Large placards written in Korean so Jin-Woo could read them hung all over the airport. Liu Zhikang, who had come to greet Jin-Woo, furrowed his brow at the placards—they were so densely packed it was hard to find a spot without one. Of course, it wasn't the content of the placards that bothered him. Hunter Sung Jin-Woo had chosen to visit China, beating out several other nations where catastrophic gates had spawned. From China's perspective, this was a cause for jubilant celebration. Liu Zhikang himself, who would be the first to face the demonic beasts pouring out of that gate, felt deep gratitude toward Hunter Sung Jin-Woo. It was simply that the reaction of his own countrymen was so utterly different from how they had behaved when he had volunteered to help Korea. He still remembered that time vividly.
'Do these people really not know the word 'shame'?'
The very same Chinese citizens who had called him a traitor and pointed fingers at him now couldn't stop themselves from heaping praise on Jin-Woo in unison. So those placards blanketing the entire airport were never going to look pretty in his eyes.
'If I hadn't led the Hunters to Korea, would I even have the face to meet Hunter Sung Jin-Woo now...'
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Liu Zhikang turned toward the passenger plane descending toward the airport. He could sense it. Up there, Sung Jin-Woo was on board. As China's sole seven-star Hunter, Liu Zhikang felt a chill—the kind that made every hair on his body stand on end—emanating from that plane. There was only one person in this world who could exert that kind of pressure on him. Sure enough, upon receiving word of Jin-Woo's arrival, high-ranking officials and executives of the Chinese Hunter's Association had already risen from their seats and begun making a commotion.
'No... this is improper.'
His mood, already soured by the placards, grew even worse at the sight of them. Hadn't these same people been the loudest voices opposing him when he said he would help Korea? If he hadn't been a seven-star Hunter, if it hadn't been Liu Zhikang himself who had stepped forward, they would have blocked him by any means necessary. He would not let these pigs greet a warrior who had come here risking his life. Liu Zhikang, his face hard, spoke to his aide.
"Tell the Chairman. Cancel whatever welcome ceremony was planned. I'll handle greeting and escorting Hunter Sung personally." "What? But, sir, these people..."
When the aide hesitated, glancing at the officials and executives standing behind them, those who had been eavesdropping on the conversation cleared their throats with deliberate hems and haws. Liu Zhikang let out a brief, derisive laugh and stepped right in front of them.
"I'd like all of you to disappear from my sight immediately. Is there anyone here who can't do that?"
The high-ranking officials and association executives, all too familiar with Liu Zhikang's difficult temperament, didn't wait for him to finish—without a single exception, they fled the waiting room as though escaping. Satisfied, Liu Zhikang looked around the now-empty room and shifted his gaze back to his aide.
"Is that done now?" "Y-yes, sir! I'll contact the Chairman right away."
While the aide hurriedly made the phone call, Liu Zhikang walked toward the immigration gate where people were starting to stream in.
"Hunter-nim is coming!" "Get the shot!"
Click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click! Reporters who had been waiting all day for a good position all fired their flashes at once the moment they spotted Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo looked around with a puzzled expression, sensing that the atmosphere at the airport was somewhat different from what he had been told beforehand.
'They said close to a hundred officials would be here to greet me...'
A staff member from the Korean Hunter's Association who was accompanying him scratched his head. The Chinese Hunter's Association staff who were supposed to be guiding them were nowhere to be found, which must have been quite bewildering for him. Just then, a familiar face approached from a distance, and Jin-Woo broke into a pleased smile.
"Hunter Liu." "Hunter Sung."
The two men shook hands firmly and briefly, like warriors on the eve of battle. Jin-Woo was the first to bring up the question.
"So... where is everyone else?"
After listening to the interpreter relay the question, Liu Zhikang gave a broad grin.
"Ah, Chinese people simply don't have much patience. They couldn't wait and all left, so I've taken it upon myself to escort Hunter Sung."
Something told Jin-Woo that the chain of events between those two statements had been significantly condensed, but since he didn't dislike Liu Zhikang, he didn't press the matter. Seeing that Jin-Woo showed no sign of displeasure, Liu Zhikang relaxed and took the lead toward the airport exit.
"This way."
But after only a few steps, Jin-Woo stopped. Liu Zhikang stopped as well. Through the airport's transparent glass wall, they could see part of an enormous gate blotting out the sky.
"That is..."
The catastrophic gate that had appeared in China. As Jin-Woo stared at the gate with a rigid expression, Liu Zhikang stood beside him with a solemn look on his face.
