Chapter 85: Dimension Invasion (4)

Originally, I was going to get some help from the Korean Hunter Association to deal with Namgung Hyuk, but—

After hearing Lee Hayeon’s words, there was no need to borrow the hands of the Korean Hunter Association.

Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk were challengers on a whole new level among the challengers in Korea.

‘If I fight along with them, I think I have a winning chance against Namgung Hyuk.’

I could guess as to why they had gone ahead to Japan in response to the request for support from the Japanese Hunter Association.

The two had a style where they clearly weighed their gains and losses, and as such, they didn’t move without enough compensation.

Moreover, the Korean Hunter Association seemed to be quite free in recruiting challengers, despite the Japanese Hunter Association’s request for support.

Just like how they left the low-rank challengers as it was when they didn’t agree to join, although they were sufficient enough to be recruited.

It seemed that they had no intention of spending manpower calling challengers to the Japanese Hunter Association.

Nevertheless, the fact that the two quickly moved to Japan meant that they thought they could earn a commensurate reward in Japan.

Where did the reimbursement come from that they risked going straight to Japan when these people didn’t even get stronger like me by absorbing souls?

It was something obvious that you didn’t even have to see.

‘The Japanese Hunter Association must’ve offered them a reward.’

It’d also be a reward worth moving the two of them.

Some challengers may have moved to deal with this situation themselves, even from overseas.

In addition, it was clear that the existing S-rank hunters would’ve stepped in to prevent the situation in Japan.

They must’ve thought like I did that if they all gathered together and attacked all at once, there was no way that Namgung Hyuk couldn’t be killed.

At that moment, when I was about to ask Lee Hayeon if any more hunters had moved to the Japanese side.

Click.

The meeting room door opened, and a man who appeared to be an employee of the Hunter Association stepped in.

Then the eyes of the challengers who were sitting in their seats doing their other stuff moved their gazes to him.

“Hello, challengers.”

Looking at him, continuing to speak calmly as soon as he glanced around the conference room, I laughed.

‘I knew it was a face I’ve seen somewhere before…’

I never imagined that we’d meet here like this.

“My name is Lee Seungjin, the leader of the Challenger management team of the Korean Hunter Association.”

The leader of the challenger management team at the Korean Hunter Association was someone I knew.

He was a challenger who once introduced himself as an A-rank hunter in the Tower, and I immediately remembered him because he was the one who showed me around the public area.

After mentioning that he dealt with information, we parted ways, telling me to look for his services often… but to think that we met here again.

‘If you look at it this way, the Hunter industry is quite narrow.”

As I felt dumbfounded and chuckled, Lee Seungjin soon started talking.

“Thank you to the challengers who have gathered here in response to the call.”

He kept a serious expression and glanced around the challengers once.

As though he was trying to figure out the level of the challengers in this conference room.

“Everyone must have a rough guess about what’s going on. Since an emergency summons was issued due to a challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo.”

The challengers in the meeting room frowned in displeasure at his words instead of responding.

It was an attitude that they didn’t understand why they had to gather here because of that incident.

However, Lee Seungjin continued to speak fluently.

“As you all may know, the challenger from another world who appeared by moving through dimensions— without any penalty of floor intrusion —has been stirring up the downtown area of Shinjuku ward.”

“…”

“In response, the Japanese Hunter Association concluded that it was impossible to subdue the challenger from another world with Japan’s power and requested support.”

“…”

“Of course, there’s Korea also among them.”

When he finished that sentence, the middle-aged challenger sitting in the corner of the meeting room showed irritation with a husky voice.

“So what are you trying to say? Are you telling us to go to Japan and kill that crazy bastard who killed six A-rank hunters in a matter of seconds?”

“The Japanese side insisted so. Since the challenger from another world mentioned the name of the Korean challenger, the Korean challenger is also responsible.”

“Bullshit. How do you even know if that’s true? Are you driving people to the edge with things that you don’t even know if it’s true?”

