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Chapter 43:
Chapter 43:
Chapter 43:
The world was truly interesting.
Before the hunting video came out, they were just squabbling among themselves, but when they saw how I caught the Black Wyvern, their attitude changed.
I was still a Level 8 Transcendent.
I looked at Yoo Heung-ryul and said.
You were giving a speech, and now youre suddenly quiet? Go on, say more. Ill listen.
Honestly, I was just curious about what he would say next.
Its kind of funny that he thought I was going to sit still after all that talk.
So, I set the stage. I pushed Yoo Heung-ryeol while taking on an attentive posture.
But Yoo Heung-ryul didnt say anything.
Could it be that he ran out of what to say? That would be disappointing.
The reason he picked a fight with me was surprisingly simple. To raise awareness. Theres such a thing, wasnt there? Biting a high-profile opponent to make your presence felt.
His Fang Guild had experienced rapid growth in Gwanggyo for a short period, and in such cases, and was often not recognized by the more prestigious guilds around them.
This was because fleeting luck can work against anyone.
To truly be recognized as a prestigious guild, one had to maintain power for a long time and establish firm roots. Yoo Heung-ryul staked it all to surpass that stage.
Its quite peculiar.
Seeing me boldly stepping forward, he should have noticed that I had opened a window of opportunity for him.
During my days as Blood Master, the ones I went after the most were monsters, villains, and hunters, in that order.
I was quite good at observing hunters.
Its a bit awkward when it suddenly gets quiet.
Saying that made me seem overly sensitive.
So I unfolded the classified document.
Inexperienced half-baked.
!
A guy who trembles in front of monsters
!
If he kneels and begs, maybe Ill share some hunting tips
!
Did he became a Transcendent because he has videos of the President and the Director of the Awakening Security Office? Well, you can talk about it behind my back, but you should have done it somewhere where no one would hear. Oh, this is not a sin. So dont worry.
Its true though.
Why bother with this when I could get him involve in something else?
I had no scruples.
The looks on the faces of those around me as they saw the classified document in my hand were already ugly.
Rolling up the files, I stood in front of Yoo Heung-ryul.
Do dont come!
Why?
Ugh!
I lightly dodged his outstretched hand and tried to snatch it away. However, as the trajectory shifted, his hand sharpened into a point and aimed for my throat. Oh, it was exhilarating. In response, I caught it and released a land mine as a return favor.
Bang!
Kuaaaah!
Yoo Heung-ryul, whose entire right arm bone had turned to dust, screamed. I kicked him in the shin, breaking both legs, and grabbed his head.
Seeing the others sparkling head, it was actually not a style, but baldness instead. Suddenly, I felt melancholic. Would Jung Ju-ho also end up like that later? It seemed like it would be better to shave it like Yoo Heung-ryeol.
When I realized that Yoo Heung-ryul had shaved his head because of hair loss, I stopped slapping him and returned to the front of the podium.
For disrupting the hunting order to create a rift between the government and the guilds and delay our response. I believe that Yoo Heung-ryul was guilty of violating the Monster Security Act. Any objections?
No one had any objections. It seemed that his guilt was established.
The Monster Security Act was a system designed to prevent division in the face of monster attacks. Almost every country had enacted this law to unite humanity under the threat of monsters.
Even at the moment his guilt was decided, Yoo Heung-ryul was still rolling on the floor and screaming.
Youre making too much noise.
I took out a recovery potion and threw it at him.
Bang!
The glass bottle shattered, tearing his head and causing blood to flow. Meanwhile, the recovery potion started to take effect and began to mend the wound.
I turned my gaze back to the guild officials.
There are a lot of people I need to see sooner or later.
First, I need to hunt Nuri, and then Ill take my time to meet the others. I look forward to seeing you again.
Was I the only one looking forward to it? Everyones expression was ugly. If theyre going to gossip, shouldnt they also consider that it might reach the person involved? Was I the only one who thought that way?
Having concluded my business, I left the meeting.
It wasnt long before the room erupted into an uproar.
***
Lee Se-hee, who had been watching where Choi Jun-ho went, asked Baek Gun-seo.
What do you think, Uncle?
I cant do that even in my dreams. He efficiently used the most reckless method.
Is it that extreme?
Did you see him move freely in the sky?
Yes.
Thats not a flight Gift. He moved freely, sustaining himself purely with the Force. It cant even be maintained without using an enormous amount of energy.
Baek Gun-seo shook his head, but Lee Se-hee didnt quite understand it.
Is it really that amazing?
