Chapter 109 - Chapter 109 (1/2)

Just before Jin-Woo was completely swallowed up by his shadow, he heard another message issued by the System.

[The dungeon's interior will revert back to original appearance with the death of....]

The sensation of him falling didn't last long. Suddenly, the gravity's direction reversed, and he was now being lifted back up at the same speed as he was being sucked in.

His darkened vision reverted back to the original state in no time at all.

'Isn't this place....?'

Jin-Woo took a quick look around.

Tick, tick....

A street light that continued to flicker as if it was broken; a hand-pulled wooden cart leaning precariously against a wall; an electrical pole with a half-torn flier stiller stuck to it.

He found himself in a deserted alleyway he often had to walk past when heading back home.

'….Hey, this is the suburb I live in, isn't it?!'

Somewhat coincidentally, it was also the exact same spot where he issued the five shadows to start patrolling the district, as well.

'My location really changed.'

Jin-Woo did feel deeply stunned at the moment, but still, he somehow managed to remain calm as he checked the shadow beneath his feet. Just like when he summoned his Shadow Soldiers, he too rose up from the shadow. He cautiously poked his shadow with the tip of his foot.

'…...'

Back when he activated the skill, the shadow caved in as if he was stepping on the surface of water, but it was just a regular shadow now. Feeling genuinely impressed, Jin-Woo re-checked the Skill Window.

Just as the Skill description had stated, the 'cool down' period of three hours was in effect.

[Skill: Shadow Exchange Lv. 1]

Class-specific Skill...

….Can be used again in [02:59:57].

'….I've struck gold.'

Having witnessed the awesomeness of this skill, Jin-Woo's heart pounded faster and faster.

'And it was so fast, too....'

He had been maintaining the peak state of concentration the moment he was sucked into the shadow. Considering the fact that the perceived time would greatly slow down when he was concentrating fully, the transfer to this location did really happen in the blink of an eye.

His saliva nosily slid down his throat.

This skill called Shadow Exchange – it possessed limitless application, depending on how he used it.

'Ah, right. This isn't the right time.'

Jin-Woo calmed his excitement down and withdrew his magic energy. He had finally managed to get his hands on a medicine that could potentially cure his mother, so he shouldn't be wasting time here like this.

Feeling a lot more urgent now, Jin-Woo switched his Hunter-issue mobile phone and confirmed the current time.

'It's already this late....?'

Jin-Woo's forehead creased up big time.

The touchscreen display showed ten in the evening. Although the visitation hours had long passed now, Jin-Woo didn't hesitate once as he summoned the shadow of the Sky Dragon.

'Kaisel.'

Kiiieeehhk-!

Answering the call of his owner, Kaisel yelled out in joy and pushed his head out of the ground. And soon, a huge lizard-like creature the size of a truck with no arms but huge wings revealed itself.

When Kaisel spread open its vast wings, the already-narrow alleyway seemed to get filled to the brim in an instant. It was a small mercy that there were no other people nearby, otherwise.....

Jin-Woo walked closer, and Kaisel lowered his body to allow ease of mounting. Jin-Woo duly did so.

Even though this was his first time, he already felt a sense of familiarity as if he had been riding on Kaisel for a long time. He figured that flying in the air wouldn't pose any problems since he felt this way.

'It doesn't matter if someone tries to stop me.'

He wasn't talking about the hospital staff – even if cops or the military tried to block him, he knew he had the power to break past them. And, at least for this moment, he didn't want anyone to obstruct his path.

'Let's go.'

Jin-Woo formed a serious expression and issued a command. Kaisel began beating his huge wings.

Kiieeehhhkk!!

Kaisel rose up in the air right away and quickly flew in the direction Jin-Woo pointed at.

***

A meeting was still taking place within the walls of the Hunters Association, even though the hours were getting late.

The Korea-Japan cooperative raid was already around the proverbial corner, and the Association was doing everything in their power to ensure the successful subjugation of Jeju Island's ant monsters.

"Here is the data sent by the Japanese."

The agent of the Association pressed a button on the remote. Soon, the giant screen was filled with the footage of the ant monsters, captured by the magic-power sensing camera attached to a Japanese satellite.

These were the records taken during the first, second and the third subjugation attempts. Goh Gun-Hui's eyes narrowed to a slit.

'Indeed, excluding the ant queen and its guards, every single ant did leave the ant tunnel.'

The ant monsters moved just as the Japanese said they would.

Although the existence of the guardian ants was a worrisome variable in the equation, it was also normal to find a few guardian-type monsters protecting their bosses within higher ranked dungeons, as well.

Still, it was hard to claim that there was no risk. The top man in the Korean side of the operation, Goh Gun-Hui, quickly thought of one of the worst case situations.