Some of the challengers frowned at the reckless words and actions of the middle-aged man, but he wasn’t wrong in general.

The levels of the challengers here were too low to subdue the challenger from another world who appeared in the Shinjuku ward.

Even if they got a high rank in the Evaluation Ranking, their skills were just a little higher than that of an A-rank hunter.

Because they all knew about it, the backlash was fierce, and Lee Seungjin nodded as though he knew it.

“The Hunter Association is well aware of that fact. The reason why everyone has gathered here isn’t to unilaterally notify the challengers that everyone will be sent to Shinjuku-ward.”

“…?”

“There are only two reasons why the Hunter Association has even issued an emergency summons and gathered all of the challengers on hard difficulty.”

“…”

Lee Seungjin slowly lowered the screen in the meeting room and continued his words.

“First, to show the battle video secured of a Chinese S-rank hunter who went to support Shinjuku-ward, and…”

The meeting room became rowdy as a video appeared on the screen that was lowered, but—

“Second, to raise awareness to you people by showing the video of that challenger from another world who appeared in Shinjuku ward.”

Lee Seungjin didn’t waste time and immediately played the video, and soon the meeting room became quiet.

It was understandable.

“…”

***

[Translator – Ramen ]

[Proofreader – DVN-L ]

***

Because in the video that appeared on the screen, a drone flying in the sky began to record a young man sitting in the middle of the street.

The Chinese-style young man, whose eye-bags emphasized his decadent beauty, was sitting quietly with his legs crossed.

‘So that’s Namgung Hyuk?’

It was for a short time that I was a little surprised by his unexpectedly ordinary attire.

-…I don’t know why only the insects keep on bugging me one by one, instead of the one I called.

Namgung Hyuk, who was sitting down quietly, muttered and looked up at the sky.

To be precise, he frowned as though he was displeased as he looked at the sky where the drone was flying.

I expected the drone to be destroyed, watching Namgung Hyuk get up from his seat.

But…

-I never thought that you’d welcome me this fiercely, you know?

Contrary to what I expected, the situation where the drone gets destroyed didn’t occur.

Instead of destroying the drone, Namgung Hyuk turned his gaze to the middle of the streets of Shinjuku Ward.

And walking towards him, a black-haired man with explosive muscles stood out.

“The person walking over there is Feng Zǐ Wén, who was acknowledged as an S-rank hunter in China about a month ago.”

In short, it means that he was no different from being the main character of this battle video.

“…”

However, I realized that Lee Seungjin’s intentions for showing this video weren’t good.

I was able to predict what would happen to the hunter named Feng Zǐ wén, who appeared in the video.

However, all the challengers inside the meeting room looked at that scene with a nervous look, as though they couldn’t predict like me.

[email protected]#%&[email protected]##…

Then they frowned as they saw the sight of Feng Zǐ Wén grinning and muttering.

It seems like the language wasn’t interpreted because he was an ordinary hunter from a foreign country, not a challenger from the Tower.

Back in the Tower, anyone could understand the language, but since he wasn’t a challenger, they couldn’t understand each other’s language.

However, Namgung Hyuk nodded his head as though he understood what he was saying.

-I got it. It seems like you aren’t the type to listen to me.

Perhaps he has a separate ability to interpret languages?

I didn’t know what Feng Zǐ Wén was blabbering about, but he seemed to realize that Feng Zǐ Wén was hostile to him.

Soon he stood up, let out a bitter smile, and placed his hand on the hilt of the curved sword on his waist.

-Well, I didn’t think I’d be able to achieve my goal right away anyway.

Namgung Hyuk drew his sword as soon as he finished his words, and at that moment, an unbelievable situation happened.

Slaaaaaaaaash!

The buildings around him all started to cut and fall down without any warning, and…

Feng Zǐ Wén, who was approaching Namgung Hyuk relaxedly, was startled and stepped backward.

-Pathetic. Consider it a shame that you attacked me with such trivial skills.

With those words as last, Feng Zǐ wén rushed toward Namgung Hyuk while screaming out of spite.