Even I wouldnt last long if I used the same tactics. But Choi Jun-ho didnt change his expression until he returned from facing the Black Wyvern. It wasnt beyond his limits. I wonder how much Force it takes for that to be possible.
I didnt know it was so difficult.
Baek Gun-seo was definitely not a Transcendent with lacking skills. While he might not be considered the absolute strongest among the three Transcendent affiliated with the major guilds in South Korea, he was a well-rounded Transcendent who always pulled his weight in any situation.
In particular, he had the highest amount of Force among the three. Choi Jun-ho was able to do something that even he couldnt do? Amazing. Was there no end to his strength?
Catching the Black Wyvern easily and yet insisting on the second right to hunt. There must be a reason that has something to do with Nuri. Its better to choose the fourth order as you thought.
Thank you for understanding.
No, its the right thing to do when you feel uneasy. Thats what a leaders instinct is for. If it wasnt for you, we could have made a mistake with our plans. Your instincts were right. Well done, Se-hee.
Yes.
Since Baek Gun-seo also agreed, the risk that Lee Se-hee had to bear disappeared.
By the way, Director Cheon, who has to manage Choi Jun-ho, must have a tough job.
Hes very capable, so Im sure hell be able to handle it.
The two nodded as they looked at Cheon Myeong-guk.
Conflicting emotions of sympathy and trust crossed their minds.
***
There was some commotion, but the meeting proceeded smoothly afterward.
The Avant-garde Guild was the first to acquire the right to face the danger level 8 monster, Nuri.
The order was as follows: First, The Avant-Garde; Second, Choi Jun-hos unnamed hunting team; Third, Reapers Guild; Fourth, Sacred Guild.
All of them possessed a Level 8 Transcendent.
However, what caught peoples attention wasnt the hunting order.
It was Choi Jun-hos Black Wyvern hunting video.
The quality of the video was poor, but the impact was truly intense.
Not long ago, the Choi Jun-ho half-baked theory was all over the internet.
The term half-baked referred to an Awakened who was powerful against villains, but was unable to show their full potential against monsters.
After the appearance of monsters and awakened individuals, the value of hunters increased because they could obtain valuable monster materials for a high price. Since money was the top priority, the value of hunters who couldnt hunt was greatly diminished.
Capturing villains would slightly improve public safety, but monsters left behind cores, hides, and materials.
There were rumors that Choi Jun-ho, who had no hunting history, might also be a half-baked. However, when this hunting video was released, suspicions disappeared as if they had been washed away.
The internet response was dramatic.
[This is insane, is it for real that he took down a danger level 7 monster in one shot?]
[Was the Black Wyvern such a weak monster? Taking it down in one shot like that.]
[Black Wyverns are one of the most challenging monsters among the level 7.]
[Its fast, and it can identify the target even from a distance of over 10 km. Its hide can only be penetrated by a Level 7 at full strength, and it breathes fire from the sky in a very annoying way. And its good at controlling its anger, so it runs away when it realizes its in trouble.]
[If he can capture a danger level 7 monster so easily, shouldnt he be confident against a level 8? Why isnt he given the first order to attack?]
[I dont know the reason, but there must be something.]
[Its really cool to hunt alone without a hunting team. Level 8 at such a young age, excellent hunting skills, handsome, its really an unfair world.]
[Stepping on the air like that consumes an insane amount of Force. It seems that Choi Jun-hos Force level is off the charts.]
If most people were in awe of his hunting skills, there were also those who paid attention to what happened afterward.
[The aftermath of this video is even scarier. It didnt show what happened next, but Choi Jun-ho criticized the hunter in the meeting room to the point of breaking him down.]
[Is that even possible?]
[Choi Jun-ho also beat up the reporter who criticized him during a live broadcast. If you thought he wouldnt control himself just because hes a hunter.]
[If they objected in the hunting order, Choi Jun-ho would immediately accuse them of violating the Monster Security Law.]
[Whats even scarier was that Choi Jun-ho made a list of people who have been saying hes only half-baked all this time.]
[Seriously, isnt that a blacklist? But whats scarier is that there might still be people to be added.]
[Wow. Did he list the people who left malicious comments here too?]
[Are we going to receive a visit from Choi Jun-ho? This is crazy.]
Some took it as a joke, but there were also those who took it seriously.
[Isnt that a blacklist?]
[They said it isnt?]
[Choi Jun-ho has a non-arrest privilege, and even if he didnt have it, there is no one who can touch the youngest Transcendent with a proven hunting skills.]
