Chapter 120 (1/2)
Retaliation (1)
Seoul, Seo Jin-Wook’s residence.
Secretary Kim hummed while making a business report on his absence.
It was about the things to report when the Guild Master returns from his absence for the Chinese dungeon exploration.
“Heh-heh. It really drives me to get working these days!”
He couldn’t have expected that the situations they experienced would turn out the way they did just a year ago. Since they first met, it had already been expected that his ability as a hunter would be spectacular. However, Seo Jin-Wook was already mentally unstable back then, and t was questionable if he would be able to function as a decent human being.
When he looked back at those memories, such concerns felt so distant. Seo Jin-Wook, who was inaugurated as the Guild Master, had immediately achieved the SS-Rank and was making the Celestial Dragon thrive at a frightening pace. What made it even better was the fact that nobody held back their praise towards him doing so.
The Celestial Dragon, which was already Korea’s No. 1, had firmly established a position that no one could overlook. Not only quantitative growth but also qualitative growth was evident within the guild, with the number of top-tier hunters, including Adam of SSS-Class, constantly increasing.
‘Whether that may be the media or the internet when it comes to the Celestial Dragon, they’re busy praising it.’
The popularity of the guild had exponentially risen because they had found more Gates than any other guilds.
At the center of all those changes, the interest in the extraordinary Awakened had skyrocketed beyond belief.
What’s more, the achievement they gained from the Australian dungeon could be considered as one of its peak points.
‘And from that position, the Guild Master will become the representative of the Earth. From the perspective of the aliens, he will be considered as the ambassador of Earth. It’s an achievement that no other hunter had done before!’
However, at that moment–
The breaking news was broadcasted on the TV that he had just turned on.
As he turned his head, news about the dungeon in which Seo Jin-Wook entered was being reported. Secretary Kim immediately turned up the volume.
– This is breaking news. It has already been four days now since the top-tier international hunters had gathered to form a Chinese dungeon exploration team. After such a long wait, we are finally going to be able to hear the awaited good news.
“Could it be?!”
Before the Chinese Awakened, including Ray Chen, revealed their evil plan, the ones outside had already noticed that the dungeon Clear was over, causing them to act quickly into using that information as news content.
– According to the Gate’s message, it has been identified that the exploration team sent to the corresponding dungeon has completed the dungeon Clear smoothly.
“He must have finished it already!”
According to the news, the SS-Class dungeon was Cleared in 4 days.
Even if they considered the team composition, they still did it at such an extraordinary pace.
– The number of survivors currently indicated by the message is 30. Therefore, it means that there is not a single casualty among the expedition members!
Fortunately, there must have been no accidents.
While Secretary Kim let out a sigh of relief-
Thud!
The door opened, allowing a giant beyond human limits to come inside. He had to lower his body and slouch to be able to go through the doorway.
His hard, muscle-covered physique barely managed to pass through the narrow door.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Mr. Abrams!”
It was Adam who returned after quite a long time. Secretary Kim greeted him warmly.
“How long has it been? You must have been quite busy to not report in for quite a long time.”
“A bit, yes.”
“Did your business work out well?
Secretary Kim, who didn’t know the exact reason for his absence, asked him courteously.
But then, Adam’s face hardened a bit.
“No.”
“Oh, my…”
Even though Secretary Kim did not know what was going on, he made a pitiful expression.
“Is there any part of it that the guild’s support team can help you with? Would there be any major setback in your plans…”
“Well, I can’t really disclose a lot of things about it in detail, but I think it will become a little troublesome soon. I will need to talk to Seo Jin-Wook about the specifics. Where is he right now?”
“I can’t help but assume you don’t even have the time to watch the news. He’s gone there.”
Secretary Kim pointed at the TV screen which was broadcasting the news.
“China?”
As Adam also looks at the TV with an unenthusiastic face-
“… Huh?!”
At that moment, the subtitle at the lower portion of the news screen had changed.
