Chapter 291
* * *
Southern China
Around the time Korea was rapidly growing into a nation where the sun never sets, thanks to the Baekhwa Cult’s subjugation of the Erosion Zones.
China was divided into South and North.
The South was the Communist People’s Republic of China, with Jang Hak-chae as the President of State.
The North was the democratic New Republic of China, with Mingmei as the Grand President of State.
Jang Hak-chae had Vice President Tian Yuan mobilize hunters to formally oppose the New Republic of China in Northern China, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
Smack!
Jang Hak-chae threw down the newspaper carrying an article about Korea massively expanding its territory.
“God fucking damn it.”
They had been thoroughly defeated in the last war and even had their nuclear weapons dismantled.
Korea, with that rotten piece of trash Ha Jeongseok as President, was doing better than China.
Anger surged within him, but there was no clever solution at the moment.
Right now, they need to wipe out Northern China, which was controlled up above by the Northwest Warlords.
Though Korea was supporting them, Northern China had yet to properly establish itself as a nation. Even their populations had a massive disparity.
“Right. Unification is the priority right now.”
Since Xue Li of the Chiwoo Unit or whatever was reportedly heading to Korea this time, they could just send a large-scale army to Beijing in the meantime and wipe them out.
Someone like Mingmei wouldn’t be a big deal, so there shouldn’t be any problems?
That was how it should have been.
“What? It’s impossible? What kind of bullshit is that?”
“The quality of our hunters and Mingmei’s is on a completely different level.”
Vice President Tian Yuan firmly shook his head.
“Even so, you’re saying we can’t push through with numbers?”
“Their hunters can each take on a hundred of our hunters and still have room to spare!”
Right. Even so, they couldn’t just leave China divided like this, could they?
“If they settle in like this, we won’t be able to avoid ending up like the Northern and Southern Dynasties.”
“Even so, what’s impossible is impossible. Losing all our hunters in the last war was a massive blow.”
“Nngh.”
He was so adamant that Jang Hak-chae couldn’t say anything back.
Besides, he wasn’t wrong.
Their military power had been ground down in the last war anyway.
He had nothing to say about that.
“So you must endure it for now. If this nation had a system like Korea’s, there would have been protests long ago, and you, Your Excellency, would have been dragged down!”
“Are you really saying that to me?”
What else could it be?
Actually, Tian Yuan was explaining it leniently because his opponent was the President.
If he had spoken his mind, he would have said a few more things.
“I’m saying the damage was that severe. A whopping one million. One million! Do you think one million is just a trivial number?”
“You really are…”
Who didn’t know that? Honestly, he never dreamed the Baekhwa Cult would have a weapon of that magnitude.
Still, that was that, and this was this.
If they didn’t push themselves here, China would end up split in half.
He couldn’t let that happen.
“Now is not the time to be needlessly greedy. If we march north with our current hunters, we will definitely lose to Mingmei, and in the worst case, we could face a counterattack and have this Presidential Palace burned down.”
“I get it. I get it.”
Even so, this was a bit much.
He wanted to say more to Tian Yuan, but he held back, feeling like the man might start a coup next time.
For now, Tian Yuan held the real power.
“Damn it. Even so, how can we just leave those bastards alone?”
Once Tian Yuan disappeared, his dissatisfaction suddenly burst out.
Recently, foreign companies, including those from Korea, had begun expanding into the New Republic of China.
At this rate, they would end up with nothing.
They had to strike before the Northwest Warlords fully established themselves.
“You seem to have a lot of worries.”
Suddenly, a new presence appeared.
That being had a very familiar face.
Apostle Leo was a figure who had recently been heating up the internet.
No, that was probably his former name. Now, he wasn’t Apostle Leo, but Sin Leo.
“You’re… an Apostle? No, are you a Sin now?”
“Well, that Damn Bitch Yu Eunha was quite perceptive, so it ended up like this.”
“What were you thinking, coming to find me?”
“Don’t you want to take revenge on Korea?”
At Leo’s words, Jang Hak-chae frowned.