"I don't have the strength to deal with something like that."
If it was impossible for him, then it went without saying for every other Hunter in China. That was precisely why he could not describe how happy he had been upon hearing the news about Jin-Woo. Liu Zhikang wanted to convey even a fraction of that gratitude. After carefully considering his words, he spoke in a sincere voice.
"China may forget, but I, Liu Zhikang, will never forget your help."
* * *
As the time for the gates to open approached, breaking news poured in from around the world without pause.
[Hunter Sung Jin-Woo Chooses China!] [Japan and Russia Also Decide to Support Hunter Sung Jin-Woo...] [Plane Carrying Hunters Scheduled to Depart This Afternoon...] [Meanwhile, the White Fortress Discovered in Japan's Disaster Zone Turned Out to Be Unrelated to These Gates...] [Finally, 5 Hours Until Dungeon Break. Will Hunter Sung Jin-Woo's Warning Come True? Or...]
Jaye Mills felt nausea rising.
"Japan and Russia are too busy flattering Sung Jin-Woo."
Why would those two countries bother trying to help China? It was obvious. They were trying to score points with Sung Jin-Woo so they could receive help when they themselves ended up in danger. Pathetic. China, Japan, Russia—all of them were pathetic. People who couldn't even protect their own countries with their own hands, and they called themselves Hunters? And what about us? Canada's Hunters had banded together of their own accord to protect their homeland.
'We do not waver.'
Their ridiculous talk about staying away from the gates would never shake them—the great Hunters of Canada. Jaye Mills gazed proudly at the tens of thousands of Hunters who had gathered voluntarily for the raid. Whoaaaa—! Their morale was sky-high. Even ordinary citizens standing at a considerable distance from the Hunters were with them.
[We Will Not Abandon Canada!] [Run Away? You Run Away Yourself!] [Our Hunters Will Protect Our Lives and Our Land!]
Citizens clutching all manner of pickets cheered on the Hunters. Jaye Mills looked up at the colossal gate hanging directly above them and was certain of his victory.
"No matter what demonic beasts come out of there, we will win!"
Jaye Mills turned to face the Hunters and raised both arms high, and once again a thunderous roar erupted. Whoaaaa—!
* * *
China had also finished its preparations. Just as in Seoul, multinational allied raid teams had formed a ring around the land beneath the gate. The highlight, of course, was China's 100,000 elite Hunters. As befitting the country with the largest number of Hunters, the high-ranking Hunters handpicked from all across the nation numbered well over 100,000. Jin-Woo had warned them. Countless demonic beasts beyond what humanity could handle would come pouring through the gate. But with the Hunters numbering over 100,000, the thought had begun to sprout among them that perhaps it was manageable after all. As if to show them just how wrong their calculations were, Jin-Woo summoned his shadow soldiers.
'Come forth.'
The 130,000-strong shadow legion that instantly filled the space behind Jin-Woo, which he had deliberately kept empty. Grooooo—! The dark, eerie aura they exuded made the Hunters unable to draw breath at will. Sweat broke out on their foreheads.
'The level... the level is completely different.' 'Those things are going to pour from the sky? Here?' 'It can't be...'
Overwhelming terror. The hyper-developed senses of the high-ranking Hunters were warning them of the danger posed by the beings that had appeared before them. Even Liu Zhikang, who was rarely surprised by anything, let out a gasp.
"Are all of these... your summons, Hunter Sung?"
Jin-Woo gave a slight nod. The razor-sharp fighting spirit of the shadow soldiers, honed like blades, was palpable even to their master.
'Good.'
Jin-Woo looked up at the sky. Only a few minutes remained before the gates opened. He had to win here and absorb as many of the demonic army's forces as possible into his shadow soldiers. That was the first step of this war. The noisy surroundings fell instantly silent with the arrival of the shadow legion. Everyone could sense it instinctively. The moment of battle was already upon them. A crushing tension bore down on the Hunters' shoulders. Gulping, Jin-Woo swallowed dryly. Which of the eight armies would be the ones to fall from up there? Just then.
"Master."
Jin-Woo quietly answered Bellion, who was signaling that the time had come.
"I know."
Seeing Jin-Woo conversing naturally with his summons, Liu Zhikang's eyes went wide.
"Hunter-nim, surely you can even talk to your summons—"
At that moment, Beru judged that Liu Zhikang had approached too close and, in the blink of an eye, blocked his path. Krk. Overwhelming killing intent emanated from the ant-shaped soldier.