And after that, a battle that could only be called truly transcendent began to take place.

Feng Zǐ Wén swung his fist with all his might and clashed with Namgung Hyuk, but the result wasn’t good.

Feng Zǐ Wén was the one who got injuries, although it was a battle in which the ground cracked and the air burst whenever they exchanged an attack.

Rather, Namgung Hyuk parried all of  Feng Zǐ Wén’s attacks and slashed his whole body, gradually accumulating damage.

The battle was concluded after only a few minutes had elapsed.

-You were worth seeing for a person who can’t even wield Fist Ki. You may die in peace.

Slaaash!

The moment Feng Zǐ Wén’s body split in half and spilled blood and organs.

Namgung Hyuk turned his back as though he wasn’t interested and sheathed his weapon.

A complete defeat.

Then, the challengers in the meeting room were shocked by the result that could only be described as such.

-If you make me waste more time, this city will experience something more terrible.

Namgung Hyuk looked at the drone floating in the air, muttered coldly, and then drew his sword again.

Bzzzzzt!

After that, the drone showed a black screen with noise, unable to capture anything.

“…”

He’s strong.

‘It’s not simply just a high level of physical ability or such.’

Feng Zǐ Wén, who fought Namgung Hyuk just now, wasn’t a weak hunter either.

If I fought Feng Zǐ Wén, I wouldn’t lose, but that didn’t guarantee I’d win against him.

‘And he killed such a skilled person in less than a few minutes, huh.’

I was feigning a smile at the strength that could be called a monster among monsters.

“Did you see the challenger from another world without the floor intrusion penalty?”

Lee Seungjin, who was looking at the video on the screen, looked around the meeting room and opened his mouth.

“This is the reality. The Tower of the Trials is definitely not a place to compete.”

Lee Seungjin narrowed his eyes and continued his words calmly.

“We all need to disclose all the hidden information and prepare to prevent this kind of situation from happening again.”

Only then do the challengers inside the meeting room frowned as if they had grasped Lee Seungjin’s intentions.

He was basically telling the high-ranking challengers, who were reluctant to disclose information, to disclose all information.

They didn’t gather only the challengers on a high rank of the Evaluation Ranking for nothing.

As the atmosphere inside the meeting room died, Lee Seungjin opened his mouth again. 

“We’ll only send the people who wish to go for the current request of the Japanese Hunter Association.”

At those words, the faces of the challengers in the meeting room brightened up evidently.

They thought that they’d be forced to be driven out to a deadly place where even an S-rank hunter died helplessly. But they had the right to choose.

There would be no other good news for them at the moment.

“But if you don’t respond to the request for help, please at least disclose the information.”

Of course, Lee Seungjin firmly confirmed that choice wasn’t completely free.

If you wanted to ignore the request of the Japanese Hunter Association, you had to provide some information.

However, it seemed like most of the challengers had no intention of opposing that now. 

Perhaps it was the same for Lee Hayeon. She smiled softly, pushed her face towards me, then whispered silently in my ear.

“Things are better than I thought. We won’t be assigned if this goes on.”

She seemed quite anxious because she was also selected as a high-rank challenger, but…

Contrary to what Lee Hayeon thought, my dissatisfaction was filling up.

Even though Namgung Hyuk was strong, she said that Kim Seunghoon and Oh Choonsuk went to Japan.

They didn’t conclude that there was no chance of winning at all, even in this situation, and that was the same for me, too.

Although it was slim, the odds of winning existed, and it felt like I could at least inflict fatal damage on him.

‘I didn’t wanna stand out, but I guess I can’t help it.’

In the end, I prepared myself to stand out and raised my hand in the toned atmosphere.

“I’ll go to Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, following the request of the Japanese Hunter Association.”

Not only the challengers who were sitting in the meeting room but also Lee Seungjin stared at me as if they were dumbfounded.

All the gazes looking at me seemed to tell me this at once.

They didn’t know that crazy bastard who would go into such a deadly place on their own actually existed.

——