Right. Of course he wanted revenge on Korea. But wasn’t unification a higher priority right now?
If China remained split in half like this, there would be a large influx of population into Northern China in the future.
“Korea? Are you really saying that after seeing the state China is in right now?”
“If you just give me a few dozen from the Red Guard Unit, I will catch Ha Jeongseok and the Baekhwa Cult for you.”
The Red Guard Unit was formed. Because he had ruined the last war, even if it wasn’t a coup, Jang Hak-chae had gathered only the powerful hunters among the remaining Hunter groups to form an Imperial Guard for his personal protection.
That was the Red Guard Unit.
The Red Guard Unit was an organization whose primary purpose was killing those who rebelled against Jang Hak-chae, making them no different from an assassination squad.
Borrowing that Red Guard Unit to go to Korea and plot something meant he was fully determined.
However, it was unknown if there was any possibility of success.
The Sins who had invaded Korea so far had not met good ends.
“What are you talking about? No matter how much of a Sin you are, it’ll be hard to survive once you go in there, won’t it?”
“Even so, I must catch Yu Eunha at the very least.”
“You must hold quite the grudge.”
He could understand that feeling.
Because that Woman/Bitch named Yu Eunha was the human who specialized in provoking people. She was exactly a female Ha Jeongseok.
“That is why I need China’s help, because I am wanted in Japan and other places. It is difficult to enter.”
Certainly, China had not yet issued a wanted order regarding the Sins.
The media was also controlled by the Presidential Palace, so it would be fine. If Leo wanted to get help, China would be his only option.
“Are you saying you want to sneak into Korea through China? But couldn’t you just go in alone?”
“Looking at the last battle with the Sins, Yu Eunha was prepared. So it is better to strike from behind like this.”
Jang Hak-chae considered Leo’s words to have a point.
If a Sin struck at their weak points and went in, wouldn’t there still be a chance of winning?
“I suppose so. You just need to strike at their weak points and capture the key figures.”
“Yes. If things go well, I will help you get your revenge. If we do that, taking Northern China won’t be difficult either.”
It sounded plausible just hearing the words.
Jang Hak-chae was no fool.
He had become somewhat cautious due to the last war.
Could they really win just by doing that?
“Can you win?”
“Of course, because I have the power to defeat them.”
Oho. That was appetizing.
“What do you mean by that?”
Right now, Korea’s hunters, and its Villains too. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the absolute strongest individuals in the world.
Just looking at the Baekhwa Cult, they had dispatched a mere tens of thousands of troops to immediately wipe out the legion of Sins and -
“Do you know of Aži Dahaka?”
“Isn’t Aži Dahaka the one who caused the Great Cataclysm?”
Thanks to that, China had also become a mess.
Of course, Aži Dahaka himself, a former Hunter, was able to become President, thanks to Aži Dahaka.
“That fragment of Aži Dahaka is in my hands.”
“I don’t know what that means, but anyway, you’re saying it’s incredible?”
If it was a fragment, did that mean he could use that fragment to turn Korea upside down?
“Yes. That is correct.”
Right. It had nothing to do with him anyway.
Whatever happened in Korea, he wasn’t involved.
“Understood. Let’s do that. However, I am only sending you in secret. So, the rest is up to you.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Leo formed a despicable smile on his lips.
Jang Hak-chae was just opening the path to Korea.
That alone was enough.
* * *
Korean Hunter Association
One day, an incident broke out at the Korean Hunter Association, which had been riding high after even defeating the Sins.
Beeeep, beeeep.
The alarm signaling an intruder began to ring.
What in the world was going on?
Choi Cheolsik thought about it quietly, but he couldn’t understand it.
“President!”
“What in the world is going on?”
Choi Cheolsik asked Vice President Jeong Nayun, who had rushed in urgently, but -
“President. You must escape at once!”
Jeong Nayun instead tried to take Choi Cheolsik away.
What had happened so suddenly?
“What are you talking about?”
“Something has invaded the Association!”
Smack!