[What will happen to those who spread these rumors now?]
[I dont know either. But isnt it scarier because we dont know?]
[Choi Jun-ho wasnt joking when he beat up that reporter while smiling.]
[Those who have been saying things must be having trouble sleeping.]
[They might have already disappeared. Delete quickly and lie low.]
[Hahaha, soon a massacre party filled with blood and flesh will take place!]
As Choi Jun-ho had stated, there was no personal retaliation that occurred.
While preparing to face Nuri, under the leadership of the National Security Agency, the Foreign Cooperation Agency, and the Monster Defense Frontline Agency, a large-scale villain suppression operation began.
Arrest all villains!
When monsters wreak havoc, villains cunningly infiltrate. As the Avant-Garde Guild established the first defensive line, the three agencies gathered their strength and cleared out the villains.
Over a thousand villains were killed or arrested in the surprise operation.
The most outstanding performance came from Menacing Woman Jung Da-hyun.
Her image had been that of an upright government hunter.
Justice, shining talent, and beautiful looks were all associated with her name, but her actions in this arrest operation were markedly different.
Swift judgment, ruthless hands, and mercilessness towards villains.
She brought down over a hundred villains.
In the final moments of the arrest operation, despite dozens of villains charging at her, each with explosives strapped to their bodies, she managed to terrify the villains by cutting off both of their legs.
As the bombs exploded one by one, she kept a calm face and gave orders.
Cut off the legs of any villain holding a bomb.
Since she basically told them to blow themselves up, the villains were terrified and just surrendered.
***
The arrest of the villains and the preparation of the Avant-Garde Guild moved quickly.
The government implemented strict controls to curb skyrocketing prices.
Some criticized the government for making a big deal out of the existence of a danger level 8 monster that hadnt even appeared yet, but the government was resolute.
They believed in their approval ratings and pushed ahead. The opposition may have shouted, but the approval ratings were still in their favor.
It seems the country is running well.
I was satisfied with the systematic operation.
Becoming a Transcendent and having my face recognized also had its advantages like this. Especially, it was very convenient not to have to go out one by one for villain eradication and just stay in one place.
It would have been even better if there wasnt someone watching me from the side.
At the request of the Cheon Myeong-Guk, I visited the Awakened Security Office and read classified documents (a.k.a. the Blacklist).
I had to read it several times before I could recall who said what and how.
I wondered how disappointed the person you had to repay the debt to would be if they appeared in front of you, but you didnt recognize them.
I had no intention of disappointing them.
If youve come, please speak. I can look at this anytime, so its fine.
I closed the classified document I was looking at and greeted Cheon Myeong-guk. He sighed heavily and sat down across from me.
You dont have to worry.
Dont you know what Im worried about?
Of course, I do.
Ill put up with visiting the people in this document until I hunt down Nuri instead.
I also had a clear distinction between work and personal life. Currently, South Koreas attention was focused on the hunt for Nuri, so I planned to deal with this after that.
The Directors abilities are more impressive than I thought. I didnt know you would investigate in such detail.
If I had been careless, you would have personally intervened.
How did you know? Anyway, after reading this, there were many trivial things.
Yes, if the Transcendent-nim is generous, maybe you can overlook it.
Isnt it true that everyone engages in a bit of gossip from time to time as they go through life? I dont believe people should seek revenge just for saying a single bad word.
What do you mean by that?
Cheon Myeong-guks face showed anticipation.
I must look like a vengeful villain to him.
I showed Cheon Myeong-guk the redacted version of the classified document. Its thinner than the initial version. I stayed up all night and read through it three times, deleting three-quarters of the people from the list.
Im only looking at those who intentionally tried to slander me. Its gotten thinner, hasnt it?
I just hope it ends well.
Of course, it will all end well.
I meant, for me, it would.
The thought that crossed my mind when I received the blacklist was, well, if this continued, two-thirds of the guilds in our country would disappear.
Despite what I said, Cheon Myeong-guks expression didnt brighten.
Then, the secretary entered and delivered some news.
Guild Master Lee Chan-taek of the Avant-Garde Guild is here.
Lee Chan-taek was the guild master of the Avant-Garde Guild and a Level 8 Transcendent.
This guy is on the blacklist, too.
Please
Isnt this guy even worse? Hes a Transcendent himself and yet he criticizes others.
After giving it some thought, it appeared that might be the case.
But Im a Transcendent chosen by the country. If you insult me, it means you doubt the countrys choice, doesnt it?
Or maybe not.