for sure.
“Anyone associated with Roukel, as well as those who opposed the alliance with the Species Alliance were targets of the purge.”
As he expected. Even Roukel, known as the greatest knight of the Empire, was labeled a traitor for opposing the alliance with the Species Alliance.
The Emperor’s position was clear, and didn’t hesitate with the purge.
“Were they all killed?”
Some should’ve escaped the purge like Zelos. He wanted to know about them.
“I’m not sure since I didn’t look into it. I believe someone from the Executive Squad would know.”
The Executive Squad, one of the squads under the Empire’s Special Forces, was responsible for taking care of and cracking down on rebels.
“I know where the Executive Squad’s base is. If you launch an attack on the base, you should be able to steal the data as well.”
“It’s been some time... Do you think I can?”
Sung Joon didn’t really like the idea. Too much time had passed for him to go looking for information now. According to Zelos, time flowed similarly, but also differently between Earth and the otherworld. It felt as though fifteen years had passed since the battle of the Ridonia Great Plains.
“Don’t you want to learn the whereabouts of your comrades?”
Anfels final statement caused Sung Joon to waver. He returned to his hotel after parting ways with Anfels.
The moment he entered the lobby, he felt a powerful magical energy. The owner of this magic was hiding themselves, but they couldn’t fool him.
“What do you want?”
They didn’t sense any hostility, so he didn’t draw his weapon. Then, the person pushing down on their broad-brimmed hat stood up from their seat.
“Amazing. You truly are the ‘rising star’ of South Korea, aren’t you?”
The young lady, whose wavy blonde hair fell to her waist, took off her hat, revealing a quick-witted but also cute face.
Sung Joon knew who she was.
“Leia...”
“The White House wants you. Let’s go together.”
“Why does the White House suddenly want me...”
“Apparently, they’re going to give you an SS-rank item.”
They had only met twice, but Sung Joon knew that that explanation was nowhere near enough.
//
Chapter 52 – Righteous Shield (4)
TL: Boko
“Let’s go. The car’s waiting outside.”
“W-Wait a sec...”
Before he could even respond, Leia grabbed his hand and dragged him outside.
Although Leia was a Mage Hunter, she was still an SSS-rank Hunter. Sung Joon instinctively tried to resist, but she was too strong for him, so he was helplessly dragged outside.
If he really tried to resist, he might be able to stop her, but since they were giving him an SS-rank item, he just obediently followed her.
“Here!”
Leia pointed towards a parked black sedan. She and Sung Joon got into the car and drove to the airport.
Since Washington and New York weren’t close, they needed to use a plane to get there quickly.
They boarded a plane that the U.S. government had prepared for them and landed in the airport in the Washington suburbs. There was a worker standing by at the airport to accompany them.
“You get off first. Since you’re the star.”
Sung Joon nodded his head and stood in front of the exit. Then, the crewman smiled, opened the door, and said.
“Welcome to Washington.”
Once the door opened, Sung Joon took a down the stairs.
There were lines of honor guards beneath the stairs that led to a luxurious sedan, adorned with the national flags of the United States and South Korea.
“This is a bit excessive.”
“The U.S. government prepared this for you. Since New York would’ve been annihilated if not for you. It’s only natural.”
Sung Joon commented and Leia replied. He began walking and felt something soft beneath his feet. When he looked down, he saw a red carpet.
He looked around and saw several cameras; perhaps they were covering this as news.
“How grand.”
“That’s how it is in the U.S,” Leia naturally waved her hand and said. She was familiar with this kind of thing.
“Why don’t you wave at them? You’re the star today.”
Sung Joon looked at the camera and waved. The cinematographers did their best to get more shots of Sung Joon, the hero of New York.
They wanted to get some closer shots of him, but they couldn’t, as the airport employees were stopping them from getting too much.
“You can go down now,” Leia said after Sung Joon had waved his hand for quite some time.
Then, Sung Joon went down the stairs.
He was inspected by the honor guard and walked to the luxurious sedan. Sung Joon got into the rear passenger seat while Leia sat in front.
“Are you coming with me to the White House?”
“Yep.”
Sung Joon asked. Leia looked forward and then replied. The driver anxiously grabbed the steering wheel, as an SSS-rank and SS-rank Hunter were speaking to each other.
The sedan left the airport and immediately began to drive to the White House.
“What’s wrong?”
Leia looked curious, as Sung Joon looked like he was deep in thought and asked.