Someone kicked Jeong Nayun from behind, and she pitched forward and crashed right into Choi Cheolsik.
“Kugh?”
“Choi Cheolsik of the Hunter Association.”
Wondering who was calling him, he raised his head to see a blond man.
“What? Who are you? How dare you.”
As he looked closely, that face was familiar.
That was Apostle Leo. Wasn’t he the guy currently on the run after being branded a Sin? It was unbelievable to think such a bastard would dare show up at Korea’s Hunter Association.
Of all times, their main forces were deployed to the Northeast Three Provinces, so they couldn’t stop a surprise attack.
“I figured I needed to smash this Hunter Association first to cut off the Baekhwa Cult’s support forces.”
The Baekhwa Cult’s support forces?
I see. Leo. This bastard has come to retaliate against the Baekhwa Cult.
“Kikikik. This is absurd. Did you think I would just let you get away with this? It seems a young punk like you looks down on me because I’m a Baldy.”
He was saying he didn’t just pick up the association President seat because it was vacant.
Choi Cheolsik stood up from his seat.
“Do you think a mere association President of the Hunter Association can defeat me, armed with the fragment of Aži Dahaka?”
The fragment of Aži Dahaka.
Could it really be a fragment of the Aži Dahaka that caused the Great Cataclysm?
He couldn’t be sure, but one thing was certain: the man had come to kill him, so he had to fight back.
“We won’t know who’s better until we clash. Since you dared to invade this far, I’ll have to show you what a Korean can do.”
“What are you babbling - “
Choi Cheolsik thrust his shiny head forward.
He never thought the day would come to use this after rising to association President.
It couldn’t be helped. They couldn’t all die here, and he had to save Jeong Nayun too.
“To think the time has come for the alias of Tae-yang-in Choi Cheolsik to fly again.”
He couldn’t easily give up his life to some child who came to kill him while treating him like an old man put out to pasture.
“So-lar. Flare.”
Crackle.
A blinding light originating from his shiny, hairless head covered the world.
* * *
A few days had passed since I started quietly watching Jiyeon-i’s cocoon.
Having already settled in openly and formed long supports connecting to the ceiling and floor, the cocoon only occasionally trembled with no major changes.
“When will this hatch?”
Since I had already heard things from Author Yu Eunha, I could look forward to Jiyeon-i’s abilities after she became a Mutant.
She could practically be considered one of the strongest individuals.
It felt like it would be even more outstanding than the eyeball fights in a certain ninja manga.
“Eunha. It’s a disaster!”
“What is it?”
If Choi Siwoo was running over, it had to be a big deal, right?
“That crazy bastard Leo launched a surprise attack on the Hunter Association!”
“What?”
Leo attacked the Hunter Association?
I wondered where the guy who went into hiding had gone. And he was in a place like that?
But why was that a problem?
“So? Are Choi Cheolsik and Jeong Nayun dead?”
I didn’t think those two would die so easily.
“They haven’t been seen, but judging from the traces of battle… they say blood was scattered everywhere. And all the hunters inside the Association are dead.”
Well, since the Association’s main forces were dispatched to Manchuria, attacking the Association right now was practically like robbing an empty house.
Attacking Choi Cheolsik might have just been his taking out his anger.
Choi Cheolsik wasn’t someone who would go down that easily.
No matter how amazing Leo was, his opponent was Tae-yang-in Choi Cheolsik.
The blinding light Choi Cheolsik emitted was specialized in blinding opponents.
If their bodies hadn’t been found, they couldn’t be considered dead.
“Hmm. So what is he doing now?”
“Jinseok-i, who was out in Manchuria, came back and is fighting him.”
Jinseok-i has come back and is fighting?
“With Leo?”
“Yeah. It’s probably already on the internet.”
She was right. Before I knew it, Jinseok-i vs. Leo had climbed the real-time search rankings on the internet.
A video was already being broadcast live.
I didn’t know how long Jinseok-i, who had lost the power of the Divine Sword, could hold Leo off. Still, would he be able to endure?