Chapter 161
Incheon Airport was in a state of emergency right now.
Because a world-class VVIP was about to arrive.
And without any advance notice.
They'd only received the call an hour ago.
Far too little time to prepare proper protocol.
But they pulled it off anyway.
Besides, since the Tower had appeared, flight routes had been cut back so much that it was manageable.
“It's coming....”
Swallow.
While everyone swallowed hard, the plane landed. A private jet painted with a gaudy Stars and Stripes pattern.
The plane door opened.
Everyone lifted their cameras and waited to film the appearance of the VVIP in question.
But only a few security agents in black suits came out of the door, and no matter how long they waited, there was no sign of the VVIP.
“What the hell? Why isn't he coming out?”
“Did something happen?”
People began to murmur.
That was then.
Vwoom!
A thunderous roar came from above. A sonic boom that seemed to tear the sky apart.
Instinctively, everyone looked up at the sky.
Something was dropping through the clouds like a bullet.
Right near where the crowd was gathered.
“W-what the hell! A missile?”
“Run!”
Chaos erupted. People scattered in droves, not even able to grab their luggage.
The black dot in the sky grew larger and larger.
Shuuuuung! KABOOM!
It slammed into the ground in an instant.
Fortunately, not on top of the people. It struck the middle of an empty airport runway.
The asphalt burst upward as if exploding.
A tremendous shockwave.
“Aaagh!”
Windows rattled and people staggered and fell.
A pale cloud of dust rose from the impact site, making it impossible to tell what had fallen.
But everyone knew exactly what was there.
Because there was only one person in the world crazy enough to do something like this.
So even though expensive equipment had toppled over, no one could bring themselves to curse.
All they had to do now was pick up their expensive cameras and film the person who would walk out of that dust cloud.
“….”
When the dust cleared, a man was sitting there.
He was in the classic hero-landing pose, one knee bent and a fist driven into the ground.
Behind him, a Stars and Stripes cape fluttered, and in his other hand was the shield that had, at some point, become his trademark.
And at the center of that shield was a clearly engraved number.
[No. 10]
Flashes began going off like mad.
The world's No. 1-ranked Demigod.
He had set foot on Korean soil, delivering an overwhelming performance by landing with his bare body instead of by plane.
Demigod slowly rose to his feet.
He didn't seem to care at all that the runway had caved in and formed a crater.
Adjusting his sunglasses, he strode toward the reporters.
“Mr. Demigod! What's the purpose of your sudden visit to Korea?”
“Why did you jump out of the plane...?”
“Does this perhaps have anything to do with North Korea?”
At the barrage of questions, Demigod grinned.
He then spoke his first words.
“Fucking China.”
“……?”
“…!”
A silent hush fell despite the many people present.
Demigod, utterly unfazed, raised his middle finger.
“I came because I heard there were guys messing with my partner. Who the hell dares threaten my perfect partner?”
He lowered his sunglasses slightly and said, glaring into the cameras.
“Listen up. Aeternus is my ally. If you mess with them, you're declaring war on me.”
“…!”
“I can be in Beijing in ten minutes from here. You know I can fly, right? Behave yourself, okay?”
A wide-area provocation aimed at the entire world.
The reporters stared blankly at the scene, not even daring to breathe.
The Foreign Ministry staff watching from inside the building all looked ashen, Korean and American alike.
“Haa.... Who was it? Who said we should send that uncontrollable man?”
“Uh, is this the official position of the U.S. government?”
“Of course not! That's a relief. We blocked the live broadcast because he looked like he'd definitely cause trouble. It should be fine if we edit out everything he just said before it goes out.”
“I-I see.”
“It was supposed to be an entrance with no fuss, cool and silent. We even had the excuse ready that he was here to meet Hunter Kim Suho.... But then he suddenly jumped out of the plane. That crazy bastard....”
Watching the American staff swear nonstop, the Korean Foreign Ministry staff all let out sighs of relief.
It was a relief. Because Korea's S-ranks weren't people like that.
What's more, Hunter Kim Hanbyeol, who would soon become an S-rank, was surely a quiet person too.
She hadn't had a single incident so far, and she even hated showing her face to the media, so she'd probably keep being that way.
They secretly exchanged relieved glances with one another.
***
“Hello! Kim Kadian! My friend!”
“Ha ha....”
After arriving in Korea, Demigod never stopped moving.
A chicken restaurant in Samseong Station.
Demigod and Kim Suho were eating fried chicken, surrounded by reporters.
This isn't going to sit well with me....
Kim Suho wasn't too pleased with the situation. He just wanted to eat in peace.
