Thomas's eyebrows twitched. If some no-name Hunter had given that same answer, he would have torn him apart on the spot. After all, no one could casually punish a 'national power-level' Hunter—someone on par with an entire nation. As payment for saving 300 million American citizens from the worst disaster in history, Thomas had obtained absolute, unchecked authority. He had the power to do whatever he wanted. But. Despite all that, Thomas couldn't easily make his move. Because the person standing before him was 'Sung Jin-Woo'. Barely containing his temper, Thomas glared at Hwang Dong-Su and ground his teeth.
*I told you not to mess with him...*
Sung Jin-Woo—he was not the easy opponent Thomas had expected. Seeing him in person made that even clearer. If he had to put it into words, it was like a quagmire. Dark, ominous mana seeped from his entire body—the kind that said once you stepped in, you wouldn't get out easily. But Thomas couldn't simply back down either. The Scavenger's ace Hunter was in his custody, and more than anything, this was a matter of national power-level pride. Thomas asked again, his face badly contorted.
"...You. Do you even know who I am?"
Jin-Woo answered flatly.
"I don't care. Whoever you are."
Just then. Hwang Dong-Su, having regained consciousness, spotted Thomas and shouted.
"Master, kill this bastard! Quick!"
Klang-! Hwang Dong-Su, struck by Jin-Woo's fist, lost consciousness again and went limp. A vein bulged on Thomas's forehead.
"How dare you..."
He knows who I am and still does this in front of me? Already distorted, his face twisted into something demonic. He had learned through experience how to deal with those who refused to submit to him.
White trash. Low-class white. Thomas had grown up in an impoverished immigrant family. The school in the slums, packed with Black students, was no kind place for a white boy who didn't know a single soul.
Enemies were everywhere. Locking eyes was enough to start a fight, and more often than not, the other person was armed. There were also plenty of times he had to face multiple opponents at once.
But. To the white boy who seemed to have nothing, the heavens granted a single gift—the only word for it was supreme talent. Overwhelming violence. The power to crush others!
Paradoxically, the boy's background had been the perfect environment for him to hone that talent. In the endless stream of fights, the boy kept proving his innate qualities over and over.
He had seen firsthand how his power could change those who had been hostile toward him.
He had ruled like a king. Strength. Power, wealth, violence. He had learned early on that the many forms of power in this world could make a human into a king—or a slave.
And when an entirely new form of 'power' appeared in this world, he seized the chance to truly reign as king.
When words didn't work, you broke them with force. Those who stood in your way, you crushed. Those who looked down on you, you made them kneel. Violence was justice! Thomas stayed true to what he had learned and mastered.
Time seemed to freeze. Fueled by malice, Thomas launched himself forward. The distance between them closed to zero in an instant. At nose-to-nose range, Thomas's eyes met Jin-Woo's.
*Curse your own ignorance!*
Thomas thrust his hand out—to grab Jin-Woo's head in a single grip. His monstrous crushing strength was his specialty. No matter how top-tier a Hunter the opponent was, shattering a skull wasn't difficult. The moment they entered his range, the fight was as good as over. Thomas's lips curled upward. But.
*What...?*
Without warning, a flash of light burst before his eyes.
* * *
Just then, the Scavenger Hunters who had arrived at the scene saw it—something punching through the factory wall and flying backward at speed. Kwoong-! The object crashed through the wall, hit the ground, and skidded across the floor for a good distance. Sssssk— And when it finally came to a halt in front of them, the Hunters recognized what it was and, one and all, could not contain their shock.
"Thomas!" "Master, are you all right?!"
Who could send Goliath flying like that? It was unbelievable. The impact had been so great that steam was rising from Thomas's entire body. Then again—if he had been an ordinary human, his skin would have been stripped clean from being dragged across the ground. No, before that, his whole body would have shattered against the wall. But Thomas was unscathed. Perhaps fitting for a tank who had withstood the breath of the dragon Kamish head-on? His body may have been fine, but his expression as he rose was anything but. Face rigid as stone, he turned to face the Hunters. Under that murderous gaze from a national power-level Hunter, even his own subordinates paled.
"..."
Thomas walked silently toward the abandoned factory—the one he had been hurled out of. A killing intent so powerful it was suffocating poured from his entire body. Thud, thud. The vice master, who had been staring blankly at his retreating back, urged the Hunters on.
"What are you waiting for?! Move, all of you!"
Over a hundred top-tier Hunters surged into the abandoned factory all at once.
* * *
Jin-Woo, who had sent Thomas flying, clenched his fists tight. If he had been any slower, Yoo Jin-Ho's life would have been in danger. When he'd seen Hwang Dong-Su about to bring his heel down on Yoo Jin-Ho's head through the eyes of a Hi-Orc soldier, he'd felt his blood run backward in that instant.
And now what? He'd let Hwang Dong-Su go and call it even? What a joke.
He had pushed himself to his limits, over and over, to build his strength so he would never be pushed around by anyone with power. Thomas's demand wasn't even worth considering.
And yet, this was Thomas Andre's response. That last attack had been laced with killing intent. The fight wasn't over.
Thomas, who had been sent flying far away, was approaching again with even stronger killing intent.
Jin-Woo tossed the still-unconscious Hwang Dong-Su into a corner.
Then he summoned Kaisel and Igrit. Ssssh— The black dragon and the black knight materialized.
Jin-Woo gently lifted Yoo Jin-Ho and handed him to Igrit.
"Take Jin-Ho to the nearest hospital. Do whatever it takes to get him treated."
Igrit bowed his head and departed on the black dragon.