“I didn’t think they’d send an SSS-rank Hunter as an escort,” Sung Joon replied.
Since Leia didn’t speak politely, Sung Joon decided to do the same.
“You’re different from other Hunters. You’re special.”
“Special?”
“Your growth rate is really fast. You can definitely become an SSS-rank Hunter. I told the U.S. government that I wanted to meet you, and that I’d be your escort.”
She looked at Sung Joon through the rear view mirror and grinned. Sung Joon briefly sighed and shook his head.
Leia had a cooperative relationship with the U.S. government, but she never did anything that didn’t interest her. If she hadn’t been interested in Sung Joon, then the U.S. government would have sent someone else.
“I never do anything I don’t want to do.”
That statement alone told him what position she held in the U.S.
She was in her early twenties, but she was the world’s sole SSS-rank Hunter. Although she couldn’t be a part of the army due to the international treaty, she was still invaluable.
No one knew when an SSS-rank raid would occur, but Leia would be able to deal with it. Thus, her cooperative relationship with the U.S. was both politically and economically valuable to them.
“We’ve arrived.”
The driver notified them that they’d arrived at the White House. Bodyguards wearing suits came rushing over, opening the doors for them so that they could exit comfortably. Once the two disembarked, the driver drove off.
“Let’s go.”
“Where exactly are we going?”
Just like before, Leia grabbed Lee Shin Woo’s hand and dragged him away. The bodyguards followed the two. Sung Joon just noticed that the bodyguards were all Hunters.
“To see the President,” Leia said. Like always, she didn’t explain enough.
“Can we see him while armed?”
Protocol dictated that a Hunter go unarmed when meeting the president of a foreign nation, but Leia shook her head and said.
“I’m going to be there, so it’s fine,” she said confidently. As a SSS-rank Hunter, she could afford to be confident.
She probably thought that she’d be able to overpower Sung Joon easily if it came to that.
‘At the very least, I wouldn’t lose.’
Sung Joon was confident. Leia beat him in terms of magic and firepower, but Sung Joon was better at killing people, as he’d developed his killing techniques over dozens of years on the battlefield.
Leia had also undergone training at the Central Hunter Bureau, but she couldn’t match up to Roukel’s swordsmanship.
They’d have to fight to iron out the details, but he was confident that he wouldn’t lose helplessly.
“Ms. Leia. I’ll take you there.”
“No need.”
A White House worker rushed out and offered to lead them, but Leia shook her head, took Sung Joon’s hand and led him herself.
It seemed like she had been to the White House quite often, as she was familiar with its interior. She kept advancing unimpeded with Sung Joon in tow.
They passed a long corridor and Leia stopped in front of a luxuriously decorated door. She turned her head towards Sung Joon and said.
“We’re here.”
It was the president’s personal office. He sensed several presences within. Sung Joon calmly straightened himself out and then opened the door.
A man at the door noticed Sung Joon first and approached him with a joyous expression. The man was Korean; he wore a suit and glasses, and had short hair.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m your interpreter, Lee Shin Tae. It’s an honor to meet you in person, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Shin Tae spoke curtly, but came out strong nonetheless.
“I will be your interpreter while you’re here in the White House.”
“Ah... I see.”
Sung Joon nodded his head. There was one person who particularly stood out amongst the people behind Shin Tae.
The kind looking man was the U.S. President. He could recognize him immediately, as he’d seen him often on the TV.
“Welcome, Mr. Kang Sung Joon,” the U.S. President, Aiden, greeted him.
Although he spoke in English, Shin Tae was right next to Sung Joon and translated the President’s words. It was such a simple greeting that Sung Joon didn’t really need the translation.
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Kang Sung Joon,” Sung Joon shook Aiden’s offered hand and replied.
He knew some English, but he continued to speak in Korean since he had an interpreter.
“I’d like to speak with you in private. Could you all please leave for a moment?”
The figures gathered within President Aiden’s office looked disappointed. It seemed like they wanted to meet Sung Joon, the hero of New York.
“I’ll set up a place where you can speak with him later.”
“I understand.”
“Please do.”
Aiden promised that they’d be able to talk to him later. The president himself had made a promise, so they all put their regret behind them and left the office.
Now, the only ones left in the office were Aiden, Shin Tae, Sung Joon, and Leia.
Shin Tae remained as an interpreter, while Leia wasn’t someone the president could control very easily.