This insane attention-seeker had gathered all the reporters and held a chicken-restaurant meetup.
While useless, boring chatter went back and forth, he occasionally even handed out chicken to the reporters.
Then Demigod suddenly leaned in and asked in a sly voice,
“By the way, is that rumor true?”
“What rumor?”
“I heard a new S-rank is going to appear. A mage like you, supposedly? Is it true that they're already at your level, or is that just PR?”
“Oh, that....”
Kim Suho thought for a moment.
Hanbyeol was probably at least on par with him, maybe even stronger.
Of course, in terms of matchups, he might have the edge a little....
As he'd felt before, the difference in base stats was just too great.
Even if he ran the simulations in his head, he couldn't picture himself winning easily.
But if he said that honestly, who knew what the attention junkie in front of him would do.
“The news is a little exaggerated, isn't it?”
“Hmm, I thought so. Well, it's not easy to bridge a ten-floor gap.”
Fortunately, Demigod seemed to let it slide without much suspicion.
Kim Suho breathed an inward sigh of relief.
But it seemed it was too soon to relax.
“Where is she? Can't I get a look at her face too?”
“… Why?”
Kim Suho said, doing his best not to seem too guarded.
“I'm thinking of teaching her a thing or two while I'm here. It's one-on-one tutoring from the world's number one, you know? Not just anyone gets that.”
“It'll probably be difficult. She's still a hunter at national-security level. Besides, she doesn't want her identity exposed either.... I don't know her face very well either. She probably won't show up.”
“What? How arrogant. She's refusing when I'm the one offering to train her?”
Demigod snorted and knocked back a long drink of beer.
“Next time she comes to register as an S-rank, I'll give her a proper dressing-down. She has no manners for her senior, does she? No manners at all.”
“Hmm....”
“Why the long face? Come on, cheers!”
After pestering Kim Suho all day like that.
Demigod's next stop was Aeternus headquarters.
The broker greeted him, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Oh, so you're the representative! My best friend!”
Demigod beamed and shook his hand hard enough to break it.
“That secret gift last time really moved me!”
“I-if you say that so loudly....”
“Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. Could I maybe meet the maker too?”
“… Yes, unfortunately, that person is focused on their work and doesn't meet outsiders at all.”
“That's a shame. Why are there so many people with social anxiety in Korea? Tsk.”
Even as he clicked his tongue, Demigod wandered all over the office.
He took photos with the employees and left a huge autograph on the wall.
As the chaotic, complicated schedule was coming to an end, Demigod crept closer and whispered,
“Hey, do you happen to have something like that this time?”
“Huh? One of those?”
“You know... the special edition like last time.”
Demigod winked.
As a bonus, he fiddled with the NO. 0 transformation button attached to his shield.
“Ah, you mean that.”
The broker smiled knowingly and took a small box out of the drawer.
“Of course we've prepared one. When we heard that Demigod would be coming, our Meister worked through the night to make it.”
“Ooh!”
“Open it when no one else is around. It has a very special feature this time too.”
“Just as I thought! You never disappoint my expectations!”
Demigod's grin widened.
He hadn't even checked what it was yet, but of course he trusted it. They'd given him a gift like that before, after all.
Satisfied, Demigod patted the broker's back repeatedly.
“Good! Very good! I guarantee it. If this place gets attacked, no matter who it is, I'll take revenge for you, so don't worry! I'll fly all the way to the ends of the earth and blast them to bits!”
“Heh heh.... Thank you.”
Please, just leave already.
The broker thought to himself with a lifeless smile.
***
[The world's No. 1 Demigod has made a surprise visit to Korea....]
[The purpose of his visit is said to be his friendship with Hunter Kim Suho, with whom he had already grown close through operations such as the Mexico campaign....]
[Aeternus, the best partner....]
[Sexy pictorial: leotard swimsuit unveiled in a surprise exclusive]
Even after that, Demigod's Korea tour continued.
Shots of him sweating buckets while eating tteokbokki at Gwangjang Market.
Shots of him taking selfies while sitting atop Lotte Tower.
Even shots of him diving into the Han River while wearing Aeternus swimwear.
Everything became news.
“He really knows how to stir up attention.”
I pouted as I watched the news.
The whole world was talking about Demigod.
My story had been completely buried.
Fine, I'll do the exact same thing in New York later. Just you wait.
“I couldn't watch this anymore.”
I turned the TV off right then and there in a huff.
I should probably hide out somewhere until that guy leaves Korea.
Even better if it's something that can draw attention.
“I should go to the 48th floor.”
Without even informing the government, I took off for the Tower.