Keeeeh-! Thomas didn't spare so much as a glance for the departing dragon. His eyes were locked on Jin-Woo alone.
Jin-Woo's gaze was fixed in the same direction. Beyond Thomas's twisted face, he could see the wave of top-tier Hunters closing in over his shoulder. Over a hundred of them. It seemed Thomas had brought the full elite of the Scavenger—the so-called best in the world. But.
*When it comes to forces, I've got plenty of my own.*
Jin-Woo called forth the shadow soldiers who had been hiding within his shadow, waiting for orders. Darkness spread slowly from beneath Jin-Woo's feet, and shadow soldiers began rising to the surface one by one. Thomas spotted them and froze in his tracks. There were a full thousand. They filled the abandoned factory inside and out, with the line of soldiers stretching far into the distance behind. Thomas narrowed his eyes.
*It's not just numbers.*
Among them were several summoneds on par with S-rank Hunters. A knight bearing a massive shield, a warlock shrouded in a black robe, and the giants posted in the far back. Their mana was in no way inferior to that of the top-tier Hunters. They were summoneds so outstanding that even the Scavenger guild at full strength couldn't guarantee victory against them.
A chill ran down his spine. Thomas shivered at Jin-Woo's summoneds, which defied all common sense. And at the same time, he was pleased. Yes—at least the opponent had to be this caliber for it to be worth the fight.
Thomas smiled and licked his lips. Hwang Dong-Su no longer mattered. There was only one way to reclaim his wounded pride.
*I'm going to kill that arrogant bastard...*
But before that, Thomas offered Jin-Woo one final mercy.
"If you admit your mistake and back down now, I'll spare your life."
Instead of answering, Jin-Woo raised his middle finger.
"..."
Thick veins bulged one by one across Thomas's forehead.
"You... right to the end..."
Krrrtch. Thomas tore his upper garment to shreds. The high-end shirt, made from materials harvested from magical beasts, ripped apart like paper.
Then, one after another—crack, crack—his muscles began to swell and harden across his entire body, as though he'd been encased in armor. A chilling mana seeped from beneath his feet. His mana was so potent that golden vapor seemed to curl up from his shoulders. The strongest tank on Earth was revealing his full power.
Silently watching Thomas's transformation, Jin-Woo released his own mana as well. Shaaah— The mana of two monsters on completely different levels clashed, and the elite Hunters of Scavenger held their breath.
*'Huh!' 'So that's who sent Goliath flying...'*
Every Hunter's gaze converged on a single person. Sung Jin-Woo. Yes—if it was the Sung Jin-Woo who had slain those giants, then it made sense.
Staring at Jin-Woo, the Scavenger Hunters gulped. Unlike them, Jin-Woo was calm. This was a perfect chance to test how far he had grown. An opponent worthy of going all out. Suddenly, Jin-Woo recalled what Kamish had told him.
*He said there were four humans who borrowed the power of a Ruler.*
Perhaps. Could that refer to four of the five who survived the Kamish raid—that is, four of the 'national power-level' Hunters? If so, there was a high likelihood that Thomas Andre was also one of the humans borrowing a Ruler's power.
Jin-Woo moved first.
"Go."
The moment their sovereign's command fell, the soldiers charged.
A vein bulged on Thomas's throat.
"Here they come!"
One man against one guild. Nearly a thousand summoned creatures collided with nearly a hundred elite Hunters.
Klang-! Swatting aside Iron, who had been at the very front, Thomas scanned the area with blazing eyes, searching for Jin-Woo. Someone was rushing toward him at terrifying speed from one side. That way—! Thomas spun around, but Jin-Woo was faster. In a flash, Jin-Woo plunged into Thomas's guard and drove the 'Demon King's Dagger' into his side. But it couldn't pierce Thomas's hardened skin.
*...!*
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. Smack! Elbowing Jin-Woo away, Thomas's lips curled upward. This was the power of a national power-level Hunter. His speed might be impressive, but it couldn't surpass Thomas's defense. Feel the difference in our league and despair!
Deciding the tide had turned, Thomas didn't stop his attack and thrust his hand out. Whoom— An intense attractive force erupted from his fingertips, pulling Jin-Woo back toward him.
Invisible Hand. The ability that had dragged the airborne Kamish down to earth.
Closing in on Thomas at terrifying speed, Jin-Woo's eyes snapped open.
*The Ruler's Authority!*
Kwoong-! The powerful blow hammering down from above jolted Thomas's shoulders.
*What?*
Thomas, who had felt the Authority that only national power-level Hunters possessed, was visibly shaken. And Jin-Woo didn't miss that opening. His fist landed on Thomas's face for the second time.
Too-kwang-! And for the first time since becoming a Hunter, red blood sprayed from the face of the man called Goliath.
"Keugh!"
* * *
The Hunter Management Bureau hadn't been sitting idle, either. Dozens of Bureau vehicles carrying Hunters sped toward the destination the Scavengers had headed to. But with the destination only a short distance away, the lead vehicle came to a halt.
Adam, who had been anxiously peering outside, lurched forward from the sudden stop.
"Wh-what is it?"
The driver turned around. He was the Hunter Management Bureau's sole S-rank Hunter.
"White, this is where you need to tell us what's going on."
"We don't have time to explain every little detail right now..."
Adam couldn't finish his sentence. The S-rank Hunter's face was turning deathly pale. It was an expression Adam had never seen from a man who had grown tough through countless ordeals. Sensing something was off, Adam asked.
"What... is happening?"
The S-rank answered in a rigid voice.
"If we go any further, all of us will be risking our lives."