"What are the odds of the ants turning around quicker than anticipated after realising their queen is in danger?"

The Japanese had already thought about that too, however.

"They have said they would use 'interference radio wave' signal."

"Radio wave signal?"

"According to their research, they discovered that the ant monsters use specific radio waves to communicate among themselves."

Indeed, if one wanted to order an army of several thousands as one unit, then a method to send out commands should exist. Goh Gun-Hui nodded his head.

"And they can interrupt the communication of ants with radio waves?"

"That's what they said, sir."

"So, they want us to fully concentrate on killing the ant queen, is it...."

The subjugation plan itself was quite simple.

Even though it was simple, there was a higher chance of succeeding when compared to other plans, as well.

Yet, why did Goh Gun-Hui feel so anxious like this?

He rested his chin on his hands.

'Could it be that I'm worried about...'

It was then.

Goh Gun-Hui spun his head towards the outside of the window, his brows shooting up high. Everyone inside the meeting room flinched at the sudden movement of the Association President.

Section Chief Woo Jin-Cheol, here to guard his boss from the side, rapidly walked in closer.

"Did something happen, sir?"

"Just now....."

Goh Gun-Hui shifted his gaze over to Woo Jin-Cheol. The latter's expression remained the same as usual.

"Haven't you felt that?"

"Sir? I don't understand what you mean...."

"...."

Just now, an astonishing wave of magic power flooded in from a faraway place beyond the windows.

Although it only lasted for a brief moment and quickly disappeared from Goh Gun-Hui's perception, he still had felt the full brunt of that.

'….....'

As their Association President continued to stare into the distance outside the window, the agents had to stop the meeting and cautiously ask their boss.

"Sir....?"

Only then did Goh Gun-Hui shift his gaze away, his head still tilting side to side.

He wondered about the possible origin of that powerful burst of magic energy, but for the time being, he had to concentrate on the current meeting. Goh Gun-Hui fell into deep thought, before throwing a question at one of the agents in charge.

"Have you succeeded in getting in contact with Hunter Seong Jin-Woo?"

***

Baek Yun-Ho asked, his head still looking over his shoulder.

"Did you sense that?"

Min Byung-Gu replied testily.

"I may be retired now, but my rank hasn't dropped, you know."

These two men had been sharing a bottle of cheap liquor for the first time in a long while inside a certain 'pojangmacha' until then, but now, only the heavy silence flowed between them. (TL note at the end)

Baek Yun-Ho eventually shifted his gaze back to his front.

"What was that just now?"

"Maybe Choi Jong-In and Cha Hae-In started fighting over the shares of the Hunters Guild. Who knows."

Min Byung-Gu had been frozen on the spot with a shot glass in his hand, but suddenly broke out in a fit of giggles before emptying the soju down his throat. Baek Yun-Ho formed a dumbfounded expression.

"Don't tell me you were trying to make me laugh with that."

"But, wasn't it funny, hyung?"

"....Never mind. Forget it."

But, then again - including his sense of humour, Min Byung-Gu could be considered a bit strange in the head. No doubt about that.

'I mean, he's supposed to be the first rank S Hunter in the world to retire when he's still all healthy and the like, isn't he?'

Not only the first in the world, but he was also the only one so far, too.

Just how many people out there would willingly give up on the ridiculous amount of wealth a rank S Hunter could earn, simply because he wasn't interested anymore?

Min Byung-Gu wasn't even from a wealthy stock, to begin with.

Sensing Baek Yun-Ho's questioning gaze, Min Byung-Gu asked back.

"Hyung. Are you really going to participate?"

"....Yeah."

"But, you saw how Eun-Seok hyung died."

"That's why I must go back."

Min Byung-Gu looked at his drinking partner with a bit of confusion on his face. Baek Yun-Ho emptied his shot glass and continued on.

"If we leave the ants alone, the entirety of South Korea would end up like that place."

"Since when did you become this patriotic....?"

"Well, we're supposed to do it sooner rather than later, so might as well come up with a nice-sounding excuse while I'm at it. Don't you agree?"

The Guilds could not decline the Association's summons. The Association would accommodate the needs of the various Guilds, and the Guilds themselves simply had to answer the Association's call in return.

If one didn't want to, then there was the option of emigrating to somewhere else. How unfortunate, then, that there was no sane-minded nation willing to accept a Hunter running away from a high-difficulty raid.

Even if a country did accept such a person, could anyone actually be sure of that said Hunter not pulling the exact same stunt again in the future?

'I don't want to run away, anyways.'

Baek Yun-Ho smirked to himself. Meanwhile, Min Byung-Gu bluntly replied.

"I won't be participating. I will never go back there. If you asked to see me, hoping to change my mind, you might as well give....."

"That's not it."