Secretary Kim’s face turned pale as he read through it.
The anchor was looking at the teleprompter with a stiff expression.
– Yes, a piece of breaking news had just been delivered to us right at this moment. There’s been an update regarding the number of survivors in the Chinese Gate. According to the information it’s providing, it had already been Cleared by the team inside. However, the number of entrants, which used to be 30 has dwindled down to 26…. Ah, as we speak, it is reported that it decreased even more!
The change was being broadcasted in real-time.
Cold sweat dripped down on Secretary Kim’s forehead.
“What in the world!”
Adam gazed vacantly at Secretary Kim, who was restless.
“What’s with the fuss?”
He spoke in a tone that made him seem like he couldn’t empathize with what he was feeling.
Secretary Kim shouted as his face became darker.
“What do you mean?! Everyone was already worried about China doing some sort of funny business… In the end, this happened! Those sons of bitches!”
As Adam watched the news, he quickly grasped the situation and nodded.
“I can draw the scenario without even looking at it. The Chinese must be getting beaten up after taunting them.”
Secretary Kim spoke in a manner as if he could not agree to that statement.
“If you look at the member composition, there are over 20 Chinese hunters! Almost all of them are of above SS-Ranks. Guild Master would become the victim!”
Then, Adam asked as if he genuinely could not understand.
“When the hell was the last time you roamed around and Cleared out dungeons with Seo Jin-Wook?”
Secretary Kim searched through his memories.
The first and last time he accompanied Seo Jin-wook in an expedition was during the Okcheon dungeon raid when the Guild Master was still an E-Rank hunter that had recently Awakened.
Secretary Kim understood what Adam was trying to say, but his worries did not fade away.
“Yes, I’m aware that the Guild Master is currently an SS-Rank. But the power difference is too…”
“What, wait. So after then, you have never seen how he fights?”
“… Yes.”
Then Adam shook his head, showing how much he didn’t feel the need to hold that conversation with him anymore.
“Keep your useless worries and anxiety out of your mind. If I were you, rather than Seo Jin-Wook, I would worry about China, as they will have to deal with his grudge.”
Secretary Kim could not understand Adam’s composure at all.
*
The news reported about the Gate message that continued to change every now and then. The number of survivors eventually dropped to seven before stopping, which was composed of the party of six of Seo Jin-Wook that remained in stage 2 and one Chinese soldier that returned to stage 1.
But at that point, the ordinary public had no way of knowing who the seven people were.
The Chinese leadership sent a rescue team to rescue the survivors, but it was all just for show. There was no intention of actually saving them, nor were they capable of doing so.
After three days, waiting calmly for six more survivors to be subtracted-
A change had occurred once more.
“… You’re saying that a message that the dungeon has been re-Cleared had appeared?!”
The gate message was clearly conveying a piece of information- That the ‘dungeon re-run’ had been accomplished.
In Beijing, an emergency meeting was held, and the participants did their best to exchange ideas amid the utter chaos.
“Must it not be the last struggle? The survivors that lived through the second stage had no way to return, so they must have expanded the dungeon just in case. With faint hope that among the additional rewards, there could be something that would aid in their escape, that is.”
“I mean, does that make sense to you?!”
Of course, it didn’t make sense.
It was an act that was difficult to assume the motives behind.
On the other hand, it was even incomprehensible how that was possible.
“They’ve Cleared the dungeon once again using only six people when it would’ve only been possible with 30 people. They indeed have enormous power.”
“If those kinds of people came back alive, there might just be a bloodbath in Beijing.”
What if they avoided being dimensionally lost because they hadn’t shut down the door to the second stage?
The foreign hunters that returned to China must’ve plotted for revenge, even if in conjunction with their governments.
Would they let them be when they attempted to enslave SSS-Rank hunters, and when that plan failed, they tried to kill them for good?
“…Yes, I’m glad at least the last bastion was successful.”
And the news that continued right after-