She walked around the office while swinging her arms around and sat down comfortably into a soft looking chair.
Seeing that, Aiden sighed. However, he didn’t look displeased. Rather, he looked like a father watching his daughter joke around.
“Would you like to sit?”
Aiden turned his attention to Sung Joon. Although he was the President of the United States, he was still polite to Sung Joon.
Then again, he really didn’t have any other choice. Just the fact that Sung Joon was an SS-rank Hunter meant that he was invaluable. Plus, out of all the Hunters, he was most likely to become SSS-rank, so there was nothing wrong with being cautious.
“Pardon me.”
Sung Joon spoke politely as well. If the president was going to be polite, then he’d be polite as well.
“I’m truly thankful for what you did for New York City. I thank you on behalf of the United States.”
“Please don’t mention it. I just did what anyone else would’ve done.”
He’d profited from the raid, but it was true that he’d helped. Sung Joon replied and Shin Tae relayed what he’d said word for word.
“If it weren’t for you, Ms. Leia and the Witch guild wouldn’t have arrived on time. The damage to New York would’ve been greater had that happened. According to Beta headquarters, at least half of New York City would’ve been destroyed if not for your help, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
Sung Joon nodded his head.
It’s not like SS-rank Hunters were common in the U.S. At the time, there weren’t any SS-rank Hunters nearby, and the SS-rank Orc Chieftain, Kalleak, had appeared through the warp gate.
If the battlefield couldn’t be contained early on, then the raid would spread like a forest fire. It would’ve been impossible to deal with with the Hunters in New York alone.
“You’re too kind,” Sung Joon said modestly, yet he was smiling. He always felt great from being complimented.
“Mr. President is right. I took him down easily, so he seemed weak, but with that much mana, you would need at least four S-rank Hunters like Idun to barely beat him. But before I arrived, there were only three S-rank Hunters in New York.”
“Ms. Leia is right.”
Aiden nodded his head and agreed with Leia. The United States possessed several S-rank Hunters, but because Hunters liked to be independent, the U.S. couldn’t station them wherever they wished.
However, the U.S. government had several Hunters, so they could somewhat evenly spread them around.
“I see,” Sung Joon smiled and replied. He didn’t think it was such a big deal, but it seems like the situation had been worse than he thought.
“What we are sure of is that because of you, the damage to New York City was minimized to about 10%. Several lives and assets were protected, and everyone is appreciate of your efforts.”
He wasn’t done with the compliments. It felt great, but Sung Joon wanted something else.
“So we plan on giving you one of the eight SS-rank items that the U.S. possesses: the ‘Righteous Shield’.”
“The Righteous Shield?”
“That’s correct.”
Aiden nodded his head. When Leia had told him he’d be getting an SS-rank item, he thought it might be a joke. So he felt like he’d caught a huge fish.
//
Chapter 53 – Otherworld Entity (1)
TL: Boko
The ‘Righteous Shield’.
It was one of the eight SS-rank items that the U.S. possessed. It was called a ‘shield’, but it was an item in the shape of a necklace.
There was a reason it was called a shield despite that. It possessed an ability called the ‘Absolute Shield’.
He’d never seen or used it before, but he’d read information about it on Hunter.com before.
“I’m not sure I can accept this.”
He felt great, but he also felt burdened by it. This would be the second time someone has gotten one of the U.S.’s SS-rank items, with Leia’s ‘Heaven’s Strike’ staff being the first.
“Who else could accept it other than you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
“Was this a decision made by Congress?”
“Of course. There are limits to what I can do alone.”
Congress wanted to reward Sung Joon so that he’d have a favorable impression of them.
“Then, I’ll accept it graciously.”
Declining out of excessive modesty was disrespectful, and although there was little chance of it happening, Aiden could still change his mind, so Sung Joon just nodded his head.
“Since it’s an SS-rank item, we plan on having a conferment ceremony. We’ll proceed with it as soon as possible, but it’ll still take a few days before it’s ready. For the time being, please stay in the Blair House.”
“Isn’t that only for state guests?” Sung Joon asked. He knew about the Blair House, as he’d heard about it a few times before.
“It’s fine. Whenever I come here, I stay there too.”
Leia jumped in. Aiden smiled and said.
“From this day forward, we’ll be treating you as a ‘state guest’. It’s the least we can do for the hero of New York.”
“Thank you.”