"Hek!"
Liu Zhikang jumped back in alarm, scrambling to put distance between them. Jin-Woo, watching from the side, gave the excited Beru a smack on the back of the head.
"He's on our side, you idiot."
After Beru repeatedly bowed his head in apology, Jin-Woo apologized on his behalf.
"He's gotten a bit sensitive before a fight." "I-it's fine."
Liu Zhikang gave up trying to figure Jin-Woo out. He had a strong premonition that there was simply no way he could understand this man with his own common sense. At that moment.
"The gate—it's opening!"
Someone's shout. Every head turned skyward. Jin-Woo's eyes changed. Just as the person had said, the gate was slowly spreading its enormous maw. Suffocating tension clenched the hearts of everyone beneath the gate. And yet. Even after the gate opened, nothing happened. The most surprised person was Jin-Woo. He focused his senses but detected no trace of anything beyond the gate. The gate was empty.
'What?'
A chill ran down the back of Jin-Woo's neck. Could it be. Something he had overlooked. A possibility he hadn't considered flashed through his mind. The unease grew stronger as time passed, hardening into certainty.
"Huh?"
The Hunters were beginning to realize something was wrong too. Liu Zhikang turned urgently to the liaison Hunter beside him.
"What about the other locations?" "The same everywhere. Nothing happened." "So every single gate was empty?" "Th-that, I'm not sure either..."
Liu Zhikang's head whipped around. His gaze landed on Jin-Woo. But Jin-Woo's expression was frozen in a way that made it difficult even to speak to him. Was he making that face because his prediction was wrong? No. The emotion was beyond that. The turmoil Jin-Woo was radiating was so intense that even he—someone who feared almost nothing—didn't dare approach.
'I... I made a mistake.'
Realizing his miscalculation, Jin-Woo bit down hard on his lower lip. Why. Why had he thought of the Monarchs so simply? They would have known he intended to exploit the shadow legion's strength. If his new hypothesis was correct. Jin-Woo raised his head and hurried past Liu Zhikang to the liaison.
"What about Canada?" "What?"
Jin-Woo's voice, unable to contain his agitation, grew louder.
"What happened to Canada?!"
* * *
At that same moment, Canada's gate had also opened. But, just like the others, nothing had changed. The Hunters, who had worked themselves into a fighting frenzy for the raid, looked at one another and tilted their heads.
"What's going on?" "Didn't they say demonic beasts would pour from there like rain?" "Was Sung Jin-Woo just blowing smoke?"
Just then, Jaye Mills spotted something and shouted at the Hunters.
"Quiet!"
As the strongest Hunter among them, his warning laced with powerful mana silenced every mouth. Once things had quieted, Jaye looked back at the gate. Sure enough. He hadn't misseen it. Something in the shape of a man was leisurely descending. That one being was all that had emerged from the gate.
'No, it's not in the shape of a man. It is a man.'
After confirming once more that 'it' had set foot lightly on the ground, Jaye stopped the Hunters from rushing ahead and walked over alone. Gulping, he swallowed reflexively as tension overtook him. The closer he got, the more clearly he could make out his counterpart. A middle-aged man with dark reddish hair and a beard. From the neck down to his toes, he wore exquisite armor beautifully harmonized in silver and crimson. As Jaye approached, the man turned to look at him.
[Are you the one who rules this place?]
Though the man hadn't opened his mouth, his voice echoed inside Jaye's head. Naturally, he could understand the meaning as seamlessly as if the words were his own. Jaye's heart began to pound.
"That's right! Yes! I knew it!"
The reason Sung Jin-Woo had been able to claim the soldiers from the first gate as his own. This was how he had communicated with them.
"I knew it, that con artist bastard! I knew it all along!"
With his prediction confirmed, his mind reeled with elation. Unable to contain his excitement, he raised a hand high toward the Hunters, and the Hunters raised theirs in return, cheering with everything they had. Whoaaa—! Jaye turned back to the man. The man waited quietly.
'He asks the first person he sees whether they're king, and if they say yes, they submit?'
Observing the man—who could be neither human nor demonic beast—with an intrigued gaze, Jaye Mills curled the corner of his lip upward.
"What if I am king?"
He was the one representing every Hunter gathered here, so calling himself king was not unreasonable. His voice was filled with strong confidence. And then.
[He doesn't seem to be the one.]
When the man reopened his eyes, slitted pupils like those of a starved reptile squirmed within them.
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