“I took too much of your time. I’ve heard that Hunters must rest sufficiently following a raid or a dungeon. I won’t take any more of your time. I’ll make sure the people who just left know as well.”
Shin Tae relayed Aiden’s words and Sung Joon nodded his head. Due to his ‘Absorption’ ability, he didn’t need to rest for very long, but having some personal time wouldn’t be so bad.
He had to contact his guild as well, since his stay in the U.S. would be longer than he’d planned.
“I’ll take you there.”
Shin Tae took the lead. They were about to leave the office, but Leia, who had been quietly watching them, suddenly stood up and followed them. Sung Joon turned his attention to her.
“You’re going to follow us to the Blair House?”
“I told you. That I sleep over there when I come to the White House.”
“Yeah...”
Leia replied, her expression seemingly saying ‘why are you asking something so obvious?’. Sung Joon nodded his head. He’d heard that the Blair House had several rooms, so he shouldn’t bump into her.
“We’re here.”
Sung Joon followed Shin Tae and arrived at the Blair House. Then, the workers there led them to their allotted rooms.
“There are no wiretaps or surveillance cameras here. You should have no problems staying here, my lord.”
Rishubalt, who’d been silent up until now, quickly surveyed the vast interior of the room and reported.
Sung Joon calmly looked around the room, and Shin Tae, who had briefly gone out, returned and approached him.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon. My room’s right next to yours. Feel free to call me whenever you need me. I’ll be standing by.”
The U.S. government was being considerate; they placed his interpreter, Shin Tae, in the room right next to his, as they knew his English wasn’t up to par. He didn’t know when Leia had disappeared, as he couldn’t find her.
“Did Leia go somewhere else?”
“She’s quite an independent individual, so she’s probably picking a room she likes right now,” Shin Tae replied.
In other words, she was being selfish. He could understand; after all, she had reached such a lofty position when she was in her early twenties.
If Sung Joon had become South Korea’s only SS-rank Hunters without his memories, then he would’ve become conceited.
Cha Kyu Tae, the S-rank Hunter he’d killed, had been in his mid-twenties, yet he had turned out to be such scum.
Leia was quite eccentric and did as she pleased, but she didn’t seem like a bad person.
“I’d like to rest.”
“Yes. If you need me, please don’t hesitate to call.”
Sung Joon spoke curtly, but his intent was relayed. Shin Tae nodded his head and left Sung Joon’s room.
Now that he was alone, he sat on a soft chair and took out his smartphone. He called his father, Soo Hyuk, first.
He explained simply, saying that he was in the U.S. for work. Then, he called Han Seok.
“Mr. Kang Sung Joon?”
“How’s the guild doing?” Sung Joon asked.
Han Seok took care of guild matters when Sung Joon was absent. Originally, Jung Chul oversaw such matters, but because of the ‘Rune of Loyalty’, Han Seok was more trustworthy right now. When both Sung Joon and Han Seok were out, Jung Chul or Shin Chul would take care of matters.
“There are no problems here.”
“What about my dad’s security? No one suspicious?”
“Security is perfect. There’s no suspicious activity nearby,” Han Seok replied with absolute confidence.
Although he’d been humiliated by Sung Joon, he was still South Korea’s top S-rank Hunter.
Not many people were skilled enough to plot some sort of scheme without him noticing. At the very least, there was no suspicious activity around the mansion.
Joon Yeol promised that White Tiger would keep an eye on any suspicious activity that took place far away from the mansion, so he could relax for now.
Though they weren’t very efficient, they were still an armed intelligence agency and South Korea was their ‘home ground’.
At the very least, they would act as a ‘stabilizer.’
“Alright. Keep up the good work.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Once Han Seok was finished, Sung Joon immediately ended the call. Han Seok was completely obedient to him due to the ‘Rule of Loyalty’.
“Who else do I need to call...”
Sung Joon called White Tiger’s leader, Na Joon Yeol, and requested that he keep his residence safe. Sung Joon checked his contacts and muttered.
“Shouldn’t you call Yoon Seol Ah?”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Rishubalt said, and Sung Joon nodded his head in agreement. Nothing bad would come of maintaining a close relationship with the Blue Dragon Group’s granddaughter; the Blue Dragon Group that had close ties with politicians. He called Seol Ah without hesitation.
“Ah... Mr. Kang Sung Joon...”
It sounded like she woke up and picked up her phone, but she soon sounded energized.
“I saw the news. They said an SS-rank raid broke out in New York. Are you hurt anywhere?” Seol Ah asked.
SS-rank raids were quite rare, and it seemed like the U.S. government was doing their utmost to paint Sung Joon as a hero. All of the news channels were covering the raid in New York.
Leia was the one who’d done the most work and was thus the MVP, but the news was reporting that she wouldn’t have arrived if not for Sung Joon. So, the more time passed, the more the U.S. citizens liked him.
“I’m alright. Anything going on in South Korea?”
“Not really. There are no problems with the guild, either.”
Seol Ah was the manager of the Lord guild, but she wasn’t very busy, as there weren’t that many guild members.
That’s why she was able to maintain her position in the Blue Dragon Group. Although she oversaw the guild’s operations, it didn’t really amount to much; she would help the handful of guild members with their dungeon matching or deliver the magic stones to the Blue Dragon Group as promised.
“Now that I think about it, I have some good news.”
Seol Ah aroused his curiosity.
“Good news? There’s nothing I can think of...”
“I was promoted. I’m the director of the guild business now,” Seol Ah said.
She had settled the contract between the Blue Dragon Group and the Lord guild for the magic stones, so she had been promoted from head of the guild plan to director of the guild business.
“Really? Congratulations.”
Sung Joon genuinely congratulated her. After all, her getting promoted was good news for him.
The higher her position in the Blue Dragon Group, the more they’d accommodate the Lord guild.
If he could, he would make her Blue Dragon Group’s chairman.
“It’s all because of you. Thank you.”
She could tell he was being genuine. That’s why she was so happy. She liked him more and more as time passed. Sung Joon had greatly influenced her advancement to director of the guild business.
“You were promoted because you did your best. You don’t need to thank me.”
“If it weren’t for you, then I wouldn’t have even tried.”
It was the truth. She had always done her best so that she’d be noticed by her grandfather and chairman of the Blue Dragon Group, Yoon Tae Seok, but he would never acknowledge her. It was only after she met Sung Joon did she begin to shine.
“Thank you.”
Sung Joon didn’t reply back. He could hear soft laughter from his phone. However, the laughter soon stopped and she continued to speak.
“Please come back soon. It feels quite empty without our guild leader. I don’t want to be alone.”
She didn’t sound drunk. Perhaps she was showing some parts of herself that she normally kept hidden.
Sung Joon spoke with her for a bit longer, and then ended the call.
He’d called internationally for quite some time, so his bill would be high. But it wasn’t something he had to worry about. Sung Joon remained in the chair and rested, but then, he felt someone’s presence.
Knock. Knock.
Sung Joon raised his head and heard someone knocking. It was a familiar presence, but it wasn’t Shin Tae.
He wasn’t confident in his English, so he spoke with an anxious expression.
“Please come in.”
His English was poor, but he could hold a simple conversation. Once he allowed them in, the door opened and a blonde haired woman came in.
Sung Joon was relieved when he saw her face. It was Jennifer.
Jennifer, an A-rank Hunter from the Central Hunter Bureau, didn’t know how to use Translation Magic, but she could speak fluent Korean. He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to speak in English or call Shin Tae.
“Ms. Jennifer. What’s the matter?”
“I’ve been assigned as your interpreter.”
“Wasn’t Mr. Lee Shin Tae supposed to be my interpreter?”
When he was inside the president’s office, he had heard that Shin Tae would be his interpreter during his stay at the White House. In response, Jennifer grinned and said.
“There’s been a change in personnel. I am now the head of a department, and I was also substituted as your interpreter.”
“The head of a department?”
“Yes. We just created it. Please just think of it as a department designed to help you, Mr. Kang Sung Joon.”
The Delta Director, Louis, had created this unusual department to help Sung Joon.
One could tell just how much the U.S. government and the Central Hunter Bureau valued him.
“Ah... is that so?”
“Yes. I have taken Lee Shin Tae’s room. If you need something, feel free to call me.”
“I understand.”
Once he nodded his head, Jennifer grinned and left the room. Now, Sung Joon was able to rest. And a few days passed by.
He wasn’t very good at speaking English, but because Jennifer stayed close and interpreted for him, he didn’t feel any discomfort in the Blair House.
And it was finally the day where he would receive the SS-rank item, the ‘Righteous Shield’.
The conferment ceremony would be held in the same place as President Aiden’s inauguration ceremony. Once he left the Blair House, he was greeted by honor guards decked out in their uniforms.
